How to respond to thread-jacking?

[dex]

Is there anything I could/should have done as the OP to keep the thread on topic? Was the "report thread" button the wrong way to contact the mods about this? In this situation, is it appropriate for non-mods to ask people whose OT comments are taking over, to start their own thread? Is it OK for me to start a new thread on the same topic as my original question and/or the Governance links?

How about saying to a the hijacker - 'don't thread jack; start another thread about that ...

 

[HsiaoChu]

Come on Z, in one post you are supporting the idea of keeping threads on subject, but as soon as someone waves bacon in your face, off you go down a different path

I'm reformed. I attended the 12 step program on learning to RENT the thread rather than buying it.

And given the choice, I think a good bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich WITH MUSTARD trumps threads anyday.

I remember when I was in college I was sent to the Dean's office for failing to attend Chapel on Tuesday mornings---- which in 1969 was required of everyone. I went and I was wearing my green striped 10 inch wide bell-bottoms, and my cordoroy sport jacket. He said, "NICE THREADS!" I KNEW THEY WERE. But I couldn't understand a word he was saying, and really couldn't tell him that the words he was saying we being diluted by the flames coming off the top of his head. But that was 41 years ago. And he's dead now.

When my class graduated two years later, while we were putting on our caps and gowns, He came in to make an annoucement. We waited with baited breath. He said, "Goodby, and Good Riddance." My class has the lowest giving rate of any class in school history.

What goes around comes around.

 

[Amethyst]

What is the exact age range for a Cougar?

 

[Bestwifeever]

How about saying to a the hijacker - 'don't thread jack; start another thread about that ...

This is a good solution too with the appropriate smiley ( , not !).

 

[RonBoyd]

The more things stay the same:

Can't we all just get along?

 

[Nords]

I regularly visit the bogleheads' forums but gosh, they are so serious over there and the moderation is so stringent that it makes for a dry, boring, and repetitive read. No thank you.

That site is a good resource and I pop in from time to time, but yeah, they are *very* strict on enforcing rules about OT topics. Imagine the HOA from Hell and all of its draconian restrictions and enforcement, and then double it. That's about what the moderation looks like there.

It is a good resource, that's why I keep visiting regularly. But I only spend a few minutes per day there. I can spend hours lingering on ER.org if I don't watch it.

And they have about 400 threads there for every 100 threads here, with no easy way to figure out which discussions you've been participating in.

 

[Katsmeow]

The Boglehead forum is a great forum. It is a little hard to find stuff there and it isn't as fun as this one, so to speak.

Overall I think that moderation on this forum is just about right. I've done a great deal of forum/mailing list moderation in the past and know just how hard it can be. Of course some forums are harder to moderate than others (the ones where I've mostly been moderating teenagers and young adults spring to mind). But moderation this one has a really nice balance overall.

 

[Meadbh]

The Boglehead forum is a great forum. It is a little hard to find stuff there and it isn't as fun as this one, so to speak.

Overall I think that moderation on this forum is just about right. I've done a great deal of forum/mailing list moderation in the past and know just how hard it can be. Of course some forums are harder to moderate than others (the ones where I've mostly been moderating teenagers and young adults spring to mind). But moderation this one has a really nice balance overall.

Moderation in moderation?

 

[stevenst]

I never have any of these problems, because I use a Mac, or Firefox, or Ubuntu. You should, too.

Steve

 

[haha]

I regularly visit the bogleheads' forums but gosh, they are so serious over there and the moderation is so stringent that it makes for a dry, boring, and repetitive read. No thank you.

Some people are dry, boring, and repetitive, so they like dry, boring, and repetitive threads.

If a thread I started went OT before I got my answer I would assume either than I didn't phrase my introduction welll, or that the topic just didn't interest members.

Isn't it natural that some things will be found less interesting than others? We are volunteers, we don't work for the board or the original poster.

Ha

 

[Westernskies]

My SIL "needs" 23K right away, but it falls outside my 4% SWR. Should I sell the motorhome?

 

[Westernskies]

And given the choice, I think a good bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich WITH MUSTARD trumps threads anyday.

Some responses are worse than dry and boring...

 

[RonBoyd]

My SIL "needs" 23K right away, but it falls outside my 4% SWR. Should I sell the motorhome?

Yes. Talk to W2R. She was on the bubble a week ago.

 

[HsiaoChu]

What is the exact age range for a Cougar?

YOu mean how old do they live, or how old do you have to be to own one of the cars of that name, or something else?

 

[harley]

What is the exact age range for a Cougar?

18-20 years in captivity and slightly longer in the wild.

 

[Westernskies]

What is the exact age range for a Cougar?

It depends. With sufficient prey, some of them can live for decades in urban or suburban habitat.

 

[MichaelB]

What is the exact age range for a Cougar?

35 years, but some are still out there Mercury Cougar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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[Alan]

I'm disappointed that "More Pension Woes" has been shut down. My original question got completely swamped by an off-topic argument that consumed between 2/3 and 3/4 of the thread. I tried early in the diversion of the thread to get it back on track with a humorous remark, then yesterday used the "report thread" button to ask the moderators to take action (relocate and rename the hijacked thread and put the original question and the very relevant link that was added Tuesday night into its own new thread). That request either never got through or was turned down, the OT argument started up again, and now the thread is closed before there was much chance to discuss the info in the links from Governance magazine. I've looked at some and they are exactly the sort of info I was trying to get.

Is there anything I could/should have done as the OP to keep the thread on topic? Was the "report thread" button the wrong way to contact the mods about this? In this situation, is it appropriate for non-mods to ask people whose OT comments are taking over, to start their own thread? Is it OK for me to start a new thread on the same topic as my original question and/or the Governance links?

At this point there are ~41 replies to your original question and I count ~20 as off-topic. I guess a 50% ratio is going to be the norm for this site (and this thread is still fairly short)

 

[FUEGO]

At this point there are ~41 replies to your original question and I count ~20 as off-topic. I guess a 50% ratio is going to be the norm for this site (and this thread is still fairly short)

I think this thread begs for OT responses though.

 

[FUEGO]

My SIL "needs" 23K right away, but it falls outside my 4% SWR. Should I sell the motorhome?

I think I have started a new board meme.

My [insert desperate relation here] needs $23K immediately for [insert pointless need here], should I [insert drastic wealth damaging action here]?

Although, as usual, the responses were very helpful to let me work through the thought process.

 

[Alan]

I think this thread begs for OT responses though.

Very true, but I think it is typical of what goes on. Someone throws out an OT post and off we go.... It's very amusing looking on from the outside, for example I was interested in watching the public pension thread and eventually we ended up at the ash cloud from the Fffffing volcano in Iceland

 

[Walt34]

I like bacon.

I do too, but Chevys are better than Fords.

 

[Purron]

Know what's worse than having your thread hijacked? Few or no replies. Happened to me more that once and I always think "well, that went over like a lead balloon".

 

[Alan]

Know what's worse than having your thread hijacked? Few or no replies. Happened to me more that once and I always think "well, that went over like a lead balloon".

I know - been there and done that

My solution to being ignored and feeling like a voice in the wilderness was to become a moderator

 

[Bestwifeever]

Know what's worse than having your thread hijacked? Few or no replies. Happened to me more that once and I always think "well, that went over like a lead balloon".

That's why I hardly ever start a thread! What I think is really really interesting doesn't seem to strike others as so. So I'm happy being a follower.

I do try to make at least one pertinent post to a thread before going down comedy lane or throwing in a new idea (both of which no one finds interesting either! Who says the Internet isn't like real life).