Having recognized myself as being among the guilty in a recent post on hijacking a thread, and realizing that, as an "old poster", I really should have known better, my first thought was to apologize for doing so (because I am very sorry), but that would have constituted further hijacking of the original thread. So I decided I needed a review or maybe a good definition of "hijacking" that would help me remember not to do it anymore. I did not see it under the "New Posters Read this First" link nor in the "FAQ's" so I hope someone can correct me or improve on my own simplified interpretation of what "hijacking is": Hijacking is when someone posts a comment on a thread which does not relate to the original subject of the thread, thereby taking attention away from the original concern expressed by the original poster. Hijacking can be very easy to do if the subject of the post reminds you of a similar concern in your own experience that you need information on or want help in calming your own fears. Also, starting a new topic will make it easier for others to address the concerns expressed and give them the full attention they deserve. Howzzat?

You can probably rephrase to:

Overloading a thread with own opinions and random banter in attempt to intentionally or otherwise severing prior communication and thus coercing other members to digress from the the original subject of the thread.

We rarely see intention highjacking on this site and it is dealt with as soon as one of us "people in RED" become aware of it.

Sometimes we do have the occasional post that leads to a branch going in the wrong direction. We see those often resolve themselves without our intervention.

I think we play nice in our sandbox.

Hijacking happens. I've had stellar examples in the distant past of hijacking threads, now if I have to interject on a thread to correct vague or erroneous information I keep it short.

When I find it troubling is on new members threads when they are introducing themselves to OCF. The way I see it, how we behave and respond on those threads is their first impression of these forums and it's members. That's our opportunity to focus on them and their issues and concerns and not to branch into long drawn out debates, it's not the place for it. PM's or starting new posts are the way to go about different points of view.

Funny though I don't find changing subjects on an old timers thread very troubling as most of us will have no issues bringing it back to where we need it to be for our subject. Most newcomers won't feel that comfortable with everyone yet and may wonder why they've come to these forums for support.

I like the name hijack though, it sounds cool

Eric

Good points, Eric. I think that often, hijacking is very innocently done though, especially for someone new to the forum who joins a conversation, eager for help and advice and who may ask for information not related to the original question or topic. I'm sure I may have done this in my early, stress-filled days of caregiving, eager for answers and not realizing I was hijacking. But I was always treated ever-so-kindly and given the help, compassion and support I desperately needed. As David mentioned earlier, we do "play nice in our sandbox."

Here are some illustrative definitions of thread hijacking from the Urban dictionary Hijack definitions
As you, David and Eric have noted, most hijacks here are not mean spirited nor intentional. This is an issue that bedevils every forum I've ever seen. Gamers forums are notorious for it, so much so that one site has in its loading pages and the FAQ page this dire warning. The moderators dropped the kind and gentle OCF practice of moving the questions to a new thread after consistent violations.
[quote]Hijacking a thread is when you post a new question in an already established thread. It takes focus away from the original poster's question...
never hijack someone else's.
On the same token, do not bother responding to a thread hijacker. Hijacking posts and their responses will be deleted.
Hijacking is a form of spamming and is not allowed, as per the Board Rules. Up until now, the board team has been moving these posts to their own threads. From now on, however, hijacking posts and their responses will be deleted and the user who hijacked the post will need to create a new thread. Users who repeatedly hijack threads will receive infractions.
[/quote]

I've been guilty of responding to hijackers, especially when i used the Active posts feature and did not scroll back to the OP so mistook the hijack for a subsequent related question. I try to be more careful since many times that is the last we ever see of the OP. Got to hand it to our wonder admins who keep the sandbox clean instead of being a kitty litter alternative.
Keep the Faith
Charm

oops, just found another website forums polite explanation how hijacking can be innocent and not intentionally off topic
[quote]1) Two or more members begin �chatting� in a separate �personal� conversation that really should be done in Private Messages or via email.

2) A member gets inspired by something in a thread and just wants to make a comment that is slightly off topic. Then, along come 10 more members who comment on the off-topic comment.
[/quote]

Plus his analysis had a twist I hadn't thought of:
Can you hijack your own thread? He says it's still wrong to the community.
Thanks for starting this thread
charm

OMG Charm! Thanks for posting this. I may have just done again! I responded to the posts of two people who were not the original poster, even though the subject was related to the OP's subject. As for hi-jacking your own thread, I think you can, and if it's off topic, then it's not "playing nice" imho. Of course, if it's my own original post, I would rather see what others are thinking even if it's off topic, especially if it is from interesting people like everyone else here is. I promise to think and preview a little more carefully before I hit that "submit" button.

sometimes the hijack is of equal interest to the poster and adds depth and a sense of support even if not quite the answer to the question. Maybe we can rename this as "side trip". Sometimes the hijack is done after the question has been addressed and allows for a little levity before coming back on topic. we can call this a "rest stop"?

Or maybe I am justifying my own tendency to hijack threads ...

I am usually happy for anyone to hijack my own threads - it provides a sense of support which is always part of the reason for posting in the first place - otherwise I would just Google everything wouldn't I?

Klo

A good example of those "positive" aspects of hijacking you've identified is the current thread: Courage Conquers Cancer that I started. My original post was a link to a Tabloid style story of how horrific some find the radiation mask process and TX.
It mentioned an older head and neck cancer organization which then triggered very interesting posts and conversations about that organization.
I welcomed the "side trip" ..
Eric mentioned something that I think is important. If the OP is a newbie, then we must be extra careful to focus on their question and concern. Old timers like myself have zero difficulty with "side trips" or "rest stops" but we have already traveled that main highway of TX and complications (sometimes more than once). If it's your first time on the road, it's a different story.
Keep the faith
Charm