# On line indicator.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-indicator/145942>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [December 31, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-indicator/145942 "2002-12-31T21:32:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-indicator/145942/21 "2003-01-03T15:45:01Z")

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If you surf the board in “invisible” mode then your online indicator should never be turned on.

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**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-indicator/145942/22 "2003-01-03T16:35:42Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by AudreyK \*  
> \*\*The sane member of this household is asleep… \*\*

You have a sane person in your house?

Lucky you.

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**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-indicator/145942/23 "2003-01-04T06:40:04Z")

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According to your thingy, you’re online now, **Biggirl**.

But why is it there? It has that fun little geeky value, which I always appreciate, but we can’t send messages to other posters. Or, for that matter, do anything with the knowledge that a particular poster is currently online, except that it’d be a bad time to steal their computer.

So why is it there?

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**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-indicator/145942/24 "2003-01-04T09:26:14Z")

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We take turns being sane. Yesterday was his turn. 🙂

Thank you, **Arnold**. That’s what I figured.

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**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-indicator/145942/25 "2003-01-05T06:56:04Z")

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**Wikkit** , I use it in situations where someone’s online, and perhaps waiting for my response. If someone’s that interested, I often make an effort to respond right away. Trading two or three messages in a short time helps to avoid some of the convoluted cross-purpose conversations that get started. Not they get started by me, of course. 😛

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