Say someone else, anyone, uses the Block feature to totally block you in their profit settings. How does the ET software implement this. It appears to me this is what happens (its a two step process): 1. You get added to the blockers Ignore list. Fair enough. This is expected. 2. Next YOUR Ignore list has the blockers name added to it. This seems to be done to prevent you seeing any of the blockers posts ie. Total Blocking. WTF, why is anyone else allowed to add themselves to YOUR Ignore list. The fact that it is hidden from you and you cant see their name listed under your profile's Ignore list, does not mean your ignore list is not being modified. That this has been done is sneakily hidden from you by the ET software. You can see this is what happens if you try to add someone who has already blocked you, to your Ignore list. You cant because they have already added themselves!
This is a really bad design and why I dislike the Block feature so much. It effectively allows another user to sneakily change one of my profile settings for their benefit or out of spite. And even worse, I cant ever remove this change that gets made to my profile. Only the other person can remove themselves.
Currently, if you block someone...you can not then add yourself to their ignore/block list. For example, if I add you (Millionaire) to my ignore/block list...I can not add myself to Millionaire ignore/block list considering Millionaire controls his own ignore/block list. I myself have had people publicly announced they're going to block me as a way to sling a verbal assault as if they want everybody to see what they're doing to me but then they never do block me...maybe they changed their mind or forgot to block me. I then use the opportunity to put that person on my ignore/block without publicly announcing it...to then never speak to them again as in once they're on my ignore/block list...I don't remove them. It's not a big deal considering I know most of them will eventually get a new user name to start their crap all over again. In fact, a few of them will publicly complain about me blocking them even though I've never announced they're block. The funny ones are the ones that publicly complain by mistake about their "other" user name that I've blocked even though I've never identified that other user name as being on my ignore/block list. Usually it's someone with a multiple user name (all user names are active) here at ET...one posting in the Political section and the other posting in the trading threads. wrbtrader
Not possible unless what you're describing is something ET management itself is doing to two individuals in a constant debate with each other. That would be not cool if ET management is doing that without notifying the individuals involved that Management has entered their profile settings and added the members to each others blocked list. wrbtrader
It happens automatically in the back end ET database. When someone blocks me, it seems MY ignore list gets updated as well, so i am effectively ignoring them now. That way i cant see their posts. But it is hidden from me in the GUI, not obvious this has happened. It is a quick and dirty way to implement the block feature.
You used the words "it seems" as if you're not sure that's what is occurring. If someone blocks you... you're not supposed to be able to see their posts, post in their threads nor reply to them UNLESS you're reading their messages/threads while not logged into the forum and then waiting until they're the "last poster" to be able to click that "last message" icon while not logged in... It then enables you the ability to enter their threads and/or reply to their messages in someone elses thread as in you'll then be able to TROLL them by navigating around the ignore/block feature. I only call it trolling if you're entering their threads while they are blocking you...same if they're doing it too. My point, only one person can block the other because currently there's no two-way block feature as in both people are able to block each other (you initiate it and the other is automatically updated to add you to his/her block list). wrbtrader
>Ignore: You don't see their posts, and they still see yours >Block: You don't see their posts, and they don't see your posts either Trolls: Figure out ways to circumvent the above. If you have someone that is engaging with you by being a troll and providing no value, their missing commentary is a welcomed reprieve. To go on about gaps in a thread that is the result of these features misunderstands the benefit. edit: logging out to read threads without these features, while satisfying sporadic curiosity, reminds one how valuable these benefits are.
I think the Block and Ignore feature should be permanent. Once you put someone on Block/Ignore it can not be undone.
No. If it must exist at all, it should have an automatic timer expiration. It is something you cannot undo for a certain amount of time, but will be undone after a certain amount of time. I did suggest to @Baron that he do a test to see how Wild West it really would get in here if the whole feature went away temporarily, by disabling it for 30-60 days, and he intimated that that may actually happen during the upgrade process.
It'll then be a good time to stay away from Elitetrader.com during that period considering the revenge idiots, trolls, multiple aliases, racists, and disinformation junkies will have no blowback for what they do. In contrast, maybe you guys can drive around with no seatbelts after an evening of binge drinking to see what happens (sarcasm). Hopefully Baron didn't take your suggestion seriously. wrbtrader