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Why is your check engine light on (or off)?

Started by Nicole Morgan5 · · 👁 4 views · 19 replies

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Participants Nicole Morgan5shadowpilot8placidfalcon4steelskipper5Matthew Grant9rustydrifter10Alex CookMatthew Wilson50feraltrucker5Henry Gray14redmarlin3Drew ScottThomas Garcia71mellowlynx68
Nicole Morgan5 Nicole Morgan5 MemberOP
37 messages
joined Sep 2010
#1 ·
I don't find myself hanging around this forum all that often—usually just dropping in when I'm in dire need of some advice—but I couldn't help noticing how many people here have their status indicator turned on. In fact, it seems like most of you prefer being visible rather than opting for that "invisible" mode where the light stays off.

Now, look, it makes perfect sense to me to browse incognito; I’d much rather slip through the digital cracks without anyone tracking my every move (a lesson I learned the hard way on other message boards). But it does make me wonder... why would someone actually *want* to be seen? Is there a certain thrill in letting everyone know you're present, or is it simply a matter of clicking the wrong button?

In my estimation, if I were running the show, I'd set the status lights to "on" by default for the Admins, Supermods, and Mods. After all, they have a certain duty to be accessible while they're logged in, right? So, I’m genuinely curious: what drives the rest of you to keep that little light shining bright?
shadowpilot8 shadowpilot8 Active Member
97 messages
joined Jun 2010
#2 ·
During my tenure as a moderator, I had the indicator light and the Skype icon visible; now they are gone, so I am in complete agreement with you.

As for the other forum members, most likely aren't even aware these options exist, which explains why they remain green by default. 😁
placidfalcon4 placidfalcon4 Member
44 messages
joined Feb 2010
#3 ·
Some of these forum lurkers spend more than 24 hours a day hiding in the shadows—it’s almost embarrassing at this point. ☕😁
steelskipper5 steelskipper5 Active Member
176 messages
joined Feb 2010
#4 ·
Adam Morales45 said:I get the whole "browsing incognito" thing—it makes sense if you don't want people stalking your every move, which, let's be honest, is how most forums work these days—but I'm genuinely curious: why do some people actually *prefer* being visible? Is it because they want everyone to know they're hanging out here, or is it just a total accident?

And who exactly is this "everyone"? What are they actually learning about you, besides the fact that your PC is on and you've got a browser open?
Matthew Grant9 Matthew Grant9 Active Member
76 messages
joined Jul 2011
#5 ·
Adam Morales45 said:I don't hang out on this forum very often, usually just popping in when I need a little bit of advice, but I've noticed quite a few people have their status light turned on—though I suspect most of them are actually using invisible mode without even bothering to toggle the light off.

You actually have to manually activate invisible mode yourself! Which basically means I have to go through the whole tedious process of clicking at least four different things, ignoring or reading some annoying pop-up warning from the site admins, and maybe even scrolling through a prompt or two.🙄
Ugh. It's a job. And honestly, I am just too lazy for all that.😁 Besides, I really couldn't care less if anyone is keeping an eye on my status icon.
It just makes sense to me to browse invisibly so nobody can track what I'm doing or stalk my activity, based on my experience with other online communities,

Those sound like some pretty shady forums.🙂 Or were you being a bit of a troublemaker back then?😬
Nobody stalks me here; they barely even notice I exist half the time!🙂
but I am genuinely curious why someone would actually prefer to be visible, like they want everyone to know they are hanging out, or is it just a random choice?

It’s not really a matter of liking it or disliking it for me; I just don't put much thought into it.
As for choosing visible mode, well, let's just say it's a very conscious decision fueled by pure laziness.😬
I think Administrators, Super Moderators, and Moderators should have their status lights on by default since they sort of have a responsibility to be available when they're logged in, but I'm wondering why the rest of the users actually enjoy having their lights on?

Honestly, I might just turn their lights on for them too! :moment of enlightenment:🥳 Let them be fully enlightened whenever they happen to be browsing the forum.
rustydrifter10 rustydrifter10 Regular
693 messages
joined Apr 2011
#6 ·
Honestly, I couldn't care less if someone decides to peek at my status light or track my location. It doesn't bother me one bit that it's glowing, and I really don't see any reason to go through the hassle of changing it. 🤷

Plus, let's be real—a good chunk of the moderators stay on invisible most of the time anyway.
Nicole Morgan5 Nicole Morgan5 MemberOP
37 messages
joined Sep 2010
#7 ·
rustydrifter10 said:And honestly, quite a few moderators are lurking on invisible mode.

I see. Well, I suppose they really ought to be reachable if they're actually logged in, right? It would make handling PMs—which could solve half our problems—so much easier. Plus, there's the general matter of being able to actually get a hold of the admins and mod team when things go sideways.

steelskipper5 said:Who exactly is this "everyone"? And what can they actually know, other than the fact that my PC is powered on and my browser is running?

By "everyone," I mean people who, much like yourself—and I mean that in the most neutral sense possible—actually care if others are reading their posts. For some folks, seeking that kind of validation or admiration might actually be a legitimate motivation.😉
Alex Cook Alex Cook Active Member
157 messages
joined May 2009
#8 ·
I'm basically going invisible at this point... it's the only way I can actually defend myself from these obsessed fangirls
Matthew Wilson50 Matthew Wilson50 Active Member
64 messages
joined Feb 2010
#9 ·
Alex Cook said:I have to stay invisible, otherwise I can't defend myself from all the fangirls.

😁

People can see me because I'm a fan of green. 😁

And honestly, what can people actually figure out about me just from that little status light? Like, when I'm hanging out on the forum? I don't think I'm ever online at the same time as anyone else anyway.
steelskipper5 steelskipper5 Active Member
176 messages
joined Feb 2010
#10 ·
Adam Morales45 said:When I say "everyone," I mean people like you—not personally, obviously—who just really care about having an audience, wanting people to actually read their posts and look up to them. For some folks, maybe that’s a genuine motivation. 😉

What does any of that have to do with trying to boost your online status? 🤷
Nicole Morgan5 Nicole Morgan5 MemberOP
37 messages
joined Sep 2010
#11 ·
What do you mean, "what does it have to do with anything"!?

Look, I can see you're getting all worked up, but let's be honest—you wouldn't know your way around a PC if it hit you in the face, much less how to navigate a browser.
So, if you're so eager to help (since you're offering, after all), why on earth are you keeping it powered on?
steelskipper5 steelskipper5 Active Member
176 messages
joined Feb 2010
#12 ·
Adam Morales45 said:What do you mean, "what does it have to do with anything"!? Seriously?!

So, I see you’re having some issues with your light—but let's be honest, you probably don't know much more than how to hit the power button on your PC or open up a browser, do you?
So why the hell are you even keeping it running—if you're going to go out of your way to offer, that is?

Just explain to me—how exactly does broadcasting your entire life online have anything to do with seeking validation from strangers?
feraltrucker5 feraltrucker5 Active Member
117 messages
joined Oct 2012
#13 ·
Adam Morales45 said:I’d personally set it so admins, supermods, and mods have their status light on by default since they basically have an obligation to be reachable when they’re hanging out on the forum, and I’m curious why everyone else seems so obsessed with keeping their lights on?

Oh, really now? Please, someone step up and try to convince me that being "on call" is actually my responsibility. 🍿

Adam Morales45 said:I mean, yeah, I think they should be available if they're logged in, mostly because of all the PMs that could be sorted out easily, and just generally for the sake of having admins and mods actually accessible.

Well, that right there is one of the biggest reasons why I stay invisible.
Henry Gray14 Henry Gray14 Newcomer
7 messages
joined Jan 2009
#14 ·
steelskipper5 said:And who exactly is this "everyone"? What do they actually know—other than the fact that my computer is on and I've got a browser open?

Plus, which thread are you even looking at?
redmarlin3 redmarlin3 Active Member
132 messages
joined Apr 2010
#15 ·
Adam Morales45 said:I mean, I think they should be available if they're on the forum, mostly for PMs which could solve a lot of issues, and just generally so admins and moderators stay reachable.

The other mods and admins can see if your status light is on or not anyway. 😉

I don't even take PMs, and I have zero intention of being "on call" for people for god knows how many hours a day; everything can be handled through a standard report. Besides, let's be real, I'm not moderating the most high-stakes, heavy-duty subforums where a hostage crisis breaks out every sixty minutes...

And yeah, honestly? I don't want people knowing every single thread I click on. So what if it's a little awkward? It is. Deal with it. 😁
Drew Scott Drew Scott Newcomer
9 messages
joined Nov 2008
#16 ·
Adam Morales45 said:When people say "everyone," they might mean folks similar to you—people who actually care if others are reading their posts or looking up to them. For some, that's a huge motivator, isn't it? 😉

But what does that have to do with whether your status light is on or off? You can read anyone's posts regardless! Sure, you can't see who specifically is reading, but does it really matter if someone is hiding behind an incognito mode when you're reading what they wrote?

placidfalcon4 said:There are forum users who stay invisible more than 24 hours a day just because they feel awkward being seen. ☕😁

There is definitely some truth to that!
Thomas Garcia71 Thomas Garcia71 Member
14 messages
joined Jul 2010
#17 ·
It’s really not worth digging through someone's profile just for something that stupid 😁
mellowlynx68 mellowlynx68 Member
47 messages
joined Apr 2008
#18 ·
Drew Scott said:What does it matter if your status light is on or off? You can still read everyone else's posts regardless. You can't see what they're reading, but what they write doesn't change whether their profile is hidden or not.
There’s definitely some truth to that.

Actually, you can. I just checked your status right now:
"last activity at: today 2:53 PM Current Activity
Current Activity: Reading the thread Skyscrapers being destroyed by fire, says: Human90".

But honestly, my light stays on because:

1) I don't have any reason to turn it off (I'm not hiding what I read, I'm just hiding the fact that I'm on the forum...)

2) I try to lead by example (I like knowing if people are active on the threads I visit—it helps me decide if I should jump in and post or not).
Drew Scott Drew Scott Newcomer
9 messages
joined Nov 2008
#19 ·
But honestly, I wasn't exactly hiding! It’s not like I was being subtle, so of course you could see me.😁
mellowlynx68 mellowlynx68 Member
47 messages
joined Apr 2008
#20 ·
Drew Scott said:But I wasn't even hiding, so of course you could see me.😁

Sorry, I totally misread your post 🙂.

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