It's no secret that we're working on a big update for the site, and one of the things I've been wondering about is the status of the "who's online" feature.
In the early days of web software for small communities, it felt kind of normal to be able to see what every user is doing at all times. But it stands out in the year 2016 as a weirdly intrusive feature. The ability to set yourself as hidden is there, but it isn't the default. Furthermore, I don't see why other users should be able to see exactly what you're doing in the first place.
My plan is to remove the ability to see what other users are doing in the new version of the site, with three exceptions:
1. You'll still be able to see who's online in general.
2. You'll still be able to see if a user is online or offline, or when the last time they visited the site was.
3. You'll still be able to see when users are viewing the same thread as you.
I know that some people really like to scope out the online list, and I don't want to make it seem like there's anything wrong with that — it's fun to see what other people are doing. But it seems to me that the level of specificity goes a little too far. To be able to see whose profile someone is viewing, or if they're writing messages to other people, is just kind of weird.
However, before doing anything, I really want to get feedback from the community on these ideas and these features and how you use them. To those of you who take the time to reply, thanks in advance!
In the early days of web software for small communities, it felt kind of normal to be able to see what every user is doing at all times. But it stands out in the year 2016 as a weirdly intrusive feature. The ability to set yourself as hidden is there, but it isn't the default. Furthermore, I don't see why other users should be able to see exactly what you're doing in the first place.
My plan is to remove the ability to see what other users are doing in the new version of the site, with three exceptions:
1. You'll still be able to see who's online in general.
2. You'll still be able to see if a user is online or offline, or when the last time they visited the site was.
3. You'll still be able to see when users are viewing the same thread as you.
I know that some people really like to scope out the online list, and I don't want to make it seem like there's anything wrong with that — it's fun to see what other people are doing. But it seems to me that the level of specificity goes a little too far. To be able to see whose profile someone is viewing, or if they're writing messages to other people, is just kind of weird.
However, before doing anything, I really want to get feedback from the community on these ideas and these features and how you use them. To those of you who take the time to reply, thanks in advance!