Ability to properly block users

feature
1

It doesn’t seem to be possible to block users who keep derailing one’s threads. Would be nice if it were.

(The admins don’t see the derailers as the problem, unfortunately.)

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2

Hi Soni,

Are you aware of the ignore and mute feature? Is this what you are looking for?

3

Yes. It’s not enough to prevent users from derailing one’s threads, because it still lets them post on the threads, even if you don’t see it.

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4

So what you are suggesting is that a user can stop another user participating in a specific topic?

5

Yes, just as you can’t reply to someone who’s blocked you on twitter.

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6

So you’re suggesting a feature that overrides what the admins want to happen on their forum?

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7

Yes. Bullying is still a problem even if the admins don’t care about it.

(It’s also illegal, so it really doesn’t look good that both the software and the admins enable it.)

8

It sounds like you’re having a rough time on that forum, which is never nice to hear. You have my commiserations. Unfortunately, if the admins/moderators don’t see an issue, there’s not a whole lot a normal user can do. :man_shrugging:

Have you considered starting a forum of your own? If the environment is as toxic as you say then there might be a ready audience for a fresh one with more rigorous moderation?

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9

Have you simply flagged their posts? I’d recommend messaging the forum administration team directly, that way you can explain why you want to wipe the user’s existence on your end. If you tried both ways (flagging and DMing more elaborately), then yeah, you’re kind of out of luck, and fighting toxicity with more toxicity is akin to fighting fire with fire.

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10

“Properly” blocking people (not allowing them to reply to your topics) is detrimental to discussion.

I understand that some people might have toxic attitudes, but that’s an exception that the admins on the site should handle.

If the admins on the site don’t handle problematic users, then no amount of software engineering is going to fix the problem.

Discourse gives admins plenty of tools to handle that. Discourse also gives users the option to mute/ignore other users like mentioned above.

We have no plans for allowing users to prevent other users from replying to their topics.

6 Likes