# Does this board have an "X is online now" feature I wasn't aware of? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 7, 2015, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419 "2015-03-07T07:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/1 "2015-03-07T07:08:22Z")
In another thread, someone makes a reference which seems to assume that such a feature exists here. But I see nothing of the kind on any page. Is it something I can switch on? Or am I just misunderstanding the reference somehow? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/2 "2015-03-07T07:13:36Z")
There’s a little circle next to peoples’ names. If it’s green, they’re online. If it’s gray, they’re offline. You can change a setting in your User CP to always appear offline to others, in which case your circle will look red to you, and gray to everyone else. (Also doubles as a way to find your own posts while scrolling). If you go to someone’s page, there’s also a Last Activity time. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/3 "2015-03-07T07:37:03Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > If it’s gray, they’re offline. Looks blue to me. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/4 "2015-03-08T08:45:41Z")
As indicators of how kinky the off-line person is currently being, are there 50 shades of grey buttons? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/5 "2015-03-08T21:51:03Z")
Frylock Frylock is online now Guest ETA This is how it copy/pastes ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/6 "2015-03-08T23:33:51Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Frylock Frylock is online now Huh. I always wondered if that were a first or last name. Now we know. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/7 "2015-03-09T00:34:21Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > There’s a little circle next to peoples’ names. If it’s green, they’re online. If it’s gray, they’re offline. You can change a setting in your User CP to always appear offline to others, in which case \*\*your circle will look red to you, and gray to everyone else. \*\* Except mods. Bwahahah! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/8 "2015-03-10T03:15:38Z")
Why do you need to know? Sounds stalkery. I get why you might need a mod and might want to know who’s about, for possible faster response, but beyond that… ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/9 "2015-03-10T09:40:34Z")
It can be handy to know that someone is online and you can therefore expect a response to one of your witty remarks in the next few minutes rather than tomorrow. Or if you are having an ongoing discussion with someone then see they’ve gone offline you know you can probably call it quits for the night and resume later. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2015, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-board-have-an-x-is-online-now-feature-i-wasnt-aware-of/714419/10 "2015-03-11T04:19:49Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Looks blue to me. 😉 You could tell it a joke or sing it a little song? Hey - it was just an idea.