Industry guru Dave Taylor offers tech support on technical and business topics, including iPhone, iPod, Microsoft Windows, Sony PSP, cellphones, online advertising, CSS, Web design, business, Unix, Linux, SEO, Mac OS X, and shell script programming.     


Managing Yahoo Instant Messenger (YIM) Buddy Lists?

I have a few questions about Yahoo! messenger (YIM), since they don't supply customer support. When I add someone to my 'buddies' list, I have one of two scenarios to play out afterwards.

1) The other person logs online and decides to either "accept and allow me" to add them, or to "not accept and not allow me" to add them in which case they disappear from my buddies list, or

2) The other person logs online, but appears to never make the choice about allowing me to add them or not, and they just remain in my buddies list forever.

So my first question is how can #2 happen? Doesn't everyone who has YIM get forced on the screen to make the choice between allowing or not allowing someone to be on the buddies list?

My second question that flows from this, is let's say that I have allowed someone to put me on their buddies list - what if I want to stop that at some point? there is the command that says 'delete friend', but that seems to apply to someone I made a friend from my end, no someone who made *me* a friend from their end....there is also the 'ignore friend' option, but doesn't that just block their message from reaching me (and hence I don't know they are sending it), rather than actually preventing them from knowing when I am on line (as a buddy).

So in other words, once you allow someone to add you as a buddy, how can you ever *disallow that*?


Dave's Answer:

The answer your first question is yes. Everyone who uses YIM receives a dialog box when someone wants to add them. It's only in the latest version that you are actually forced to choose, in older versions of YIM you were able to bypass the "Add Buddy�? process by clicking Cancel.

As for your second question the answer is block. You'll want to "delete friend�? and possibly "ignore friend�? but before you do either of those you'll want to block them that way they won't know when you're online.

To block someone:

1) Right-click their name
2) Select Stealth Settings
3) Choose Permanently Offline
4) Click OK

Here's what the Stealth Settings looks like:

Yahoo Instant Messenger YIM Stealth Settings
After that you need to delete them from your friend's list, then go ahead add them to your Ignore List by clicking Preferences --> Ignore List --> Add and typing their name.

That should address your YIM (Yahoo Instant Messenger) questions, I hope!

Thanks to Mya Leigh for her help with this question.

More Useful Computer and Internet Basics Articles:
✔   How do I blur my house on Google Maps Street View?
I was poking around on Google Maps looking at satellite views of my neighborhood and when I switched to street view, was upset...
✔   Create a custom vanity URL for Kickstarter?
I was reading some updates on Twitter and saw someone had posted a URL that would let me see what projects they'd backed...
✔   Export or Save Subscription List from Google Reader?
Just heard that Google Reader is going away this summer. That stinks! How am I supposed to read my RSS feeds? More importantly,...
✔   Shrink or Reduce a Photo File Size on Mac?
I'm trying to upload some photos to a social media site and it's complaining that they're too big. They are, as they come...
✔   Can I organize my Yahoo Mail with folders?
I've been on Yahoo Mail for years and while most of my friends are now on Gmail or their own Web-based email programs,...

Let's stay in touch!
Sign up for my weekly AskDaveTaylor Newsletter and you'll receive even more tech and gadget help right to your inbox, along with exclusive news and industry updates. It's good stuff. I promise!
    Enter your name: and your email addr:  




Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics   (Article 4692, Written by )
Tagged: yahoo messenger, yim
Previous: How do I create multiple accounts in Mozilla Thunderbird?
Next: How do I download songs to my MP3 player?




Reader Comments To Date: 103

Cindy said, on July 8, 2012 10:37 AM:

Hello Dave
I am on an apple PC and have Yahoo Messenger. It is not quit the same as the other yahoo messenger. I have strange people or strangers ask to be on my yahoo Messenger and i alway chose decline. I was in a hurry and pushed the ignore instead. Now i have this person on my ignore List. I did not even know i had an ignore list on this apple Yahoo Messenger. You see i wish to not have anyone on it. I do not know if they are not planting spyware on my pc or sending me viruses. Please if you would take the time to help me find this ignore list and eliminate all the people that might be on this and delete them off it. Thank you Dave for your time. C

tammyfetterle@YAHOO.COM said, on December 27, 2012 3:02 PM:

i had a yahoo tami19652000@yahoo.com and some one stole it with my friends list can i get it back

susan said, on February 2, 2013 1:04 PM:

How would I know if my I have been deleted or blocked from my friend's list?

Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











I will never send you any unsolicited email. Ever.






Check This Out Too...

 
Look for Answers
Need Help? Ask Dave Taylor!


Follow Me on Pinterest

Find Me on Google+
ADT on G+
© 2002 - 2013 by Dave Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

Note: This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this web site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to my terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. My lawyer says "Thanks".
"Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.