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"Hidden" isn't hidden, at all...

Started by kat, May 30, 2012, 05:59:07 AM

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kat

When you browse the forum "Hidden", for whatever reason, it's incredibly easy to find-out if you're actually around.

If someone goes to your profile, it tells them when you were last active. If that's showing as "Now", as it were, it kinda proves that you're around.

Maybe it should be that people who are hiding should get that bit blanked-out, or have that show as "Hidden", too?

emanuele

Even the time reported on your last post proves you are around...

Of course if you set yourself "hidden" and then you don't post at all, then the "last active" could be a "problem", but on the other hand I don't really know how far the "hidden" could be brought.


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Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen

This has been discussed before, and I seem to remember being told it's intended behaviour that it still gets updated even if you are hidden.
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kat

If you're not posting, but lurking, as some do, you could remain hidden, if that didn't update.

I just noticed that I'm hidden, which I hadn't realised.

It doesn't bother me, personally. But, I could imagine that some might be.

Kindred

but the "hidden" just says "hidden from online users list"
not "hidden so that no one else knows your here"


this is completely as intended -- and makes complete sense to me. :P
Слaва
Украинi

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"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

kat

How does it make sense?

Surely, if someone wants to be hidden, for whatever reason, they want to be hidden.

If they're not, really, hidden, why give the option?

emanuele

Is remove the option a solution?
That would be mine. :P


Take a peek at what I'm doing! ;D




Hai bisogno di supporto in Italiano?

Aiutateci ad aiutarvi: spiegate bene il vostro problema: no, "non funziona" non è una spiegazione!!
1) Cosa fai,
2) cosa ti aspetti,
3) cosa ottieni.

Arantor

I've long thought this is slightly bizarre behaviour, but there's no good answer.

If you show the time in the profile, it's obvious. If you don't show the time, however, it's still fairly obvious by the fact that you're posting and not really that hard to get around.

However you won't show up in the list at the foot of the board index (except to admins) so that you won't get pestered as much unless someone wants to talk to you specifically.

I personally would not want to remove the option as a whole.

Kindred

Quote from: Kindred on May 30, 2012, 09:21:24 AM
but the "hidden" just says "hidden from online users list"
not "hidden so that no one else knows your here"

that's why it makes sense to me. :P

it just hides you form the online list and the "now online" icon in posts...   so you don't get bugged by users.
As I see it, it's not intended as an "anti-stalking" measure, just as a "I'm incognito" flag.
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Arantor

Except that it's not particularly an incognito thing if you're an active poster...

emanuele

But you cannot expect to be in incognito if you are posting... :P
Of course unless you post only in boards where "normal" users cannot see your posts.


Take a peek at what I'm doing! ;D




Hai bisogno di supporto in Italiano?

Aiutateci ad aiutarvi: spiegate bene il vostro problema: no, "non funziona" non è una spiegazione!!
1) Cosa fai,
2) cosa ti aspetti,
3) cosa ottieni.

ApplianceJunk

I understand what Kindred is saying.

Do some of you really need to use this option so other members don't bug you when you don't want to be bothered or what?


Kindred

actually, I do use the option on some of my sites...  but it only matters if I intend to lurk/read not actively post/participate.
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Suki

I used the option here for quite a long time.

It really helped to decrease the pms I was receiving back then.  Even if you just posted a few seconds ago, people see you as offline, a lot of people don't bother reading the time hen a post was made and don't bother to go to the profile either, well they do, but they don't check the last active part, dunno why.
Disclaimer: unless otherwise stated, all my posts are personal and does not represent any views or opinions held by Simple Machines.

kat

Maybe most people don't think of doing that, then.

'couse, I've just broadcast the fact to everyone, now, like a Muppet... :P

Abbess

Am I right in thinking that even if you are "hidden" your little speech box on any of your posts will actually show that you are around?

Arantor

That's really all the point of being hidden is - it just means the little green box next to your name says you're offline when you really are.

Chalky

Quote from: K@ on May 30, 2012, 03:26:20 PM
'couse, I've just broadcast the fact to everyone, now, like a Muppet... :P

Don't worry hon, some of us had already figured out that you're always here anyway  ;)

live627

Quote from: emanuele on May 30, 2012, 09:58:02 AM
Is remove the option a solution?
That would be mine. :P
No. People would hate you for that and forward their unsolicited support PMs to you. :P I would personally throw a cherry bomb at you >:D

But, seriously, bad idea.

Norv

Quote from: Arantor on May 30, 2012, 09:58:26 AM
I've long thought this is slightly bizarre behaviour, but there's no good answer.

If you show the time in the profile, it's obvious. If you don't show the time, however, it's still fairly obvious by the fact that you're posting and not really that hard to get around.

However you won't show up in the list at the foot of the board index (except to admins) so that you won't get pestered as much unless someone wants to talk to you specifically.

I personally would not want to remove the option as a whole.

It is slightly odd behavior.

If you do post or take another action (at least actions interacting with other users or logged), then there's no other solution than to update the time. It has been your choice to post, to take an action which proves your presence online.
However, if you only "lurk", it makes sense to expect that it isn't updated: as displayed for other users. The problem is, this isn't expected behavior for admins. In addition, it is a good question what actions should update it.

If we change the meaning of the option, to "private mode", we have to figure out the specification of the behavior so that - hopefully - it doesn't get confusing. Not more than it already is, that is. :)
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