# Can a person tell if you have them blocked on AOL IM **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-person-tell-if-you-have-them-blocked-on-aol-im/275156 "2004-11-17T00:18:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-person-tell-if-you-have-them-blocked-on-aol-im/275156/1 "2004-11-17T00:18:30Z")
If you block someone on AOL IM can they tell you have them blocked? Would anyone want to block me then I can check to see if I get any messages saying i’m blocked for IMing you. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-person-tell-if-you-have-them-blocked-on-aol-im/275156/2 "2004-11-17T00:24:09Z")
In my experience\*, the blocker just won’t appear as being signed on to the blockee’s buddy list. As far as they know, you haven’t blocked them, you just aren’t on AIM at the moment. \*My little brother blocks me all the time. Little bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-person-tell-if-you-have-them-blocked-on-aol-im/275156/3 "2004-11-17T00:25:22Z")
Yep. I just told somebody to block me, and it said they signed off. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-person-tell-if-you-have-them-blocked-on-aol-im/275156/4 "2004-11-17T00:32:37Z")
If you create another screenname (for free, using AIM), and you import the buddy list from your original screen name, if someone’s signed on the new screen name but not the old one, they’ve blocked the old one. You can still send messages to someone who’s blocked you (ironically enough), because as **Jimmy Chitwood** said, they haven’t actually blocked you, they just appear to be signed off. An alternate way to check this is to try to view their info. If it says “Buddy info for so and so is not availabe,” they’re probably really signed off. If it shows their info, they’ve blocked you. This all worked for me a few months ago. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-person-tell-if-you-have-them-blocked-on-aol-im/275156/5 "2004-11-17T02:25:09Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > If you create another screenname … Or just ask a friend who’s online at the time to check for you. Unless they’ve blocked that friend as well. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-person-tell-if-you-have-them-blocked-on-aol-im/275156/6 "2004-11-17T02:54:39Z")
I had a…_situation_ regarding this a couple weeks ago. I was with a couple people and one of them mentioned that I was on AIM all the time (I typically leave it running when I’m away in classes). Person #2 said, no, I was never on. Now, I had blocked Person #2. Some quick verbal maneuvering was all that got me through that unscathed.