Hiding Online Satus

Hi,

Is there away from me to completely hide my online status from the people in my friends list? I know that I can uncheck the box beside each name in my friends list but if they click on my profile it still shows me as online. Also if they try to send me an IM they can tell that I’m online.

Is there any nifty way to get around this (a cloak of invisibility, perhaps!) so that I can get some privacy from my friends?

Thanks for your help,

Bond.

Nope. A hotly debated topic for many many moons now.

Other than creating an alt, no.

And unchecking the box on the friend list is pretty much useless due to a bug that has been around for about 6 months now.

Alts are pretty good for some quiet SL time, the only drawback is that you can't have your own stuff. on the positive side, there are interesting new last names out right now, well, better than the last batch!

Thanks a lot for your replies. I had searched the Forums and found I was probably out of luck but just wanted to see if there was any updated info. Though many people seemed to suggest using an ALT, when you spend time on your AV, collecting clothes etc, it’s a pain starting all over again. I think that’s definitely the choice for people who are getting harassed.

In my case, I guess the best thing to do is just be upfront with my friends that I need some private time. I intend telling them that if I respond to an IM letting them know that I’m in the middle of something, I’m not ignoring them. If they can’t respect that, I would probably remove them from my friends list.

Thanks again!

You can set yourself busy with your own personalized message, that tells them you're busy or thinking or whatever.

To change the busy mode auto-response, go to the communications tab of preferences.

Yep. I hate that bug. I went the "Alt-route" a while back, which is bad for me since I'm an "Alt-aholic", heh. Not only the privacy thing, but the 25 Group limit, got me started w/ my 1st Alt. My main just has too much goin on usually, when it comes to vendor Rental groups, etc.

Busy works very well. I usually just put something like "I'm working right now, so can't talk. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can," or "Hi there! I'm right in the middle of something, so can't talk, etc." People understand and as far as I know, no one has ever been offended.

I'm not so sure that "bug" is still around, I recently unchecked two of my "friends" from seeing me online due to their constant habit of IM'ing as soon as I logged, often before SL™ had fully rez'd for me, Grrr!

Anyways, I unchecked them both on a recent login and result was a blissful silence instantly! 5 mins or so later (after nescacary clothing adjustments etc ) I re-checked them both, enabling them to see me online and they both IM'd similar messages assuming I'd crashed on my initial login and had just re-logged.

(I just find it so hard to decline friendship offers, without appearing rude.. me bad?)

Marie.

just uncheck the box on your friends list that has the eyeball above them.
if they ask why you blocked them from seeign you..just say i was doing something and unchecked all those boxes as to not be disturbed..if they get huffy then they get huffy..
i mean it's better than them seeing you online and not answering them.

Careful with busy, it auto-declines inventory offers.

Actually, I got hit by this bug just a couple of days ago while using the RC6 viewer so, yeah, it is still around.

1. Login, open friend list, turn off the check box. Anyone you turn off, that is currently online, will see you go offline.

2. Log out while that friend remains online but still turned off on your list.

3. Log back in, that friend will now see you online even though they are still turned off in your friend list.

YMMV but, for me, that sequence of events is a solid failure in all of the current viewers, including Nicholaz, since it is a server error not a client bug.



Agreed. However, I use Busy with a custom message all the time and all of my friends seem to be fine with it.

This is one of the craziest things with the SL system in my opinion - if you give someone an item and they decline (or autodecline) the item just disappears - even if no copy. No copy items should not just disappear like that - they should return to the sender. Then autodecline would not be so devastating.

I believe if you decline they end up in your inventory in the trash.

Your inventory meaning the decliner, not the sender.

I remember reading this somewhere, but this is the internets, and many theories exist.

hmmmm I didn't know that - has that always been true? Well anyway that is a slight improvement if you know to look for it. Thanks for the info

I think it has.... I read that a few months ago, trying to find some confirming text now

No-copy stuff seems to disappear, copy stuff seems to end up in trash, but I've been afraid to use busy mode since an expensive toy got lost. The particulars might be something to test with no-value items and a willing victim.

One day I fully expect to hear that some Linden has been caught syphoning off expensive items for resale into his own account through these holes. I bet free/cheap items are always found - especially during tests

My friend was in busy mode when I sent her Christmas present, and it was auto-declined. I sent her a frantic IM the next morning, and she found it in her trash. I'm pretty sure it was no-copy.

Nope, anything goes in the trash while busy... (even if you have a pending (not busy) inventory offerring and you crash.. you'll find it in the trash folder).

Yes.

Don't log in.

That way you can be online and no one in Second Life will have a clue.

To be Logged into Second Life, and remain completely hidden,

well now -- Thats impossible.

Or just do the opposite, that works far better, stay logged in h24 so ppl doesn't know if you're really there.

Actually it really is impossible, there is a website that will track you in SL even if you are hidden. I dont know what its called..but it is out there.