# Do you use the ignore function? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324 "2009-12-15T05:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/1 "2009-12-15T05:11:19Z")
Lumpy asked in another thread if he’s on anyone’s ignore list. I always forget those exist. So, do you take advantage of the ignore feature? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/2 "2009-12-15T05:15:21Z")
Nah. The only reason I would is to ignore somebody who was so incredibly crazy as to be deeply interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/3 "2009-12-15T05:17:38Z")
I can’t imagine any way in which using that function would be helpful here. If anything it’ll just serve to have a person missing portions of conversations and sounding like a fool when they reply. The only time I can imagine using it is on unmoderated boards with lots of spammers or bots. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/4 "2009-12-15T05:21:36Z")
I agree with **Omniscient**. Missing big parts of the conversation would just annoy me too much. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/5 "2009-12-15T05:27:54Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I agree with **Omniscient**. Missing big parts of the conversation would just annoy me too much. If you buy into the “fighting ignorance” premise then ignoring ignorance would be something of a pointless endeavor too. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/6 "2009-12-15T16:30:51Z")
Note on the Dope. On another message board I used to go to, there was a poster who would try to turn _every. fucking. thread._ into a discussion of his own personal soapbox about some minor cause that he supported. It grew tiresome and I ignored him. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/7 "2009-12-15T16:33:22Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I agree with **Omniscient**. Missing big parts of the conversation would just annoy me too much. Thirded. It’s easy enough to skim or entirely skip commentary by someone who annoys me in a thread or in general. But there isn’t anyone here whose posts I dislike intensely enough to want to remove the option altogether of seeing what they’re saying. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/8 "2009-12-15T17:43:28Z")
I’ve used it on other boards, but got out of the habit. It’s just too easy to scroll past the posts I’m not interested in reading. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/9 "2009-12-16T06:27:18Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I agree with **Omniscient**. Missing big parts of the conversation would just annoy me too much. But that’s just it. You don’t miss anything. If the person says something that is actually important to the conversation, that person will be quoted, and you can read what they wrote. But, even if they aren’t, it’s not like their posts are completely hidden. If you think they might have something important to say, you can just click. > [@Omniscient](#): > > I can’t imagine any way in which using that function would be helpful here. Three words: The BBQ Pit. I don’t how many posters I’ve seen whine about a particular person. One person will have a grudge against someone else, and every innocuous comment comes off as being insulting to them. These people would be much better off ignoring people that make them so mad. > [@](#): > > If anything it’ll just serve to have a person missing portions of conversations and sounding like a fool when they reply. Nah. People skim all the freakin’ time. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen something in GQ be answered 3 or more times. > [@](#): > > The only time I can imagine using it is on unmoderated boards with lots of spammers or bots. ## It’s really not that useful in those situations, since spammers and bots very often use different usernames each time. It’s far more useful on boards that have a lot of trolls. Not only do you not read them and get mad at them, it also serves as a reminder not to feed them. Anyways, I don’t have anyone on my list currently, but I have in the past. So I picked option 2, although it isn’t strictly accurate. I’ve also recently ignored a thread using the Firefox extension. It was just a sore subject for me–after already posting a few rants, I decided it was taking up too much space in my brain, and didn’t want to even be reminded of its existence. Also, the ignore feature will let you block someone from PMing you. I’ve used it for that purpose before with someone who had the tendency to get on my nerves, but after a few days I took em off. Now I don’t even remember who it was. Finally, there’s a certain single-issue poster who fortunately has stopped posting as frequently as they used to. If they become more proactive again, I would consider taking advantage of the feature. I know for a fact that some people have already put them on it, even people who normally don’t use the feature. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/10 "2009-12-16T06:31:29Z")
Yes, oh em gee yes! I have more than five, less than ten people on ignore. Not only are they ignored, I have them completely erased from viewing using the glorious Firefox plug-in **xash** introduced me to. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/11 "2009-12-16T07:07:21Z")
Nope, never. If I don’t feel like reading something, I just pass over it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/12 "2009-12-16T07:39:02Z")
I have an extensive ignore list, about 15. Nobody who has yet posted in this thread is on it. Some of them are now banned. Virtually all people who are banned have made my list. You have to be a truly big idiot to get on my list. More than just a whole lot of disagreeing or insulting. Huge trollish idiot that I have personally banned. ---
**Author:** ![EpicNonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@EpicNonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EpicNonsense)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/13 "2009-12-16T07:52:52Z")
I’ve never used the function on any site. If it’s that bad, it’s usually something I will find some humor in, so, I wouldn’t want to ignore that. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/14 "2009-12-16T07:54:44Z")
Never. But why can’t I see the OP?! 😕 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/15 "2009-12-16T08:01:17Z")
I did use it on a poster once, took him off ignore after a while. Right now there’s a poster I have on “mental ignore” (1) but since her posts tend to ellicit many responses, there wouldn’t be much of a point on hiding the original. There’s people who annoy me on some subjects or depending on what day I’ve been having but with whom I’ve got no problem at other times. 1: I tend to read the post first, the name second. In her case, I’ll start reading, then my crazy-o-meter will go BOINGGG!, and I’ll look at the name and go “oh, her! :smack: self” ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/16 "2009-12-16T10:17:26Z")
Mods are not permitted to, but personally I’ve never wanted to ignore any poster in any case. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/17 "2009-12-16T16:59:54Z")
I didn’t even realize the had it. Most boards with pay options try to tie the ignore feature into the “you can use it if you pay for it.” I was on another board and everyone seemed to be ignoring each other so that it seemed every other comment was repeated, because people were only getting like 25% of the thread. I remember from the days of Usenet, were some readers would allow you an ignore list, so others would purposely quote a message with every reply so that it was difficult to use the ignore list effectively, because all the messages contained quotes of everything ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/18 "2009-12-16T17:23:14Z")
Yup. There’s one or two guys who are not only obnoxious, but boring as heck. General rule of thumb: if you see the name, :rolleyes: and know what he’s going to say, you might want to consider the Ignore function. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/19 "2009-12-16T17:32:40Z")
I use the Ignore List, and love it. Why let a few obnoxious nincompoops spoil the otherwise quality SDMB experience? ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324/20 "2009-12-16T17:52:58Z")
I use it if just because it’s there, but honestly it’s not a feature I would miss if it was gone. I would put it to much better use on other boards, because folks here are a bit more sophisticated. My ignore list on the IMDB is pretty long, because I ignore anyone who stretches the page. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-ignore-function/521324.md?page=2)