Who's Online??????????????

msfry · Post by **msfry** » September 16th, 2019, 8:00 pm

Since when is there a diagonal band displayed by our names on each post that says ONLINE? I don't mind lv announcing (at the bottom of each page) who is viewing the forum I am also viewing, but announcing to every busybody that I am on Librivox, to me is an extreme invasion of my privacy. How/when did this begin, and can it be turned off?

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » September 16th, 2019, 8:20 pm

msfry wrote: ↑September 16th, 2019, 8:00 pm Since when is there a diagonal band displayed by our names on each post that says ONLINE? I don't mind lv announcing (at the bottom of each page) who is viewing the forum I am also viewing, but announcing to every busybody that I am on Librivox, to me is an extreme invasion of my privacy. How/when did this begin, and can it be turned off?

I don't know anything about its history. I believe you can choose 'stealth mode' in your profile settings.

Post by **philchenevert** » September 16th, 2019, 8:28 pm

Board preferences. You can choose to "hide my online presence" or something like that. As far as I know this has always been a part of our boards. Should be no problem tochange but it won't take effect until you sign in again. Start with the User Control panel.

msfry · Post by **msfry** » September 16th, 2019, 8:38 pm

philchenevert wrote: ↑September 16th, 2019, 8:28 pm Board preferences. You can choose to "hide my online presence" or something like that. As far as I know this has always been a part of our boards. Should be no problem tochange but it won't take effect until you sign in again. Start with the User Control panel.

Thanks, and I haven't changed my board preferences in years. This diagonal line across the right side of our posts is something brand new that has appeared just today. I have never seen it before. And as I look around, it isn't on ALL my posts on every forum, just the project I posted a few days back as BC. I'll get a few people to work with me on this tomorrow to see what's going on.

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » September 16th, 2019, 8:39 pm

I have to admit, I get a bit paranoid when the Web site asks me if I'm going to comb my hair today or am I just going to sit there in my robe.

Post by **Availle** » September 16th, 2019, 8:46 pm

It has always been there in every incarnation of our forum software, in one way or the other.

I think in the old one it was simply a green dot next to your name when you were online.

Post by **annise** » September 16th, 2019, 8:49 pm

It's been there for a while. I've never signed on to remain anonymous - can you still post like that?

Post by **Leni** » September 17th, 2019, 4:32 am

I think before it was a green dot indeed, but I can guarantee it has been a diagonal band since I came back from my LV break, that is, since September last year. I know because that is one thing I noticed when I came back and thought it probably meant updated forum software.

Post by **TriciaG** » September 17th, 2019, 4:47 am

I can confirm it has been this way since the forum software update, which occurred in December 2017 / January 2018. Before it was a green dot.

You can hide your online status by going to the User Control Panel / Board Preferences and changing "Hide my online status:" to Yes. (Then log out and back in again.)

You can post and do everything else when your online status is hidden. I think it will not update your "last visited" date/time in your public profile anymore. I know I use that especially with newbies with old section claims, so there are down-sides to hiding your online status.

DACSoft · Post by **DACSoft** » September 17th, 2019, 10:55 am

I also think it is beneficial having the online status. I especially use it to know if my DPLs or the readers I'm PL/DPLing are available for some questions about the projects where we can use PMs more like IMs, and get more immediate responses. Otherwise, I have to put the project aside for another time.

And, there's nothing I'm doing on DP for which I feel the need of secrecy.

Don

msfry · Post by **msfry** » September 17th, 2019, 11:09 am

Okay, so I'm on this site right now. At the bottom of the screen it shows who's on this particular forum. I am on this forum, of course, but nowhere do I see a diagonal line on any of my posts saying ONLINE, though I am clearly here.

Sometimes it shows the diagonal banner. Sometimes it doesn't. I am looking for an explanation as to what triggers the banner.

EDIT, ah now that I have submitted this post, all my posts on this forum, and on other forums too where I have submitted posts at some prior time not even today, are labeled with the banner.

EDIT. Kevin S's posts above are also labeled, though he isn't showing below as being on this particular forum. It means, I suppose, he is busy somewhere on the LV playground. Nobody else is bannered, though, so I suppose that means that neither TriciaG, nor Phil, nor Availle, nor Anne are anywhere on LV at the moment . . . . . which I find extremely hard to believe.

And it's none of my business if they are or aren't except as pertains to my own projects.

Post by **m8b1** » September 17th, 2019, 12:32 pm

Even if you choose to click the "Hide Your Online Status" box when you log in, the banner will still show up for yourself to see on your own posts, but not for the general public. Also, if you are not logged in, you cannot see the active usernames that are at the bottom.

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » September 17th, 2019, 1:06 pm

Another solution to the privacy issue---I can't help saying this, but it's only half in jest---is to never log off. I'm tempted to do this; I can be the 7-11 of LibriVox. (I'll have to get a slushy machine, though, and energy drinks for my front counter.)

msfry · Post by **msfry** » September 17th, 2019, 2:24 pm

DACSoft wrote: ↑September 17th, 2019, 10:55 am I also think it is beneficial having the online status. I especially use it to know if my DPLs or the readers I'm PL/DPLing are available for some questions about the projects where we can use PMs more like IMs, and get more immediate responses. Otherwise, I have to put the project aside for another time.

And, there's nothing I'm doing on DP for which I feel the need of secrecy.

Don

No idea how you use PM's more like IM's. When I send PM's I don't expect instant answers back (everybody is busy), and I answer them on my own time, too. Whether someone is currently online or not is immaterial to me. If I don't hear back within a reasonable period, I can always click on the Posts number under their name to see when the person was last active. That works for me.

I am just seeking an answer to what value this ONLINE banner serves, and having never seen it before yesterday, it just surprised me, that's all. With me, privacy is a vaulted principle. I don't go digging through people's purses, or chest of drawers, or medicine cabinets, just like I don't approve of drones flying overhead monitoring my every move -- even though I am a very good girl and have nothing much to hide.

Post by **TriciaG** » September 17th, 2019, 2:55 pm

I'm not sure what value it has, since it can be circumvented as discussed.

Going back to old discussions, it appears that we cannot turn it off forum-wide even if the whole LV population petitioned for it. (Well, we probably COULD, but it would be a lot of work. It's not a simple out-of-the-box option.)

Interesting thread from when the new forum went up. I'm linking to the first post that mentions the banner:
viewtopic.php?p=1426734#p1426734
It didn't appear to be a major issue with users at the time.