Calling card location beacons... friend or foe?

I have a lot of calling cards from friends and acquaintances, and every time I log online, I scan the online list to see who's online or not.

I always have an urge to fly by and see what some of these folks are up to, but I always invariably decide not to... in my mind, for some stupid reason, it seems "stalker"-ish; I mean, here I am, with your location in-world, and I can almost instantly teleport myself to it and muck up whatever you're doing.

So, I'm just wondering if anyone finds it rude to use the location beacon to find calling carded friends and whatnot.

LF

Call this simplistic, but calling cards are only useful for locating AVs now. Online status and IMs are now available through find. If you don't want someone to be able to locate you, don't give out your card or cancel outstanding ones.

Beyond that, I've never considered it rude to hear or say "could you excuse me/us please?". I do this in RL too, so maybe I'm just a boar.

Lordfly, glad you see we are on the same thoughtline. I believe I brought something up like this in a similar thread. I asked a related question at the last Town Hall, regarding more privacy... especially for meetings that need to be kept between several, where IM will not do, and obviously intimate situations. You don't want to be having avsex when a big robot or a giant ear of corn stalks... on over!

It depends on the individual -- someone I know very well, for example, is apt to get a warmer greeting from me if he/she/it pops up in the middle of nowhere, then someone who I have recently become acquainted with. I check on my Calling Cards's locations time to time, but I will IM first to ask if it's alright for me to come over. When in doubt, ask.

U R RIGHT IT CAN B STALKERISH!!!1 I have already been disturbed several times by some who were determined to chat their way to me, despite my polite insistence on focusing on work in a sandbox or some other event I was involved in. I am not a strong multitasker and felt uncomfortable and awkward about it. I did not want to be rude.

I would like to see some way to "Hide Me From Map", however.

I have a ton of calling cards, no one ever drops in on me. I drop in on people from time to time to keep in touch and see whats going on. It seems a lot more friendly and personal to talk to people face to face, especially if you IM a lot of the time. Most of the people I drop in on are happy to see me (or act like it) and it is usually pretty obvious when they are busy and I dont hang around if it seems I am disturbing them. I dont think it is a problem having people know where I am, it is only a matter of social skills knowing when your welcome or not.

I need to give Lash my card so I can use my awsome telepathic powers to make her stalk me.

We've asked that AVs have an invisible mode or an "allow map" option... I believe the last thread / town hall discussing it sorta bundled it with permissions being worked on.

I don't really use the option for finding ppl on the map but I do sometimes use it to highlight someone nearby that I'm trying to follow. When I was only a couple of days old this came in really handy as I was exploring the world with someone and had no idea where I was going or anything. Also, it was pretty useful the other day when my GF and I were at Sim Horror. We had each other's beacons on so we wouldn't lose each other too bad while we were trying to find our way around. LOL.

However, I definitely wouldn't mind having a 'stealth mode' or something where ppl couldn't pull up my location on the map when I didn't want them too.

-Meiyo

I only use this for close friends to drop in on. I can usualy tell what they're up to by where they are, and if I want to go bug them or not.

I don't believe I've been stalked myself. But I do think having a "stealth" or "privacy" or "offline" mode where you can't be tracked as well as other things, would be very nice.

I'm very boring and don't do really do anything interisting to stalk for, mostly just me staring off into space as I do building/scripting/notecard editing. I'd feel sorry for anyone stalking me

Rarely if I'm really really bored I'll go down my map list and check where a few people are out of curiosity, but never teleport or follow them or anything myself. Its actualy kinda crappy to use the tracking feature in alot of cases since it often gets stuck at boarders or ranom other places.

I don't mind if anyone fly's by to see what I'm doing. Just be warned I'm either doing something boring, or very odd.

Edit to add: When I was a newbie, I also used the tracking feature to follow around Pendari as she took me on tours. So it can be very helpfull in that sense as well.

i like to stalk and be stalked.
if someone excuses themselves i am not offended and fly away.

if someone is high up in the sky then i fly away or msg them. once i stalked people to a house in the sky and learned the hard way that sky houses are private parties (kick, ban!)

I hardly ever use calling cards to stalk people even though I'd love to drop in on them from time to time. I feel silly doing it, as if I'm horning in on whatever they're doing. And for that reason I've only asked to trade cards with a few ppl as I feel dumb even asking. It's a very awkward thing really.

I like being stalked, if I'm working on something I just tell people I'll get back to them when I'm done. Interesting thread.

I also have a ton of calling cards and most everyone is very polite and usually IM me before dropping by - as I do with them.

Those who want me to drop by unannounced let me know it's ok to do that.

But I sometimes make fly-by visits, and if people are busy they let me know.

<~ Yahoo IM junkie

Part of YIM's features, that could apply here, is "Invisibility" and "Selective Invisibility".
You can pick WHO sees you online, and if anyone sees you online at all. This could be enabled via Calling Card managment, and at the LOG IN screen.

But that's my two cents on it.

Also, the ability to 'follow' someone as if tethered would be nice, too.

I always IM first.
It doesn't occur to me to do anything else.
Just like I would call someone before I went over to their house.
If I had any rl friends, that is.

lo.

Yesterday I was up on my sky platform when I checked to see where Ingrid was. I noticed she was next door at her store, so I flew down to see her. She passed me on her way up.

It took us about 3 passes before we got evened up enough to chat.

I stalk people regularly. If they are busy I'll just leave quietly.

Amen, if it wasn't for my red beam I'd never be able to keep up with anyone, hahaha. I occasionally use calling cards to locate people on the map, but apply common sense when it comes to dropping in on them. If there are multitudes of other people in the same location, I'd say it's safe to take a peek at the Events tab and see if it's an open party. If there's only 1 or 2 little green dots in the same location, I'll send an IM to make sure I'm not dropping in on a "closed to the public" event.

I am a very social person and so I am delighted when people map me and come visit. If I feel someone is stalking me (it hasn't happened yet) I will tell them to leave me alone, and if I need to I will cancel their card.

-aimee

the only problem with being stalked i've had is this one particular person (won't say any names) that's been spying on me for a friend of hers... of course i haven't done anything or said anything to anyone about it until maybe just now... well, there was that one time i made passing mention of the man in the black trench coat in No One Lives Forever that was spying on Superspy Kate Archer and he was trying so hard to be inconspicuous that he stuck out like a sore thumb and got caught by her. Almost immediately after mentioning that incident in NOLF, the person in question poofed.

And that person isn't on my calling card list...

My rule of thumb is ...

If they are by themselves on the map, they might be building or scripting ... in the nude.

If there are two dots on the map, they're finally getting some.

If there are three to five dots clumped together, they're REALLY getting some.

If there are 10+ dots, Topless Tuesday or adopt a Whang Wednesday.

Either way, my curiousity is only heightened up to 75%. Now if I was drunk or had some chocolate for the evening, there's only a 105% chance of me sneaking over there and taking pictures. Only.

hehe.. this is me!! I have hundreds of calling cards and I'm always using them to see what is happening. For those I really know, I can usually tell what they are up to by the sim they are in and how many others are in the sim and close by. hehe.. If I don't pop in on you from time to time.. Chances are I'm not quite sure yet that I can but you *should* expect it to happen at some point. Or you are one of those mass calling card cleaners and you don't have my card anymore!

I'm with Aimee on this one, I like the social aspects and I have no problem being 'found' through the Cards - I do the same myself sometimes. So long as people are sensible about it, and understand that if I'm busy building when they find me, that my conversation will be a little slow.

As a general rule, if I seek someone out and they are clearly busy - I will shout a greeting and fly on.


Jai

I stalk people on a regular basis

only cause i wuv them though

I have no qualms about people using my card to drop in and say hello or find out where I am. If I'm in the middle of something and don't want to stop, I'll mention that to them. If I get bored and feel like visiting someone, I'll check their location on the map, and if there's only 2 dots there, I'll move along.

I do the same. At times, I'll find myself with nothing particular to do and no place in particular to go, and I'll check who's on in my cards. But most of the time I resist the urge to fly by and say hello, because I don't want to intrude, uninvited, into anyones SL space or activities. Once in a while I'll shoot off an IM and see what this or that person is up to, but I've noticed more and more, I don't even do that. I just cruise around, shop, or go back to building.

But I'm the same way in RL. I'm a terrible friend as far as keeping in touch goes. Hell, I only call or go see my parents about once every 6 months and I live an hour away and love them both dearly. I do love social gatherings, clubs (once in a while), and visitors stopping by, so not sure what my prob is.. I've always been that way. Perhaps a mild form of social retardation?

Oh, and to answer the question..No..logically I don't think it's rude as long as a person doesn't overstay their welcome if the person they are visiting is obviously busy. It is, by nature, a pretty public place, and if you don't want folks to find you, don't give out your cards. But it still seems...so..intrusive when I go to do it..

Wait, was I naked? Sometimes I like streaking around the mean streets of Miramare.

hmm.. I love being popped up on unannounced, and I do it all the time, myslef. Thats what I love about this game is that its so pro-stalker! Buuuut, there should definately be an invisiblity feature, like Yahoo.