You want to take all of the fun out of blocking.

How do we know if somebody else has blocked us?

Enjoyed reading that. Thank you and will use the Block in the ways you mentioned.

I encourage anyone to block me. i really get tired of shit heads, who do not think, giving me crap because i post reflections of reality based in research and significant group recognition thereof.

I have NOT blocked anyone. I figger if someone is willing to respond to me, even stupidly, i may learn something. That is why i engage with sites like this.

But, there is only so much lifetime one can waste reading, and occasionally responding, to comments posted in rebuttal, or just plain ridiculous ad-hominem attacks.

So, if you do not want to read my shit, block me, and save yourself some mental anguish.

I have had to block a couple of people who couldn't take "no thanks, not interested" at face value & move on. In my workaday life, people cuss me high & low, calling me everything but a child of God (southern vernacular) & it's no big deal. Walking the 8 blocks to & from office to vehicle & visa versa, there are days I get told, "nice legs" & when I don't respond, I get called a bunch of names & just in case, ready my keychain, just in case they get handsy.

But online, I have very little patience for that dumb shit & freely use the block button.

I block for all things that cause blocking, including rational reasons. I absolutely despise it when someone is dumb enough to take me for something I'm not. I treat others with respect and I approach with sociability. I expect the same thing from others, and I really have no fealties for idiots, or their close cousins, jerks.

I’m mostly in agreement with you. I do have one issue though. When you block someone for acting in a way that isn’t acceptable you most definitely should tell them (and maybe others, I’m a bit ambivalent on that finer point). Not telling them is a disservice to them and society at large. They have to be told that their behavior leads to being shunned because if they don’t realize this they won’t ever think they should change. Then they’ll go through life being shunned and maybe it’s because they were never taught that you have to be civil to be part of society, that’s grossly unfair to them. You have to tell them why they are being blocked, it’s the proper thing to do.

Of course none of this applies if your blocking them just because they have a diametrically opposed position or the like.

BLOCKING assures you remain in an echo chamber. Really bad for your intellectual progress.

The only people that I block, are the hardcore Christian's

I have blocked 27 so far and probably been blocked by about 20 or so. I really don't sweat it either way, as I do see it as a way to customize the site and not put up with being hassled, targetted or annoyed by people who either don't get me, have no respect for me or others, or are just plain toxic and argumentitive. I find it helps me enjoy the site more, and I still run into opinions and people I disagree with on a regular basis, which is good and proves I have not made this site an echo chamber for me. My one fault is that before I block someone I do often taunt them by saying I am going to block them and sometimes state why. That is for the benefit of onlookers so they know what is going on, since the person blocked is not going to get to read it anyway. I think of it kind of like a sports announcer or commentator, plus, like Sticks said, it adds to the fun of blocking.....

I have only blocked one account here, and it was a religious zealot who opposes the very existence of agnostic.com.