I can haz... Follow option?

[Rickajho]

So I was thinkin'... (Uh-oh.)

Would it be hard to implement a Follow option? Like a Friends list - but without the commitment.

Seriously, a list in our Profile we could add users to (or remove users from) in order to bring up a list of recent posts from those people. I know there is the activity stream from our friends list, but that has it's limits. First, the assumption that all people you want to follow are in your Friend list - and that isn't always the case for several reasons. And you could add or remove people from your Follow list without needing to Friend or un-Friend in the process.

This isn't for creepy weird stalking purposes. But if someone is recently hot on FDA topics and you want an easy way to find their recent posts this would do it. At the same time, if one of your Friends turns into a contest posting junky (nothing wrong with that) you may want to remove them from the Follow list activity stream for a while.

Thoughts and comments?

 

[retired1]

It's already there. http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/profile.php?do=buddylist

You can find their posts on your profile page under the friends tab.

 

[Nermal]

I appreciate both the question and the answer. I have had similar thoughts.

ETA: Aha! They are contacts, not buddies or friends.

 

[Nermal]

I added Rick as a test contact, and we are now contacts. I checked my friends tab in the profile and don't see him. Does this just follow posts going forward, or am I missing something?

 

[Rickajho]

I added Rick as a test contact, and we are now contacts. I checked my friends tab in the profile and don't see him. Does this just follow posts going forward, or am I missing something?

Yeah, I just tried that too - same thing. I added Nermal as a contact, checked the activity stream on my profile page - and it seems to only show officially frended people's activity. Nermal's posts aren't showing there.

Sending Nermal a friend request!

But even if you modified that to work with the contacts list it still doesn't address the idea that you could move people in and out of a Follow list to narrow down the activity you want to follow and customize it.

 

[Nermal]

Accepted, and I'm flattered.

 

[Anjaffm]

This isn't for creepy weird stalking purposes.

Thoughts and comments?

I am pretty certain that YOU would not use it for creepy stalking purposes.
I am, however, pretty certain that there are people here who would use it for just that. Not every member is "good friends" with every other member, you see

I would not mind a follow option if the person who is followed is notified and can stop this being followed at any time, and block people from following him / her if they attempt to do so.
Otherwise, this forum may have a few permanent and permanently escalating wars on its hands.

 

[retired1]

In the manner that has been requested, no, there is no option to specifically follow an individual's posts. You can, however, follow the posts of those on your contacts list. Just click the friends tab (the bottom one, not the top one).