A Conversation for Ask h2g2
An h2g2 Question
echomikeromeo Started conversation Nov 2, 2004
Being a relatively new member of h2g2, I have noticed something which has confused me utterly, that being the little icon of two eyes that appears next to some Researchers' names in the conversation forums. It appears next to my name, as well as some others. Can someone explain to me what the origin and meaning of this icon is?
EMR
An h2g2 Question
Wand'rin star Posted Nov 2, 2004
It means we're on-line. So you should see eyes next to my name. 
An h2g2 Question
echomikeromeo Posted Nov 2, 2004
I don't see it next to your name. But other than that little detail, it does make sense.
EMR
An h2g2 Question
echomikeromeo Posted Nov 2, 2004
Wait, sorry, I do now. D*** modem, takes forever to load.
EMR
An h2g2 Question
Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream Posted Nov 2, 2004
I'm not 100% sure about this, but from my observations I think the eyes tempoary disappear while a Researcher in typing/posting a message. It could just be my imagination.
And I believe they 'update' every 15 mins, so someone could appear to be online up to 15 minutes after they've logged off.
And I also believe that if a Researcher remains stationary, (can't think of a better word
) for more than 15 mins the eyes will disappear.
Emmily 
An h2g2 Question
I am Donald Sutherland Posted Nov 2, 2004
>> And I also believe that if a Researcher remains stationary, <<
Idle is the word your looking for Emily.
It's on one those technical words that means the user is logged on but doing nothing, just wasting electricity.
Donald
An h2g2 Question
Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream Posted Nov 2, 2004
Your quite right Donald, idle was the word I was looking for it was late, I was tired, I'm female, I have an excuse for everyting. 
Donald
Emmily
An h2g2 Question
Jim Lynn Posted Nov 2, 2004
"I'm not 100% sure about this, but from my observations I think the eyes tempoary disappear while a Researcher in typing/posting a message. It could just be my imagination."
It is your imagination. Unless you take more than 15 minutes to type a reply, you'll stay on the online list, and the eyes will be there.
An h2g2 Question
Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream Posted Nov 2, 2004
ok, accepted Jim
But, I have noticed that sometimes, someone I'm about to reply to, has 'eyes' I post my reply, then notice they have no 'eyes' then notice they had just posted, and then they have 'eyes' again and I put 2 & 2 together, never maths never was a good subject of mine.
Emmily
An h2g2 Question
Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream Posted Nov 2, 2004
ooopppsss that should have read
never mind, maths never was a good subject of mine.
(Neither was English by the way I've wrote that.)
Emmily
An h2g2 Question
Jim Lynn Posted Nov 2, 2004
In that case what's more likely to have happened is that it's around 15 minutes since they last looked at the site, but since we cache the 'who's online' list for a couple of minutes, and we have eight web servers, all caching the list at different times, someone might appear and disappear from the list depending on which server you happen to look at. But this would only happen if they were very close to the 15 minutes limit, and it's definitely nothing to do with replying to posts.
An h2g2 Question
Mu Beta Posted Nov 2, 2004
">> And I also believe that if a Researcher remains stationary, <<
Idle is the word your looking for Emily. "
I would've thought that'd be taken as read if they're mucking about on hootoo.
B
An h2g2 Question
Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream Posted Nov 2, 2004
May I refer you to Post #6 Master B and Post #7 for my reply and excuse.
Jim. We've all learnt something new about how the site works. 
Emmily
An h2g2 Question
echomikeromeo Posted Nov 2, 2004
Thank you for so kindly answering my question.
EMR
Key: Complain about this post
An h2g2 Question
- 1: echomikeromeo (Nov 2, 2004)
- 2: Wand'rin star (Nov 2, 2004)
- 3: echomikeromeo (Nov 2, 2004)
- 4: echomikeromeo (Nov 2, 2004)
- 5: Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream (Nov 2, 2004)
- 6: I am Donald Sutherland (Nov 2, 2004)
- 7: Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream (Nov 2, 2004)
- 8: U168592 (Nov 2, 2004)
- 9: Jim Lynn (Nov 2, 2004)
- 10: Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream (Nov 2, 2004)
- 11: Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream (Nov 2, 2004)
- 12: Jim Lynn (Nov 2, 2004)
- 13: Mu Beta (Nov 2, 2004)
- 14: Emmily ~ Roses are red, Peas are green, My face is a laugh, But yours is a scream (Nov 2, 2004)
- 15: echomikeromeo (Nov 2, 2004)
More Conversations for Ask h2g2
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."