One good thing about the Internet is that it’s really easy to ignore people who irritate us. One bad thing about the Internet is that, well…it’s really easy to ignore people who irritate us. Before the advent of digital communication, if someone was pissing us off, it was far more likely we’d, y’know…confront them on it, and talk through the issue face to face. It’s so much easier nowadays to just hit the ‘ignore’ button and move on with our lives.

True, a lot of people who get blocked kinda deserve it, but in some cases it’s something of a dick move on the part of the blocker. Someone do something that annoyed you in person? Blocked. Someone talked to you and you don’t like them? Blocked. You owe someone money, and they want to know when you’ll pay? Blocked.

All it takes is the push of a button.

It’s so easy to just completely cut online contact with a person that a lot of folks have started to get paranoid. “Is Steve angry at me because I drank his beer? Did Joel block me because I’m dating that girl he liked? Did Laura block me because I declared my undying love to her? ”

“How can I tell?”

Block Checkers don’t Work

Seems legit.

Hundreds of websites have sprung up claiming to be “block checkers,” and guaranteeing that they can tell you whose good books you’re still in, and who’s pissed at you because you ate the last slice of pizza. All you need to do is give them your email and password, and voila! They’ve got access to your contact list, and can move through it to find out if there are any friends you simply cannot talk to.

I’ll save you the effort. They don’t work. They’re phishing scams. Plug your information into those, and who has you blocked will be the least of your concerns. Someone’s going to have access to your account, and will gleefully harvest personal information and send out spam to all your contacts.

The problem is that whether or not someone is blocked usually tends to be linked to someone’s personal account. It’s one of their personal settings which can only be changed while they’re logged in to that account. For a website or messaging service to release that information would be a gross invasion of privacy, particularly given how easily that could be abused by some of the folks who deserve to have a digital barrier in front of them.

Block Checking “Tricks” are Usually Hit and Miss

Occasionally, you’ll see people on webforums or answers threads explaining that if you access your contacts list, go to the privacy settings, send a letter to congress, make a sandwich, stand on your head and tap your nose three times (or some equally convoluted method), you’ll be able to find out who on your contacts list has blocked you. The problem with these methods is that, while they might occasionally work, it’s usually only for a short while. The service provider discovers them as quickly as the user, and patches their client or platform so the exploit no longer works.

Feel free to try them, but don’t be too surprised if you don’t get results.

How to Really Figure Out if You’re Blocked

There’s no sure-fire way. The whole point of blocking someone is so that they stop harassing you. If a service told you that you’re being ignored, that defeats the purpose of the mechanic.

Honestly? You really want to know if someone’s blocked you? Just stop and think about it for a few minutes. Ask yourself a few questions.

1. Have I been harassing them?

Have you been sending them 200 chat messages a day? Did you phone them eighteen times in eight hours? Were you generally being an annoying knob and refusing to leave them alone?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, well…they probably blocked you just so they could have some peace and quiet. Give them some time and maybe they’ll come around. If not, take it as a learning experience.

2. Did I do something to anger them?

Some people are marvelously fickle, and will launch into a fury at the drop of a hat. Others will willingly cut ties with someone over an annoyance and fail to tell them why.

Unfortunately, there’s really nothing you can do about these people. If you’re really desperate to mend ties with them, you can always try sending an apology for whatever you did to anger them over an alternative channel- though I’d recommend just giving it some time.

3. Am I creepy?

Guys, I’m going to share an incredibly startling revelation with you. Women don’t like overtly sexual or lewd remarks, particularly from men they don’t know very well. If you’re making comments about a girl’s chest, or trying to get her address or number, or trying to browbeat her into sleeping with you/dating you…I’d not be at all surprised if she blocks you for it. It’s what you deserve for behaving like a walking libido.

4.  What did they think of me?

Some people aren’t your friend, and never will be. Unfortunately, it’s pretty tough to tell who is and who isn’t.

Put it out of your mind, and move on. That’s the best advice I can give you.

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