Blocking

Sometimes you need to block, sometimes you get blocked. It's a fact of life on Twitter, so it's a part of life on #TwitterPonies. Here's all you need to know about blocking and being blocked.

Why Should I Block Someone?
Block if you're being harassed. Block if someone is manipulating you, using you, abusing you. Block if someone is trying to draw you into a real-life discussion you don't want, or if they're trying to drag you into some sort of debate about how #TwitterPonies should work you don't want. Block if you've asked someone to leave you alone over and over, and they just won't. Block if you already blocked someone, and they created a whole new alt just to try and talk to you! Block if someone is R34 or getting sexual with you. Block if someone is spamming you. Block if someone is totally out of line. Block anyone who's just using you to get attention. Block trolls.

Block for ANY REASON YOU WANT. You don't even need a reason! Blocking is your right. We all have to block sometimes, because someone keeps @mentioning us and hasn't taken silence or "leave me alone" for an answer. Block because someone is interfering with your #TwitterPonies fun, and you're in danger of being turned off of #TwitterPonies completely.

The golden rule of blocking
Block to preserve your #TwitterPonies experience, to keep having fun, to remain a happy pony living and RP-ing in the world we all love and share and enjoy.

Why Did I Get Blocked?
Don't even ask this question. Ignore anyone who blocks you. Let it roll off your back, pay no attention, continue being a happy pony as if that account never existed. The only answer to "Why did they block me?" is "Who cares?" Return to being a happy pony and having fun.

I Got Blocked, How Do I Fix it?
If someone blocked you, they don't want to talk. They don't want to be told they were "wrong" to block you. They don't want to hear anything from you at all. Trying to reach out past the block is only going to annoy them, frustrate you, drag other people into it, and ruin your own fun. Instead, spend that effort being a happy pony and returning to your own role-play.
 * What did I do wrong? Maybe nothing. Maybe something. It does me no good to try and find out anyway, so who cares.
 * Maybe I can fix it somehow? Don't try.
 * They were wrong to block me! So what, people are wrong on the Internet all the time.
 * I can fix this if they'll just talk to me! No, you can't.

I Got Blocked, What Should I Do?
It's awful to get blocked! It hurts, it's against the very ideas of friendship and inclusion #TwitterPonies is all about. But that's life on the Internet, you can't do anything about it.

Ignore it, return to your role-play. If you're upset, talk to the @mlp_Mod, who will send you to this page and help any way they can (which isn't much, no one can force someone to unblock).

I Got Blocked, What Shouldn't I Do?

 * DO NOT attempt to talk to/reach the person who blocked you.
 * DO NOT ask other people to @mention or Direct Message or OOC the person who blocked you.
 * DO NOT ask anyone else to intercede with you.
 * DO NOT ask the @mlp_Mod for more than advice: they can only advise, not act as go-between.
 * DO NOT make the whole thing public! DO NOT "sigh" and "cry" and "complain" either IC or OOC. DO NOT get loud with how this depresses you or makes you feel awful. DO NOT try to poison other people against whomever blocked you. DO NOT try to get revenge or publicly vent your rage and frustration. DO NOT campaign to get others to block the person who blocked you "to make them see how they like it." The absolute worst thing you can do is drag everyone else into it: all this will do is prove to people you can't handle it, ruin others' fun times, add drama and distract your friends from having fun. If you need to talk about it, talk to the @mlp_Mod PRIVATELY via DM, who may give tough advice, but it'll be the right advice.
 * DO NOT go public with threats of leaving #TwitterPonies, closing/deleting your account, going away forever, and so on. Are your feelings hurt? Sure, but the right move isn't to loudly say you're going to take your ball and go home: ignore the block, return to having fun as a pony.
 * DO NOT use your alts, or find alts of the person who blocked you, to reach them and try and "fix" it.
 * DO NOT let all this end your fun!

I Can't Stand Being Blocked, It's Ruined #TwitterPonies for Me!
If someone blocking you is all it takes to ruin your #TwitterPonies fun, then you need to take a break. No one person should have that much power over you. This is only pretend ponies on the Internet, after all. Relax, take some time off (DO NOT announce it, just leave for a while) and let time pass. A little distance may be all you need to come back refreshed and ready to be a happy pony.

A "Mane 6" or Other Major Account Blocked Me!
The Princesses, the "Mane 6" accounts, the most heavily used show characters, all understand they enjoy special responsibilities: they really would rather not block anyone. But they are high-profile, and sometimes they feel they have to block, and maybe they just blocked you.

YES, this may impact your enjoyment of #TwitterPonies: after all, everyone else is reacting to things you can't see now that you're blocked. Still, there's nothing you can do about it, so either follow some other account (that is, if @mlp_Spike blocked you, there are plenty of other Spikes you can follow, and you can even make your own Spike and RP all you want with him).

So you'll just have to deal with being blocked by one of these accounts. It's no fun, but that's life on the Internet. See above for all the things NOT to do.

The @mlp_Mod Blocked Me!
This is extremely rare. The @mlp_Mod tries to follow everyone who is playing in #TwitterPonies. But some people are not here in good faith: they're here for strange sexual reasons, to sell you something, to work out their internal problems, to get attention, to "game the system" or accuse Mod (or someone else) of not "following the rules" (forgetting that there are only two rules: follow Mod and have fun). Some people simply won't listen and try to keep the @mlp_Mod talking simply for the attention or to have someone to complain to.

When someone has proven to the Mod's satisfaction that they are too immature, disturbed or trollish/spammish to reason with, and the only option for Mod now is to block.

If the @mlp_Mod blocked you, treat it like any other block. Ignore it. Remember, no one can be compelled to follow you, not even the @mlp_Mod.

My Friend Got Blocked and They're Going Crazy!
The moment someone gets blocked, they can no longer talk to the person who blocked them. They can't find out why, or apologize, or complain to them, or beg for a second chance, or even blow off steam by calling them names. They're cut off from the person that just blocked them: this is frustrating and emotional.

So maybe they don't take it well and start going public. They cry and sigh and lash out In Character or Out of Character, they shout to whomever will listen how unfair it all was. Or worse, they make threats of leaving #TwitterPonies forever or even violence or suicide (see below).

If you're a friend following their account, your feed is going to flood with their posts, the rage, the tears, the anger, the frustration, threats and more. You're going to want to say, "What's wrong!?" and ask, "What happened!?" It's only natural, you're a friend, and we all believe in the power of friendship to do magic.

You have two real choices at this point, neither is wrong, but you should make your choice with open eyes:
 * 1) Jump in and try to help them, calm them, and so on. If so, do this PRIVATELY through Direct Messages. If you wade in, remember there's nothing you can really do except provide support and advice.Realize that all this is going to take away from your fun, distract you from being a happy pony, and maybe even hurt the person you're trying to help (they might feel guilty for dragging you into it). Do not, under any circumstances, try to talk to the blocker, act as a go-between, or insert yourself as a peace-maker or problem-solver! 
 * 2) Do nothing. Yes, it may hurt to see your friend upset, and you may even see other people jumping in, but sometimes just letting it go is the right move. A little time, the person will calm down. Time helps a lot, people adjust, and because you didn't add your voice, things calmed down faster and fewer folks got involved. This is often the best move. Do not, under any circumstances, try to talk to the blocker, act as a go-between, or insert yourself as a peace-maker or problem-solver!

I Blocked Someone and Now Other People Are Interfering
Okay, nothing you can really do. You blocked someone and they didn't take it in a mature, responsible adult way. Instead they ran screaming to their friends, or sighing, or crying, or making threats of leaving forever or of violence and suicide (see below).

This person has riled up their friends, and now those friends are trying to "fix" it and keep reaching out to you, usually to ask "why did you block?" or "what did they do wrong?" or to tell you the person is "really sorry and just wants to talk." Do not, under any circumstances, engage with these friends. Their hearts are in the right place, but if you respond, you're just escalating the whole thing.

The best thing to do is shut it down quickly. I like to say something like this: You're only trying to help, but I blocked this person, I don't want to talk about it, and if you keep asking, I'll have to block you too.

That sounds harsh, but it's actually helps the friend! They know not to waste any more time or effort on this, and that will defuse the situation more quickly. And yes, if the friend persists, you do have to block them too. Sorry, that's life on the Internet: when you block someone, there are repercussions, and you may have to block more. There's no way around it. Remember the Golden Rule (above) and do what you must to preserve your enjoyment of #TwitterPonies. Return to being a happy pony and having fun as soon as possible.

Violence, Suicide Threats, Death Threats: the Special Block
Just about everyone who blocks does it as a last resort. However, there are some cases where you should block almost instantly.

Instantly and permanently block anyone who @mentions you who:
 * Threatens suicide (see NOTE below).
 * Threatens you or someone else with Real Life (RL) violence or aggression of any kind.
 * Threatens to seek you out RL in any way that makes you uncomfortable.
 * Suggests committing any sort of Real Life (RL) crime or illegal or dangerous or aggressive act.
 * Attempts to draw you into any Real Life (RL) situation that makes you uncomfortable.
 * Confesses to any sort of Real Life (RL) crime or past criminal act.

NOTE: The Special Case of the Suicide Threat
Sad to say, some people threaten suicide. If someone threatens suicide to you, remember you are NOT a mental health professional, you are NOT a suicide prevention hotline, '''you may do more harm than good, particularly by keeping them from getting the professional help they need from someone else! '''We are all #TwitterPonies in part because we love the idea of MLP:FiM where friends help others, but sometimes we're not equipped to help, and admitting that to ourselves is being Honest in the most important way.

To anyone who threatens suicide, you should direct them to any online suicide-prevention emergency resource you feel could help them (such resources exist for everyone, even players in countries without phone suicide prevention hotlines). '''Then you should excuse yourself, wish them luck, and BLOCK THEM. That sounds harsh, but it's the right move: it propels them to find the help they really need, and keeps them from thinking they can get real help from anyone who will listen to them.'''

Also, don't forget there are some people who threaten suicide for no other purpose than to get attention. Such people are pretty disturbed, and blocking them is the right thing to do anyway.

The Formula for Success
The basic formula for success in TwitterPonies: The closer you adhere to the spirit and letter and play your character accounts within the letter and spirit of the following guidelines, the more likely you are to get Followers, avoid Blockers, be Included in conversations and adventures and have fun.

The converse is true also: the further you stray from the formula, the fewer followers you'll get, the less involved you'll be in conversations or adventures, and you might get blocked.

Read More
You've read this far, PLEASE read these pages as well. Yes, all of them. It's the secret to a fun time, and it'll keep TwitterPonies drama-free for all: The choice is yours. None of these are rules.
 * Applejack’s Ten Tips for Twitterponies
 * Attracting Followers
 * Character Troubleshooting
 * Differences Between Twitterponies and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
 * Golden Rules of TwitterPonies
 * Guidelines
 * Roleplaying Guide
 * The_Answer to Bad RP is Great RP
 * TwitterPonies "Do"s and "Don't"s
 * TwitterPonies: How It Works
 * How To Say "No"
 * The Yellow Card
 * Blocking
 * Advanced RP for Experts