Online user list - My name is in italics but it should not be

Crusoeman · Post by **Crusoeman** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 7:33 am

I belong to a phpBB based forum that I am not involved with in any way. I am simply 'Joe Bloggs', a registered user. I am not and never have been involved with the administration and/or moderation of that forum. However when I am logged on and look at the list of other users currently online my name is in italics, none of the other registered users are. It is not the end of the world and I can live with it but does anyone know why? I've even asked a moderator and he is baffled by it too.

I should add that elsewhere on the forum my name appears as it should do. i.e. not in italics. Incidentally I have been told that they only have 3 groups set up, Administrators, Moderators and Registered Users.

Graham

david63 · Post by **david63** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 7:39 am

I think if you see your name in italics in the Online list it indicates that you are a "hidden user"

Post by **KevC** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 7:45 am

Yep.

User control panel
Board preferences
Hide my online status:
You have it on yes.

Crusoeman · Post by **Crusoeman** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 7:58 am

Many thanks David and Kevin. Yes, that's it. I must have changed the setting yonks ago and had forgotten.

Just out of interest is a registered user informed anywhere on the forum, whichever one it is, that in changing their status to 'hidden' their username will appear in italics? Don't say to me 'No,there isn't but everyone knows that'! I obviously didn't, or had forgotten!

Graham

Post by **KevC** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 8:44 am

I'm not sure any of the docs specifically mention the italics. The online stats show the number of hidden users so the admins should be able to see that the number tallies with the italics usernames.

Crusoeman · Post by **Crusoeman** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 9:21 am

Kevin it makes sense that the administrators and moderators can see who is hidden and who isn't but the registered user might still end up being curious as I was. Perhaps the answer is for the Board Preferences notes to be amended to explain.

Currently this what we see:

Perhaps an expression such as 'When hidden your online status will be in italics.' could be added?

Graham

Post by **KevC** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 9:28 am

Feel free to post it in the bug tracker as a language change suggestion.

http://tracker.phpbb.com/

Ger · Post by **Ger** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 11:16 am

help/faq#f1r1

david63 · Post by **david63** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 12:27 pm

Crusoeman wrote: ↑Thu Jul 05, 2018 9:21 am Perhaps an expression such as 'When hidden your online status will be in italics.' could be added?

But if you had forgotten that you had set this would you remember what it said anyway, or would you go there to look for the reason?

Crusoeman · Post by **Crusoeman** » Thu Jul 05, 2018 1:36 pm

David, that's a good point. It was a relatively simple question as was the answer but what happened to me that prompted the question in the first place is borne out by what you say. Would I have thought of going to the UCP and working through the various preferences before I found the answer. Possibly but unlikely.

You could argue that an explanation appears alongside Registered Users at the bottom of the Board Index would help but it wouldn't as the rest of the registered users couldn't see the hidden name or names anyway! At the moment I can't think of an answer.

Graham