Is it technically possible to set the "ignore" feature to "'block" so that the person one doesn't want to interact with anymore is not seeing one's posts either, rather than just isn't being seen?

[Taomeow]

This feature is a life saver on FB, which would be completely done for and unusable if one couldn't block the participants one finds incompatible with one's online presence and forget all about them.

 

There's TDB members I don't want in my online life in any shape or form.  I don't want to argue with them because it's a pointless waste of time.  I don't want to read what they write because I've known for years that their position is incompatible with mine.  I'm fine with letting them retain it and share it with whoever is interested -- I'm not fine with them intruding on mine.  I'm not OK with "ignoring" them as long as they aren't simultaneously set to ignoring me.  I'm not here to practice some self-flagellation rites, and "ignoring" without being ignored (unseen, invisible to the people you don't care to see and to be seen by) amounts to just that. 

 

Currently, if you just "ignore" them, they are free to snoop around your posts and make public statements regarding their view of your presence in your space -- like some peeping Tom who would look into your window without you knowing he does and then broadcast his take on what he thinks he sees there to the neighbors. 

 

I don't like peeping Toms.  I don't like passive-aggressive attacks anymore than I like open attacks.  I don't think I should be under any obligation to like everybody who would pick a fight, whether aggressive or passive-aggressive, and I don't think it's prudent to offer caving in (by "just ignoring") as the only solution, technically speaking.

 

Am I dreaming or is it possible to install a "block" feature?  Say with the understanding that no one can block a moderator?

 

And if it is, would this venue be supported or at least explored with an open mind by other participants, and maybe found to have some merit?

 

Thank you for listening.  

 

[silent thunder]

The ignore feature is next to useless due to quoting functions, coupled with the fact that in its current form, it ignores nothing, but highlights the ignored content with the canned message about it being ignored, which interrupts the conversation itself.

 

Blocking is functional.  The ignore feature is nigh on useless, actually highlighting and drawing attention to, rather than ignoring.

 

Block function would truly help.

 

I'll ask again, since we have another admin/mod team.

 

It sure would be helpful to be able to block specific threads... from our own individual feeds, without having to disable entire sections of the forum from our feed.

 

The opinion of madness/Talk Trump 2 thread is an example.  Its incessant spamming of the activity feed with its daily pages of vitriol and hate... renders the activity thread a ceaseless source of bile, unless one disables all feed entries from the entire Rabbit Hole section, rendering that entire section mute.

Edited June 22, 2020 by silent thunder

[Cleansox]

Almost like an restraining order? 

 

Interesting concept. 

Although I see your point, that block feature would effectively cut off all heated threads. 

Most nei dan threads would be more pleasing to read if that function had been in place in 2014, but it would also change this place from a mixed interaktion to, well, something else. 

 

It is saddening that you feel this way, since I interpret that as you might be less willing to share your thoughts here. 

That would be a loss. 

[ralis]

28 minutes ago, silent thunder said:

The ignore feature is next to useless due to quoting functions, coupled with the fact that in its current form, it ignores nothing, but highlights the ignored content with the canned message about it being ignored, which interrupts the conversation itself.

 

Blocking is functional.  The ignore feature is nigh on useless, actually highlighting and drawing attention to, rather than ignoring.

 

Block function would truly help.

 

I'll ask again, since we have another admin/mod team.

 

It sure would be helpful to be able to block specific threads... from our own individual feeds, without having to disable entire sections of the forum from our feed.

 

The opinion of madness/Talk Trump 2 thread is an example.  Its incessant spamming of the activity feed with its daily pages of vitriol and hate... renders the activity thread a ceaseless source of bile, unless one disables all feed entries from the entire Rabbit Hole section, rendering that entire section mute.

Now the Trump talk thread should be locked? The thread in question has given a few of us a chance to speak out without the relentless attacks from the alt-right, which was allowed to fester! 
 

The current crop of mods were chosen for wisdom, experience and equanimity?  

[zerostao]

21 minutes ago, ralis said:

Now the Trump talk thread should be locked? The thread in question has given a few of us a chance to speak out without the relentless attacks from the alt-right, which was allowed to fester! 
 

The current crop of mods were chosen for wisdom, experience and equanimity?  

But not chosen for lightning quick responses apparently. Although I was thinking we as a team were moving with a quickness considering we've had mod powers now for what, 48 hours?

[Taomeow]

40 minutes ago, Cleansox said:

Almost like an restraining order? 

 

Interesting concept. 

Although I see your point, that block feature would effectively cut off all heated threads. 

Most nei dan threads would be more pleasing to read if that function had been in place in 2014, but it would also change this place from a mixed interaktion to, well, something else. 

 

It is saddening that you feel this way, since I interpret that as you might be less willing to share your thoughts here. 

That would be a loss. 

 

Not sure if you're addressing me or Silent Thunder, with whom I don't disagree at all -- however, for me it's not the priority to block threads (much as I'm saddened by the "watch our side triumphantly do exactly what we hate and despise if the opposing side does it" situation.  I can't help wondering how many unaffiliated and centrists may have been pushed to the right by this behavior.  Paradox, eh?..)  A thread is much easier to ignore than an individual active in multiple threads and, especially, targeting the threads of another individual (aka stalking). 

 

So for me being able to block an individual is far more important.  Wouldn't object to being able to block threads too but that's optional, although some threads make me feel ashamed of being a member of this forum to the point that I don't reveal my participation to anyone in real life who doesn't know I'm at TDB.  This, too, saddens me, because many times I feel like directing, e.g., a student or a friend to some great resources and thoughts offered by some of the members I respect and admire, or to my own thought-through post which I could point out rather than repeat my own thoughts once again elsewhere.  But when I think of all the people who used to be bums and are still friends who left precisely because of that -- ashamed to be part of this -- I ask myself what the hell am I still doing here.  Perhaps still hoping...  Contra spem spero -- hoping against hope.   

[ralis]

3 minutes ago, zerostao said:

But not chosen for lightning quick responses apparently. Although I was thinking we as a team were moving with a quickness considering we've had mod powers now for what, 48 hours?

I have no idea what has taken place at this time. 

[zerostao]

Just now, ralis said:

I have no idea what has taken place at this time. 

Exactly

[EmeraldHead]

I agree! especially implement ignore in the search bar/page as well, hide them entirely. Some people have entities or tulpas attached to them which isn't always welcome.

 

Also remove the option to hide posts and make user edits visible. This is a cultivation forum not instagram!

Edited June 22, 2020 by EmeraldHead

[mark]

15 minutes ago, EmeraldHead said:

I agree! especially implement ignore in the search bar/page as well, hide them entirely. Some people have entities or tulpas attached to them which isn't always welcome.

 

Also remove the option to hide posts and make user edits visible. This is a cultivation forum not instagram!

 

Entities are not to be feared.

 

Only the Machine

[EmeraldHead]

2 minutes ago, mark said:

 

Entities are not to be feared.

 

Only the Machine

Alright.

That's not the only reason to make the ignore feature work properly It's named "ignore" not "look away"

[Taomeow]

53 minutes ago, ralis said:

Now the Trump talk thread should be locked?

 

Case in point.  I'm talking BLOCK an individual.  Silent Thunder chimes in with the idea to be able to BLOCK a thread.  Along comes   Ralis and immediately substitutes the straw dog LOCK.  Which was never part of the conversation.  He erects this straw dog and begins his usual derail -- expresses indignation, slips in his own fake subject, does his best to cancel and nullify the subject I was talking about. 

 

He's done it to me personally countless times.  (No, I'm not accepting the homework assignment to give examples, Ralis.  Don't even think about it.  I said what I said because it is experientially true, not because I want a debate with you.  Shudder.)  I want him blocked from my view and mine alone and for it to be mutual.  Him personally.   From my online life exclusively.  Is all.   Not the threads he participates in.  JUST MY THREADS AND COMMENTS.  I don't want Ralis in my online life.  That's the idea.  He may be the greatest person on earth but he does not belong in my online life.

 

A block would accomplish that and I would be much happier here.  Anyone who repeatedly does things similar or identical to the above example would probably be blocked too unless it was an accidental misread for which they expressed accidental regret in the form of "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention and misunderstood" or some such.      

Edited June 22, 2020 by Taomeow

[liminal_luke]

23 hours ago, ralis said:

 

The current crop of mods were chosen for wisdom, experience and equanimity?  

 

For the most part, the current mod team brings a lot of wisdom, experience, and equanimity to the task.  Fortunately, I´m around to balance any excess saintliness out.

[mark]

3 minutes ago, liminal_luke said:

 

For the most part, the current mod team brings a lot of wisdom, experience, and equanimity to the task.  Fortunately, I´m around to balance any excess saintliness out.

 

Yes, the new uploads look nice. I'll be empowering them gems around 3 pm GMT

 

*deep bow*

[ralis]

7 minutes ago, liminal_luke said:

 

For the most part, the current mod team brings a lot of wisdom, experience, and equanimity to the task.  Fortunately, I´m around to balance any excess saintliness out.

The mods will need to convince me of those qualities. Respect is earned and not an automatic given. Although, I have noticed in the selection that none of the elder members here were not chosen. There are a few older persons here that can add much!

[liminal_luke]

On 22/6/2020 at 1:08 PM, Taomeow said:

This feature is a life saver on FB, which would be completely done for and unusable if one couldn't block the participants one finds incompatible with one's online presence and forget all about them.

 

There's TDB members I don't want in my online life in any shape or form.  I don't want to argue with them because it's a pointless waste of time.  I don't want to read what they write because I've known for years that their position is incompatible with mine.  I'm fine with letting them retain it and share it with whoever is interested -- I'm not fine with them intruding on mine.  I'm not OK with "ignoring" them as long as they aren't simultaneously set to ignoring me.  I'm not here to practice some self-flagellation rites, and "ignoring" without being ignored (unseen, invisible to the people you don't care to see and to be seen by) amounts to just that. 

 

Currently, if you just "ignore" them, they are free to snoop around your posts and make public statements regarding their view of your presence in your space -- like some peeping Tom who would look into your window without you knowing he does and then broadcast his take on what he thinks he sees there to the neighbors. 

 

I don't like peeping Toms.  I don't like passive-aggressive attacks anymore than I like open attacks.  I don't think I should be under any obligation to like everybody who would pick a fight, whether aggressive or passive-aggressive, and I don't think it's prudent to offer caving in (by "just ignoring") as the only solution, technically speaking.

 

Am I dreaming or is it possible to install a "block" feature?  Say with the understanding that no one can block a moderator?

 

And if it is, would this venue be supported or at least explored with an open mind by other participants, and maybe found to have some merit?

 

Thank you for listening.  

 

 

Just speaking for myself, I think it might be problematic to exclude a member from having access to all of your posts in all areas of the board. It would make it difficult for a member to follow the course of any conversation in which you´re a regular contributing member.  What happens when someone quotes you?  Are those quoted posts also hidden from the blocked member? 

 

What feels more feasible to me is to block a member from having any access to your PPD.  That way nobody is in conversational limbo, half way in or half way out.  Rather, anybody you choose would be put all the way out in your own private space.  If such a feature could be installed, would this go at least part of the way towards what you´re looking for?  

 

I myself don´t have the technical know-how to do this but would be in favor of it if it´s possible. 

[silent thunder]

1 hour ago, ralis said:

Now the Trump talk thread should be locked? The thread in question has given a few of us a chance to speak out without the relentless attacks from the alt-right, which was allowed to fester! 
 

The current crop of mods were chosen for wisdom, experience and equanimity?  

Ralis...  breathe mate.  You misread me, or misrepresent what I stated.

 

I would like the ability to block that thread in my feed only.

 

 

 

 

[Taomeow]

14 minutes ago, liminal_luke said:

 

Just speaking for myself, I think it might be problematic to exclude a member from having access to all of your posts in all areas of the board. It would make it difficult for a member to follow the course of any conversation in which you´re a regular contributing member.  What happens when someone quotes you?  Are those quoted posts also hidden from the blocked member? 

 

What feels more feasible to me is to block a member from having any access to your PPD.  That way nobody is in conversational limbo, half way in or half way out.  Rather, anybody you choose would be put all the way out in your own private space.  If such a feature could be installed, would this go at least part of the way towards what you´re looking for?  

 

I myself don´t have the technical know-how to do this but would be in favor of it if it´s possible. 

 

They would probably still have access to quotes from your posts and comments that appear in someone else's -- a feature I find problematic but that's for a separate problem, and probably too technically complex to address anyway.  That's not ideal but better than them having access to everything I say.  And I'm talking common areas only, PPD is not a problem -- unless someone drags stuff out of there to the common area without the author's consent, which is a hypothetical situation and I believe could be specifically disallowed by mods (a rule written down somewhere in the guidelines to that effect would be nice I think.)  Other than that, I don't have any problems with PPDs in the current state (aside from drastically diminished traffic of course -- some things therein are for sharing but not many go there).  The author of the PPD is already the mod of their own threads with power of removing any trolling/derailing/hostile entry, and that's plenty good enough.  What I mean is block a particular user in the common areas -- not from a particular area but from access to another user's material -- mutually. 

 

It's a bit like...  well, imagine you invite neighbors to a barbecue.  Everybody is neighborly but this one neighbor chooses to trample on your flowers, and when asked not to gets annoyed and starts kicking your cat, throws garbage through the window into your living-room, spray paints "suck it up" in huge letters on your garage door, and proceeds to overturn your punch bowl.  And then does exactly the same thing at your next barbecue.  You are under no obligation to invite him to the third one, are you?  And if he invites the whole block to his barbecue you are under no obligation to attend either, are you?  So that's what I mean.  A block removes the forced communication with people you don't care to communicate with, and those who can get along will get along a lot better while those who don't will not have to be irritated by each other's presence and won't have to keep looking over their shoulder for the unwelcome intruder to jump out of the shadows and yell BOO!!!  

[Welcomer]

I can bring up the 'block' to tech support.  Don't know if its possible and they are working on other things right now.  But I'll ask.

 

For topics you really want to keep sacred, the PPF are better.   Where at least you can hide things. 

 

Let the moderators know about problems, maybe we help.  Though at some point, some things will have to be lived with.  And considered the trying side of cultivation. 

[mark]

Dance the Steps and the Mist will Fade

[Taomeow]

14 minutes ago, Welcomer said:

I can bring up the 'block' to tech support.  Don't know if its possible and they are working on other things right now.  But I'll ask.

 

For topics you really want to keep sacred, the PPF are better.   Where at least you can hide things. 

 

Let the moderators know about problems, maybe we help.  Though at some point, some things will have to be lived with.  And considered the trying side of cultivation. 

 

Plenty of things have to be lived with, it's true.  At some point, with some of them, it becomes a question of whether it's worth it though.  

 

Thank you for considering the suggestion and being open to bringing it up to tech support.  I will keep my fingers crossed.   

[dawei]

2 hours ago, Taomeow said:

 

Case in point.  I'm talking BLOCK an individual. 

 

That's an interesting concept... I'm glad you shared it but not sure this forum software does it.  

[silent thunder]

Pity.  It's the essential answer to most of the work for mods.

 

If one can prevent consistent shit stirrers from even accessing one's content, most reports would not be generated.

[Welcomer]

Word I got from Tech support is it wasn't possible. 

So, we got tolerance and asking people nicely but firmly to Leave your Thread.  Believe me I've been there.  I've also been on the other end.  Making a humorous statement and being told to bug off.  When that happens and I'm decent & smart, I apologize and erase my post(s) and write something elsewhere.  That happened just a week or two ago, so sometimes it works. 

[ralis]

I am leaving this site for the time being due to the fact that moderation micromanaging is smothering any challenge or debate. I don’t need parents that read every post and nitpick every statement with their so called exalted wisdom.