Lately I've been seeing some strange messages on Facebook when I block people. Something about "blocking applies to a profile" and "you might still see something from the user's other profiles" - I didn't capture the exact details, but you get the gist. WTF? So I looked into it. Apparently FB is experimenting with a new feature - not yet fully announced, sure as hell not properly documented - that allows a single user (account) to have multiple profiles so they can interact with different groups of people. More details here:

This is not inherently a bad idea. Many people have a strong need to keep different "facets" of their lives separate - more so than the existing methods of controlling post visibility. Separate profiles for professional and personal "circles" is an obvious example, especially in professions with special privacy or security concerns. Another example is people who are vulnerable either individually or as members of an often-targeted group. LGBTQ+ people, for example, who might have extensive circles of people to whom they're already out but also extensive circles of people (including family) to whom they're not. And this is where the cracks start to appear.

<<<Flashback: circa 2000, before either Facebook or Tumblr existed. I was an active user of a social thing called LambdaMOO. The details of the place don't matter, except that it was highly programmable. As a programmer, I had figured out a way to block another user so I didn't have to put up with their constant BS. Knowing that I couldn't hear them, they took to hanging around where I was and saying things like "Trystan [my name] is a child molester." Since I was there and blocking was not a well known thing, I guess people were supposed to interpret my lack of response as some sort of admission. Fortunately almost everyone knew better, but it became a bit of a cause célèbre​​ in the online (and online-research) community at the time. Believe me, I know all about the power and the danger of blocking. But that was then and this is now. Now, I believe that blocking is an essential part of any online person's toolbox.>>>

You see, the design of this feature is an absolute shit show. The way I found out about it, via messages when I block someone, suggests why. Can you guess who benefits most from this feature? Who has absolutely jumped all over it, despite its not being well publicized or document? Stalkers and trolls. People who want to evade others' blocks. Let me make that even clearer.

The design of this feature endangers the very people that a better designed version should protect.

Clearly, nobody - or at least nobody with an ounce of sense or understanding of vulnerable people/communities - thought this through. This will, in general, not encourage people who were thinking of leaving Facebook to stay. Being exposed to more content that they have already signaled they find objectionable, or even that's directed at them personally, they'll go running for the exit. The creeps will become even more omnipresent.

If Facebook wanted to do they right thing, they could implement a better design that actually serves people's needs. In particular, instead of giving control to the often-blocked by letting them shed their blocked state with a new profile, it would give control to the person doing the blocking. If I go to block someone, for example, I should have the option to set up my own new profile as well (or instead) right then and there. There should also be far greater clarity about whether changing my profile picture or joining a group (for example) has profile-wide or account-wide effect, so people don't accidentally do The Wrong Thing and violate privacy or find themselves targeted.

also ow, I remember being 18 and getting really worked up over an insane online situation I had managed to insert myself into and (I think) my poor boyfriend having to rush over to tell me to calm down and not delete all my accounts, so I have a certain degree of sympathy for the idiot at the center of this.

not to excuse her actions because she did harm and fleece people and at least some of that was deliberate, just saying i remember the feeling of ‘I’m so clever, I’m going to be an internet spy and outwit everyone’ blowing up in my face to OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT

I’m not sure if anyone else here has any interest whatsoever in MOOs or MUDs, but I realize part of why I didn’t get onto any for ages was outright intimidation—it was something I’d never done, all text-based, and it seemed like there were a lot of rules, as well as an old community in many of them.

However, I recently found a resource written by Yib from LambdaMOO, who is a wizard, or admin. She wrote an entire book/guide to MOOing, starting with the basics of connecting, talking, and emoting, and working up to more complicated topics such as objects, and even how to program objects!

(nb: MOO stands for MUD, Object-Oriented)

Yib’s book has a special focus on LambdaMOO, but can be applied to any MOO, and arguably, to MUDs as well. However, ensure you study or note the differing aspects of an individual MUD.

I often compare the idealism of online communities with the idealism of the Christiania commune in Copenhagen, DK.

Initially open and free, with an anything-goes attitude, as soon as peole who didn't share their ideals moved in an exploited the openness and freeness, hierarchies and social structures emerged, dividing the group into people who believe in the original ethos and those who are freeloading.

Landing Site A large grassy field to the west of LambdaHouse occasionally utilized as a landing site for various aircraft. To the south is a similar field surrounded by gypsy caravans, and to the north, the elusive Lambda Street runs by. To the east, a small section of driveway bends around from the front of the house and goes into the garage.  A metallic ellipsoid lies at the bottom of a shallow crater.  The air carries a chill.  A cloud occasionally passes across the moon.  There is a moderate breeze blowing. You see windsock, BIG ANNOYING AD, and helicopter N001LM here. enter helicopter You climb into the helicopter. Helicopter N001LM You are inside a luxuriously appointed helicopter, just waiting to be flown.  There seems to be a placard with some basic instructions.   Through the canopy you see Landing Site.  look helicopter I see no "helicopter" here. look Helicopter N001LM You are inside a luxuriously appointed helicopter, just waiting to be flown.  There seems to be a placard with some basic instructions.   Through the canopy you see Landing Site.  page blue_guest have people join me pepperminttiger teleports in. You page blue_guest. writerpunk mumbles something about cockatoos who can't keep secrets. look Helicopter N001LM You are inside a luxuriously appointed helicopter, just waiting to be flown.  There seems to be a placard with some basic instructions.   Through the canopy you see Landing Site.  pepperminttiger is here. look card I see no "card" here. look placard pepperminttiger says, "hey" From outside: look helicopter preflight helicopter enter/board helicopter From inside: look start hover fly faster slower higher lower look out look down look hobbs look chart scrutinize chart land land <location> overfly <location> wave stop shutdown exit/jump/disem*bark The helicopter itself can only land at locations that have a wind sock.  You can specify where you would like to land:  Type 'look chart' to see the available locations.  You  *can*  get to the other places you see, but you have to jump.... For overflying:  You can only overfly locations that the helicopter knows about.  You can specify the location you want to overfly either by its number, or by its name in your @rooms database.  To find out what locations the helicopter knows about, you have to scrutinize the chart. Group sky diving:  The best way to sky dive in a group is to pull the helicopter into a hover over your chosen destination.  Then everyone who jumps will land in the same place. For detailed technical information about the helicopter, type 'notes on <helicopter>. "hi You say, "hi" You sense that Blue_Guest is looking for you in The Hot Tub. We page, "is the command just @join name?" pepperminttiger says, "where's everybody? sorry i was late" "around You say, "around" look Helicopter N001LM You are inside a luxuriously appointed helicopter, just waiting to be flown.  There seems to be a placard with some basic instructions.   Through the canopy you see Landing Site.  pepperminttiger is here. reply yes I don't understand that. writerpunk sways, and almost loses his balance. pepperminttiger says, "ah, groovy. " "i am having them join us here You say, "i am having them join us here" page blue_guest yes You page blue_guest. page yes to blue_guest You page yes. help page Syntax:  page <player> [[with] <text>] Sends a message to a connected player, telling them your location and, optionally, <text>. Example: Munchkin types:         page Frebble with "Where are you?" Frebble sees:         You sense that Munchkin is looking for you in the Kitchen.         He pages, "Where are you?" Munchkin sees:         Your message has been received. Advanced Features: Page refers to the following messages on the players involved (see 'help messages'): @page_origin [You sense that %n is looking for you in %l.]   Determines how the recipient is told of your location. @page_echo   [Your message has been sent.]   Determines the response received by anyone who pages you. @page_absent [%N is not currently logged in.]   Determines the response received by anyone who tries to page you when you aren't connected. All of these undergo the usual pronoun substitutions (see 'help pronouns') except that in both cases the direct object (%d) refers to the recipent of the page and the indirect object (%i) refers to the sender.  You should only change these messages if you want to add to the Virtual Reality feel of the MOO for your character. look Helicopter N001LM You are inside a luxuriously appointed helicopter, just waiting to be flown.  There seems to be a placard with some basic instructions.   Through the canopy you see Landing Site.  pepperminttiger is here. Russet_Guest teleports in. look pepperminttiger You recover from the effects of your a simple martini. pepperminttiger A white tiger, made out of peppermint It is awake and looks alert.