Blocking and Guild Chat

[Mrs Lana.2506]

Let me start this off by saying thank you devs for fixing the issue back at release where blocking someone would not prevent their messages from coming through guild chat. What we have is a big step forward.

Blocking someone currently prevents their messages from coming through most channels, and that's fantastic; however, my husband and I recently found out that even though blocking someone else prevents you from seeing their messages, it does not prevent them from seeing your messages. I don't think this should be the case.

Attached is a link to two screenshots of our chats where I have blocked my husband's account to test my hypothesis. One is a shot of my screen where I can see only the message I sent. The other is a shot of his screen where he can see both what I sent and what he sent.

https://imgur.com/a/yn2rMyh

If I have blocked someone it's because I want 0 contact with them. I don't want them to be able to see that I'm online, nor do I want them to be able to message me. Why should they be able to see what I am saying? The "block" function gave me the impression that it completely ceases communication from and to that person, but that's certainly not the case. I feel strongly that it should be changed.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

There's a saying I have. "I don't mind being blocked, because then I can publicly correct them without having to deal with their usual nonsense." I originally said this in another game where it was easy to harass other players, even if they had you muted. It was to demonstrate the futility of the mute system, as well as an argument against the idea that you could solve everything just by muting someone.

GW2 isn't nearly as bad as Runescape in that regard, but nonetheless it can still be a problem. If I have someone blocked, I should effectively be nonexistent to that person. I don't want them to see my messages, and I don't want them to be able to see when I am online and where I am.

The only situation where this can be a problem is if I am commanding an event, and I have a blocked person in my squad. Then, they can't hear my messages.

[Ok I Did It.2854]

@"Miss Lana.5276" said:Let me start this off by saying thank you devs for fixing the issue back at release where blocking someone would not prevent their messages from coming through guild chat. What we have is a big step forward.

Blocking someone currently prevents their messages from coming through most channels, and that's fantastic; however, my husband and I recently found out that even though blocking someone else prevents you from seeing their messages, it does not prevent them from seeing your messages. I don't think this should be the case.

Attached is a link to two screenshots of our chats where I have blocked my husband's account to test my hypothesis. One is a shot of my screen where I can see only the message I sent. The other is a shot of his screen where he can see both what I sent and what he sent.

https://imgur.com/a/yn2rMyh

If I have blocked someone it's because I want 0 contact with them. I don't want them to be able to see that I'm online, nor do I want them to be able to message me. Why should they be able to see what I am saying? The "block" function gave me the impression that it completely ceases communication from and to that person, but that's certainly not the case. I feel strongly that it should be changed.

If you have someone blocked they cannot contact you, ( hence 0 contact ) what difference does it make if they can see what you say or not, they have no way to reply so it makes no difference, you also state you dont want the blocked person to see you online, again they cannot contact you what difference does it make, in order to achieve what you ask, Anet would have to make it that you completely disappear when logged into them, meaning if you and the blocked player are on the same map is some how hides that person from you and vice versa, where it probably would be possible, it would be such a waste of resources, just do what the rest of us do, Block someone then forget about them.

[Tanner Blackfeather.6509]

@Ok I Did It.2854 said:

[...] you also state you dont want the blocked person to see you online, again they cannot contact you what difference does it make, [...]

While I generally agree that once you've blocked someone, the best approach is to just forget them, this is something I can see the value in. It's quite possible to harass someone without messaging that erson; one way is essentially stalking them. It would be valuable to ensure that blocked players at least can't see your location.

[Kitarpa.8143]

@Tanner Blackfeather.6509 said:

@Ok I Did It.2854 said:

[...] you also state you dont want the blocked person to see you online, again they cannot contact you what difference does it make, [...]

While I generally agree that once you've blocked someone, the best approach is to just forget them, this is something I can see the value in. It's quite possible to harass someone without messaging that erson; one way is essentially stalking them. It would be valuable to ensure that blocked players at least can't see your location.

This. I can't tell you the countless times I've been stalked on this game by people I've blocked. Being harassed while talking in any sort of public chat because they can see my messages, then all of a sudden there's a complete side conversation with map chat about me and I have no idea what's happening. I just don't talk to anyone anymore, literally. It sucks that I have to continuously check my block list to see if they're online or on the same map I am every time I want to talk in map or say so I just don't bother unless I actually need to ask a question.

So no, the block feature sucks. I get a vast majority of this games community is rainbows and butterflies but that's not the case for everyone. Every player in GW2 has a huge, unchangeable footprint on this game (accountname.####) and the fact that the block feature isn't all-bases-covered better with that being something we all have to publicly carry around to all our characters is so wtf.

It's not like it's impossible to do, other games have done it, and it's really basic functions we should have with this feature already. I don't want to appear online to someone I've blocked. I don't want them to be able to follow me around map to map and jump around my character. I don't want to exist to that person.

Since we can't change our account name under an circumstance outside of it being inappropriate to begin with and Anet forces us to, I would very much like the block feature to actually BLOCK people from not only direct chat contact but general in-game social contact.

I'll catch shit for this post too.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

I can't see any benefit to one-way blocks. If I choose to block someone, for whatever reason, it doesn't really make sense that they can still get whispers from me. Or read what I write, even in /map or /guild. Reasonable people can reasonably disagree, but when /blocking, there's already some amount of unreasonability.

That said, I'd be very much surprised if ANet does anything much. The friends/status/chat features of this game are nothing close to what we've come to expect in our online experiences, in large part because ANet focuses on gameplay, not the interface. There are lots of good ideas (and yeah, some bad ones) for improving chat; I just doubt they'll ever become a priority.

[Biff.5312]

What you post in chat is public. The option to choose people to not receive it is not really at all the same thing as 'blocking' their posts. I'm not sure why this would bother you - it kind of supposes that something you're saying to literally everyone and anyone is somehow secret from that one person. You can choose what you don't want to see, and so can they. Blocking isn't a lever for you to gain an advantage over them - everyone has the same access.

[JDub.1530]

Relevant to this topic, anyone who is harassing or stalking you is in violation of the first rule of the GW2 Code of Conduct:"While playing Guild Wars 2, you must respect the rights of others and their rights to play and enjoy the Game. To this end, you may not defraud, harass, threaten, embarrass or cause distress and/or unwanted attention to other players. This includes posting insulting, offensive, or abusive comments about players, repeatedly sending unwanted messages, reporting players maliciously, attacking a player based on race, sexual orientation, religion, heritage, etc. Hate speech is not tolerated."

So regardless if they expand the block feature, if someone is deliberately causing you distress, it's a reportable violation.

[kharmin.7683]

I understand the reason, but two-way blocking is censorship. We as players do not have the right to censor someone else. Only Anet can do that.

[CedarDog.9723]

If you have someone blocked, you also should not be able to see where the blocked person is.

[Strider Pj.2193]

The other part which is concerning to me is needing to block someone in a guild I am in..

I guess i view my guilds differently. I can't see being in a guild of 500 people.. I tend to know the ones in the guilds I am in.

If I feel the need to block them, I would need to reevaluate why I am in that guild.

[Dante.1763]

@Strider Pj.2193 said:The other part which is concerning to me is needing to block someone in a guild I am in..

I guess i view my guilds differently. I can't see being in a guild of 500 people.. I tend to know the ones in the guilds I am in.

If I feel the need to block them, I would need to reevaluate why I am in that guild.

Ive only blocked someone in a guild once out of the entire time ive been playing in GW2, and it was because that person was a 13 year old(literally) and didnt know how to talk to people properly, only reason they where even in the guild is because their parents were as well, suffice to say im no longer in the guild(for other reasons) but its fairly rare i would think.

[Strider Pj.2193]

@Dante.1763 said:

@Strider Pj.2193 said:The other part which is concerning to me is needing to block someone in a guild I am in..

I guess i view my guilds differently. I can't see being in a guild of 500 people.. I tend to know the ones in the guilds I am in.

If I feel the need to block them, I would need to reevaluate why I am in that guild.

Ive only blocked someone in a guild

once

out of the entire time ive been playing in GW2, and it was because that person was a 13 year old(literally) and didnt know how to talk to people properly, only reason they where even in the guild is because their parents were as well, suffice to say im no longer in the guild(for other reasons) but its fairly rare i would think.

Yeah..

I've blocked people in my guild's TS in the past for similar reasons. Made some conversations awkward when I was unknowingly speaking over him. :smile:

It DID get the point across.

But map chat... I guess I just don't put much into it.

[Mrs Lana.2506]

@kharmin.7683 said:We as players do not have the right to censor someone else.

Then why does the block function censor someone else's comments by disallowing them to appear on my screen? Your comment entirely confuses me.

@CedarDog.9723 said:If you have someone blocked, you also should not be able to see where the blocked person is.

Agreed, nor should you be able to see that they're even online. As Kitarpa mentioned it opens up the ability for someone else to stalk you, even if you have them blocked as well.

@Strider Pj.2193 said:The other part which is concerning to me is needing to block someone in a guild I am in..

If I feel the need to block them, I would need to reevaluate why I am in that guild.

I'm in a few different guilds, and they all have their purpose. One is for raiding, one is for fractals, one is for farming, etc. I'm not in guilds solely for the social aspect (though it's always nice when there are people in them you can get along with), so I don't have a problem with remaining in a guild after blocking someone. That being said, I would certainly prefer they didn't see what I was talking about. Sure it sounds shady, I don't care how shady it sounds. I don't want the person I have blocked to be able to see anything I say, regardless of the content. There's a reason I put people on my block list.

[Odinens.5920]

I'm just curious, why would you still be in the same guild as people you have blocked? I mean, guilds are generally a social place for people with similar interests, that like to hang out and do things together. If you're blocking people it seems your situation is the exact opposite of that.

P.S. - I'm not trolling. I'm genuinely curious why you'd still be in the same guild with them?

edit: also, sorry, I didn't see your response above. Fair enough.

[FrizzFreston.5290]

Not being able to see messages or status from a blocked player in public chats or areas never will be a thing. You can't exclude people out of your public chats for the simple fact that it can be abused.

Otherwise you can go around block someone and then harrass/humiliating them in public without them knowing or being able to report. Same goes with tracking information. You could block someone to essentially be invisible and then you can easily stalk them without them even being able to see you.

How about when you block someone and you wouldnt be able to see any of their information nor contact them.

Personally I just block bots and gold spammers. Rarely an active player. Even then I occasionally empty my list. Information is power. I want to know whats being said, and rather not stick my head in the sand.

[Kitarpa.8143]

@FrizzFreston.5290 said:Not being able to see messages or status from a blocked player in public chats or areas never will be a thing. You can't exclude people out of your public chats for the simple fact that it can be abused.

Otherwise you can go around block someone and then harrass/humiliating them in public without them knowing or being able to report. Same goes with tracking information. You could block someone to essentially be invisible and then you can easily stalk them without them even being able to see you.

How about when you block someone and you wouldnt be able to see any of their information nor contact them.

Personally I just block bots and gold spammers. Rarely an active player. Even then I occasionally empty my list. Information is power. I want to know whats being said, and rather not stick my head in the sand.

I think you're confused.

That's what's currently happening to people utilizing the block function. That's the point, that both parties should be blocked from viewing each others chat and seeing each others locations. Not how it is currently, where if someone blocks someone they only stop seeing that blocked persons chat. The blocked person can still view the chat of the person of whom they've been blocked by. Literally exactly the situation but reversed... and currently is happening.

[Mrs Lana.2506]

@FrizzFreston.5290 said:Not being able to see messages or status from a blocked player in public chats or areas never will be a thing. You can't exclude people out of your public chats for the simple fact that it can be abused.

If you carefully read the first post you'll see you're not talking about the same thing in the slightest.

[Dante.1763]

@Odinens.5920 said:I'm just curious, why would you still be in the same guild as people you have blocked? I mean, guilds are generally a social place for people with similar interests, that like to hang out and do things together. If you're blocking people it seems your situation is the exact opposite of that.

P.S. - I'm not trolling. I'm genuinely curious why you'd still be in the same guild with them?

edit: also, sorry, I didn't see your response above. Fair enough.

I know you edited it, but i posted an example also.

[Celsith.2753]

@"JDub.1530" said:Relevant to this topic, anyone who is harassing or stalking you is in violation of the first rule of the GW2 Code of Conduct:"While playing Guild Wars 2, you must respect the rights of others and their rights to play and enjoy the Game. To this end, you may not defraud, harass, threaten, embarrass or cause distress and/or unwanted attention to other players. This includes posting insulting, offensive, or abusive comments about players, repeatedly sending unwanted messages, reporting players maliciously, attacking a player based on race, sexual orientation, religion, heritage, etc. Hate speech is not tolerated."

So regardless if they expand the block feature, if someone is deliberately causing you distress, it's a reportable violation.

I can tell you that after over a year of me reporting someone for stalking, harrassing, attempting to figure out real life info and threatening violence, with screenshots from myself and other people, that nothing gets done.

Blocking needs to block that person from seeing that you are online. Currently a blocked person can see which map you are on, go to that map and follow you around etc.

[FrizzFreston.5290]

@Miss Lana.5276 said:

@FrizzFreston.5290 said:Not being able to see messages or status from a blocked player in public chats or areas never will be a thing. You can't exclude people out of your public chats for the simple fact that it can be abused.

If you carefully read the first post you'll see you're not talking about the same thing in the slightest.

I am, but I explained it perhaps a bit crudely.

If a malintended person, would want to publically smear or even simply exclude someone, they could as there would be an option to block that person (temporarilly) and do so. In the hypothetical case if you would be able to block both ways at least where the other player wouldnt be able to see the messages of the one that blocked him/her.

In a way the block functionality would actively control another persons chat and one sided at that.

In an extreme case, for example ,If some wvw commander feels like it he could block a player he doesnt like tell everyone else to block this and that player and put this player out of the public chat entirely simply because he got mass blocked for a moment.

I dunno. I generally feel that if you have an issue thats serious enough that warrants such action, support is always much better for the simple fact that the player doesnt simply get away with bad behaviour.

With online/offline status this is similar. It would be onesided control to be able to control whether one unfortunate player could be excluded while having no control whether he gets seen as on or offline, unless blocking as well.

And a system where this happens automatically (when you get blocked you autoblock back) you would lose control over who you block.

Either way, its one sided censoring, because thats simply the best option.

[Linken.6345]

@Miss Lana.5276 said:

@FrizzFreston.5290 said:Not being able to see messages or status from a blocked player in public chats or areas never will be a thing. You can't exclude people out of your public chats for the simple fact that it can be abused.

If you carefully read the first post you'll see you're not talking about the same thing in the slightest.

You blocking someone is like you putting your fingers in your ears screaming lalalalala.Said person can still see you, hear everything you say and should remain so.If not people will devolve into their special echo chambers and then wonder why they only see 4-5 people tops on each map, falsely thinking the game is dead =)

EditAbout following a person around what can they really do when they cant even say anything to you?Just go into wvw, spvp or a instance for 15 mins they person wont stand around waiting for you to get back.

[Leablo.2651]

Seems pretty passive aggressive and altogether petty to me.

[Blocki.4931]

While I understand that it can be annoying, I seriously wonder what this would accomplish? Players can't harm you, they can hardly grief a single person on their own. They can't ninja loot you, they can't message you? What are they gonna do? Stalk you? Why does that matter? They are effectively wasting their time for nothing, think about that. They gain nothing besides looking very petty, because you can't even see whatever they are doing.

Besides, how do they see where you are? You can just change map and they would never know? Blocking somebody removes them from the friendslist too and if they use the guild window for that, well, my first paragraph applies.

[joneirikb.7506]

Blocking should

• Always show as offline for the blocked person
• Never show your location to the blocked person
• Not allow you to whisper the person you've blocked

I think the current system where you can't see the chat of the one you've blocked, but they can' see yours, is fine. Otherwise chat's would become a fragmented chaos in some situations. Where people can't follow conversations due to a variety of blocks interacting/interfering in keeping a discussion.