Discord's New 'Ignore' Feature: A Half-Baked Solution to Digital Peace
The digital world never ceases to amaze me with its peculiar approach to seemingly simple problems. Discord’s latest feature rollout - the ability to “ignore” users - has got me thinking about how we handle uncomfortable social situations in our increasingly online world.
Remember the good old days when ignoring someone meant literally pretending they weren’t there at the pub? Now we need software features to achieve the same effect, and somehow, they still don’t quite get it right. Discord’s new ignore feature joins their existing block feature in what feels like a masterclass in unnecessarily complicated solutions.
The most baffling aspect of both these features is that they still let you know when the blocked or ignored person has said something. It’s like having someone tap you on the shoulder every time the person you’re trying to avoid speaks, just to remind you they exist. What’s the point of that? It reminds me of my old office messaging system that would constantly notify me about messages from a particularly verbose colleague who’d been moved to spam.
The mobile app situation doesn’t help either. Between calls disconnecting randomly and buttons becoming unresponsive after screen rotation, it feels like we’re beta testing software from 2010. My daughter actually switched to using the web version because she got tired of the app crashing during her gaming sessions with friends.
The thing is, these aren’t just minor inconveniences - they’re design choices that affect our digital wellbeing. In large servers, especially those focused on tech or gaming, having to see constant reminders of blocked messages can be genuinely disruptive to the community experience. It’s particularly problematic in spaces where moderation is already a challenge.
What we really need is a proper blocking feature that works like most other social platforms - when you block someone, they simply cease to exist in your digital space. No notifications, no “blocked message” placeholders, just peaceful digital silence. It’s not about lacking “courage of conviction” as some users suggest; it’s about having effective tools to manage our online experiences.
The irony isn’t lost on me that we’re all getting worked up about a feature that’s supposed to reduce stress and friction in our online interactions. Maybe the real solution isn’t better blocking tools, but creating more thoughtful online spaces where we need them less frequently.
For now, I’ll keep using community-created solutions like browser extensions to patch over these design oversights. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. These platforms will eventually figure out what their users actually need - they always do, even if it takes them a few tries to get there.
Speaking of which, my Visual Studio Code just notified me about an update. Here’s hoping it doesn’t introduce three new problems while fixing two old ones. Such is life in our digital age.