"Following" Someone

[Hannahinwonderland]

I was followed by the same person many have been. I think they are harmless tbh.

 

[mom2rtk]

I wouldn't worry too much about being "followed". You can view anyone's board activity pretty easily with a couple clicks. I think following them just gets it done in one click?

 

[SirDuff]

Hover over your username in the upper right. Click on "Your Profile Page". about 2/3 of the way down on the left there's a little section with avatars in it (and a number in the upper right). That's how many followers you have. Click on the number to see who they are.

I'd like to know if it's possible to remove a follower, also.

I don't see that. Perhaps because I have no followers, I don't have that section? Or perhaps I'm just an idiot and don't see it. I give it 50-50 odds.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Can someone please explain to me what the worst thing they think can happen if you're being "followed" on here? If the poster was "following" you on multiple message boards, I could understand feeling "stalked". I don't see the danger here.

Yes, everyone is entitled to their feelings. And everyone is entitled to comment on those feelings also.

Stalking can start this way and has. The first time you notice it, you are told, "you aren't anything special, he simply likes walking around (fill in the blank). You just happen to work here. He isn't doing anything illegal." (Or he liked 500 people, it isn't just you.)

It then goes to, he isn't harming anyone. (Read his posts, he is just looking for a friend.)

Eventually it ends with the police involved. (Oh, you mean one of those 500 was actually someone that he was suppose to stay away from?)

I am not sure why instead of addressing the problem, someone making so many posters uncomfortable, the issue isn't being addressed, but instead those effected are being told that it isn't a big deal.

My plan is to monitor the situation. Keep alert. And be prepared. Oh, and delete all of my personal information on my page.

 

[sam_gordon]

Stalking can start this way and has. The first time you notice it, you are told, "you aren't anything special, he simply likes walking around (fill in the blank). You just happen to work here. He isn't doing anything illegal." (Or he liked 500 people, it isn't just you.)

It then goes to, he isn't harming anyone. (Read his posts, he is just looking for a friend.)

Eventually it ends with the police involved. (Oh, you mean one of those 500 was actually someone that he was suppose to stay away from?)

I am not sure why instead of addressing the problem, someone making so many posters uncomfortable, the issue isn't being addressed, but instead those effected are being told that it isn't a big deal.

My plan is to monitor the situation. Keep alert. And be prepared. Oh, and delete all of my personal information on my page.

Thank you for your answer. However, as has been explained, "followed" is basically the same as clicking on a user and going to "see all posts". I can click on your user and see everything you've written without following you.

I think you made a HUGE leap between "he isn't harming anyone" and "it ends with the police involved".

You also shouldn't have any personal information online that you don't want the WORLD to see.

 

[pjlla]

Okay.... I happened to STUMBLE upon this thread today as I was just wasting some time here today.... and imagine my surprise to learn that I am not the ONLY one who has been recently 'friended/followed/PM'ed" by this particular person! I admit, I did ask if I "knew" this person when I responded to the PM and they expressed just a desire to "talk" to someone. I have talked about working in Special Ed and figured that this might be the reason that I was selected.... but obviously I wasn't singled out in particular. I will be honest and say I have been polite and friendly up until now, but will be ignoring the messages from now on. Clearly this person is seeking an extreme amount of attention here..............P

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Thank you for your answer. However, as has been explained, "followed" is basically the same as clicking on a user and going to "see all posts". I can click on your user and see everything you've written without following you.

I think you made a HUGE leap between "he isn't harming anyone" and "it ends with the police involved".

You also shouldn't have any personal information online that you don't want the WORLD to see.

Actually, no, it wasn't a huge leap. I've lived it.

It took only a month to go from, why is this guy waiting for me to wait on him at my place of business. To a police report and the "guy" being arrested.

 

[JJZMgailey]

I don't see that. Perhaps because I have no followers, I don't have that section?

This pic below is how it would look on your profile page if you had your profile set to show that info. The top box of avatars are posters I follow and the bottom box is posters who follow me. If you don't have any of either, those boxes will just be empty. But, things like my birthday, gender, home page, and such show up too; that's because of the way I've set my privacy settings.

 

[DopeyDame]

I think folks are seeing sinister implications where there aren't any.

The Follow button is a tool to help people filter the firehose of information that these boards can be. Here's an example of how you can use it.

Let's say you notice that certain posters on the Theme Parks board have really great tips on using FP+. Or someone on the Resorts board always seems to know when discounts are coming. Or a poster on the DCL board just got off the cruise you'll be taking this summer, and you don't want to miss any of their comments about their trip. You could search for these people's posts every day, but that would be a pain. Or, you could follow them, and then go to your news feed page, and all of those posts would be automatically collected for you.

By the way, someone who follows you is not notified every time you post. I followed Webmaster Jackie when I was playing with this today, and I do see her posts on my news feed, but I'm not getting any notifications.

That sounds like a great use of the follow tool and I'm sure some people would want to use it that way.
But there also are clearly some people who would prefer not to be followed at all.
I just searched through all the profile and privacy settings, but I can't figure out how to not allow people to follow or to "kick someone out" from following me. Can you please let us know how to do that?
Thanks!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I just searched through all the profile and privacy settings, but I can't figure out how to not allow people to follow or to "kick someone out" from following me. Can you please let us know how to do that?
Thanks!

You can't.

 

[DopeyDame]

You can't.

Bummer. But thanks for replying.

 

[Lynne M]

That sounds like a great use of the follow tool and I'm sure some people would want to use it that way.
But there also are clearly some people who would prefer not to be followed at all.
I just searched through all the profile and privacy settings, but I can't figure out how to not allow people to follow or to "kick someone out" from following me. Can you please let us know how to do that?
Thanks!

There is no way to block someone from following you, because following doesn't give anyone any special access that can be blocked.

All following does is allow someone to see your posts in a list format. Which anyone on the internet can already do, by searching, or by clicking on the link in your profile.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I have to say, I do find it a bit creepy. How could somebody possibly follow over 500 people? And why? I get the whole follow thing in general, as there are posters on these boards who tend to post interesting things, or are an all around good person (I'm talking about you Tina! LOL), and people know that what they post is usually some very good advice. But to just randomly pick people to follow for no rhyme or reason just seems odd to me.

It may be out of the norm, but many people are out of the norm and mean no ill-intent. Perhaps they're not good with social/social media norms. It doesn't make them creepy, just atypical.

 

[Missy1961]

I get how stalking works in real life. But someone following you here on the Dis isn't going to get them your address, where you work, etc. Unless you've given away details in your posts, being followed here is pretty harmless.

 

[phorsenuf]

It may be out of the norm, but many people are out of the norm and mean no ill-intent. Perhaps they're not good with social/social media norms. It doesn't make them creepy, just atypical.

I never said they were creepy, I said the situation is creepy. Big difference. I just don't get why those who do not like it must have their feelings discounted.

 

[msjprincess]

I get how stalking works in real life. But someone following you here on the Dis isn't going to get them your address, where you work, etc. Unless you've given away details in your posts, being followed here is pretty harmless.

ITA

I've been stalked in real life and had an order of protection. I wouldn't feel the same way if someone on here started following me.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I never said they were creepy, I said the situation is creepy. Big difference. I just don't get why those who do not like it must have their feelings discounted.

Ok, it still seems like it implies the person is acting creepy.

I'm not sure that people are trying to discount your feelings -I'm certainly not. I just have had a lot of experience with people "outside the norm," so was trying to give my perspective.

 

[phorsenuf]

Ok, it still seems like it implies the person is acting creepy.

I'm not sure that people are trying to discount your feelings -I'm certainly not. I just have had a lot of experience with people "outside the norm," so was trying to give my perspective.

It's all good. I'm actually not being followed by the person in question, but I can see where it would make some uncomfortable even though the reasoning behind following is benign.

Now the idea that it could turn into a real life stalking situation, well, that I find a little far out there and rather over the top.

 

[sam_gordon]

Actually, no, it wasn't a huge leap. I've lived it.

It took only a month to go from, why is this guy waiting for me to wait on him at my place of business. To a police report and the "guy" being arrested.

I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to say that can't happen, but that there is a big gap between those two steps.

My suggestion for those who are concerned about what someone can learn about you by "following" you... pick someone and follow them. If you feel strange picking someone at random, follow me. See what more information you can find about someone simply by following. Maybe that will ease your concerns.

 

[SMD]

Ok, it still seems like it implies the person is acting creepy.

I'm not sure that people are trying to discount your feelings -I'm certainly not. I just have had a lot of experience with people "outside the norm," so was trying to give my perspective.

I think that getting a creepy vibe from someone else's behavior is a totally valid assessment and a reason to want to avoid that person and even block them if possible. I see many posts on this board about red flags being raised by certain people, including sometimes and inherent suspicion of men. If we're going to teach children to follow their instincts in situations (such as preteen boys using the men's room alone) then they need to be allowed to find behavior outside the social norm to be "creepy." For an older teen or an adult you can say that they shouldn't dismiss a person out of hand because they initially behave outside social norms, but I would never tell someone to permanently forgo their comfort level with certain behaviors for the sake of the person who is making them uncomfortable. Certain behaviors are creepy, there was even a study published last week about what others perceive as creepy and what kinds of threats they perceive from "creepy" people. It's been quoted in part by several news sources. I don't think anyone really needs to qualify that a behavior seems creepy isn't labeling a person as acting creepy. Starting 30 threads asking personal questions and following 500+ people on the day you join a message board is creepy to many people. Especially the ones who were followed.