h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sorry, who's posting? I've got all you people on my ignore list.

You know, I would open all kinds of new accounts and fake IDs and alter egos just to post something to your place Mina...

(I love this one)

HELL

Good point Dr. Hell; what is to stop the ignored researcher from making a second account and plagueing you that way?

I think the important thing to realize here is that in general, such "plagueing" tapers off quite quickly once the individual is no longer making any response whatsoever. Basically, an "ignore" option just makes it easier for those with perhaps less willpower in such manners to ignore those that are just looking for a response.


Mikey

I appreciate that my example is fairly extreme, but in such cases there should be preventative measures in place.

Well, the measures there would be the same measures we already use *now* when that sort of thing happens -- by yikesing offensive posts, contacting the italics, etc. I'm not sure I get why this would need to be any different? All this would do is give people one more tool to use, not replace the existing ways of dealing with harassment.

The difference is one is proactive and the other reactive. If every time we had to call the police to stop an unwanted guest from inviting themselves to our own house then it would be a complete farce: far better to give people front doors they can lock themselves and manage their own privacy. Likewise with the Internet: IE now has a hwole load of privacy options that the user can control. I see no good reason why a Researcher *shouldn't* have similar options on their PS.

On their PS, I agree, but not out in the street, say PR and stuff.

HELL

Do you think a user should have the ability to remove a thread from their message centre?

No and yes...

No: In the case evidence is needed (flame-wars / banning process etc.) messages shouldn't vanish, also they don't take up much space anyway and finally 'why should one want to delete a message'?.

Yes: There are those old convos that just take up space, which I'm sure I'll never read again, so why keep em?

I'll tend to a 'no' - mostly out of laziness.

HELL

I think yes...after a message has been yikesed if evidence were needed.

Yah, but why should one want to delete a message in the first place?


HELL

This is getting annoying...

Yes, especially whenwe get threads like this posted: F52677?thread=641743

Didn't read all of that but it sounds nasty. How come the Mods didn't step in?

They did. He got banned. I suppose it was worth being a lightning rod for all that spite just to see that happen.

I have to say, though, that the ignore + thread removal options would have been much more appealing. Having those other two 'badgers' following me around the site, playing Crabbe and Goyle to his Malfoy was a dispiriting experience, even to someone as case-hardened as me.

I agree, from what I saw that thread is a perfect example of why an ignore button would be useful.

From what I saw, you didn't like the content of the thread and so left after complaining. The researchers who were at fault followed you into your message centre deliberately to pick a fight. This should not be allowed.

FM wrote: "The difference is one is proactive and the other reactive."

You seem to have taken my post completely out of context here. If you read the thread, it's clear that I was arguing *for* the ignore function -- the first comment in the post of mine that you replied to was NOT in regards to whether there would be a difference between what we have now and having an ignore at all. It was in regards to the poster who was worried about how we would deal with those who create multiple accounts to get around any proposed ignore function.

I have to admit that I originally read your posts incorrectly as well Mikey. I've just re-read them and your ideas make sense.