What Really Happens When You Block Someone on Facebook

I'm a pretty nice person. I try to treat people with love, compassion, and patience. But some people are just toxic. They get on Facebook, call my friends names, and act inappropriately.

(Sometimes, those people also happen to be called "family." That's ALWAYS awkward.)

No matter how nice you are, the time will come when you are forced to block someone on Facebook. To block someone, follow these simple steps (noted in the picture by step number).

1. From your HOME page, click on the drop-down arrow in the upper right portion of the screen.

2. Click on "Settings."

3. Click on "Blocking."

4. Add their Facebook name to "Block users" and click "Block."

Before you make the move to block someone, make sure that you know what blocking actually does and does not do.

People who are blocked won't see:

*Your profile on Facebook IF they are searching while logged into Facebook as themselves.

*Your wall posts - even the public ones - IF they are searching while logged into Facebook as themselves.

*Your posts on the walls of mutual friends IF they are logged into Facebook as themselves.

*Any active notification that they have been blocked.

People who are blocked can see:

*Your public profile IF logged out of Facebook or logged in as anyone else.

*Your posts IF logged in as one of your friends.

*Any posts or comments on mutual friends' walls about you, except yours.

CAUTION: This means that if I block Jim's friend Sue, and Jim posts a comment that says something about your response, Sue will see that comment by Jim mentioning you, though not your comments. The missing parts of the thread may hint to Sue that she has been blocked.

*Any posts by you commenting in a mutual group can be seen by admins, blocked or not. Admins can be added at any time by other admins.

CAUTION: This is the most awkward situation.

Imagine Jim and Sue are both in the Giftie Etcetera Facebook group and Jim has blocked Sue. They will not be able to tag each other, but anything Jim writes will be visible to Sue if she happens to admin the group, except that Jim's name will be written in BOLD instead of as a link, so now Sue knows that Jim has blocked her.

It's like a flashing sign: YOU'VE BEEN BLOCKED.

TIP: If you really need to hide from the person (say because you have a restraining order out against them), block any mutual friends and leave any groups that the blocked person or mutual friends might admin.

I didn't list the emotional and social consequences of blocking, but people will be mad at you. For me, it is worth an awkward moment at a family reunion when a cousin or aunt says, "I think you must have blocked me on Facebook."

My response? A cheerful smile and a "yes, you were being rude. Life's much more peaceful now." That really gets them angry, but it also shuts them up.

For more information on Facebook privacy, click on the Facebook tag below.

Don't forget to share this article with all your Facebook friends!

Etcetera.

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