Blocked = Offline message?

Many thanks for finally giving us a block feature but it's pretty darned useless :\

There are days, which I'm sure we all have that I just don't want to talk to certain people so I block them.

Well when they get online they randomly IM me multiple times wondering if maybe their friends list isn't working.............and there's the problem..........they don't get a message saying I'm offline. So they know I'm on and ignoring them.........oh what fun it is to have to make up excuses when they start questioning me why I blocked them.

Could you please sort this out? If you block a user and they decide to randomly IM you that the will get a, "this user is offline but will read your IM later etc"......whatever that usual message is, cause otherwise there was no bloody point in giving us a block feature :\

To clarify : when you say a "block" feature... what you mean is a "don't show me as online to this person" feature? I ask because "block" in the context of instant messengers usually means "mute" or "ignore".

Sorry, yes that's what I meant ^^

Don't show me as online to this person.

If you don't come online for quite some time, they may suspect that you're blocking them and use an alt to IM you. So you'll still have to explain to them why you hate them so much. So a 'Block user' probably wont work.

My suggestions:

Friends

Friendship shouldn't automatically give a person the ability to be notified when you're online. People aren't necessarily looking for a way to track you when they ask for 'Friendship', they're just trying to say that they like you. Yet when they later see that you've disabled tracking, they probably feel a little offended.

Instant Messages

Scrap instant message mode! All instant messages should go to your email address. This way, if it's a good friend who is trying to contact you and you're not busy, you can teleport them over and have a proper chat. If it's a customer, then you can to reply to them through email. If it's a demanding kid, then you can reply to them when you're feeling a little more patient.

Many of us have times when we need to be logged in, but don't want to be disturbed. We now have the option of turning off notification of friends one by one, AFTER we have logged on and they have been notified. We also can have online status not display in our profiles, but anyone can send an im and find out that we are online. Busy mode doesn't work because we can still offend, since they know we received their im.

IMO, what we need is a stealth mode that can be invoked by a single choice (button, checkbox, etc.) that will cause ims to work as if we were offline, and will override permissions for friends to know online status. There should be the ability to make exceptions for individuals and groups. My preference would be for chat to default to enabled, but some might like an option to disable chat.

If this were done, when I need to do something in world and not be disturbed, I could do it and not offend anyone. I could also interact with one or more selected people undisturbed without offending others.

personally, I don't want a "block user". I want a "block everyone".

I just want to appear offline to *everyone*, while I'm working, unless they're actually close enough to see me. Doesn't matter whether they're a friend, a stranger, or a what.

IMs to me from anyone would tell the sender I was offline. I could IM back, of course, because I can do that anyway from email.

Why?

Because right now, in RL, I can go out and leave my cellphone behind, but I'm still "in the world", and can walk, work, or play without being uninterrupted.

In SL there's no equivalent to this. Now if it was just a big "3d chat" this wouldn't matter, because being "online" would be what you were getting "in world" for.

I was hoping that the "privacy improvements" a while back would do this, but instead they were pretty much worthless. I'm not interested in picking and choosing "good friends" who get to see me online or get to see where I am and "everyone else". It's not a "who" thing, it's a "when" thing.

And being able to say "dump IMs to email" as well would be great.

And, of course, that would solve the original poster's problem as well without creating Yet Another Special Class Of Friends.

I agree

I know people who have an alt specifically for being inworld without being disturbed. That's probably the only workaround right now.

If someone I've blocked sees me in world and gets all whiney with me, I'll just tell them I wanted personal time and I'm pretty darn sure they've done it themselves so don't guilt trip ;P

I really don't want to have to create an alt, I like my account, I like everything I have on my account and the house I own...........I really don't want to have to wander around as someone else, just so I can have some peace and quiet.

What if I do create an alt..........eventually the same thing will probably happen, I'll make friends, then one day I'll want privacy, some me time and yargh.........viscious cycle o.-

You could just say you were "away" or "camping" and didn't see the IM.

Heh doesn't work if they decide to drop in on you XD

im all for

"the user is busy - stop being desperate - they may not be ignoring you on purpose."

I completely agree with this thread. there needs to be a genuine stealth mode, not the crappy-so-called "invisible" status we have now. Our online status still shows in "search" and on the website, in addition to people still being able to IM you.

Stealth mode should block everyone, and those who you have set as being able to see you as "visible" should be the only exception to the rule. Anyone else IMing you, their IMs should go straight to email and they get the "offline" error. Stealth mode should completely hide ones online status from both their profile, and the website.

A check box on the log page would be nice "Stealth mode", although alts tend to take care of this issue rather nicely as well. Furthermore not all of your friends need to have the ability to map you, see you, and or know of your online status. The group thing however seems to be an issue I have not figured out a way a round yet. (if they are in the same group)

I don't agree.

Offline mode should treat everyone alike, no matter what your "friends" status is.

If I want to see a movie without getting called by family halfway through I can turn off my phone and it's done. I don't have to sit there going through my address book and turn everyone off one by one, then when I'm done remember to turn them all back on again. And I don't have to change my clothes and put on a disguise to go to the movie, and make sure the person I'm disguised as has enough money in its checking account...

Agree with this 100%.

IM overload is one of the worst spoilers of the SL experience. IM's from strangers in a crowded place, multiple IMs from friends you like but can't handle all at once, IM's from people you want to maintain a relationship with but don't have time for right this moment, people who aren't giving you space but might if they didn't see you for a few days, all add up to a huge pain when they start IM'ing you.

The feature to turn on and off who can see you online is rendered completely useless by the IM not going directly to email, and thus allowing them to know you're online with one quick IM.

Please, please FIX THIS TERRIBLE IMPLEMENTATION of the IM feature.

Thanks!

Oh Linden gods, please implement this! Give us some way to really hide if we want to. I'll gladly sacrifice my voice privileges!!