Everyone is blocked from seeing a post a blocked user replied to, or that has blocked them.

[cyphix333]

Steps to Reproduce

1. Access a post either via a quoted post, or via a reply link directly, or within your feed.
2. The persons post you are viewing should be in reply to someone else. If the persons post you are viewing happens to be blocked by the person they are replying to (or the person replying to them has now blocked them), this now means YOU cannot see that post either, whether you are blocked (or have blocked them) or not.

Initially I was seeing this a lot and just figured I was blocked by the person, but I confirmed this was not the case with someone that was in the same thread as me. The person told me they had blocked the person, and I could see this person's posts they blocked fine, UNLESS I was viewing a post made by the person that blocked them (I could not see the post they were replying to).

So I guess I have confirmed it one way (the person blocked them), but I suspect it works both ways (if they are blocked).

Attachments

No response

What platform(s) does this occur on?

Android, Web (Desktop)

Device Info

No response

What version of the app are you using?

1.95.0.634

Additional Information

No response

[cooljeanius]

This is by design and why BlueSky's block is known as the "nuclear block". I do agree that it's kind of confusing, though, and could probably be documented better.

[cyphix333]

This is by design and why BlueSky's block is known as the "nuclear block". I do agree that it's kind of confusing, though, and could probably be documented better.

I understand the need for a strong block function, but this is essentially letting other people decide what content I see. So, if someone else I'm in a thread with has blocked someone, then that makes ME (and everyone else) not able to see the content of someone that THEY decided to block, as well as the resulting thread above it.

Not good at all.

[skyduct]

closed with WONTFIX - system is working as designed.
wait, not closed, because I'm not a bsky dev and can't close it.

might be nice for it to say who blocked who, though.

[cyphix333]

This really shouldn't be closed, I understand it is not a bug, but it should be discussed; this is a poor user experience and drastically reduces the usability. I honestly don't see how this is helpful to anyone in all honesty.

[diesocke]

It is a feature, not a bug.

[cyphix333]

It is a feature, not a bug.

Yes, I already realise that, but this "feature" makes the user experience of that functionality of the site awful and really doesn't help anybody.

[Tamschi]

It's a very popular feature, as it makes it largely useless to troll or harass for attention.

Though, Bluesky should go a bit further and not account for these replies in the reply counter.

[hutajoullach]

I thought the nuclear block would hide posts, replies, mentions, and profiles of blocked accounts.

Not sure if the reply counter will subtract the number of blocked accounts for that particular user though.

[cyphix333]

It's a very popular feature, as it makes it largely useless to troll or harass for attention.

Though, Bluesky should go a bit further and not account for these replies in the reply counter.

It's a popular feature to allow others to control what you see in certain situations? You seem to be referencing the general strong blocking feature based on your comment of trolling and harassment; how does me not being able to see the content of what someone else replied to help with that? It doesn't - instead it removes all context from their response, and makes it harder for you to be able to read or engage in the thread.

Outside of someone blocking ME, I don't want others to control what I can and can't see.

[diesocke]

If there is dispute that leads at least one participant to block someone, Bluesky reduces the trolling and escalation potential other platforms have demonstrated to the quite enormous detriment of their usability.

[cyphix333]

If there is dispute that leads at least one participant to block someone, Bluesky reduces the trolling and escalation potential other platforms have demonstrated to the quite enormous detriment of their usability.

I'm sorry, but that tiny benefit isn't a good enough reason.

As it stands, if 20 people are involved in a discussion, and ONE single person decides to block someone, then all of a sudden, the 19 other people in the discussion (+ any other viewers) are now inconvenienced simply because one person had an issue with someone else.

BS does have a bit of a block culture, and as such, this issue is only going to get worse and worse, and threads are going to get harder and harder to read and follow as more and more people get blocked.

Just the other day I got a notification, and I clicked on it, and once again, the post they were replying to was "blocked", not because of me, but because the person who made the post blocked the person they were responding to. I was trying to make sense of their post, but now I couldn't as I had no idea what the hell they were replying to... then I think I found the post they replied to; it showed "1 reply", but when I clicked on it, no replies were shown.

Now, this functionality was probably done with good intentions - but you know what they say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions".

[ppoutine]

This is working as intended but i agree it should be reassessed. For example:

1. In a popular thread, User A posts some nonsense
2. User B replies to that reply explaining why it's nonsense
3. User A blocks User B
4. Now User A has successfully hidden the rebuttal to his comment from everyone. The only defense against this is if the thread OP happens to block User A.

This is a pretty serious downside of the "nuclear block" system imo. It creates an escalation ladder of blocking where the first user to hit "block" is advantaged. On the other hand it causes me personally to avoid blocking where I otherwise would, because I want the conversation to still be visible for others.

There should at least be a "show reply" button on posts that are hidden for this reason IMO. Otherwise you've given every user the unilateral power to hide a reply, for everyone, permanently. If I hide a reply the normal way, it's not deleted for everyone! There is a "show hidden reply" button! The effect of hiding someone else's reply should be consistent across these two ways to do it.

[cyphix333]

This is a pretty serious downside of the "nuclear block" system imo. It creates an escalation ladder of blocking where the first user to hit "block" is advantaged. On the other hand it causes me personally to avoid blocking where I otherwise would, because I want the conversation to still be visible for others.

Some very good points, and show multiple other sides to the issue.

I get the idea about this functionality, but the cascading effects into other areas is too much; it's essentially throwing the baby out with the bathwater.