# What does the Ignore List do?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [August 22, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137 "2005-08-22T16:57:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/1 "2005-08-22T16:57:12Z")
Simple question really. It’s not something I plan to use, but I’m curious. What does it mean to put a member on my ignore list? Does it mean I won’t see threads opened or replies made by him/her? Or does it mean that the person won’t be able to send me private emails?
I know it’s something taken very seriously around here, witness the strict rule against telling somebody they’re on your Ignore List. So I’m naturally curious.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/2 "2005-08-22T17:15:54Z")
I just put you on my list, and I still see the thread. Your OP consists of: “This user is on your Ignore List.”
Now I just need to decide whether to take you off the list. Hmmm. 😃
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/3 "2005-08-22T17:16:58Z")
And this is what I see when not in reply mode: “This message is hidden because Spectre of Pithecanthropus is on your ignore list.”
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### Author:  [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/4 "2005-08-22T17:25:01Z")
You can’t see the posts of the ignored.
I found the use of ignore unworkable. Half the time, other posters quoted the ignored, hence making the content of their posts entirely visible anyway; the other half of the time, I coud barely figure out what the hell people in a thread were talking about, as I only got a portion of the conversation.
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### Author:  [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/5 "2005-08-22T20:11:30Z")
Thank you for this little example of _solvitur ambulando_.
Honestly I don’t see much use for an ignore list if that’s what it does. Even if you think someone’s stupid, or a jerk, or whatever, don’t you still sometimes need to read their posts for reasons of continuity in a thread?
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### Author:  [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/6 "2005-08-22T20:14:41Z")
Exactly. That’s why I don’t use the feature at all. I tried once, and half the time ended up reading the posts anyway, because I couldn’t tell what the hell was going on.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/7 "2005-08-22T20:19:30Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#):
>
> Thank you for this little example of _solvitur ambulando_.
Cool latinism. Personally, I’d prefer a “fondle” button, instead of “ignore.” Or maybe just a [digitus impudicus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_finger) smiley.
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### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/8 "2005-08-23T14:14:41Z")
I use the Ignore List to filter out posts by “babblers” whose posts are usually content-free and rambling—especially posters who are hard to understand, and after you go to the effort to decipher what they were trying to say, you’re left thinking, “I reread that post four times for _that_?” And people who regularly quote an entire, long post just to add a childish one-line attempt at humor. Yes, you can just skip over or skim these posts, but, then from time to time I get sucked into them, and always regret it. It’s much harder to skip past posters who try to use big fonts and colors to give their pointless posts the illusion of being interesting. And people who have big, distracting sigs. (I like sigs in general, so I don’t want to turn them off, entirely, just avoid the obnoxious ones.)
Browsing the Boards is just a wee bit more pleasant forme with a few posters on Ignore.
If these posters say something worthwhile, they’ll usually be quoted. If you need to read the post to understand the thread, there’s a link in the ignored post to click to show that one post.
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### Author:  [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/9 "2005-08-23T16:00:10Z")
I use a different technique: eyes glaze, page scrolls down. See, so easy!
In case you wondered–no, you cannot add yourself to your own ignore list (or buddy list). I assume this is a feature instead of a bug.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/10 "2005-08-23T18:13:46Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#):
>
> Honestly I don’t see much use for an ignore list if that’s what it does. Even if you think someone’s stupid, or a jerk, or whatever, don’t you still sometimes need to read their posts for reasons of continuity in a thread?
If you choose wisely which ones to put on your ignore list, this actually shouldn’t be a problem.
😉
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### Author:  [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/11 "2005-08-23T23:05:15Z")
I think it wise to ignore the Ignore List function, though some may think it folly.
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### Author:  [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/12 "2005-08-24T17:47:06Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I use a different technique: eyes glaze, page scrolls down. See, so easy!
This is my preferred method, too.
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### Author:  [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/13 "2005-08-24T21:46:29Z")
I come here to read and learn, not ignore. Even from the “worst” posts I learn something.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/14 "2005-08-24T21:53:35Z")
I rarely use the ignore feature but it did come in handy when I wanted to avoid Dopers who were behaving like raving lunatics. Took 'em off ignore when they were banned.
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### Author:  [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/15 "2005-08-25T06:45:50Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> Took 'em off ignore when they were banned.
Why?
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/16 "2005-08-25T16:14:27Z")
Can the Mods see who’s on an ignore list?
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/17 "2005-08-25T17:24:37Z")
> [@Feydeau](#):
>
> Why?
Because after the banning, it didn’t matter. They’re not around to make any new posts. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/18 "2005-08-25T17:35:22Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> Because after the banning, it didn’t matter. They’re not around to make any new posts. 🙂
Kinda Kafkaesque, no?
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### Author:  [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/19 "2005-08-25T18:24:57Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> Because after the banning, it didn’t matter. They’re not around to make any new posts. 🙂
Exactly, but my point is, why go to the effort of taking them off the list?
Maybe I’m just lazy.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-ignore-list-do/318137/20 "2005-08-25T18:58:50Z")
> [@Feydeau](#):
>
> Exactly, but my point is, why go to the effort of taking them off the list?
>
> Maybe I’m just lazy.
Well, truth be told, I took them off when I got better at avoiding their posts. The bannings were coincidents
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