The Oxford English dictionary gives this definition of forum:
• noun (pl. forums) 1 a meeting or medium for an exchange of views.
Am I the only one who feels that there a touch of the kindergarten about all this? Our two moderators do an excellent job of ensuring that the content of posts is decent and not abusive in any way. Do we really need a specific function to ignore other members? With such a large and diverse membership it is inevitable that we will not all share the same view, nor will we have the same personalities. The richness of such a forum is derived from the opportunity to learn from others and to appreciate, or at least consider, a viewpoint that is different to our own. We may choose to contribute or counter a post or we may choose to ignore it after reading. The key point is that views are heard. Selective exclusion of members from our own personal space benefits nobody. How can anyone effectively contribute to a thread if they only have a partial view?
I'll get off my soap box now! Someone else, indeed anyone else, can have a go.