Blocking in Facebook with no profile search

July 14, 2009 9:27 PM

Facebook filter: How can I preemptively block someone who has their profile search results disabled?

The block menu in the Privacy menu does not allow me to find the person's profile, although I can see their basic information because we have a previous school or workplace in common. We do not currently have mutual friends or networks in common. Asking someone to friend this person in order to generate a profile result is not an option.

Facebook's Help Center and my Google-fu have been equally unhelpful. Any suggestions before I send a request down the Facebook support rabbit hole would be very welcome.

posted by anonymous to Technology (5 answers total)

If having a friend in common would solve your problem, friend someone who is already friends with them.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:30 PM on July 14, 2009

Do you have a public profile? What would prevent this person from signing up for a new account to see yours? Or do you just want to prevent them seeing your profile by accident? Or being aware you have one?
posted by delmoi at 9:48 PM on July 14, 2009

If you take your name out of search results and lock everything down to "friends only" - what could this person see of yours?

Eventually this person will pop up somewhere - either Facebook will suggest them as a friend, or they will be friends with someone you know. Trust me, everyone I never wanted to see again has come back to haunt me via Facebook!
posted by pinky at 9:50 PM on July 14, 2009

What kind of blocking are you wanting to do? Just stop them from seeing your information? Stop them from seeing you in search results? Stop them from contacting you? Stop your information from showing up in mutual friends' news feeds?
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 5:35 AM on July 15, 2009

I wrote Facebook about this a little while ago. I can't quote their response but the upshot was this: You can type the name into your block list and block any likely hits. If the person has blocked you, he or she won't show up in your search results, so you can't block that person.

Blocking in facebook is twitchy at best, I think. The email I got from FB further explained that if you block Person A, but have mutual friend Person B, when Person A comments on Person B's photo, or status, or link, you will see what Person A has posted. Likewise, if you comment on Person B's photo, or status, or link, Person A will see what you have had to say.

If you block Person A, he or she won't be able to access your profile, or your friends' list, or anything, really, whether you designate that information public, friends-only, networks, or whathaveyou, but when you interact in a space you both have access to, you can see and be seen.
posted by crush-onastick at 6:00 AM on July 15, 2009