Blocking, ignoring and Complete Block
Choose the level of protection that fits the situation. Chat Buddy gives you tools to quiet unwanted content, stop a specific account from contacting you and reduce repeat contact from other identities confidently linked to the same person.
Complete Block is available to eligible registered members when enabled. Options can vary by account status, role and administrator settings.
Choose the right control
Ignore, Block and Complete Block compared
Start with the control that matches the problem. You can use a stronger option when someone continues unwanted contact or appears to return through another identity.
Ignore
Use Ignore when you mainly want a person's messages or content removed from your view in supported areas.
- Reduces what you see from the selected account
- Useful for noise, arguments or unwanted content
- Can be removed from your Ignored list
Block
Use Block when you want stronger separation from the selected username and to prevent supported contact or interaction.
- Stops the selected account contacting you in supported features
- Keeps the direct username in your Blocked list
- Can be reversed using Unblock
Complete Block
Use Complete Block when ordinary username blocking may not be enough and repeat contact through another identity is a concern.
- Includes Ignore and Block protection
- Can extend to confidently linked accounts or guest identities
- Can be reviewed and removed from your Complete Blocks list
At a glance
Which option covers what?
The exact effect can vary by the feature being used, but this table explains the intended difference.
| Protection | Ignore | Block | Complete Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduce content shown to you | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stop the selected account contacting you | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Cover other confidently linked identities | No | No | Yes, when confidently matched |
| Visible in a personal management list | Ignored list | Blocked list | Complete Blocks list |
| Creates a site-wide ban | No | No | No |
Enhanced personal protection
How Complete Block helps with block evasion
Complete Block is designed for situations where someone may create another registered account or use a different guest identity after being blocked. Chat Buddy can compare protected evidence and apply the same personal separation when there is sufficiently strong confidence that the identities are linked.
Linked usernames and technical matching evidence are not disclosed to ordinary members. A network address alone is not treated as permanent proof under the safer normal configuration, and no matching system can guarantee every future identity will be recognised.
Simple to use
How to apply a privacy control
Blocking options are placed alongside the normal user actions in supported lists, profiles, group-member views and private conversations.
Open the person's options
Select the username or profile and open the available user-action menu.
Choose the protection level
Select Ignore, Block or Complete Block and read the confirmation before continuing.
Review or remove it later
Use the Ignored, Blocked or Complete Blocks list to reverse your choice when appropriate.
It is a stronger personal safety control, not a punishment tool. Do not use blocking features to manipulate, threaten or harass another member.
Review and reverse
Managing blocked people
You should always be able to find a direct block again, even when the other person no longer appears in your normal user lists.
Your own lists
Chat Buddy keeps ordinary controls separate so you can understand what you applied.
- Ignored shows usernames you manually ignored
- Blocked shows usernames you manually blocked
- Complete Blocks shows the direct account and linked-identity count
- Linked usernames are not revealed to ordinary members
Removing a Complete Block
Select the direct account from your Complete Blocks list and confirm removal.
- Linked-identity protection is released
- Separate manual Ignore choices remain
- Separate manual Block choices remain
- You can remove those ordinary choices independently
Administrator assistance
Authorised administrators can review active Complete Block relationships, identify the blocking member and direct target, see linked counts and remove a relationship when intervention is appropriate.
- Admin removal is permission controlled
- Intervention is recorded in the audit trail
- Independent ordinary Ignore or Block choices are preserved
What administrators do not expose
Privacy and abuse prevention matter. Ordinary members are not shown the hidden identities or technical evidence behind a match.
- No list of secret linked usernames
- No exposure of protected matching values
- No guarantee that a match proves legal identity
Personal protection and community safety
Block, report, or both?
Blocking changes your own experience. Reporting gives moderators information they may need to protect the wider community.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about blocking and privacy controls
Open a question for a straightforward explanation.
What is the difference between Ignore and Block?
Ignore is mainly for removing a person's messages or content from your view in supported areas. Block is stronger and is intended to stop the selected account from contacting or interacting with you through supported features.
What does Complete Block do?
Complete Block applies Ignore and Block protection to the selected account and can also extend that personal protection to other accounts or guest identities that Chat Buddy confidently links to the same person.
Is Complete Block a site-wide ban?
No. Complete Block is personal to the member who creates it. The blocked person may continue using Chat Buddy and interacting with other people unless moderators separately take site-wide action.
Does Complete Block rely only on an IP address?
Under the safer normal configuration, a network address alone is not treated as permanent proof. Chat Buddy can use several protected signals, and administrators control how matching is configured.
Can a Complete Block catch every new account?
No system can guarantee that every future identity will be recognised. Complete Block is designed to reduce repeat contact when there is sufficiently strong evidence, not to claim certainty in every situation.
Can I see linked accounts detected by Complete Block?
Ordinary members can see the direct account they chose and a count of linked identities, but linked usernames are not disclosed. This helps preserve privacy and prevents the feature from becoming an account-discovery tool.
How do I remove a Complete Block?
Open your Complete Blocks list, find the direct account and choose Remove Complete Block. Linked protection is released, while any separate normal Ignore or Block choices remain in place.
Can an administrator remove a Complete Block?
Authorised administrators can review active Complete Blocks and remove one when intervention is appropriate. The action is recorded for accountability, and separate normal Ignore or Block choices are preserved.
Can guest users create a Complete Block?
No. Complete Block is a registered-member feature because it needs a persistent account to store and manage the protection. Guests can use the safety controls made available to their access level.
Why can I not see Complete Block for a particular user?
Availability can depend on your account status, site-role permissions, administrator settings and the other person's protected role. Administrators cannot be targeted through the normal user Complete Block option.
Should I report someone after blocking them?
Report behaviour that may affect other people or break the rules, including threats, harassment, scams, sexual pressure, impersonation or repeated attempts to evade a block. Blocking protects your experience; reporting helps moderators assess wider risk.
Will the blocked person be told which signals matched them?
No. Chat Buddy does not expose private matching evidence or technical detection details to ordinary users. This protects privacy and makes the system harder to evade.
Take control of unwanted contact
Open Chat Buddy, choose the control that fits the situation and report serious behaviour when other members may also be at risk.