I think I've noticed something, related to this issue... There's two different types of "Hidden" that you could be talking about here (this has been confusing the living crap outta me for a few days, now - the number hidden in the parentheses on the main board hasn't been consistent with the amount of users with the Nothing, or nothing you can see... status - but I think I figured it out...)
1 - When it says "## Guests, ## Members (# Hidden)" on the front page, the (# Hidden) refers to the number of names of members that are hidden from the list of the rest of the names because they haven't been active within the last ten minutes on the forum. 2 - The check box for "Hidden" in account related settings only makes your status Nothing, or nothing you can see... in Who's Online. It has nothing to do with the (# Hidden) on the front page, for your name is still displayed clear as day in Who's Online. So... people can still tell you're active on the forums, no matter whether you're Checkbox "Hidden" or not.
This might be old news to some people (and probably earn me ridicule from some, notably for bumping an old topic,) but newbies may want to know. So... here you go!
Oh, I never realized that. I just assumed people logged on once I clicked that. I'm pretty sure it doesn't even count users at all if they're inactive in the last fifteen minutes. If it did, it should read several thousand hidden.
Also, are you sure it displays other hidden people's names there, or did your name just appear because you're the one looking at yourself?
Also, are you sure it displays other hidden people's names there, or did your name just appear because you're the one looking at yourself?
If you mean "account settings hidden," then most notably yes. I've seen several guests with that status, and Acheron86 and Ryu (and other members, too, but they're the only one I could think of at the moment) have also had Nothing, or nothing you can see... show up in the Who's online status. None of them added to any (# Hidden) count on the front page, as far as I could see (I'm pretty sure the guests don't count, though.) So, yeah.
I actually stare at the Who's Online page pretty frequently. It's like a hobby of mine when I'm really bored. =P
EDIT: I also don't think that you'd see several thousand hidden on the front page, because I'm pretty sure guests don't count towards that total, and I don't think many of our users log onto M2K2 and stay inactive... Or, at least, I know I don't. =D
As far as I can tell Nothing, or nothing you can see... has little to do with being hidden. If you have your status as hidden then you do not show up on the Who's Online list, that would defeat the purpose of being hidden in the first place.
Nothing, or nothing you can see... is usually applied to those who are doing just what it says, it's something that regular users can't see for one reason or another.
Quote from JaggerG:
or did your name just appear because you're the one looking at yourself?
Well, that's how it works with email listings. I can see mine but it would be listed as hidden from others, I imagine it works the same way with your online status.
Upon further research, that does not seem to be the case as I cannot see myself in the online users list after hiding my online status.
The # Guests, # Users, # Hidden refers to all users currently logged into the forum. "Hidden" refers to users currently logged on but with their status set to "hidden". The usernames under that are those of users active within the past fifteen minutes. Naturally, hidden users are not shown there, and just as naturally, the number of names given won't always match the number of users shown above.
