Hidden state

[just me]

What advantages do you feel when you 'hide' your online state? Do we need this state in the new forum or should it be disposed?

[jNizM]

I'm not a fan of anonymous (hidden) users

[sinkfaze]

What advantages do you feel when you 'hide' your online state? Do we need this state in the new forum or should it be disposed?

Yes, we need it.

Certain people here will tend to get bombarded with PMs asking for basic help when their status can be seen as online. For some people that may not be a problem, but others have better things they could be doing for the community (and would rather be doing) with their time than respond to those types of help PMs. Ignoring those PMs does not reflect well on them or us as a community, and turning off PMs prevents those users from communicating privately at all. The best means we have to work around the problem is to allow for the hidden state, which will tend to stem the tide of basic help PMs and still leave the PM option available to them.