December 10, 2002
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SUBSCRIPTION APPROVAL
We’ve gotten quite a few emails about a rogue Xangan:
I would like to report a user by the user name of [name withheld] who is subscribing to my site and others, who is a complete stranger to me.
I am uncomfortable with his instant emails of my xanga posts and no longer feel safe with my xanga. Please do something about this. Is there anyway I can get him to unsubscribe to me?
Hmm, protected posting would come in handy here, so you could make sure only certain users could read your site. But it sounds like people are also looking for some sort of Subscription Approval feature? It’s something we’ve considered in the past, but we’ll consider moving it up on the features list…
(By the way, on a related note – I also got this email:
John, Is it possible to break the xanga unsubscribe? … I understand some people are really ticked off and annoyed by the guy [described above]. He has had numerous request from people and he claims he can’t unsubscribe.
I did some digging, and I guess it is possible to break the subscription-manager page if you subscribe to hundreds of sites. We’ll fix that soon, when we move the subscription-manager into dot net…)
So, on the Subscription Approval feature… is this something you’d groove on?
Comments (47)
I think so. A pretty good idea, I suppose.
I think protected posting is an excellent idea and would be a great thing.
Yes! LOL You already knew I was going to say that!
I am fairly sure I know who that person is, they have subbed to me, and to my site that was fairly unknown…and not posted on in…8 or 9 months now? Why would anyone want to sub to a site that all the posts are private, and has not been updated in that long? I’ve seen the strings of comments from people begging to be removed from the list of his subs…and I can’t say I blame them, really.
Yes! Very much so, but what about those already subscribed to us? I have a lady that has taken my writings before, I caught her, but she still gets my subscriptions in her mailbox. Who knows where they go from there.
So please yes help us!
No! Xanga wouldn’t be xanga if we had to “approve” our subscribers to subscribe to us. That is one idea i greatly disaaprove of, and I ususally like your guys’s ideas.
I think the greater control the writer has of his/her universe online the better — as long as it does not impinge on others’ writing sites. I’m assuming the approval would come post-subscription (that is — you could throw out a subscriber, but would not have to approve before they could subscribe). And I think folks should recognize that after all, anyone can read public postings without subscribing; that’s the nature of the net.
I would hope anyone who wouldn’t want me subscribed to them would just let me know…..
Ok, I have a BIG problem with this…..why??? Because when I joined Xanga I had to decide if I wanted to make my personal issues public…because it was on a very open, very readible site. I made that decision by placing my content on the net, thus okaying anyone to read it.
Is it not completely understood that when you blog, you are posting it to the World Wide Web and NOT just to Xanga??? SO will this selective feature keep my patrons that DONT blog or join Xanga from reading my site??? I thought if you didnt want someone to read your information that was what the PRIVATE feature was for…….. Will there be a way to make sure that non users of Xanga can participate without it being a “must join” feature??? I dont get it…people are pissed because this guy subbed to them…..BIG DEAL! Isnt that what Xanga is about???? Subbing to others in hopes to get to know other people….now I have to wonder if everyone I have ever subbed to went and saw that I joined and said “Well…now there’s one I just wish had stayed away!!!” This is appalling to me….why have Xanga then??? If it is all going to be controlled to the point that we have to authorized every little thing that happens on our blogs….if they are so sensitive, let them go somewhere else! I say keep Xanga as it is…..with the excpetion of allowing outside users sign your guestbook…..and I would LOVE it if outside users (that are not memebers of Xanga) could post on my blog…..but I just dont agree with this selective crap…..sorry john…you wanted honesty and I am TOTALLY against this…….totally!
oh come on now. it’s AN ONLINE JOURNAL! that means unless it’s a PRIVATE entry, people will read it! people who are *gasp* strangers!!
But what if the situation presents that the subscriber is an older male getting instant emails of your 8 year old daughter’s xanga site?
I approve of the idea.
Personally, I like the idea of being able to control which readers will have the ability to read what I write. But……when I look at it from the reverse angle, what if someone writes something semi-personal and when they choose which of their readers they want to read it, they don’t think to include me in the list? Then I miss out on something that might have been meaningful to me even though I wasn’t someone they specifically wanted to keep out. Hmmm…now that I think about it…I don’t know how much I’m willing to give up just to get a little comfort. I guess I’d have to say I’m against this idea.
And that’s saying a lot, coming from me, because it bugs the living daylights out of me that I’ve got an anonymous subscriber who receives my updates instantly.
It makes sense for the reasons your say in your blog… For the comfort of newbies. I think a lot of people would block anon subs but I doubt old timers would bother, understanding that it is just too easy to set up a dummy account or to just come by and read. Still… If I were you, I would do it for the comfort of all the people who post you, just to save myself the grief of responding to them.
I think it is up to the writer to use discretion about what they post and to realize that strangers can read it as well as people the writer may be writing about. It is the web – a public place – and people need to edit themselves appropriately.
Parents also need to supervise and be aware of what their children are doing on the web.
The person you mention is subscribed to my site. He comments occasionally. He has not caused me any problems.
Censorship is a dangerous business. We already have the right to delete entries and to block users. Why would we need more?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If you want to keep something private, you probably should not post it on a website.
If that doesn’t make enough sense, look at it another way: tomorrow, subscriptions require approval. In a few months, you can’t even VIEW someone’s site without approval. And in ten years, you won’t be able to read the Constitution without a license to do so.
It sounds far-fetched, but it could happen…
I think it is a bad idea……after all, like some others said, Xanga in an online diary…..we can choose to post privately or publically. Therefore, we should already know they are going to be read by strangers if we so choose.
Also, even if they have to be approved for subbing and are not, they still have access to our sites….so, what does it matter anyway??
I vote nay…..
Subscription approval would make me VERY happy.
It’s not that I need to approve every subscriber or have a problem with strangers reading my site. It’s that there is one reader who is subscribed who has made threats, etc in the past, and it bothers me that he gets an email every time I post.
I think it would be great if it wasn’t necessary to approve every subscriber, but rather if we had an option to remove them if needed.
Personally, I don’t care. There isn’t anyone that I wouldn’t want reading my site. I have been here over a year and a half, I thought the point of Xanga was to meet new people.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to subscribe to someone and be ‘denied’ access. The newbies need to either post private entries or go. Get over it.
I have seen people that go to Lube’s site and tell him to unsubscribe everyday. He might like to use the feature!!!
Personally, I think it is a waste of the Xanga God’s time.
I am not new to xanga, and I don’t think that only newbies would benefit. The reason I feel subscription approval (or rather the ability to delete subscribers and not necessarily manually approve each one) is necessary – In some cases (though they may be rare) subscribers make a nuisance of themselves, and a “delete subscriber” feature would be a great way to both deter them, and give the writer some control.
I don’t see a need to manually approve each subscriber – I love getting new visitors and I don’t want to deter people from subscribing! I do however see a need to occasionally delete subscribers who behave badly. I have an anon subscriber now who has contacted me in the past by email with suggestions so disgusting I can’t list them here. I know I can’t prevent him from reading my site. But it really, really bothers me that he is instantly emailed every time I post. It would greatly enhance my xanga experience to delete him.
I strongly disapprove of this idea. It goes against the very nature of why I signed up for Xanga in the first place. I like being able to get to know people through their comments and sites and if they didn’t sub to me first, there is a great chance I’d never find them.
i would like to be able to unsubscribe the people who haven’t been around in ages… and of course, the human turds.
The reason people are ticked off that LUBE
is subbed to their sites is because he seems to be SUBBED to almost all of Xanga! Xanga IS ABOUT subbing to others with common interests or who seem to be interesting in order to get to know them better and possibly become friends (which I have done). Please tell me that LUBE gives a damn about ALL of the 1,000 sites he subbed to and please tell me that he even manages to read them and I will tell you you are full of SHIT!!!!
He’s subbed to my everyday site as well as another site that I closed down LONG ago. I don’t let him bother me, I just don’t bother to go to his site because he has nothing of interest for me there. But there are some good people out there with real concerns and we should not discount their opinion because it is not our opinion!
I’m not sure that I like having to approve subscribers, because I would like to have people enjoy something on my site so much that they decided to read what I have to say every day. However, I’d like the capability to block a subscription if the subscriber somehow abuses it or becomes threatening or something like that.
I am comfortable with the idea of protected posting, but I don’t see the reason for sub approval. Protected posting sounds like it is just an “upgrade” of the private/public feature that we already have.
Without protected posting, I don’t see how sub approval will work. Okay, you don’t allow someone to sub. So, they bookmark your site and come back all the time.
I’ll shut up before I step on any toes. One feature I would like to see if sub approval comes out is an “automatic approval” feature. I don’t want to waste my time approving people to come to my site. All are welcome, or I would not put it on Xanga.
That just doesn’t seem right to me that we should get to pick and choose who may subscribe to us. It kinda makes a blog not quite a blog. If you don’t want people to read your stuff, don’t post it or make it private. The Internet lacks privacy by its very nature and I think that those who aren’t comfortable with that fact perhaps should avoid the Internet and perhaps switch to one of those little paper diaries with lock and tiny key. Harsh maybe, but my opinion all the same. Alternate solution to problem…..I think the blocking of comments along with ability to perhaps not include an email address would be a better option and should be sufficient at stopping unwanted feedback. I would be really irritated if I had to take time to approve or disapprove subscribers.
I would be just happy to turn off the emails from my page for certain people.
I probably wouldn’t use it much but it would come in handy for the reasons Valleyfrog mentioned above. I haven’t had any sub problems but I know that one of my subs monitors my blog to keep tabs on a woman he’s e-stalking. I’d love to shitcan that dude’s sub.
And how does his work for the annonymous subscriber? I would like to eliminate that feature all together. It’s creepy.
that sounds kewl x]
I don’t know, I think this subscription request thing is quite ridiculous. I mean, Xanga is a place where you can post to the entire world; if you don’t want people to see anything, then make it a private post. Besides, you can still easily view someone’s site if you’re not subscribed to them. But hey, if you want a false sense of security when there’s nothing to fear to begin with, subscription filtering is for you.
“But what if the situation presents that the subscriber is an older male getting instant emails of your 8 year old daughter’s xanga site?”
Read: Won’t someone PLEASE think of the children???
Throw the kid to a pack of wolves then complain because the wolves aren’t muzzled.
It makes much more sense to, instead of trying to control things around you, to control yourself. You have limited control of the things around you, you have absolute control over yourself.
When I decided to comment, I had a very definite opinion on this subject. After reading everyone else’s sentiments, I don’t know WHAT to think. I can see the value in all the pros/cons of both points of view, and have come to settle firmly atop the proverbial fence on this issue.
I don’t recall how I found out about Lube, but *I* am one who is subbed to him (online only), and I commented briefly on his site a few months ago. I’ve never even heard a return peep from him.
One thing I know for sure: Personally? I just want to be able to keep on doing what I’ve been doing, and getting the same results I’ve been getting. Whatever it takes to do that, is where I stand.
Does that make any sense?
i think that is a stupid idea to make people get approval before they can subscribe to your site. what the hell are they using the internet for then if they can’t deal with someone, they don’t know, read their ON-LINE journal. it just doesn’t make sense. you meet and read so many neat people…i think this whole idea is just ridiculous. if they’re that upset, let them block the person if they leave comments or better yet, make all their postings private and just e-mail to the people they want to read it. big friggin’ deal! people are so …ugh.
I like the idea, but I think the only time I’d ever use it would be to get rid of Lube. I’ve been told to grow up a number of times for being annoyed with him, but that’s what I am–annoyed with him and his lack of respect to the Xanga community. Go for it.
-shannon
i dont much care one way or the other. i would like it if lube would unsub me cuz i’ve asked him to, but he’s just being a prick.
definately! thank you thank you thank you1
i’m not especially keen on the approval thing……but maybe you could just fix the code so that if you block a user, it also blocks their ability to send you an instant email…..appoving subscriptions seems to me a bit too much…..and not to mention you wouldn’t be able to subscribe anonymously anymore.
I agree with Todd……
“automatic approval” feature……all are welcome.
MY REASONS FOR MY ADDING PEOPLE TO MY SITE,S I SUB TO. FIRST OF ALL IF I VISIT A SITE AND LIKE THE CONTENT I SUB. I READ SITE,S I DONT JUST GO THERE TO ADD A SITE. IM NEW TO XANGA AND DONT KNOW A GREAT MANY PEOPLE YET BUT THE ONES I AM GETTING TO KNOW ARE GREAT.I ENJOY MY 2 ACCOUNTS AND IM ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE A NEW SUB TO MY SITE. THE COMMENTS I DONT THINK ARE FRIENDLY I DELETE AND GUESS WHAT I BLOCK THEM. HAVE A GOOD DAY !
I think Individual Subscription approval would be a pain. How about a third posting option, where only users on you SIR list could see the post? NO hassle for normal people, and the whiners are satisfied as well. Plus, I would think relatively easy to implement. Whaddaya think?
=)
Reading back, others have suggested the ability to remove/block certain users from their subscription lists. This would only lead to people singing up for a second xanga name and becoming a nuisance..if people are that worried about ‘nosy strangers’ seeing their public entries, I revert to my original suggestion, ‘semiprivate’ entries viewable only by people on your own SIR list. Thanks, guys, for the consideration to all, and for doing a great job como siempre.
=)
Is there a way you can just block a particular subscriber? I thought that you had a block feature added recently that would seem like it should solve the problem simply enough in itself..
B.
I agree with Tina….Why should we care? If you don’t want your site to be read then use the private feature…
Hmmmm……..I think I would like this. For the record, I have never had any problems whatsoever with any anonymous person or random person reading my site with “it all hanging out”…..I don’t have a problem with strangers reading my site. I have given the addy to two personal friends, only one which caused a problem, but that was by a friend of HERS….(hellO, complicated! lol) …..in any case, the only readers that I have who are not strangers and who I did not invite are men I know in real life who invaded my privacy to find my site….and then seemed to base their own blog themes on defaming my character or trying to influence my readers. I’d love a way to prevent them from even coming to my page. Yeah, they could create a false ID, but in one case I’ve already discovered 3 so the truth will always come out eventually. I understand the concerns about censorship, but when a person has no reason to even come here to read other than to harass, there should be an alternative.
this whole issue is so silly.
1) you are posting your blog and CHOOSING to make it public. 2) If someone is actually harrassing you with rude comments, you can block them from COMMENTING on your site. They can sub to you but cannot bother you. 3) Even if you blocked them from Subbing, they could always just save your site on their favorites list, badda-bing-badda-boom….they are still reading your PUBLIC blogs. 4) OR they can just open another xanga site under a different name and sub to you from an assumed identity. It really wouldn’t be that hard to pretend you are someone else.
and for the SAVE THE CHILDREN comments such as “But what if the situation presents that the subscriber is an older male getting instant emails of your 8 year old daughter’s xanga site?“…… Hello… you are the parent… what is an 8 year old child doing posting a blog on a PUBLIC forum with out your supervision and guidance?? It is not up to Xanga to determine who reads your childs postings….it is up to you, the PARENT to supervise your childs use of ALL INTERNET FEATURES.
Come on people!! This is common sense. Take a deep calming breath, and END the paranoia.
Maybe a “delete subscriber” feature would work, as someone else said… most people would probably just approve every request for subscription. I would, anyway. if someone proved to be an idiot, then you could have the option of taking them off your list. Anyone who creates an online diary that’s public shouldn’t expect privacy. If they rant about getting a subscriber they’re not familiar with, it’s their problem, not the problem of the person subscribing to them. People need to chill out. It’s not the end of the world if someone subs to your site and you don’t approve of it. It’s not like they couldn’t just come back and read it every day anyway. And as far as people feeling uncomfortable about the emails… it makes no difference if that person receives one of your updates in their inbox, or if they just check their SIR. They’re going to find out that you’ve written new blogs regardless. Ooooh, spooky! *insert rolling eyes here*
“I am uncomfortable with his instant emails of my xanga posts and no longer feel safe with my xanga”.
Complete crap, thats everything that xanga is about, posting to the web so that anyone could read what you write. If you don’t want people to read… make your entries private.
“But what if the situation presents that the subscriber is an older male getting instant emails of your 8 year old daughter’s xanga site?”
If you have an 8 year old who is publishing stuff that could put her in any danger… surely the most sensible way of dealing with it is by talking it over with her and maybe stopping her xanga site.
People amaze me.
I think I would have to say no. First, it wouldn’t be Xanga if we had it. Second, it’s an online journal with endless possibilities as to who can read it. My suggestion, get the guy to unsubscribe from those who desire it. He’s using Xanga to boost his own ego and gather eprops to stuff his pillow with at night.
No, don’t regulate all of Xanga for what one moron is doing.
hrm.