Not Being Able To See Some Posts Screws Up The Flow Of A Thread

[TorturedSoul]

If someone who has chosen to not allow you to see their posts creates one or more in a thread that you're reading, it really fucks up the flow of things. Not everyone quotes text when they create replies (or maybe those are invisible now too? IDK). So you get reply posts and you don't have a clue what they're talking about. It's probably also annoying to people posting "HELP!" threads when you, now being clueless, end up posting the same advice that someone else just posted.

Also, while I'm thinking about things that fuck up the flow of a thread, how do we turn off loading of people's avatar images? I knew where the option was in the old forum software's USER CP, but never had to use it because animated .GIF avatar images had been turned off. Now they're enabled, and I've learned the hard way that peoples "flashing color" avatar images continually distract the eyes away from the text, and make chronic headaches worse. Which section of our config settings is the option to disable display of these things located? (Thanks 1,000,000+ times!)

 

[Weaselcracker]

Is it possible that the missing posts are from someone on your ignore list? There used to be a ‘view ignored content’ option at bottom- which recently disappeared but I think they’re looking into that.

I wasn’t aware that it’s possible to choose to not allow someone to see your posts (?)

 

[TorturedSoul]

Is it possible that the missing posts are from someone on your ignore list?

No. I've only ever placed two members on my ignore list (as far as I can remember). The first was banned within a few hours of my adding his name, and the second... Well, everyone knows you cannot stick two @ssholes together to any useful purpose, lol. Later, I realized that I was potentially doing others a disservice by having someone whose words I... did not automatically believe as if they'd been burned onto a stone by the nearest deity, shall we say? At which point, I removed his name from my list. From then on, I simply chose not to respond to the member's post (but I still read them, and have the option of refuting bad information in the future). I did once state to someone that I was placing his user name on my ignore list, lol, but I only did that in hopes that they'd quit yanking my chain (and it worked).

There used to be a ‘view ignored content’ option at bottom- which recently disappeared but I think they’re looking into that.

I assume that the person who added me to his ignore list decided to prevent me from easily viewing his posts.

I wasn’t aware that it’s possible to choose to not allow someone to see your posts (?)

Where the cursor (arrow) is:

This is a public forum, yeah? Posts made here are - or at least should be, in any rational universe - made with the foreknowledge that they will be readable by the public. The developer of the forum software was nice enough to code in a private messaging system (which he calls Conversations). The head honcho has kindly left 420Magazine configured so that we may use it for private conversations (as long as we have created at least 50 posts). It is even set up to allow multiple participants in a "Conversation" thread. Therefore...

If I don't want to see someone's posts, I can place their name on my ignore list (or... you know... just skip over the things, because my fingers aren't broken ). If, on the other hand, I wish to limit the people who can see one of my posts - if I want to limit it to one, two, a few, several, many, or even "everyone other than one or two people," I take it to private messaging / "Conversations." That's sort of what it's for!

It's pretty crazy when the forum is configured so that people who are not even registered can read a post, but some registered members cannot (FFS!). It's... oy vey iz mir!

 

[skirk]

No. I've only ever placed two members on my ignore list (as far as I can remember). The first was banned within a few hours of my adding his name, and the second... Well, everyone knows you cannot stick two @ssholes together to any useful purpose, lol. Later, I realized that I was potentially doing others a disservice by having someone whose words I... did not automatically believe as if they'd been burned onto a stone by the nearest deity, shall we say? At which point, I removed his name from my list. From then on, I simply chose not to respond to the member's post (but I still read them, and have the option of refuting bad information in the future). I did once state to someone that I was placing his user name on my ignore list, lol, but I only did that in hopes that they'd quit yanking my chain (and it worked).



I assume that the person who added me to his ignore list decided to prevent me from easily viewing his posts.



Where the cursor (arrow) is:

This is a public forum, yeah? Posts made here are - or at least should be, in any rational universe - made with the foreknowledge that they will be readable by the public. The developer of the forum software was nice enough to code in a private messaging system (which he calls Conversations). The head honcho has kindly left 420Magazine configured so that we may use it for private conversations (as long as we have created at least 50 posts). It is even set up to allow multiple participants in a "Conversation" thread. Therefore...

If I don't want to see someone's posts, I can place their name on my ignore list (or... you know... just skip over the things, because my fingers aren't broken ). If, on the other hand, I wish to limit the people who can see one of my posts - if I want to limit it to one, two, a few, several, many, or even "everyone other than one or two people," I take it to private messaging / "Conversations." That's sort of what it's for!

It's pretty crazy when the forum is configured so that people who are not even registered can read a post, but some registered members cannot (FFS!). It's... oy vey iz mir!

For what it's worth, I'm a member of another website that shall remain nameless and if I forget to log in, I'm subjected to the abusive ignorance of members I've ignored. So if you need to read a post, don't log in.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Yeah that is a little weird. Seems more divisive than the ignore function which is basically a healthy and peaceful way to avoid conflict.
As a mobile user there is no way to access this option you show- so I wasn’t aware it exists. Like most here I would guess.
As said you could log out for those rare occasions you want to hear what important stuff that person in the far corner of the playground may or may not be saying about you. But as you know people like that are usually best ignored anyway.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Yeah that is a little weird.

As a mobile user there is no way to access this option you show- so I wasn’t aware it exists.

Now THAT'S weird. Someone - an intelligent someone, who writes code / does Internet stuff for a living - told me a few days ago that he thought more people access the Internet via mobile devices these days than via traditional laptop/desktop computers. I would have hoped that both methods would have the same level of access, options, et cetera. But, if that person's opinion is fact, and the two methods aren't equal in some way or other... I'd expect more features / access / work spent on improving the experience to go towards the mobile users, not the opposite. Blame it on Google and Apple, I guess?

As said you could log out for those rare occasions you want to hear what important stuff that person in the far corner of the playground may or may not be saying about you.

The amount that I could actually care about what others say about me would fit on the pointy end of a pin and still leave room for the proverbial host of angles to dance. And that is in regards to things said to my face. Spewings by random Internet clowns, lol? Not anywhere near that much.

This isn't about that. I thought I made my point clearly in post #1, above.

 

[Weaselcracker]

I’m sure the esteemed staff is working on some of this stuff, as always, with such small kinks as you mention in the new forum format.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Yeah, I hope so. The odd thing is that it appears to be a *NEW* issue. Forum software change was a while back, lol. Who knows? Could be misconfiguration, could be some update or other "served" by the developer, could be... who knows? Not everything is as obvious as flipping a switch and having the lights (immediately) go out.

I suppose I should be thankful that getting placed on someone's ignore list doesn't screw your ability to view ANY posts .

And I've been pretty satisfied with the forum's owner, webmaster, and staff. They've occasionally done a thing for me that might only be relevant to a *small* percentage of the members. Haven't sent me a bill, yet .

 

[TurboBucket]

I've wondered if this was happening and actually convinced myself I was paranoid and simply didn't understand folks incomprehensible ramblings. I was sure there was no way our admin would enable something that petty. I was wrong.
It's not surprising that the mobile version is lacking. I only use my phone as it's faster than my DSL connection and easier to upload photos.