The ignore feature: why & how

[Pinga]

The ignore feature is used if you choose to not read a person's posts.

There can be many reasons for not reading them, each person will have their own reasons.

It is pretty simple to put someone on ignore.
See their post.
Click on the image for their profile (to the left of the post)
The image will pop-up. In about the middle right, you will see the word ignore. Click on it.


Gotcha's.
If someone you are ignoring posts on a thread, the alert function will not fire, even if subsequent posts are from people you aren't ignoring. Use the "new posts" to see those threads.
If you wish to engage with the person, you can click the "show ignored posts" and you will see their post, and you can then read them.

 

[Pinga]

Why do I use it? I find thread reading much easier if I don't have to skim past posts that are gibberish and missing the posts that I can read in the middle..

I have also used it when i needed a break from a poster. It was about my ability to not respond. By not reading, I wasn't tempted.

I recognize that this feature is not for everyone. I find it useful.

It's a bit like the rules that I have setup in my person & at-work mail software.
I have mail rules for certain topics, certain senders and when I am only cc'd on an email.
If I have time, I go back & read my email that I was cc'd on. 99% of the time, I am being advised due to potential escalation, the problems self resolves and I just delete.
For the others, much of it is not intended for me specifically, and can be deleted.

So, for these posts, I find that most are not relevant to me. The rest someone else has responded to, or the topic drops.

 

[paradox3]

@Pinga,

When I have used Ignore I have gone in through my profile and "People you ignore."

Does it function any differently if you do it this way, do you know?

 

[Pinga]

Same functionality is fired, Paradox.

Thanks for clarifying that there are two ways (and possibly more) to get to the ignore feature.

 

[Seeler]

Does a person know if you have put them on ignor?

Can you read their posts if someone else quotes them?

 

[Pinga]

The person does not know they are on ignore.
Yes, you can read their posts if
a) someone else quotes them
b), you click on the "show ignored content"

 

[Mendalla]

Does a person know if you have put them on ignor?

Can you read their posts if someone else quotes them?

I don't think they know. At least I have no evidence of it and most board software conceals it.

Quotes of ignored users ARE suppressed in my experience (@Pinga may chime in if she has found otherwise), which is something that not all board software does. Makes for some very confusing posts at times, though.

 

[Pinga]

Quotes are not suppressed.

 

[Carolla]

I've used this feature a couple of times ... when I was finding myself particularly bothered by a particular person's focus and needed a break from their content. I found it helpful to me.

 

[Mendalla]

a) someone else quotes them

Actually, when I unignored someone recently, quotes that I hadn't seen reappeared so this needs to be tested and confirmed.

 

[Mendalla]

Actually, when I unignored someone recently, quotes that I hadn't seen reappeared so this needs to be tested and confirmed.

Just ignored @Seeler and her quote in my post (#7 in the thread) vanished until I hit Show Ignored Content. And then I unignored her of course. No way I'd keep her on ignore.

 

[Pinga]

Odd, I have seen people being quoted that I have on ignore.

 

[Pontifex Geronimo 13]

Weird,
Looks like I'm the first person to post to this thread.
Happy New Year!

 

[Pinga]

Hmm, interesting, Mendalla. I stand corrected. I have been alerted to references to me via quotes, so will have to see if I can figure out what thread it was in.

 

[Mendalla]

Odd, I have seen people being quoted that I have on ignore.

Could there be a user setting that determines this? Or maybe there's a bug so that it doesn't always work. I agree with you on this but I know that I've seen it working, too, so there must be some factor in play when they are visible.

 

[Carolla]

Weird,
Looks like I'm the first person to post to this thread.
Happy New Year!

took me a minute, but I got it

 

[Seeler]

Just ignored @Seeler and her quote in my post (#7 in the thread) vanished until I hit Show Ignored Content. And then I unignored her of course. No way I'd keep her on ignore.

Thanks - I wouldn't want you to miss my brilliant, funny, informative, insightful posts.

 

[revsdd]

I've only got one person on "Ignore." I have no clue how many of you have ignored me but I figure it couldn't be any worse than when I preach.

 

[revjohn]

I started a thread on the topic in the tips/techniques area. I would be happy to respond to the negativity around this tool then, such as words like "crutch" and "self-discipline"

I'll take responsibility for using the phrase "self-discipline."

I do not believe my comment is fairly defined as negativity.

My comments were:

I don't need a button to help me with my own self-discipline.

I do not post in anger.

My only hasty responses tend to be levity based.

Because I am a Moderator I at least glance at new postings. I don't see much that I find goes way outside the bounds the community has set. Mind you we could all be a tad more mature in our worst moments.

I do not have to respond to anything. Even when I am being addressed. I choose to respond or I choose not to respond.

I presume everybody else has similar freedom.

I would have thought it pretty obvious by the repeated use of "I" that I was speaking personally of myself and not about anyone else.

I didn't say that only the weak-willed use the ignore feature. That certainly would have been negative.

I didn't say everyone needs to put on their big person pants and adult up. That certainly would have been negative.

Nor did I take shots at the character of any who use the ignore feature.

That anybody might have read that into my remarks says nothing at all about me. It does betray the hearts and minds of those who hear it and frankly, the ignore feature isn't going to help with that.

And for those who find themselves waxing so passionate on a discussion board that they feel they need an ignore button it certainly isn't a negative to know you need help or that you are willing to make use of it. I do think it betrays a lack of self-discipline in dealing with criticism. That deficit is only a negative if you choose to do nothing about it.

If anything it is a statement of the obvious.

 

[revjohn]

I've only got one person on "Ignore." I have no clue how many of you have ignored me but I figure it couldn't be any worse than when I preach.

Amen.

If only we had a button to silence the sound of cellophane being unwrapped from around mints.