Lurker > BalloonBattle05

MrKapowski posted...

Seems like you should block him

i usually do but he always finds a new number to text me

Doom_Art posted...

This dude was beating up people at the mall? How old is he?

might be 35 but I dont remember

comicfire sent me a text to complain about the mall ban. I asked him why does he like to beat up people? He said he was bullied by other people a lot at school

Maybe Mario

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com./user.php?db=.11.user=comicfire

I recently saw him at mall I forgot the name of where he was beating up people like a bully. As someone who got bullied by other people in the past, I didnt want to be involved.

The cops came and banned him for the mall for a week. It was terrifying.

RuneterranSnap posted...

What even is the difference?

I've just got one person ignored lol

blocking prevents people from seeing your thread and posts while you cant see their posts. Ignore just prevents you from seeing their posts but they can see yours

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


because i want it to

Error1355 posted...

holy shit your still going?

i think i figured out why a blocking feature was added to combat severe harassment.

The mods here are bad at their job enough that Reddit users complain about them.

https://www.reddit.com/r/gamefaqs/comments/jltm6l/the_moderators_on_the_gamefaqs_sight_suck/

as to why blocking on this site is more trouble, this site is similar to other internet forums such as Discord and YouTube where you see conversations happen in real time and not being able to see a blocked message can mean you miss important context in the middle of what's actually being talked about. Other sites such as Facebook and Twitter mostly have you chat with friends instead of internet users and you dont really have as much of a conversation on this site as you do here. If an internet troll tries to derail your thread, you can just set your settings to private which isnt possible on gamefaqs.

In general, GameFAQs block system is a more bad than good idea and we have it because the mods are bad enough at their jobs that trolls are capable of getting away with severe stalking/harassment and thread derailing easily. What GameFAQs really should do is have high entry requirements so its harder or more risky to ban evade.

Wouldnt people experience severe harassment and stalking because gamefaqs mods are terrible, which is why a blocking feature needed to be added?

Tmaster148 posted...

Here's the thing, if they start trolling other people those other people can mark the posts and they can still get modded. One person deciding they are tired of dealing with a specific user that lead them to block the user is not some "get out of jail free" card trolls can use.

You're entire premise is based around people not marking moddable posts which could still happen if the blocked system didn't exist.

difference is without blocking you will ALWAYS be able to mark a post while now, someone can block you from marking their post.

they can still get modded, but the thread derailing is apparently so bad that the ignore feature wasnt enough to stop trolls, people wanted blocking to deal with them. Which means mods are insufficient enough at their jobs.

Guests are also unable to put trolls on their ignore list, while being is guest is better at reading posts because this way no one can block you

DrizztLink posted...

Citing gwaak.

It's a bold strategy.

what do you mean bold strategy?

Malcrasternus posted...

Anti trolls? You mean. . . normal people?

If a troll is trolling, then it doesn't really matter how effective they are in blocking, their shit is going to stink all the same to everyone eventually.

blocking just prevents them from seeing your posts, they can troll others which isnt solving the issue.

a ghost feature where someone you block can see and reply to your posts but their posts are only visible to themselves (guests cant see them either) would probably deter them more.

Malcrasternus posted...

While I personally don't use the block or even ignore features here I feel they're still good tools to have. I'm still not seeing any solid arguments on how these tools harm more than help, besides maybe hindering the flow of some topics.

The fact this got 300+ posts is nuts.

as someone said in this thread

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/7-site-suggestions/80052702

The block function makes no sense from a design perspective. It disincentives people from creating an account, especially from people who primarily care to read. As a guest user you are guaranteed all publicly accessible content. So for registered lurker users it does nothing but degrade the user experience with little benefit, since there is always that nagging thought of "Am I missing any content?" The logout trick doesn't work for boards with level reading requirements, but those boards are the exception rather than the norm. Even then, most have fairly low reading requirements so a lurker alt is all that is needed to get the full uncensored version of the board and an easy switch when you feel like posting.
The block function also creates a perverse incentive to go the throwaway route. Any account that is used for a long time will eventually accumulate a bunch of blocks, degrading the user experience with time. With throwaways, you'll get a fresh new username and an enemy block reset on a periodic basis. So unless you care for the level boards or certain community boards, having an old account is of little benefit.
The block function is also disruptive in contrast to ignore. All it takes is a "Who posted" and someone quoting it to bust the personal echo chamber to derail the topic or to turn it into some argument. It also can confuse guest users since they are immune to it.
In theory it is supposed to cut down on harassment, but in practice it is a tool weaponized by trolls to degrade the experience of other users or to gatekeep topics via a personal echo chamber. It is a hot mess and the cons outweigh the benefits as the staff have stated years ago. The 180 by the admins makes little sense, given they knew it was going to cause a ton of problems. This feature is also the most controversial and most complained about addition to the site. No other site update has seen that many complaints and problems since its implementation years ago. Overall it is a bad feature to implement. It fails to achieve its stated objective and the cost of degrading the user experience is too heavy.

It makes sense to implement in a forum that allows you to forbid guest users from viewing posts, but not in the majority of gamefaqs.

and as that thread said, one way people abuse it is locking others out of their topics who are showing up the lies the TC is telling. So it becomes a way for trolls to lock out anti trolls who expose them.

Mr_hulk88 posted...

And as I just said, it has not happened to me once.

mustve happened to baha05

or people have abused you, you just havent seen it because you cant see their posts

Mr_hulk88 posted...

I'm not reading that.

Blocking is there to stop abuse easily. That's literally what the feature is for and why people like it.

it is instead abused by trolls to created echo chambers.

The block function makes no sense from a design perspective. It disincentives people from creating an account, especially from people who primarily care to read. As a guest user you are guaranteed all publicly accessible content. So for registered lurker users it does nothing but degrade the user experience with little benefit, since there is always that nagging thought of "Am I missing any content?" The logout trick doesn't work for boards with level reading requirements, but those boards are the exception rather than the norm. Even then, most have fairly low reading requirements so a lurker alt is all that is needed to get the full uncensored version of the board and an easy switch when you feel like posting.
The block function also creates a perverse incentive to go the throwaway route. Any account that is used for a long time will eventually accumulate a bunch of blocks, degrading the user experience with time. With throwaways, you'll get a fresh new username and an enemy block reset on a periodic basis. So unless you care for the level boards or certain community boards, having an old account is of little benefit.
The block function is also disruptive in contrast to ignore. All it takes is a "Who posted" and someone quoting it to bust the personal echo chamber to derail the topic or to turn it into some argument. It also can confuse guest users since they are immune to it.
In theory it is supposed to cut down on harassment, but in practice it is a tool weaponized by trolls to degrade the experience of other users or to gatekeep topics via a personal echo chamber. It is a hot mess and the cons outweigh the benefits as the staff have stated years ago. The 180 by the admins makes little sense, given they knew it was going to cause a ton of problems. This feature is also the most controversial and most complained about addition to the site. No other site update has seen that many complaints and problems since its implementation years ago. Overall it is a bad feature to implement. It fails to achieve its stated objective and the cost of degrading the user experience is too heavy.

this is what someone posted in another thread. How much does this change everyones response?

to the mods, I could post what other people posted directly but felt either i could link the topic or you already read it.

Mr_hulk88 posted...

The amount of stupidity here is starting to hurt my brain.

wHys cant siMpLy reportz?

Because siMpLy reporting has zero guarantee of someone shutting up?
You know what is? Blocking.

Do you not understand the obvious difference between an immediate solution, and trying to get someone banned, while they continue to harass you?

you can simply put them on ignore list and you wont see their posts.

they might derail the thread more but it implies gamefaqs needs stronger moderation

Fluttershy posted...

youre going to have to be way more specific. I could just come up with solutions for them.

no, i won't, because blocking is also a solution and would be there to solve the really rare bad ones.

by your logic, it has to be there. i noticed you don't want to address that. you fucked up, lol.

the main ones I see are excessive stalking, harassment and topic derailing.

REALLY DEDICATED PEOPLE would just make new alts. The solution is stronger entry requirements

Tmaster148 posted...

We get multiple posts any time something major happens on CE, because multiple people start creating the topic around the same time and don't realize that someone else is already making it.

The idea that blocking should be removed, because multiple posts on the same topic might exist is such a mundane problem that it doesn't matter in the long run.

the blocking wasnt this, it was someone already made a topic before you made yours, you saw it and decided to make a new one

if this was unintentional, we can simply lock every topic except one no problem.

this is a smaller problem, but its one of MANY reasons why we shouldnt have blocking.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


it could simply be the board is so popular that they missed the topic.

Fluttershy posted...

if you make a topic on super mario galaxy, i could make a new topic on the game and falsely claim you blocked me when I blocked you instead.

just because people are going to throw tantrums in response to your system doesn't mean you drop the system -- you don't let the threat of them being huge whiners about it deter you from giving people a means to mute bad faith actors.

what kinds of bad stuff?

the rare kind. i don't do effort checks from people who argue in poor faith. again, by your logic, something needs to be there in the rare instance something happens -- you stumbled into undermining your own argument, here.

youre going to have to be way more specific. I could just come up with solutions for them.

pikakaeru posted...

It's in your thread. In your threaaad.
Shitposters, shitposters they are blocking!

doesnt matter if they are blocking you or you are blocking them. There are two threads made about the same subject.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


why is this not a problem to you, especially if you are viewing as guest?

why should users comment in both topics instead of simply using one?

why should there be two topics if there can instead be one?

Fluttershy posted...

what would blocking prevent?

bad stuff, even if it's really rare. you have to give users that tool to defend themselves, by your logic.

what situation would there be to make another new topic

you have a shitposter blocked.

what kinds of bad stuff?

why cant you simply report the shitposter?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


if you make a topic on super mario galaxy, i could make a new topic on the game and falsely claim you blocked me when I blocked you instead.

if there was no block feature, it would easily be seen as spamming because I could post in YOUR THREAD instead of making my own. Because there is a block feature, we have to waste time factoring in if one of us DID BLOCK the other.

regardless, to guest users and everyone who can see our threads, this would be seen as spamming (unintentional or not) by them

Fluttershy posted...

is it not spamming?

it objectively isn't, because there's a good reason for multiple topics in that situation.

doesnt matter how rare it is, the point is it can happen.

so can a ton of things that blocking would prevent.

so we dont need a block button to make users unable to view your posts

yes we do, because the ignore button doesn't do that. manpointingathead.jpeg

why cant they be banned? Why cant they block you?

they can't block you while they're banned.

what would blocking prevent?

what situation would there be to make another new topic instead of posting in someones topic they already made?

Fluttershy posted...

the ignore button does this already

so?

so we dont need a block button to make users unable to view your posts

Fluttershy posted...

the shitposter can be banned, and they can also be blocking YOU

no, they can't.

why cant they be banned? Why cant they block you?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


is it not spamming?

doesnt matter how rare it is, the point is it can happen.

this can happen with ignore list, but someone you ignore isnt incapable of posting in your thread. this can also easily be fixed with a you are ignoring posts from this many users. Would you like to view them? note.

Fluttershy posted...

Now, we must factor in the possibly of people making the same topic because they were blocked.

this is a good thing because users who have the shitposter blocked can still discuss a subject with other people. duh?

the shitposter can be banned, and they can also be blocking YOU

Fluttershy posted...

encourages trolls to block people who call them out

that's less shitposts for them to have to see, so, that's a positive. are we thinking before we post?

also, all of that is worth the ability to mute shitposters. the one positive that you absolutely dodge mentioning is that it gives users control as to whether or not they have to read posts, and it's because everyone would have to deal with your shitposting if they did.

the ignore button does this already

Error1355 posted...

You are 15 of the 44 posts currently on this page.

Just this single page of this topic. From post #251 to #294 you are 34% of the posts.

I said I was busy because I was too busy being sidetracked with other stuff

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


this is one of many issues, not the only one. It can also easily lead to 5 to 10 of the same topic.

but before blocking occurred, this could easily be seen as trolling and spamming if they were made at different times. Now, we must factor in the possibly of people making the same topic because they were blocked.

Lizards posted...

So, what are the dozens of issues?

encourages trolls to block people who call them out (which means they cannot be reported as easily and in turn means everyone else has to deal with them), makes topics harder to follow if there are missing posts, this can easily result in people repeating info because people are blocking them from seeing the previous posts, this can also easily result in topics being repeated instead of everyone posting in the same topic, or people having to waste time asking if this point has been mentioned before in the topic, Baha05 mentioned instance of bullying using blocking, this feature overall encourages less signing up so as guest you can just browse around without people blocking you, or using read only accounts so people wont know your username for blocking purposes. People with old accounts are more likely to ditch them because petty people will block these accounts from reading posts, and as a result they will be more likely to make throwaway accounts.

the strongest positives of blocking are preventing people from excessively stalking, harassing and trolling you, all blocking does is putting a bandaid on the solution instead of outright fixing it. This implies that there should be stronger moderation and entry requirements as RedWhiteBlue mentioned earlier instead of a feature that people will abuse to shut down others just for having different opinions (which ruins the ENTIRE POINT of a message board where you DISCUSS with people).

Fluttershy posted...

no, what doesn't matter is that multiple topics are being made on the same subject. it's not against any rule for a reason. it isn't like gamefaqs is running out of bandwidth.

also, i think i'd still take that if it meant shitposters could be blocked, and made to end up like yourself.

its easily seen as unnecessary spamming and trolling

MrKapowski posted...

But not too busy to post multiple paragraphs of bullshit across multiple posts

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/0/9/AASSvUAAEL8l.jpg

theres simply dozens of reasons why and its difficult to think of every single one. Other users also have posted them in other threads before

Fluttershy posted...

user who has the shitposters blocked is unaware of them

correct, it's why they don't see your posts. look at all the thinking and wrist-wringing you're doing about them and be aware that you've fallen off of the face of the earth for them, and realize that the system works. please.

doesnt matter, its multiple topics being made about the same subject when the person who WOULDVE POSTED IN AN ALREADY MADE TOPIC is blocking the shitposters

Fluttershy posted...

yeah but do you know who it causes the most issues for?

shitposters.

kind of the end of the discussion there.

which is why you can report them, put them on ignore list and it implies that gamefaqs should have higher entry requirements if there are so many.

as for multiple topics on the same subject, dozens of people seem to use the blocking feature because they disagree with someones opinion. I can easily picture this situation happening.

it doesnt even have to be only blocking, it can be three shitposters wanting to create a topic on the same subject instead of using that singular subject while a fourth user who has the shitposters blocked is unaware of them and therefore creates a fourth thread.

MC_BatCommander posted...

Okay so maybe like 2 or 3issues instead of dozens.

Topics being harder to follow I can maybe get, but are you really being blocked so often you can't follow topics from the shear number of people blocking you?

This is practically all nonsense. You're assuming a game board has multiple topics on the same thing because... Everyone's blocked and can't participate in the already existing threads? Maybe they just didn't read the board before creating a new topic?

The potential for abuse exists in literally everything we do on the internet, can't use that as an argument. The very few cases of blocking abuse I've seen over the years were dealt with by the mods.

no, other users have posted that they have seen this particular issue before with two topics of the same subject. They linked to the other threads and the tc said theyre blocked. It could easily turn to several threads.

there are multiple issues, Im just too busy to talk about this

this site originally never implemented this feature and the staff said it would cause more issues than it would solve. what were the reasons you were never going to implement this?

MC_BatCommander posted...

Okay, you have established why you don't like blocking, what are the dozens of issues it has caused?

everything i said before about topics being harder to follow, people abusing it just because they dont like someones opinion instead of using it for the trolls its meant for, results in topics from repeated subjects made by people being unable to post in the topic theyre blocked from (such as several Super Mario Galaxy topics about the same thing instead of ONE topic for everyone to post in)

it can be a I dont like blocking because it has caused these issues thing.

Ive never actually seen anyone use it to avoid moderations, I just know that it can be abused this way. Its not just me, dozens of other users have an issue with it too.

MC_BatCommander posted...

I've already told you multiple times we can't change site features, mods have no say in it at all beyond maybe just giving our opinions to the admins when we're asked

when i say mods, its just out of habit. It includes admins and everyone with a higher power than mods

staff is a better word

MC_BatCommander posted...

Yes I read through that couple year old topic with a few people who don't like the block feature in general, I'd love to know what the supposed dozens of issues are beyond your weird insistence that it makes people immune to moderation.

while it is unlikely anyone would ever do this, other people even mods could just see the tos violation post and not report because they agree with the poster. Only the person being blocked would want to report the post.

as to why the blocking feature is an issue, people have used it to be in echo chambers, which in exchange it makes topics hard to follow and makes it more likely that people will repeat a point or topic because they cant see the previous post that they were blocked from, it promotes being guest more because this way no one can block you from reading their topics and posts, (but as a double edged sword, guests cannot use the ignore feature to hide posts), other users have said it promotes bullying where you cant see the posts of your bullies, it doesnt really deter trolls of stalkers/harassers from being a problem on the site and you blocking them just means other people have to deal with the trolls.

it shouldnt necessarily be removed, but it should be changed so that it can address its intended purpose much better while not ruining the experience of users enough that them reading posts while logged out is overall better.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


maybe mods should implement this

kirbymuncher posted...

dude you are weirdly obsessive over this you don't need to DM me a giant essay that I didn't even bother reading

must be because the blocking feature has caused more issues than it solves and any reasons people wanted it for such as excessive stalking or harassment or trolls derailing your threads implies that they should be handled differently instead of just blocking people and leaving other users, especially guests who have no such block feature, to deal with the issue.

MC_BatCommander posted...

I can assure you that it's really no trouble.

you havent read the topic I linked before where many users posted dozens of issues?

blocking to bypass moderations itself may not specifically be an issue enough, but its just another unnecessary hole for people to jump through

Tmaster148 posted...

No one is getting away posting moddable stuff by blocking other users. There's simply too many users around that someone will see your post and report it.

You're clearly just upset that someone blocked you. Get over it.

or I would be against this feature whenever or not people block me because it has caused dozens of issues like here

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/7-site-suggestions/78333931

Tmaster148 posted...

Idk why you are so focused on blocking people to avoid getting reported, because that hasn't stopped moderators from modding posts like that. Mods (AFAIK) are immune to block so you can't prevent a mod seeing your post and modding it on the spot. You can't block every user on the site due to the ignore limit. Someone is going to see your power and report it.

mods cant be blocked, but the blocking feature is overall more trouble than its worth for reasons such as this

MrKapowski posted...

This is certainly one of the topics

I've learned I need to block TC

would you block me if I make a you deserve cancer post and block dozens of users from reporting it? (not that I would)

@Baha05 have you actually being bullied by people who abuse the block feature?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


the question is why should these kinds of situations occur just because people cant handle others participating in their topics? This is a PUBLIC FORUM

now imagine if it was five topics on the same subject because five people blocked each other. It would easily look like spam.

VampireCoyote posted...

youre having to reach waaay too far to find problems with the feature and youre really making yourself look ridiculous

im not reaching, other users said they actually came across this situation

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


must be because it is the most controversial addition to any site, and it causes multiple problems such as two threads on the same board created on the same subject by two people because the tc of the first topic blocked the second tc

kirbymuncher posted...

I see

well I understand now why you don't like the block feature but I really do think you'd have a generally better time in life overall if you try to get out of this vengeful mindset. It provides no benefit to you and wastes your mental energy on people who just really don't deserve it

a lot more than just I dont like it, it causes problems such as if I block you then start a topic on Super Mario Galaxy, then you want to talk about the game, you would make your own thread because you cant see mine which results in two threads

kirbymuncher posted...

ok and?

there are all sorts of generally unpleasant people out there, just cut them out of your life and ignore them instead of going around punching them all

i could ignore them but they shouldnt be allowed to get away with this

Baha05 posted...

He really isnt people talk shit behind the block use.

maybe it was directed at you

kirbymuncher posted...

This whole last 15ish messages is so dumb lol

1) Why are you trying to report posts you can't even see. Like how can you determine if they're report worthy
2) Why do you care what someone who is blocked + ignored is even saying about you, you can't even read it

blocking is basically the moderation team giving up and letting the users go "well if they're not gonna ban this guy from the site at least I can ban him from anything involving myself". You're not supposed to care about reporting them anymore because as far as you are concerned they no longer exist

because they could be doing it to say you deserve cancer or something

Baha05 posted...

And again blocking doesnt allow you to see post so it is impossible to report those posts. How are you not giving me any answer to this impossible thing.

you report another post and say that post#2 made a violation but they blocked you to avoid you reporting them

but that is unnecessary work.