# Since when did we get online/offline buttons?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-did-we-get-online-offline-buttons/302125>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [May 2, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-did-we-get-online-offline-buttons/302125 "2005-05-02T20:31:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-did-we-get-online-offline-buttons/302125/1 "2005-05-02T20:31:22Z")

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I noticed that we have little buttons next to our names telling who’s online and who’s not. When did this happen? It must have slipped by me. Anyway, I think it’s a very good idea.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-did-we-get-online-offline-buttons/302125/2 "2005-05-02T20:37:01Z")

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We’ve had them for a while. They used to be check marks, but were changed with the updated version of vB (when we got all the ugly smilies, remember?) There needs to be a way to turn them off, but I guess that option’s been disabled.