*** All Members - Please Read ***

[carlie]

I am posting this issue, in this forum because I feel it is

the most widely viewed forum.

Lately we are having quite a bit of hijacking on topics / threads.

This is an issue we all need to pay a bit more attention to as it detracts

from helping one another and just starts a bunch of confusion.

What is hijacking ?

"Thread hijacking is the process of replying to an existing thread with a different topic.

This is generally discouraged.

It is better to start a new thread if you have a problem that is related to an existing posted issue but clearly different. Posts that hijack a thread with off-topic discussion are also discouraged."

How about we all try to be a bit more courteous and if what you are going to post

into the OP's topic does not relate to their topic - start a new topic of your own.

Here's an example of topic / thread hijacking from Urban Dictionary.

"Below is a thread, consisting of an original posting and commentson that original posting. They illustrate a thread hijacking.

original posting: I'm so excited that my cat has learned to use the toilet with City Kitty! The training seemed like it took forever, but it's so worth it to not have to deal with a litter box any more! Has anyone else done this?

comment 1: Ugh! I just started training my cat, but he can't seem to move beyond the orange stage. How'd you get through that?

comment 2: I'm training my dog at PetCo classes.

She's very smart. She learns the commands faster than the other dogs.

comment 3: I'm training my dog in PetCo classes too.

They have great trainers. They're patient with the dogs and the people.

Comments 2 and 3 are off topic and are hijacking this thread.

The person who made comment 2 should have started their own thread.

The person who made comment 3 is guilty of continuing the hijacking."

[free_spirit_etc]

Thanks for clarifying that. But an outright h*jack is easier to notice than a gradual shift. And I think the drifts happen a lot; where there is some content about the original post, but additional content also, and the thread starts following the direction of the additional content, until it changes directions again. It is sometimes harder to know what to do in those situations . I think because sometimes issues overlay each other and what started out being one issue becomes another issue. It is sometimes hard to get issues to fit into well drawn lines. And I am not talking about just outright h*jacking. But it is kind of like even in normal conversation, the topic seems to flow from where it started. So it is kind of human tendency to follow the flow rather than stay very restricted and limited to one topic.

But I do understand that you would like us to stay on point as much as possible, and certainly not just h*jack a thread.

But this topic (including starting new threads) raises another question. What is the appropriate way to do that? If you want to respond to someone in the drifted thread, it is kind of hard to start a new thread, because you are responding; not asking a question. Do you just start a new thread and post a link and hope they follow you over to the new thread?

Also -- Is it okay for the OP to move the thread in a different direction? Sometimes with one issue answered, there are more, and very different questions. So the thread can shift then. But if they start a new thread, with the new issue, they have to move relevant info over from the other thread, or people have to go over and check. Or people are responding with limited information, because they weren't following the other thread. Sometimes that aggravates people and they admonish the poster for starting a different thread. Or sometimes a poster has several issues and post several different threads and they are told to put it all in one thread.

I am really not trying to be difficult. But I am not always sure of the protocol - even on the threads I have started -- wondering if the topic has changed from the original topic enough that I should start a different thread as a starting point, or if I should just keep moving in a different direction in the ongoing thread. Sometimes it seems like either way you go, someone might get aggravated.

Again, I am not trying to be difficult.... It just isn't always clear cut what is the best choice.

[carlie]

It's really pretty simple everyone -

just try to stay with the OP's topic.

If it starts shifting - start a new topic.

[Notorious Kelly]

There's a raccoon been coming on my porch lately- any ideas on humane way to drive him off?

[carlie]

There's a raccoon been coming on my porch lately- any ideas on humane way to drive him off?

Another good example of off topic hi-jacking : - )

[Philip Rogers]

There's a raccoon been coming on my porch lately- any ideas on humane way to drive him off?

NK - why dontcha drive your porch to another location or are you set up somewhere now? ;-)

pr

[carlie]

This topic was started on a serious note to try and help the

flow of information.

Obviously - it has been hi-jacked - so now it's closed.