Mumsnet Talk

Hide me, hide me!

I think that it's time to revisit the arguments for this again: the site is much bigger and full of wankers than it used to be, and there is a lot of unnecessary conflict. Given that civilian moderators have been discounted, and that the community team's workload is practically Dickensian, don't you think that anything which will reduce personal attacks and thus the need for deletions would be a good thing?

I understand that Justine is worried that threads "won't make sense", but given that a) people mostly talk shite anyway and fly off-topic (eg Larkers in the face of Po-some OPs etc); and b) the hide button would be individually activated by choice and not compulsory, I don't think this argument really holds water.

There are many posters mature enough to never need to shield themselves from the profoundly irritating, and some folk are naturally imbued with a zen-like calm in the face of fucknuggetry, but for the rest of us, please please please give us the option to simply never have to read the posts of people we know invariably get on our last nerve.

I am convinced that spats will reduce; people will participate more widely and constructively in threads, instead of having to hide them once their nemesis appears; goading will become much less sustained; and the bill to MNHQ for gin at weekends will be slashed to pre-2005 levels.

What's not to like?

For the first time ever I am adding my yes please to a hide poster option

Would a poster know that they were hidden?

Scurryfunge, no, nobody would know except you.

I'd like a hide poster option too.

Another thing about threads not making sense- quite a few prolific posters have, for one reason or another, had their entire posting history withdrawn, which really does ruin threads. Plenty in Classics are now incomprehensible, for example, to anyone.

A Hide Poster button could be reversible, and would only leave holes in threads which the Hider had chosen, and obviously everybody can see the thread as normal.

I am interested.

How would it look though? - say I decided to hide you, BOF and you were on a thread - would your posts appear blank to me, - and would I puzzle momentarily at the blank post then see your name and go oh, that figures?

Because I think I could get on board with that. Just yesterday there was one I would like to hide and on reading her/his post I thought then recognised the name - right then I could have hidden them forever and never have had to see their drivel again.

<I wouldn't actually want to hide you by the way, my lovely>

Sounds fair enough actually, even though I can only think of a couple of posters I'd hide and I just avoid the sections where they're likely to post.

That's exactly how it is Fenton when you have Chrome and special things

I don't agree with having a 'hide poster' option.

To me, that is the whole point of MN - it's all-inclusive.

I totally totally agree.

I think the argument for threads not making sense doesn't hold water at all for the reasons bof outlines, plus it is self selecting. If you hide so many people that threads become incomprehensible you can just unhide can't you.

I think there would just be a line saying "You have chosen to hide this poster" or similar (although if we could customise the message, you might just write "Aren't you glad you don't have to read this drivel?"). That's how it works on other forums.

I know my thread about electric blankets is boring, BOF and GetOrf, but really, this is taking things Too Far <sorrowful look>

I like it.

Hide Poster doesn't stop anybody posting though, Mighty, and there is enough variety on MN for everyone to have their fellow-travellers: it's not as though we would all hide the same people. It would just cut down on snippiness.

Can't we at least have a trial?

<strokes Poledra>

I think there could be a problem if you posted something that had been said by your Hidden poster/s.
MN being what it is you're going to get a load of "Xxx has already said that rtft!"

I don't like it. But then I like shouting at the screen sometimes.

Yes please!

I have used it on another forum and it would say, for e.g:

TheMightyRubester Wed 10-Oct-12 13:30:16

I don't agree with having a 'hide poster' option.

To me, that is the whole point of MN - it's all-inclusive.

UltraBof Wed blah-blah-blah

Messages from this poster are hidden. Show message?

-
So if you're really intrigued it's easy enough to click show message and see what the knobhead you hate had to say

I've been asking them to do this for yonks and they won't.

Now I find I'm not sure I'm in favour any more. There aren't that many people I'd want to hide. And I'm not sure it would quell my insatiable urge to shoot them anyway.

They'll probably do it now I'm not interested any more.

Not that I would dare hide Bof I might add

It's not the same as messages withdrawn or deleted, though, is it? Because those are seen by everyone at the same time, and the thread continues in light of it. If some people are hiding some posters (who may not be arses all the time) then the thread is different to different people and the potential for repetition or misunderstanding would increase to the frustration of everyone.

Were is right too. It would be obvious you had hidden them. And that would hurt.

Also the people I can't bear to read are easily hideable if I just delete their threads that they start.

Their contributions on other people's threads generally aren't that objectionable. It's when it's all about them that it winds me up.

iyswim? And I can just hide the thread.

If someone apologises or changes their behaviour, how would the hider know?