Why isn't there a "complete privacy" button?

I mean really, what's so hard? They can invent all of sl, and they can't add this? Just a little button which, when pushed, makes one's presence totally private. Unbotherable. What's so damn difficult? It's our second life, why can't we have privacy if we want it?

Agreed. Every damn chat program has an invisible status, why not this 3D one?

maybe they have better to do with dev time >.>

Specify what you mean with 'unbotherable'?

- Not possible to be IM'ed?
That's busy mode.

- Not possible to see online status?
Check 'only friends can see online status', in prefs then uncheck this for all friends if necessary too. (This could have been made easier in UI)

- Not possible to be chatted to?
Impossible, chat is not directed at a specifc individual. You can't generate some kind of 'mute-globe' around you.

- Private chat?
Either use IMs, or use 'channel' chat.

- Invisible on map or in world:
This isn't implemented, because LL is lazy, but to prevent SL being overrun by hundreds of invisible stalkers/griefers/assholes. Invisibility has been discussed at length, and the pro's seem to not outweigh the cons right now.
The only alternative would possibly be something that would still show your location in world and on the map. But would show some kind of 'default avie marker', instead of showing a ful render of your activities.
Best alternative for now: be high. (I mean, as work/act, up high in the sky.)

Eve, there is such button that will allow you the most complete privacy. It's the Connect button in your login screen. If you simply do NOT push it, you'll have the utmost privacy. Try it.

I agree, if someone wants privacy an online community designed for interaction is not the place to find it.

(Eve grins, and avoids engaging in flammage... )

Does that stop you from showing up online if someone looks at your profile? And do your friends know that you've stopped them seeing you online?

I really sympathise with the OP, I know this is a social networky kind of place, but sometimes you just don't want to talk to people. I like to sit in my little house on my own sometimes. In fact, one of the reasons I like SL so much is the freedom to go wherever you want whenever you want, you don't have to tell people why you're doing what you're doing or explain anything. I don't get a lot of time alone in RL, and spend a lot of time catering to others needs, so it's nice just suiting myself when I log on. I don't have a partner in SL, and can't imagine having one, it just seems like another responsibility.

Ok, I'm rambling, I'll stop now.

Yes.



No.

A few notes though:
1. IM's will be accepted and the '<user> is not online' message won't be sent back. Meaning people can still figure out you're online by doing an 'IM probe'.
2. Your TP button on profile will always be disabled, meaning, nobody can teleport you anymore.

Thanks don't want to offend anyone by looking like I'm hiding (even though i probably am)

So what about developers do they have to sit there talkin and recieving loads of im`s just because its and online community if they did there wouldnt be alot of content out there.
I agree we need an invisible button when developing friends often im and get upset if your too busy this would be easily solved with and invisible button.

That's been broken for close to 4 months now actually.

The obvious test will appear as if it's working, but if that person simply relogs they'll see you online again.

"You can only hide your online status if the person you're hiding from is already online, but not if they log on after you logged on or they relog" isn't much of a useful feature .

---

Edited to add that choosing who you want to talk to you at any given time is a pretty basic expected function. Unless you always pick up the phone every time it rings, or your answering machine has the message "I'm home right now but don't want to talk to you", or if you only pick up the phone based on the number/person who's calling you, or if you screen calls, then you're being hypocritical in mocking the OP.

Make a super-secret alt.

Yes Ive been here a year and thats never worked for me either.

Ok, didn't know that... together with the fact IM will always show your online status. It basically makes these options useless.
I'll just stick to my original way of 'thick skin'. (I'm polite and nice when i'm available. But if i'm busy and somebody throws a fit I don't answer their IM's, it's not my problem.)

so i suppose i ought to pick friends with thicker skins, or learn not to be bothered by their huffing

Or make an alt i guess. I just happen to like Midi. Hmmm.

Correct, and Jake Linden is looking at the bug even as we type...



...and is in danger of closing it because he can't repro it!

It doesn't help that people keep suggesting the wrong repros .

Added the following to JIRA:

You can always just ignore IM's and say you were AFK then crashed

Too much of a mental effort since you have to remember to pretend that you never saw the original IM (unless of course it's simple something like "hey" instead of "can you... I need help with... (5 more lines of text here" .

You also loose the "I didn't ignore you, I was away and got logged off" genuine excuse and can't say "I rarely ever crash" around the same person again .

I agree with the OP that there should be some way to have privacy if one wishes in "their world, their imagination." Just because an online community is "designed" for interaction doesn't make it mandatory.

As a side note, there seems to be an inverse relationship to the degree that I wish privacy at a given time to the number of IMs I will then receive.

You can just ignore them and tell them later you were busy doing other stuff or just didn't feel like talking. Better to tell the truth, most people will have no problem with that. (Guess what, most have been in your situation too...)

They pretend to be okay with it. But really they'll hate you forever and ever...




















...and ever

One would think...

I have a friend I have known a long time in other online venues. We have never met in person but have a RL friendship in that we chat on the phone occasionally.

One evening I was enjoying some private time with my Partner and got an IM from this friend. I opted not to answer it at that moment and would get back to her later. She IM'd a few more times...Hello? I know you're there....

Next thing I know....my phone rings and on the answering machine I hear, "Why are you ignoring my IMs woman?? I know you're online."

True story!

I was so irked I grabbed the phone and told her in blunt language *why* I wasn't answering her IM. She said, "Why didn't you just tell me that in IM?"

/slaps palm to forehead

I have since become close friends with the "Busy" feature...but there are still people who will say "Are you "really" busy?" At least they don't have my phone number.

The most practical approach I've seen to this is to have a line prominently displayed in your profile that says that you keep your avatar online all the time, whether you're around or not. (And then just *never* answer an IM. This has the added benefit of reducing that bloated Friends list. )

But I think "complete privacy" is actually a pretty complicated set of requirements. Even just considering "SL as instant messenger"--should IMs received while in Privacy mode go to email if you have that set in Preferences? And there's all this other stuff about SL: What about Inventory transfers? Should scripts still be able to function as if you were online? (And if not, this isn't going to be a very useful mode for debugging scripts!) Should your agent still be able to teleport--or move at all, for that matter--and generate collisions, sensor events, etc? Does it still have an animation list? Can it still *send* IMs or chat? If so, can scripts detect those events or conditions? Is Private mode really only intended to apply outside the sims in which you are either a primary or child agent?

The point is, if just IMs are blocked, it's not a very effective Privacy mode, but as soon as it's more than that, a huge can of worms starts wriggling around the requirements.