Do you 'appear' to be offline a lot?
By cyberfluf
@cyberfluf (4996)
Netherlands
July 17, 2010 3:27pm CST
There are several programs and (social) sites that give you the option to appear offline. There can be several reasons why people would want to do this, and I am curious to see why people choose to appear offline. Here are a few I have heard of:
1) You are really away from the keyboard
2) There are people online you are trying to avoid
3) You want to spy on someone else without them knowing you are online too
4) You are multitasking and don't want anyone else to start talking to you but like to have the option to open up a conversation yourself (for example, in messenger)
5) You keep the program open for e-mails, updates or games but don't feel like socially interacting
6) You are keeping the program open for the above and when someone starts a chat this slows down the computer so you would like to avoid this
7) You appear offline automatically after not using the programm for a certain period of time and forget that you left it on
8) You are there but you are engaging in some other activity and aren't able to directly reply (for example, working on a paper on your pc or similar)
9) You leave the programm on at all times and are in fact asleep 
Why do you use the feature and when do you use it?
Pandaspanking comments are welcome too!
Why do you use the feature and when do you use it?
Pandaspanking comments are welcome too!5 responses
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
17 Jul 10
Most of those are me...
Facebook is my home page, so the minute I open my browser I'm on Facebook. Sometimes I'm not actually going to FB though.. sometimes I'm just opening the web to go to another site.. and when I left my status as online I'd come back to FB later to see someone had messaged me because I appeared online even though I only had the page open for a second.. so I never got the message until later.
Also I do play a lot of the games on FB, and that freezes my computer if a chat window pops up while I'm playing a game that requires flash player.
Another reason is I am on Facebook a lot, especially on days when I don't have much else going on.. but I don't want to appear is if I have no life, so if it doesn't look like I'm online then my friends won't think I'm so pathetic, lol.
But the main reason.. and most recent one, is because a girl on my friend's list keeps bugging me whenever I'm online, and she's beyond annoying.. so I keep myself offline to avoid her!
1 person likes this
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
18 Jul 10
I'm sorry to hear that someone is bugging you, it can be very irritating if someone pops up every minute of every hour when you are on facebook or another social site. I play games on FB aswell, or basicly just frontierville, and I have the same problem with my computer freezing if a chat window pops up. I only use FB for frontierville so I am not that interested in the chatting feature. I would appear offline if a lot of people spoke to me, but because most of them are just there for the game too fortunatly I haven't had that problem so far.
I hope this girl will get the message soon and stop annoying you.
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
18 Jul 10
It might sound harsh but I guess this is one of the most common reasons people use the option to appear offline. Clearly you don't want to be seen or found by one or multiple people. However, if you are trying to get away from someone for a longer period of time there is also the option of blocking this person. So basicly you will be appearing offline for this person too, but for a long time or even for all time. It depends on whether you are not feeling like it right now or want to cut of all contant with the person.
Thanks for replying!
@hdc4free (260)
• United States
18 Jul 10
Same here. Seems if I'm showing online always someone wants to babble on about something, which is fine sometimes but a lot of time when I'm online I just want to go do some research, read a few things, and get back to my life. I love chatting sometimes but it's too easy to get distracted if I start talking to everyone online when I came on to get some information or quickly check a post.
@julyteen (13252)
• Davao, Philippines
17 Jul 10
I am online most of the time even my browser is close. Even at work and my laptop left in my room still my friends found me online. Most of them ask me if I didn't sleep because during midnight until dawn and morning I am still online. Well, I have a site that I earn if my laptop still ON, the more time I am online the more money I earn. I used a software that even my browser are off my facebook, myspace and together with my YM, MSN and Gtalk are still online. I love this software because it helps me to monitor all my stuff. I can receive flash message everytime somebody or one of my facebook friends wanted to chat me, sometimes I open my browser but most of the time I sent my reply to the window from my software.
1 person likes this
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
18 Jul 10
Hi Julyteen,
That sounds like some pretty handy software you have. I personally don't have something like that, but I do use a e-mail program that allows me to have multiple accounts in the same program and makes it easier to manage my personal e-mail, work e-mail, etc. I once tried a program that earned money for being online but it turned out to be a scam. I am curious to hear about this program you are using.
You have made your point quite clear why you stay online, and if I was able to earn money with it I might do the same thing.
Thanks for replying!
@hugoboss7807 (59)
• Belgium
18 Jul 10
i never appear to be offline coz all my facebook friends are intelligent peoples and if some one disturbs me a lot i am deleting him immediately from my account.its simple and i think everybody have to talk if there is any problem and if the problem couldn`t be resolved than you have to make a step in your favor :)
