re: hijacking a thread

This is very interesting. Maybe it falls under that "read instructions first" idea, instead of jumping in with both feet first! I think on a couple of threads that I may have given the "kiss of death"! The whole thread comes to a stop...maybe I rudely hijacked someone's thread. The wonderful thing about conversations is that unexpected tangents occur and that may be where some of the most interesting subjects come up; we get caught up in the conversation and have to remember what the original subject was. I don't start many threads, but if I do, anyone is welcome to hijack one of mine. It's free for all to join in. I also don't think some of the threads are just "question and answer" posts, but have become conversations between friends and evolve as natural conversations do. This is a good thing. I'd hate to see that quality lost. Maybe we could all just cut each other a little slack, this is too good a thing to mess up! If I step on anyone's toes, I'm sorry.
Sherry

Some threads come to a close after a few posts and others go on for quite a while. Also, sometimes when a thread takes a new direction the discussion may end up on a different forum. Don't worry and keep giving us your input. Remember DG is for everyone.

Charlie

I've no knowledge of any situation you were involved in WCGypsy so I'm not making any comment on you here.

I don't think a change of discussion is a big problem once the initial item has been discussed, sometimes it naturally changes to other things anyway.

There are, however, times when a thread is hijacked quite quickly/before the subject is finished and that's when it's unfair to the thread starter and the other posters. If the thread isn't brought back to the original subject it does spoil it for others who may be looking for information or have something to contribute and want to read other views on the matter. I've seen some really promising threads go that way and sometimes a hijack can be seen as a hostile thing even if the intentions are quite innocent.

I should imagine most of us here, including myself, have been part of a hijack at some point so I'm not throwing any stones at anyone over this but it might be worth a little time for us all to consider the stage the thread is at, if our post has any relevance or suits the general mood of the thread or if it can be the start of a new thread. After all if you are posting about red flowers in a blue flower discussion, perhaps some interesting stuff is being lost or hidden from those wanting to discuss red flowers?

I agree with Baa, sometimes threads do get off on a tangent (usually a fun one!) and that's totally fine as long as the tangent isn't offensive in any way and as long as the original poster has had their question answered. Where I've seen them get ugly is when the tangent is about something controversial where people have strongly differing opinions, then sometimes that takes over the whole thread and you never get the answer to the original question. Honestly, if I was the person who started a thread and I felt that I hadn't got the answer I wanted (or if I had the same question as the original poster and was looking forward to the answer), I would just post again and say hey guys, remember the question I asked at the beginning, any more thoughts on it. And I wouldn't have any hard feelings against the person who hijacked the thread unless I felt they were attacking me in the process.

Baa,
I have no idea whether or not I may have been involved in anything, either. It's just a little strange after reading the posts on hijacking to see all of these little "undercurrents". I guess people being as we are, we should expect anything. Just because we're all gardeners doesn't mean we're perfect!
Sherry

ecrane3, Those were my feelings exactly...I'd just ask again. Sometimes I learn the most interesting things that just popped in there unexpectedly. I enjoy the entire format so much that I don't see much to get upset about. anyway.
Sherry

Very well put, Baa. I know you are correct. I've been surprised to see myself jump into a highjack a couple of times, but at some point I think about how the thread starter must feel to lose 'control' of her own thread. So I've tried to steer the conversation back to the original path.

If a side conversation ensues, I hope that someone will gently apply the brakes, or suggest a new thread for the new topic.

I've been guilty too, but luckily the one who started the thread was gracious and had a sense of humor. I keep that in mind tho and try not to do it. I've also tried to bring the thread back to the original posting if it's something I'm interested in. Conversations do flow sometimes. It's easy to get caught up.

billyporter,
those are words to live by, "be gracious and have a sense of humor", think I'll tattoo that somewhere!
Sherry
edited to spell tattoo correctly. It's not a word I use often in my vocabulary! Still, those 3 t's look a little odd...

This message was edited Jul 4, 2006 2:53 PM

They are aren't they? Inspiration goes to Levilyla for her thread I sort of took over.

billyporter,
I try to have the greatest senseof humor about myself. There may be a thread that's spinning right along and I say something and everything stops...and I have to laugh and as someone else said, think "was it something I said?!"
Sherry

I don't mind at all except when one lady posted a link on my post to her friend's post that was asking for the same plant as I was.I just let it go & my post died-don't know if her friend or her got the plant that I was so much wanting.I only wish them luck

That's so sad!

Hijacking like that I think is very rude! Generally I don't think people ever mean any harm when they go off on a tangent, but I know I would be pretty annoyed if someone did something like that to me. Although if it makes you feel any better, I think anyone who started off reading your thread would have offered you the plant if they had it first, before clicking the link to the other thread.

It was just the way,it was presented in my threat.
I think she could have done it another way,like the other lady.
Post a link to a site or Plantfiles not to a friend's threat asking for the same plant.
Just my thoughts-others may think differently-that's ok.

This message was edited Jul 4, 2006 2:06 PM

I actually found it--if I was looking at the right thread, I think the person just posted the link to the other person's thread because you didn't have a picture and they did, so this person probably thought it would be helpful. Guess that's not quite what I was thinking originally. I still think if anyone had that plant and saw your thread first (even if they went to look at the other one to see the pic), they would give the plant to you, but if they ran across the other person's thread then they would give it to them. But the key thing is that I think the person who posted the link intended to be helpful, the intention seemed to be to show other people what the plant looks like since you didn't have a picture, not to get people over to the other thread instead of yours. Sorry I misjudged!

One lady posted a link to a site where there was a picture only,which I thought was nice & helpful.
The other lady posted a link to her friends threat,which did have a picture but also she stated her friend was looking for the same plant, on my threat,I think this was tacky.
To add:I guess,it's according,to what side of the fence,you are sitting on :)


This message was edited Jul 4, 2006 2:10 PM

I just got the impression both from what she said in her original post and some subsequent posts that her intentions were to be helpful, but different people can interpret things differently so I can see how you could have taken it a different way. If I were her, I would have probably posted a link to Plant Files or something instead. I also didn't get the impression it was her friend that was looking for the plant, just another thread she had run across on another forum that happened to have a picture. But the bottom line is that if you didn't get your plant I still don't think it's because people went over to the other thread and gave her the plant instead--I think most people if they started on your thread would have put you first in line for the plant if they had it, even if they went to the other one to look at the picture. I've also seen other times where someone posts looking for a plant, and a few other people chime in saying they'd like one too, since many times if someone has one seed, cutting, etc they might have several. I don't necessarily think that's rude because I would assume anyone who had the plant in question would give it to the original poster first, then only share with others if they had multiples.