logging in in secret

can someone tell me how i am to log on without my friends being aware??

in some cases i need to sneak online to talk to one person without getting lots of IMs

and in other cases, i just need for one person to NOT know i'm online... lol

thaaaaanks..x

Hi Judie, to make a long story short, the only secure way of logging on in secret is by using an alt nobody knows about. Everything else (i.e. connected to your main account) may be circumvented.

Luckily, registering an alt currently is free, so do go ahead.

Well Judie... if you did not uncheck "can see my online status" before outlogging...
you can´t sneek in.
So if you need privacy uncheck them.
I only ask myself why they are on your friendslist then... If they are really friends - just tell them you need some time on your own or that you are busy. If they are friends they understand. If not........

haha, thanks guys - my sneaky plans are thwarted...

and in response to ceejay - sometimes i need to speak to one person very quickly and having to explain to lots of people in IM that fact can sometimes make the situation tricky, but i get what you're saying. i don't wish to make a habit of it, i just wondered if it could be done...

thanks for the responses!

Here's a less foolproof, but much easier route that works .. kinda ... most of the time... depending on how suspicious/perisitent/nosy the person is that you wish to avoid. It does require a small amount of planning ahead.


Before you log off, open your friends list and uncheck the eyeball form the names of those ppl you wish to avoid. This will prevent them from getting the "Judie Carver is online" message when you login.

Be sure you have the "can see me on the map" function off for those ppl, too.

IF your nosy friend calls up your profile or is in any of your groups they can still see if you're around, but they'll hafta dig some - they'll need to purposely go looking enough to call up your profile. Then, of course, they'll know you're trying to avoid them. (personally if anyone is that nosy AND easily offended, then to hell with em!)

Some ppl might send you an IM while you're on&incognito - whether innocently thinking you'll get it when you come on or as a sneaky way to fish for you. If you reply, your cover is blown.

Also, you'll still show as a green dot on the map. So, if you're known as the only Avi that is likely to be found on a characteristic/distinct/easily identifiable plot of land, then the inquiring mind can find you out.

So, if your person-to-avoid is dull witted or very easy going, just unchecking the eyeball thingie will likely be sufficient. If they're pesky it won't be good enough.

Ceejay & judy posted whilst I was typing up my long-winded pontification.

I need to learn to use small words & short sentence.

Me go now.

no don't go - i much enjoyed reading your novel drivin
hehe!

i appreciate all tips, and just because yours was an eloquent answer worthy of 'prose' status, doesn't make it any less appreciated

haha!

Re- green dots on map - slightly off-topic. There is a club near my home which appears to have fake green dots showing on the map - looks like they probably put some green discs of the roof so the place would look busy on the map - except they don't look quite real!

Could you not just set yourself as "Busy". You can even reword the message that is sent if somebody IMs you. ie "Sorry am busy building my latest creation, will speak to you later/another time". I am not sure if this would prevent you talking to the one person you want to though.

Or perhaps don't log on at all - using Email to IM works really well, maybe that might just meet your need !!!!

As long as you've gotten a message from them in the last 5 days, otherwise, you can't inititiate a conversation

I keep the "friends on-line" page on the SL website up before during and after I am in SL. No digging needed. Nor is there much need to dig if you look in calling cards to see which are "glowing" hehe. They will still be bold if that person has "unmarked you" from seeing them, or even if they have "secretly" removed you from their friend list (the secret part is just that you do not get a message when it happens, the name just disappears from the list, the calling card, though, remains).

WOW THANKS!!! I needed those tips...I get BOMBARDED with IM's every time I log on (Except when all my friends are asleep!)
Unchecking the eye and 'see me on map' will drasticly reduce the number of inconvenient IMs plastered all over my valuble screen space... Not that I dont like my friends, but there are times...

I plan on keeping the eye checked for just my very close friends...
(Graph winks at a certain young lady in particular who reads all his posts...)

*Snicker* Someone really does that? Unbelievable. In terms of inane gaming of the system, this even beats the company of zombie-bots stowed away in the basement.

Just keep in mind that unchecking "see me online" doesn't ncecessarily work. If you are already online and they log on, they'll see you. It's a defect that they don't seem to be in a hurry to address.

(I read kind of fast through these, so dont smack me if I am repeating something) There is also a place in your preferences that you need to check (or uncheck) so that people using the people search wont see you online right there too.

Better yet, get yahoo, toss all your friends in there, then log in invisable. Then when you want to talk to just one person, make yourself online to them. No need to log in at all that way

That's funny, PPLS! are funny

you do know that some of your friends, if they find out your hiding from them won't be your friends anymore..

now I know why you never show online!

HA!

actually if people want to see you online, all they need is a script and a prim to notify them when you are on

This is very useful, as i have a person attack me with IMs the minute I get online. i unchecked all options on this person a while ago and the message just hasn't sunk in. He won't leave me alone! lol. i'm not sure the check boxes are working.
I would remove them from my friends list, but I'm not sure if that creates a message saying that I have done so. I don't want to have an argument about it which is what is likely to happen. Atm I would just rather keep putting them off than deal with the fallout and hassle of an argument. the message might eventually sink in...

It does not tell on you if you remove them from your list. You simply will no longer show on theirs.

ooo!
/me goes clicking buttons...

thankyou

I would actually mute the person bugging you to death rather than remove them from the list if you are trying to avoid drama about it. If you mute them, they will not know they are muted. They just won't get a response from you if they IM you. You on the other hand will never recieve the IM.

Now that Felix, Is an ingenious idea!
I have never muted anyone, ever. i always figure I can ignore anything they throw at me or respond in a civil way. And eventually they may have something useful to offer. But this guy is really doing my head in now so he may be my first mutee...
Thankyou

where is that? i'd like to see it.

also.... you can always check to see who (of your friends) is inworld by looking on the website, even BEFORE logging in to the game.