[quote=@HeySeuss]
I doubt I'm the only one that thinks this is a good design feature at this point.
[/quote]
I don’t particularly agree that this is a good design feature. In terms of modern standards of message boards, the status bar existing to promote community and communication on the right-hand side of the website is pretty much a good feature. The problem lies in not the utility of the status bar nor its existence but rather the people who choose to abuse it to harass others or spam the page. I understand that the issue with the abuse of the system is a relevant concern, of course, but the fact that people [i]want[/i] to [i][b]hide[/b][/i] the status bar is a big issue that the moderation staff might have to address sooner rather than later.