Invisible (Proposal)

It's already impossible to fly in a straight line more than a few hundred meters without getting bounced by some anti-social security script. If this were implemented, it would be one step on the road to a world in which we were all confined to our own land and didn't communicate with each other.

Selador, sowwies... there was some confusion earlier in this thread but what the bulk of this thoughtline deals with is CHAT INVISIBILITY—and sometimes referred to by "show as offline".

I of course enjoy being social here.

Aye - I in no way want my Avatar to be invisible, nor anyone elses.

However - I desperately need the ability to Toggle-on "IM Invisibile" before I login - such that people attempting to locate me in FIND get an offline response, and folks whom I've shared Calling Cards with don't get my online notification.

There are times when I begin receiving IMs before my client has even finished loading. Its usually around the time I try to log in to work on a script or build. Occasionally I use an alt for this purpose, but then I have no access to my inventory.

Many folks take great offence at being ignored, and they see your online status as in 'invitation to chat'. The ability to appear offline for the purposes of **Calling Card/IM only** would greatly increase my productivity without starting undue drama.

Yes, I know Torley - I read the thread. I was responding to some of the individual postings, which were speaking of propositions to remove green dots from maps, etc.

I would like to see this happen. Keep the green dots. That doesn't bother me. As for stalking I would like to see it show someone is near you but not to the identity of the individual. As have already been stated, it would be nice to work on something or have a private conversation with someone and not be interupted. I would like to have the ability to check on who I want to see me on-line and who I would like to be shown as off-line. This give me some privacy, not to invade someone elses privacy.

and you still have scanning devices anyway that its probly for rhe aspects of some game like hide and seek you dont want cheaters.

I disagree with this concept in any guise. Invisible avatar and/or invisible on the map or mini map or any other way. The whole user experience would be ruined if whenever you are doing something that you don't want someone (or some specific person) to see, you could never be sure if they were around. This reduces the amount of privacy people would have, rather than increasing it. Or rather, it increases it for some at the expense of others.

If I could vote negative points they would all go on this proposal. Please don't do this.

Serena - Most of us who have replied to this thread agree that being Invisible from an *Avatar* perspective would be an invitation to grief. I wouldn't want that at all, and I think very few do either.

However - what I (and others) mean by "Invisible" - is invisible like it means to Yahoo. Invisible for *chat*. Leave my green dot on the map, make my avatar visible - but when people search for my profile, it shows me as "Offline".

What I'd like to do, is be able to log on, and not have everyone in my friends list be notified that I'm online. When someone does a search on my profile, I want it to show me as "Offline". BUT - If they walk up to me in game, they see me just like anyone else. This is so you can get some work done in peace without all your friends IMing you because they see you online.

What is being asked for is CHAT invisiblity, not AVATAR invisibility.

Are you against chat invisibility as well, or just the Avatar invisibility? If you just mean the latter, I completely agree with you. If you're against just being invisible from a Chat perspective, I'm not sure I understand your logic - if you could explain futher it'd be helpful.

Invisible avatars are BAD NEWS No green dot is BAD NEWS

What I DO agree with is an invisible mode or a "not home" mode

where no one is notified when you log in and if someone looks up your name it will show up as if your offline if someone message you it will respond as if your online

but your avatar should remain visible and your green dot should remain visible.

Chris Taylor
http://www.nerys.com/

I do NOT like the idea of someone being able to be invisible.
I DO like the idea of being able to build in peace.

Would it be possible to have a special log on place (a different set of hosts/sims?) where IM, Find, Chat are all disabled, but where people could build to their heart's content?

Access to upload/download
Access to inventory
Access to create
Be able to force day or night for themselves

Objects returned after a specified time

This could be the biggest sandbox in SL!

Sure, Shoshana. What you need is to rent a private island, set it up as "invisible from mainland" and "mainland not visible to you" and set yourself to BUSY mode.

All the rest works as you have described

What he said.

I'm not even sure why this is even a discussion point. SL to me is basically an improved IM tool. Any other IM tool has invisible mode so why not SL? I'm a bit surprised that this feature has not been implemented yet as it is craved by many. You should be able to hide from certain friends and you they should not be able to track you unless you want them to. I can't even believe that by default friends are able to find you THAT easy. Anyway - what's the hold on Linden Lab?

You confused people, that's what's taking so long. They think you mean "I want my avatar to be literally invisible", not "I don't want to show up as 'online' in instant messaging and my friends list".

Here is my thinking on why this is a bad idea. If they allow this option .. that means that you can be shown as offline .. when you are online .. and that can only mean that you are doing something that you don't want known to whomever is on your list. That doesn't sit right with me at all. I agree a better busy/away function should be inacted. What really irks me about the current busy mode .. is that you can't see chat going on right in front of you .. say you are trying to have a conversation with one person . why not be able to go to busy mode? and still talk to that person? That never made sense to me.

Simply mouse over the sim on the map and you will get a read out of how many people are there
Shjak Monde

Or that you just don't feel like talking to people right then, or you're busy, or whatever. I have an alt I use for building/scripting when I want some privacy, but sometimes I'd like to go out and hang out and not be bothered.

There's a reason RL pagers and cellphones are called "electronic leashes". Not being able to log in quietly without showing up on IM is like having a cellphone surgically implanted in your skull.

I'd like to have these options:

[1] Show me as online to anyone.
[2] Show me as online to friends.
[3] Show me as being online to friends in the same region only.

What torley said. YES YES YES YES!!!

I think this is a great idea.
====================
I'd like to have these options:

[1] Show me as online to anyone.
[2] Show me as online to friends.
[3] Show me as being online to friends in the same region only.
====================

I would only add.
[0] Show me as offline to everyone.

As for the green dot. I think it HAS TO appear under mini map.
As for large map it is there too but you are not trackable under large map.
I believe this is the best solution.

As for all the clap trap about invisibity. I think that is because the proposal was poorly worded. Would have better been described as "Privacy Mode" or some such thing.

I think a good feature for this would be to allow private islands to disable the mini-map in there sim, for RP or gamer islands, this would be very beneficial.

-James Argonaut

I think chat should be something I have the option of turning off... I think my status online should be my business... I dont think an avatar shoud be removed from the map beacon but I do think that there should be an option to come online and not have everyone on my friends list see me coming online... nor do I like being online and anyone on my friends list can look on the SL page and see me online... sometimes I would like to be alone and I do not think it would be either fair or right that I have to forego the use of my primary account and hide on an alt when I want to be alone or alone with my partner... I think I should be the one to decide if I am available to be located in IM or in game... and with point to point nothing stops people from not only seeing your on and IM'ing you when you dont want to chat but also to jump right beside you when you dont answer their IM... I hate being rude so I am forced to either chat with them or log off a game I intended on enjoing alone or with my partner not with everyone who is a friend... RL I have the option of not answering the phone... as well as deciding who I answer the door for... I think if this is going to be my second life then I should have the same option of not appearing home or available.

I also dont think this should be an option just for private island owners... not all of us can afford our own islands... and the majority of the land owners in SL are not private island owners... but I am sure we do own together more land then the private island owners by far.

I also agree with clint as having these options on the log in screen like we do having a drop down for last location, home, and region ( with the exception of number three):

(( POSTED BY CLINT ABILENE))

I think this is a great idea.
====================
I'd like to have these options:

[1] Show me as online to anyone.
[2] Show me as online to friends.
[3] Show me as being online to friends in the same region only.
====================

I would only add.
[0] Show me as offline to everyone.

AND PEOPLE WHO DONT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF WHAT HE IS PROPOSING READ THIS BEFORE YOU EVEN RESPOND...

THIS IS FOR CHAT AND ONLINE APPEARANCE ONLY... IT IS NOT INTENDED TO MAKE AN AVATAR INVISIBLE NOR IS IT TO MAKE SOMEONE UNTRACKABLE... IT IS TO HIDE YOUR ONLINE STATUS ONLY AND GET SOME PRIVACY FROM FRIENDS... I AM SURE WE ALL HAVE DONE THAT AT ONE POINT IN TIME... LIKE EITHER YOUR MOM CALLS OR YOUR FRIEND AND YOU DONT ANSWER THE PHONE... THIS IS THE MEANING BEHIND THIS PROPOSAL... ITS ABOUT OUR OWN PRIVACY NOT ABOUT INVADING ANOTHERS

A lot of people seem really confused what invisible mode is.
This is what I've seen people propose and what I think the lindens would do if they added this:

The Avatar would not be invisible.
The green dot would still be on the map.

What it would do is prevent the Avatar from
being listed in the find search or on anyone's friends list.
So if your a popular person you won't get assulted by a
few hundred people when you log on if you wish to work.

I think we all have to protect our privacy.
This proposal will ruins the private privacy of all residents.
Why someone want to be invisible in a social game like this?
For me this is the worst proposal to SL.

Could you read the last few messages in the thread. The word "invisible" in the thread topic is misleading. It's not about literal invisibility, it's about being able to effectively "turn off your cellphone" in-game so people can't find you on the map or otherwise know you're logged in unless you're actually in their presence.

This comment is the exact reason why there is no "show as offline" feature is SL. People not fully understanding what others are proposing.

Being literally invisable is a bad idea...agreed. Reading through the posts..I think everyone agrees on that.

Being able to have a little alone time by showing your STATUS as NOT ONLINE...GREAT IDEA.

For those who dont like the idea..that just says to me that they want the ability to know when their friends are online all the time....to have the ability to IM their friends whenever they want...and to have the ability to drop in on their friends at any given time. This is intrusive.

The whole idea is beling able to have some alone time without fear of offending others. Its about maintaining a level of privacy for yourself...NOT INVADING OTHERS PRIVACY.

I'm amazed that that this feature (an option to show your status as offline to friends) is not available.

Someone should create a new proposal that clearly states the option.