Blocking other users posts.

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: Nexttimemaybe
How do you expect to follow the flow of any thread, and participate? That should make for some interesting content on ATS.

Do you get to block people in real life? Co-workers? Ex-wives? Bosses? Asshat neighbors? We're supposed to be adults here.

Good point.
I just got off the phone with my ex wife.
I didn't have to answer the phone, but I did.
It wasn't a pleasant call and I knew it wouldn't be.
ETA:
Now she just sent me a text, wanting to store her stuff in my garage since she is being evicted... again.
This after she just finished asking me which of her two boyfriends is the best for her. They are both so good... and are there for her....

Even if there are members I don't normally agree with, there are times where we find common ground. No one is going to agree with everyone every time. Hell, you might be surprised at what else is behind the member you don't like and you would be pleasantly surprised. Or simply agree to disagree and move on.

a reply to: Night Star

You know what, that's a real good point.

Most of the people I 'get along' with on here are people who I've had mega arguments with. And these are the people now who I learn most from.

So in having an ignore button you are not denying ignorance, you are indeed allowing ignorance by denying the ignorant!

originally posted by: butcherguy

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: Nexttimemaybe
How do you expect to follow the flow of any thread, and participate? That should make for some interesting content on ATS.

Do you get to block people in real life? Co-workers? Ex-wives? Bosses? Asshat neighbors? We're supposed to be adults here.

Good point.
I just got off the phone with my ex wife.
I didn't have to answer the phone, but I did.
It wasn't a pleasant call and I knew it wouldn't be.
ETA:
Now she just sent me a text, wanting to store her stuff in my garage since she is being evicted... again.
This after she just finished asking me which of her two boyfriends is the best for her. They are both so good... and are there for her....

Sounds a lot like mine....she just got married a month ago and her uber controlling new husband won't allow her to communicate with me via any other means than email now, which is kind of nice, except when I want to talk to my daughter while she is with her mom. Good thing we have joint custody....I am not sure how many months her new marriage will last.

a reply to: Nexttimemaybe

So basically you want to protect yourself from yourself? Ever heard of "free will"? You do not have to read a post if you do not want to, you do not have to reply, you have options.

If there is something about a member you do not care for and it is out of line, alert the MOD's.

They will either ignore you or do something about it.

You have the same right to voice your opinion to them about anything they wrote.

Who knows, you might even actually learn something from someone, even if it is how not to act.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Nexttimemaybe

Yes. Its called overlooking. Akin to tolerance, to overlook something is to let it go on by, to let it flow off you like water off a ducks back. Or to refuse to let your ears catch on fire, plug them with fingers, head down, close eyes, and chant, La la la.

You would have to have an extreme ego reaction if that filigree obnoxious post *directed at you* received 20 stars in approval by as many phantom posters. How could you not respond to such a post with so many stars? Overlook; yes but to be blind to a sea of invisible haters that wish you drowned and have no idea why they wish so? Good defensive moves require some finesse; as in getting out of the way of the discussion (without ever being noticed in the first place).

a reply to: vethumanbeing

You would have to have an extreme ego reaction if that filigree obnoxious post *directed at you* received 20 stars in approval by as many phantom posters.

Its happened. I take stances on threads sometimes, completely alone. Usually Geo political warmonger patriotic Murica threads where I dare pose the other sides (victimized) viewpoint.

A lot like planting seed. if we don't say something, how can alternate ideas grow? The whole world is steamrolling towards a cliff, I hope more people apply the brakes instead of heaping on coal.

Thanks everyone for the replies, even the passive aggressive ones. Most thanks to the kangaroo mod for clearing it up.

I would quite like the old feature to come back, but will just carry on with the way it is at the moment.

I have an innate ignore feature, it's called the shoulder shrug. You only register it enough to realize it's not worth the bother, then raise and if necessary roll the shoulders to defect any bad juju from sticking to one's person.

Never used it before when we had it, but nowadays would love it. Skipping over a handful of same peoples tired old posts is more discombobulating than if I didn't see them the first place.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe

originally posted by: Poppcocked
POST REMOVED BY STAFF

Vasa Croe: Well THAT sure screwed the flow of the thread up....

It always does, sort of a "WHAT JUST HAPPENNED?" moment throwing the perception of a threads seeming 'safe' paradigm into confusion. Someone's ill conceived idea as an answer tripped a 'trapdoor' device. If you stick around long enough you will eventually experience the same humiliation. I call it the 'blessing'.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: vethumanbeing

You would have to have an extreme ego reaction if that filigree obnoxious post *directed at you* received 20 stars in approval by as many phantom posters.

Its happened. I take stances on threads sometimes, completely alone. Usually Geo political warmonger patriotic Murica threads where I dare pose the other sides (victimized) viewpoint.

A lot like planting seed. if we don't say something, how can alternate ideas grow? The whole world is steamrolling towards a cliff, I hope more people apply the brakes instead of heaping on coal.

You stand stoic before your convictions and so are true to your ideas. Plant those idea seeds, those that take will be understood by abstract thinkers (you know what that means---weird hybrids).

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: Nexttimemaybe

We used to have an "ignore" feature, allowing us to block out some users.

I miss it too. I think a lot of us do.

I wish they still had that.

As it is now, I don't feel right being here among the racists and other 'phobes who unfortunately are becoming "the face of ATS" for most of the world. I don't fit in here.

There is a couple of posters that I prefer not to interact with, not even to read their posts. One repeats the same dribble endlessly and tries to engage in borderline-type circles, the other like to provoke with insane accusations and insults.

So I very simply do not look at their posts. I scroll right over them... if I see in my replies box that I have a reply from one of them, I do not go read it.

This is actually quite easy to do, and leaves them their freedom of speech. We probably do not share the same perception of their behavior, and they might actually need to express themselves and feel heard. This way, even if I didn't read it, they can still tell themselves they were heard anyway.

originally posted by: Nexttimemaybe
I was wondering if there was anyway to block other users. By this I mean a way that I don't have to read posts by people I select to block.

The facility exists, but not within the site. That sounds a bit cryptic but many sites don't like in-depth discussions on the beauty of GreaseMonkey so I'll leave it there.

The more salient point is this - even though I can have my browser strip out any reference to the existence or posts of a particular user, I have never used it. Yes, there are plenty of people on ATS that I disagree with. There are some that stagger me with their strange view of the world. There's even an infinitesimally small handful that I think are genuinely retarded or severely mentally ill.

If I were to block them, effectively sticking my fingers in my ears and saying "lalalalala!", all I would be doing is carving out an unrealistic version of reality. If all you ever do is surround yourself with like-minded people, instead of having a forum for debate you'll have a self-sustaining circle jerk. If that's what you want from the internet - fine. There are plenty of forums that carefully control the message and stamp on dissent. If I thought that ATS was one of them, I wouldn't bother being here.

Also, I bet that 99.9% of those people you claim are "racists, bigots, sexists or just generally hateful people"... actually aren't. You're just slapping a label on people who don't agree with your own world view. (Edited to add after reading a later post: "passive aggressive" is just another label for "someone who disagrees with me and isn't afraid to say it"

)

Blocking people eventually boils down to stifling dissenting opinions and refusing to admit that people might have a different view. It's refusing to accept that maybe your own viewpoint is worthy of challenge and there are people who are willing to speak out against it. It's about wanting to only hear what you want to hear. That's why, even though I have that facility, I don't use it. I'd rather take the rough with the smooth - and who knows, maybe one day one of those dissenting voices will find a way to put their point that convinces me that they are right and I am wrong.

originally posted by: JadeStar

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: Nexttimemaybe

We used to have an "ignore" feature, allowing us to block out some users.

I miss it too. I think a lot of us do.

I wish they still had that.

As it is now, I don't feel right being here among the racists and other 'phobes who unfortunately are becoming "the face of ATS" for most of the world. I don't fit in here.

Ummm, just one opinion, but I'm glad you're here. You've taught me a lot.

Not all views are equally valid though. I'd rather block the ignorant ones.

originally posted by: EvillerBob

originally posted by: Nexttimemaybe
I was wondering if there was anyway to block other users. By this I mean a way that I don't have to read posts by people I select to block.

The facility exists, but not within the site. That sounds a bit cryptic but many sites don't like in-depth discussions on the beauty of GreaseMonkey so I'll leave it there.

The more salient point is this - even though I can have my browser strip out any reference to the existence or posts of a particular user, I have never used it. Yes, there are plenty of people on ATS that I disagree with. There are some that stagger me with their strange view of the world. There's even an infinitesimally small handful that I think are genuinely retarded or severely mentally ill.

If I were to block them, effectively sticking my fingers in my ears and saying "lalalalala!", all I would be doing is carving out an unrealistic version of reality. If all you ever do is surround yourself with like-minded people, instead of having a forum for debate you'll have a self-sustaining circle jerk. If that's what you want from the internet - fine. There are plenty of forums that carefully control the message and stamp on dissent. If I thought that ATS was one of them, I wouldn't bother being here.

Also, I bet that 99.9% of those people you claim are "racists, bigots, sexists or just generally hateful people"... actually aren't. You're just slapping a label on people who don't agree with your own world view. (Edited to add after reading a later post: "passive aggressive" is just another label for "someone who disagrees with me and isn't afraid to say it"

)

Blocking people eventually boils down to stifling dissenting opinions and refusing to admit that people might have a different view. It's refusing to accept that maybe your own viewpoint is worthy of challenge and there are people who are willing to speak out against it. It's about wanting to only hear what you want to hear. That's why, even though I have that facility, I don't use it. I'd rather take the rough with the smooth - and who knows, maybe one day one of those dissenting voices will find a way to put their point that convinces me that they are right and I am wrong.

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: JadeStar

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: Nexttimemaybe

We used to have an "ignore" feature, allowing us to block out some users.

I miss it too. I think a lot of us do.

I wish they still had that.

As it is now, I don't feel right being here among the racists and other 'phobes who unfortunately are becoming "the face of ATS" for most of the world. I don't fit in here.

Ummm, just one opinion, but I'm glad you're here. You've taught me a lot.

Thanks I am glad I could do that. It's best that I go though. I wish there was a way to do so without having to violate T+C though.

a reply to: JadeStar

Meah, you will go through life wanting to smack peoples noses for their ignorance and the longer you hold onto being annoyed and not understand that people are different due to their upbringing in differing socio economic backgrounds to what you or I or intrptr were raised in, the only person who will be frustrated is you.

I find that if I approach people with the understanding that our society moves only at the pace of our slowest walkers that it's ok for me to reach out behind me to bring people up to speed or reach out before to catch up to those ahead of me.

Don't disconnect yourself from this life process, just understand that is how it is. You will find it EVERYWHERE you go in any field of work or social media etc in your future life. ATS is a good petrie dish for society, learn here and teach here, Find your pace in this petrie dish is all you need to do.

Reach behind you reach before you. Learn and teach.

xox

a reply to: JadeStar

It's best that I go though. I wish there was a way to do so without having to violate T+C though.

Get thrown out? Don;t be silly. Take a break maybe, this place with all its good and bad content will still be here when you get back.

I'm serious. Where would we be when theres questions about space and stuff?