# Isn't putting someone on your Ignore list counter-productive? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 24, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420 "2004-12-24T02:35:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/1 "2004-12-24T02:35:45Z")
I experimented a few weeks ago and actually put three people on my Ignore list, just to see how it worked. (I also put someone on my Buddy list, but absolutely nothing seems to have happened there.) I should say immediately that these good people were names I was familiar with, and who I tend to post with, not actual cyber-enemies. Anyway, sure enough, within an hour or two, one of my faux antagonists had posted. Now I could see who it was, but I couldn’t read what he had written. Now, if this was someone who really pissed me off big time (although, thereagain, I actually want to read what someone who pisses me off big time has to say, so I would never put him/her on my hitlist), either I would be full of curiosity to see what crap they’d come up with this time (or how I could rebut it), or (supposing for a moment that I really didn’t want to know what they’d written, so that I could sneer at it), then likely as not some other poster is going to go and quote them, or refer to their contribution in some way. Now if they quote them, that’s it. Useless. Thwarted. I can read what the twat says. And if their contribution is referred to, but in a way that confuses me and ruins the whole thread, then I’m either going to leave that thread in a huff - howver much I might have been enjoying it - or I’m going to deactivate the Ignore button for this person until I’ve read whatever their snivelling contribution might be. Then, what do I do? Go back and put them on my little list, or say “Sod that!”, this is more trouble than it’s worth. So, you guys who use this list, what the heck? And remember, however pissed off you are at me, you can’t even hint at the fact that I’m on your little list. Merry Christmas! ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/2 "2004-12-24T02:39:19Z")
The only person on my ignore list has since been banned. Although when this person was still around, I did find myself occasionally clicking on his/her posts just to see what stupid bullshit s/he was spouting now, mostly I was able to resist. If someone really bugs the shit out of you, it’s an awesome tool. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/3 "2004-12-24T02:50:26Z")
I think an “ignore” feature is useful for chatrooms, newsgroups & spam e-mail, but I agree it’s not useful to me here on the boards. If someone pisses me off that much, I’ll start to remember their screename and I can ignore them just fine by paging down. SDMB is well moderated though. There are some boards that are more loosely moderated and you get your obnoxious twits that spam the whole board with drivel, and in those cases an ignore feature is handy. But people like that usually get banned pretty quick. Here on the SDMB, I’m sure they’d be banned within the hour, in most cases. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/4 "2004-12-24T03:15:14Z")
> [@](#): > > then likely as not some other poster is going to go and quote them, or refer to their contribution in some way. > > Now if they quote them, that’s it. Useless. Thwarted. I can read what the twat says. That aspect doesn’t bother me. If someone is quoting one of my “enemies”, it’s usually to refute the retarded crap they’re spouting so I don’t have to spend the mental energy neccesary to do it. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/5 "2004-12-24T03:19:38Z")
Okay, okay. Enough. I did NOT start this thread to get rebutted. However, I know now who to put on my second - not so experimental - Ignore list. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/6 "2004-12-24T06:14:55Z")
In many cases, I agree with you. When it’s someone who really pisses me off, I actually want to see what he’s writing. On the other hand, when there’s someone who simply lives in his own off-topic wacky-world, and 99% of his posts contribute absolutely nothing to the discussion at hand. Not infuriating or antagonizing, just irrelevant and annoying. In this case, I’ve found ignoring works quite well. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/7 "2004-12-24T06:21:33Z")
My explorer has this useful feature a ‘scrollbar’. Works just as well and AFAIK amongst the constituting documents, Memoranda of Understanding, Tri-lateral Treaties and Governing Articles in each of the 3 mandated languages (also available in sign) there is no rule inhibiting posters from discussing the use of said feature. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/8 "2004-12-24T06:27:25Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Merry Christmas! Happy Christmas **roger thornhill** and indeed **Everyone** friend and not-yet-friend alike. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/9 "2004-12-24T07:07:34Z")
> [@sevastopol](#): > > My explorer has this useful feature a ‘scrollbar’. > > Works just as well and AFAIK amongst the constituting documents, Memoranda of Understanding, Tri-lateral Treaties and Governing Articles in each of the 3 mandated languages (also available in sign) there is no rule inhibiting posters from discussing the use of said feature. We don’t mind posters discussing the use of said feature either, as long as the discussion doesn’t degenerate into personalities. General concept of said feature, fine. Footnoted applications, justifcations and scrambling for case law that Poster X is a worse asshole than Poster Y, no. Just a clarification to foster the potential utilty of thread in question about said feature, doncha know. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/10 "2004-12-24T07:09:41Z")
Since we’ve had it, I’ve put maybe three people on The List. None of them were people who pissed me off, _per se_. They were mutterers. I put them on “ignore” because I noticed that a few times I’d gone back to try to parse what they were saying only to find that they were actually incomprehensible and idiotic, or posting total _non sequiturs_. Then I’d notice a couple more posts by the same person, of the same quality, and each time waste a few precious seconds puzzling over them. Putting them on the list just saved me the trouble of trying to work out what they were trying to say, since past experience had taught me that it wasn’t worth it. To a one, I only saw posts from the “ignored” posters for a very short time after “listing” them – they were either banned or just stopped posting out of mutual lack of interest. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/11 "2004-12-24T09:11:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **TVeblen** Did you guys hear something? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/12 "2004-12-24T09:50:28Z")
I’ve not seen anyone here who made me even remotely consider putting them on my ignore list. Ones who are just weird mumblers, (as another poster said), I just don’t read their posts. And those usually get banned pretty quickly anyway. I’ve not yet met a single doper that, even if I disagree with them strenuously, that I would think about putting on the ignore list. To me, they’re interesting and entertaining. Maybe I’m weird, but I find the rabid one trick pony (and other interesting versions of that) ones even MORE interesting sometimes than the nice ones (of which there are far more). If they’re being extremely contrary and bullheaded, I enjoy batting around the mouse so to speak. I like to see what they’re going to say, and in what new way they’re going to completely miss, or twist around the point and so on. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/13 "2004-12-24T13:20:31Z")
The few people I’ve put on my ignore list were malcontents with no valuable input to begin with. On top of it, their posts were generally inflammatory. Having the “This person is on your ignore list” come up instead of a long, pathetic, diatribe was a blessing. Everyone on my list eventually got banned anyway, so you better stay on my good side. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/14 "2004-12-24T16:06:08Z")
I discovered that 95% of the posts that made me truly lose it, over the edge angry, were from a single poster. On the ignore list they went. Now when I see the little “This post censored because you wanted it to be” note I ask myself where I want my blood pressure today. Sometimes I look (and get pissed) most of the time I leave it alone. If the ignored person said anything I need to know, someone else generally points it out for me, and all in all I feel it works fine. Before I put them on ignore they were making my SDMB reading difficult and unhappy, now I’m back on a happy keel. I’m pretty sure its just a personality mismatch, and this keeps me happy. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/15 "2004-12-24T16:24:51Z")
> [@sevastopol](#): > > My explorer has this useful feature a ‘scrollbar’. But if you have someone on Ignore, you don’t even have to scroll! For some posters this doesn’t make much difference, but for those who tend to post _really long_ posts you don’t want to read it does make it easier to browse the rest of the thread. I find it helpful because I’m not that good at remembering usernames, so sometimes I’ll be partway into some lengthy post before I realize “Oh yeah, this is the same guy who’s always posting lengthy stupid/insane stuff.” If I put them on Ignore, I don’t have to waste any time with them at all. Most of these people wind up being banned eventually anyway, but sometimes it takes a while to get to that point. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/16 "2004-12-24T16:25:37Z")
I generally just don’t read posts that from people that annoy me. So I don’t use the list. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/17 "2004-12-24T23:28:22Z")
I’ve considered putting people on my Ignore list a few times, and I suspect my soul might have been better off for it (my blood pressure’s pretty good). On the other hand, I know myself. I have _way_ too much curiousity. If someone were on my Ignore list, I couldn’t resist what he or she’s written this time, even though I’d know I was going to regret it. Happy Christmas to you, **Roger** , and all other Christians out there (OK, “Happy Christmas” to the British; “Merry Christmas” to the Americans; other English speakers can use whichever form you prefer) and Happy Holidays to the rest of you! CJ ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/18 "2004-12-24T23:53:48Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > And remember, however pissed off you are at me, you can’t even hint at the fact that I’m on your little list. No, I’m pretty sure I could. I’m not sure you’d get the hint—a sufficiently opaque hint will be perfectly acceptable, unless the mods are mindreaders. But about your questions, are you familiar with the psych 100 exercise where one is shown words written in letters of various colors and the subject is supposed to call out the color of the script? Well, the words themselves are color words, e.g. “blue,” and the meaning of the word does not matche the color of the writing. The fun thing is that a person can’t not read the words. So if you find someone to be so annoying, and if you are literate, then it makes sense to put that person on the ignore list so that you are not forced to read her posts. If you can’t read well, then it may not be an issue. There were no hints in the above, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/19 "2004-12-25T22:16:52Z")
There have been a couple times when a more longtime poster with a higher count than mine has royally pissed me off and made it to the List. Easier that way than argue and possibly get myself kicked out of the board. There was also one incoherent type who soon afterwards was banned. I guess while the rationale behind ignoring someone irritating might seem illogical, and there is always the temptation to hit that View Post link, there has only been one time when clicking it has yielded anything useful, and it wasn’t even the person themselves but something in a link they posted. So why argue with success? Went out of my way to avoid hinting in this post. ---
**Author:** ![Milkman\_Dan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Milkman\_Dan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milkman_Dan)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420/20 "2004-12-26T00:36:13Z")
> [@Medea's Child](#): > > I discovered that 95% of the posts that made me truly lose it, over the edge angry, were from a single poster. Who is it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-putting-someone-on-your-ignore-list-counter-productive/281420.md?page=2)