Following - how to control, question

[symbolipoint]

How do we control who is and who is not following us? How do we enable or reenable someone to follow us and how do we stop someone from following us?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

You don't have control. Is there some reason for it?

 

[symbolipoint]

You don't have control. Is there some reason for it?

Maybe. Not sure if this post should be made private or not but this -
Someone who just joined today, and has essentially posted nothing yet has already chosen to 'follow' me. This is suspiciously fast for my sensibility, without knowing anything about the member and without any indication of why. The fact that a member has a 'profile' page does NOT mean that we know anything about the member. Especially of a completely new member has has at most posted one posting onto the forums or vacuous content.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

This is suspiciously fast for my sensibility

Indeed, but it's a weird and dynamic community :)

What happens when you follow someone is their posts are added to your news feed:
https://www.physicsforums.com/account/news-feed

That is the extent of it. I wouldn't lose sleep over it :)

 

[symbolipoint]

The imaginable way for me to try to find out is maybe to send a private message to the member and ask why. Member could possibly have a logical reason. I'll wait to see if the member actually posts something on the forum, so that something more about member might be learned.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Honestly some new members just don't understand how the community works and just start pressing buttons. It really happens often

 

[Vanadium 50]

Whenever you call me, I'll be there
Whenever you want me, I'll be there
Whenever you need me, I'll be there
I'll be around

No, I'm not following you. Honest.

 

[mfb]

We have various new users reading posts from others, and some of them click on the "follow" button. It probably means the user liked the post. Users with some badges are more likely to get followers, mentors get even more, and Greg has the most followers.

 

[jtbell]

Every now and then some new member decides to follow me, and I never "hear" anything from them after that. If they can put up with my lame jokes, it's OK with me.