What's the sudden big deal of Hijacking threads?

[mike_n_herrin]

let me run this idea by you (not my idea - wish I could take credit for it but I can't) :

What if every thread started by the thread starter had a signal in it, as to how they felt about hijacks? That is, what if the title of the thread always had an "OPEN" or "ClOSED" in it to indicate whether hijacks were welcome? I.e. (and this is just a hypothetical) "FDA allowed morning after pill with no prescription - CLOSED" and "Pluto is not a planet - OPEN" - what do you think of that idea?

i believe that is the only suggestions that drew and i came up with that might work. back on like page 2. Although you put it much clearer.

[Bradlee]

lol




you were just the first to notice the thread was floundering.

No,there was no other JUB drama worth posting in at the time,and I needed to let people know in my subtle way to lighten up a bit.

[Andreus]

No,there was no other JUB drama worth posting in at the time,and I needed to let people know in my subtle way to lighten up a bit.

or that

didnt want to be rude, but since you went there...

[GL]

So are you saying that it is acceptable for you just to annoy some people because you know best when a thread is finished? And would you find it okay to just start bumping old threads with off topic posts??

Mel, I'm not an idiot. I can tell when a thread is serious and deserves to be treated in that fashion. Conversely, I know the members with whom I can have fun with. I didn't fall of the turnip truck just yesterday.

let me run this idea by you (not my idea - wish I could take credit for it but I can't) :

What if every thread started by the thread starter had a signal in it, as to how they felt about hijacks? That is, what if the title of the thread always had an "OPEN" or "ClOSED" in it to indicate whether hijacks were welcome? I.e. (and this is just a hypothetical) "FDA allowed morning after pill with no prescription - CLOSED" and "Pluto is not a planet - OPEN" - what do you think of that idea?

Works for me.

[slobone]

So are you saying that it is acceptable for you just to annoy some people because you know best when a thread is finished? And would you find it okay to just start bumping old threads with off topic posts??


let me run this idea by you (not my idea - wish I could take credit for it but I can't) :

What if every thread started by the thread starter had a signal in it, as to how they felt about hijacks? That is, what if the title of the thread always had an "OPEN" or "ClOSED" in it to indicate whether hijacks were welcome? I.e. (and this is just a hypothetical) "FDA allowed morning after pill with no prescription - CLOSED" and "Pluto is not a planet - OPEN" - what do you think of that idea?

That's an excellent idea. I was going to start doing something similar myself, by putting HIJACK FRIENDLY at the top of my just-for-fun threads.

And please don't start moving all the fun threads to Fun & Games. Some of us find that forum very annoying and never go there.

And I KNOW you realize that the people who started deliberately hijacking this thread were just doing it as a tease. It was a JOKE!

The mods and admins here are some of the best I've seen on any website, and I respect your point of view. And I certainly don't want JUB to become a democracy, because that would lead to a lot of tiresome bickering.

But when you're contemplating a major rules change, or starting to enforce a rule that hasn't been enforced, maybe at least poll us to see how many people really care?

[Andreus]

i believe that is the only suggestions that drew and i came up with that might work. back on like page 2. Although you put it much clearer.

the idea was Snapcats originally, but lets not forget that people really didnt take to it.

they didnt care to protect their threads from hijacking in the CE&P forum, and believe me, that is an intensely competitive and focused debate forum. the hijacks there are not about fun, they are about a conversation devolving off topic.

If it didnt take off in there, it may not do it in here either.

I think it would be worth a try

[ds_writr]

I don't know what anybody's talking about.

I mean, I've been here like a year and a half and its like there is all this code talk going on.


Wouldn't the title of his thread seem to suggest a question which, if its a question, is best and soley answered by mods and admin?

anything else post posted by anyone else would in effect have to be seen a being Pollyanna-ish, argumentative or if indifferent or light of touch, a "hijack".

How could this thread, after getting an answer from mods & admin, have avoided being or becoming hijacked?

I mean, it doen't have a POLL

remember those? That could be a good tool to gauge how people all "feel" about hijacks.

Why don't we utilize a tool?

[Nightmare]

I purpously leave out polls in most of my threads, because I don't like seeing just numbers. I like actual answers to my threads and everything. Tons of people could agree and disagree to something, but I'd rather see and read why he/she might agree or disagree.

[Goula]

I'm curious as to how those who are saying that everyone who may have wanted to post on the subject already has know that for a fact -- and therefore, it's 'open season' in this thread?

People can be away from home, off on business, taking a vacation, having their computer looked at, caught after a storm with no connexion ... and any of a host of other things. Maybe they just wanted a day or two to think over their opinions by voicing them. The point is that we'll never know.

By doing this, a decision is being made about them: that their opinion doesn't matter. True, conversations may wander from their original topic as things evolve over time, but this isn't a natural evolution, this is a sudden and rapid derangement. It's a form of passive-aggressive flaming that leaves those being flamed, both the active posting participants in the thread, and those who didn't post or didn't have a chance to post, no real way to respond, because it isn't aimed an anyone or anything in particular: it's aimed everywhere, and at everyone, and the end result is to derail the ongoing conversation and make and further conversation impossible. And this isn't just about this particular thread.

[Andreus]

I honestly think that people are not responding because they are afraid to disagree with a moderator, not due to a hijack of any sort.

a day online is a year of virtual life

things move fast. if you dont get the response you hope for in a thread, you just move on, not infer that the people who responded have scared the people who agree with you away.

this isnt a science, its the internet.

I know through years of experience that people are definitely not afraid to disagree with me , so ....

[Nightmare]

Well, this thread was 'saved', because it definitely went back to a serious note. So hopefully the people who haven't had a chance, or feel that they didn't have a chance can input their opinions.

[GL]

I'm curious as to how those who are saying that everyone who may have wanted to post on the subject already has know that for a fact -- and therefore, it's 'open season' in this thread?

People can be away from home, off on business, taking a vacation, having their computer looked at, caught after a storm with no connexion ... and any of a host of other things. Maybe they just wanted a day or two to think over their opinions by voicing them. The point is that we'll never know.

By doing this, a decision is being made about them: that their opinion doesn't matter. True, conversations may wander from their original topic as things evolve over time, but this isn't a natural evolution, this is a sudden and rapid derangement. It's a form of passive-aggressive flaming that leaves those being flamed, both the active posting participants in the thread, and those who didn't post or didn't have a chance to post, no real way to respond, because it isn't aimed an anyone or anything in particular: it's aimed everywhere, and at everyone, and the end result is to derail the ongoing conversation and make and further conversation impossible. And this isn't just about this particular thread.

So what do you propose to do? Heavily police each and every thread and post to make sure everyone is treated equally and fairly? Doesn't that strike you as sort of oppressive? If this was to become the way of this forum, I assure you that you will see members leave.

[Andreus]

fairness as percieved by whom....

and how

and what

[Lube]

So what do you propose to do? Heavily police each and every thread and post to make sure everyone is treated equally and fairly? Doesn't that strike you as sort of oppressive? If this was to become the way of this forum, I assure you that you will see members leave.

I hate to just quote someone and just write "exactly", but that's what I'm gonna do, 'cause I agree with you GL 100%.

Exactly!

[slobone]

I'm curious as to how those who are saying that everyone who may have wanted to post on the subject already has know that for a fact -- and therefore, it's 'open season' in this thread?

People can be away from home, off on business, taking a vacation, having their computer looked at, caught after a storm with no connexion ... and any of a host of other things. Maybe they just wanted a day or two to think over their opinions by voicing them. The point is that we'll never know.

By doing this, a decision is being made about them: that their opinion doesn't matter. True, conversations may wander from their original topic as things evolve over time, but this isn't a natural evolution, this is a sudden and rapid derangement. It's a form of passive-aggressive flaming that leaves those being flamed, both the active posting participants in the thread, and those who didn't post or didn't have a chance to post, no real way to respond, because it isn't aimed an anyone or anything in particular: it's aimed everywhere, and at everyone, and the end result is to derail the ongoing conversation and make and further conversation impossible. And this isn't just about this particular thread.

As I think I've mentioned elsewhere, I spent a lot of time on Usenet before I started coming here, and this is one thing that they handle a lot better. The posts are arranged hierarchically, so people can go off on a tangent without disturbing the main line of the thread.

The reason why this matters is that, as we all know, sometimes the tangents are the best part of a thread. I'd hate to see this forum become so rigid that people are penalized if they deviate in any way from the ostensible topic of a thread. In fact, I'd probably leave if that happened. Most of the posts in Hot Topics are NOT all that serious, and that's what I like about it.

[mike_n_herrin]

I'm curious as to how those who are saying that everyone who may have wanted to post on the subject already has know that for a fact -- and therefore, it's 'open season' in this thread?

People can be away from home, off on business, taking a vacation, having their computer looked at, caught after a storm with no connexion ... and any of a host of other things. Maybe they just wanted a day or two to think over their opinions by voicing them. The point is that we'll never know.

By doing this, a decision is being made about them: that their opinion doesn't matter. True, conversations may wander from their original topic as things evolve over time, but this isn't a natural evolution, this is a sudden and rapid derangement. It's a form of passive-aggressive flaming that leaves those being flamed, both the active posting participants in the thread, and those who didn't post or didn't have a chance to post, no real way to respond, because it isn't aimed an anyone or anything in particular: it's aimed everywhere, and at everyone, and the end result is to derail the ongoing conversation and make and further conversation impossible. And this isn't just about this particular thread.

once again (third time in about an hour) i will suggest this thread be made a sticky for a week or so. And if it will help temporarily remove or hide if thats possible the "hijacked" portion of the thread and allow more time for more members to post.

in the same line of thought goula, i find it curious that there is apparently a perception that hijacking is a serious problem. I haven't seen a thread started on having a problem with hijacks. and if my feable memory serves me, i don't think there have been that many complaints about hijacks. In all due respect i think this is, as GL said, being blown out of proportion.

[Lube]

As I think I've mentioned elsewhere, I spent a lot of time on Usenet before I started coming here, and this is one thing that they handle a lot better. The posts are arranged hierarchically, so people can go off on a tangent without disturbing the main line of the thread.

The reason why this matters is that, as we all know, sometimes the tangents are the best part of a thread. I'd hate to see this forum become so rigid that people are penalized if they deviate in any way from the ostensible topic of a thread. In fact, I'd probably leave if that happened. Most of the posts in Hot Topics are NOT all that serious, and that's what I like about it.

Technically, there is a way to do the hierarchical responses with vBulletin (the software they use here) but for some reason they've disabled it???

[Soilwork]

Meh.

before we get TOO upset, people.. if hijacked threads upset you that much, you have no life and need to get out more.

this is a freaking Forum board, and no amount of trying to insist that YOU are the one holding the conch* is going to change the fact that this is an internet forum and not the real world.

(to kinda hijack this thread while staying on topic)

Some people here seem to have a little trouble separating real life from their online fantasies. They get too much of a kick out of getting all verklempt about things that people post here and go on inane campaings to get back at them.. they take every opportunity to make some passive aggressive post or try to turn the conversation into something that it's not.

But at the same time, there are people (and yes, some moderators) who get on equally inane power trips and start acting like the hall monitor in high school who doesn't understand why everyone doesn't just do what they say.

JUB is what it is, and if people get to extreme in either turning it into their own little place to create drama, act like a fuckwit, play juvenile revenge games and be a dick OR if moderators spend too much time trying to figure out what rule people broke and try to find some way of handing out warnings or enforcing unenforceable rules... it's not going to be what it is anymore.

Quite honestly, it's not nearly as fun here as it used to be which is why I dont' post as much... which I guess is good news for the people who want to make it their own little kingdom, but bad news for the other 98% of us who just come here for a little fucking escapism from our lives.


*this is a Lord of the Flies refrence, which is about a bunch of kids... thought it was fitting.

[3nipples]

Meh.

before we get TOO upset, people.. if hijacked threads upset you that much, you have no life and need to get out more.

this is a freaking Forum board, and no amount of trying to insist that YOU are the one holding the conch* is going to change the fact that this is an internet forum and not the real world.
...

In real life you don't get to control the conversation either. There is no conch.

[Soilwork]

In real life you don't get to control the conversation either. There is no conch.

yeah, that was kinda my point.

[Sausy]

Unless the thread was intended to be serious,I enjoy seeing the unpredictability and interesting directions a hijacking can take a subject.As long as the intent isn't flaming or malicious,and unless it's in a section where hijacking would negatively impact the intent of the discussed subject,there are few sacred cow other subjects that a hijacking would be inappropriate in.Just use common sense,don't take umbrage at the drop of a hat.

[Andreus]

well as I said earlier...

a serious thread hijack looks different from a light one

the serious thread hijacks are usually just a few people going off on a tangent of discussion that doesnt quite fit in the topic.

melody is talking about disruption that is the equivalent of people talking in a theatre during a movie

the posts kind of distract from the focus and if they go on for too long can ruin the readers ability and desire to want to pay attention

i get her point

I dont mind someone asking a freind what the last line was in the flick, but if the guy next to me answers his cell phone and just chatters about nothing it makes me angry

how that applies to this situation and what can be done is the hard thing to figure

at what point does the cure become more meddlesome than the problem?

[Nightmare]

I have no problem with seperating real life and the internet.

[Nonimus]

Let's be honest guys, hi-jacking someone's well thought out thread for the sake of personal attention is just SELFISH!

BY THE WAY - I'm BACK!

Had a wonderful time in Italy - Not gonna be back online permenantly until mid september - LOVE you all and missed you all so much!!!!

[Kahaih]

melody is talking about disruption that is the equivalent of people talking in a theatre during a movie

the posts kind of distract from the focus and if they go on for too long can ruin the readers ability and desire to want to pay attention

It’s bad enough when people decide posting isn’t worth the trouble, but more then once, I’ve seen a well thought out post end up appearing right in the middle of one of these chat-attacks.

Obviously someone has mulled over the subject at hand, taken the time to write out his/her heartfelt feelings, and then had the rug pulled out from under them because by the time they hit the submit button there had already been ten quick-posts of off topic chit-chat. And more often then not, these off topic chit-chatters will not be interrupted. They ignore the poster that was on topic and keep right on going.

I don’t think this happens a lot, but I can’t help but cringe when it does.

And, for the record, I don’t think it’s a big deal if one of the moderators (our friends, guys) steps in to remind us, once in a while, to be a bit more considerate. It’s a reasonable request.

[Andreus]

Hmmm

well a thought out thread deserves the respect of the membership

but lets not be misleading on the events that brought this issue up.

this was brought about because three people made four posts in a spelling complaint thread in the hopes of getting folks to lighten up.

I said this a hundred posts back and I"ll say it again

One

theres a line that has to be drawn. Serious threads are not spelling complaint threads. They do not discuss real life issues or ask for serious advice. they are there to blow off steam. We all groan when we see the misspelt titles and then just move on because we cant do anything to make people know how to spell

two

If we are treated respectfully then we will respond well to a request. if we are treated as children and publicly chastized for something silly then it causes more drama and distraction than any hijack ever could.

Why is this so hard to figure out?

and BTW.... just so we all know.....

Not all mods consider me or you for that matter their friend and vice versa

we are all different people with different interests. Some of us are bound to disagree and some od us are bound to be friends

that is just human nature

Mods are human and while I respect their volunteer time, I do not respect the assumption that their actions are automatically above discussion and disagreement.

Ultimately JD ands Seth make the decisions here, not anyone else.

People we need to see the shades of gray in this issue

if we all look and read we can see that we are all agreeing up to a point.... we just all don't agree on what a serious thread is. And that is a problem that will never go away because human beings just have different tastes and interests.

[mike_n_herrin]

I see neither mod who feels hijacking is a problem has responded to my request to make this a sticky. Why not? Wouldn't that give the thread the chance to be seen and weighed in on by more members? Maybe mods can't make stickies? i thought they could.

As of now we are up to 6 pages here, there have been 1,358 views, 125 replies by 36 different members. I conceed that the thread was at the top of page 2 today when i found it. How many different members will have to give their opinion before we reach a representative sample size and/or how many days of open?

[Andreus]

ehhh

this thread is gray with age. i dont know that anyone cares anymore.

im sure it will rotate into the archives if we stop bumping it.

it would seem the vast majority of people who post are just not motivated one way or the other to contribute their opinion.

[Zeremonie]

I see neither mod who feels hijacking is a problem has responded to my request to make this a sticky. Why not? Wouldn't that give the thread the chance to be seen and weighed in on by more members? Maybe mods can't make stickies? i thought they could.

As of now we are up to 6 pages here, there have been 1,358 views, 125 replies by 36 different members. I conceed that the thread was at the top of page 2 today when i found it. How many different members will have to give their opinion before we reach a representative sample size and/or how many days of open?

I'm reluctant to make things stickies. I occasionally even wonder if people stop looking at the things that are stickies. I figure this thread will die a natural death when guys have stopped answering in it, and sticky threads don't really die a totally natural death.

[mike_n_herrin]

it would seem the vast majority of people who post are just not motivated one way or the other to contribute their opinion.

i suspect you are right. logically that should also suggest hijacking is not as big of a concern as some folks have percieved to be and does not warrent points or the threat of points.

[slobone]

I'm reluctant to make things stickies. I occasionally even wonder if people stop looking at the things that are stickies. I figure this thread will die a natural death when guys have stopped answering in it, and sticky threads don't really die a totally natural death.

Yes, please, no more stickies. It's a pain to have to scroll past them to find the fresh threads, which I do maybe a hundred times a day. And please restrict them to JUB policies and procedures. That Bigotry thread is due for retirement.

[slobone]

Hmmm

well a thought out thread deserves the respect of the membership

but lets not be misleading on the events that brought this issue up.

this was brought about because three people made four posts in a spelling complaint thread in the hopes of getting folks to lighten up.

I said this a hundred posts back and I"ll say it again

One

theres a line that has to be drawn. Serious threads are not spelling complaint threads. They do not discuss real life issues or ask for serious advice. they are there to blow off steam. We all groan when we see the misspelt titles and then just move on because we cant do anything to make people know how to spell

Andreus -- If I'd known that thread was going to be such an irritant to you, I never would have posted it. It wasn't meant that seriously to begin with, and anyway I actually kind of like it when my threads get hijacked -- it shows people are enjoying themselves. Maybe 1% of JUB threads are so important that they shouldn't be hijacked. The rest -- who cares?

[Zeremonie]

I'm sorry for the heartache I've caused here.

Regardless of my strong stance in this thread, I want to make it clear that I would only issue warning points in some extreme circumstance, to be honest. My bark is worse than my bite as a mod.

[slobone]

I'm sorry for the heartache I've caused here.

Regardless of my strong stance in this thread, I want to make it clear that I would only issue warning points in some extreme circumstance, to be honest. My bark is worse than my bite as a mod.

We all know you're secretly a pussycat. (Wait -- do pussycats bark? I know they bite.) And anybody who's a big Eduardo fan can't be ALL bad!

[Lube]

^ Thank you, Zeremonie. I'm glad you listen.