Google+ already has a "block" option for those who want removed from your "circles" — but now Google+ lets you officially ignore someone if they're driving you crazy, but not crazy enough to completely banish them from the social network.
"We want to make sure you can represent your real-life relationships on Google+ — whether you want to connect with someone or not," says Olga Wichrowska, an engineer on the Google+ team on a Google+ blog. The site is "rolling out a new option to Ignore people, in addition to the existing (and stronger) option to Block them."
The "Ignore" option is available in several places on Google+, including in your Notifications and Incoming alerts, as well as your Circles page.
How do you decide between Ignore or Block if you're not sure?
"Ignore means you'll see less of what a person is sharing (i.e., you're just not interested)," says Wichrowska. "Block additionally limits the ways a person can interact with what you're sharing (i.e., you don't want anything to do with them). And in either case, we don't notify the person that you've ignored or blocked them."
"This is brilliant! Thank you, I've been secretly wanting this feature!" said Google+ user Abi Grey in the comments section of the bog.
Another user, Ron Pemberton, wrote he'd like to see "layers" to the Ignore feature, so that irritating users can be pushed out of sight and mind for even an hour at a time.
"Ignore 'Today', 'This Week', 'One Hour,' " he wrote. "Sometimes when people are uploading photos, you get slammed with that in your stream; and one hour would work here."
But user Christian Jay Marshall said he has no need to use Ignore.
"If I want to IGNORE someone I just un-circle them, Honey Badger don't care, Look he's un-circling that user and he doesn't give a c***. Look Honey badger is tuff..."
Related stories:
- Use your real name on Google+ or get minused fast
- Google+ promises heads' up before it dumps your fake account
- Google+ 'screwed up' when it cancelled your account
- Kickoff of Google+ stomps Facebook, Twitter
Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.