Hi-Jacking a Thread Definition

[confused57]

I'm relatively new to forums in general and I want to know proper posting etiquette...more specifically what is considered thread hi-jacking...it's my understanding that it is when someone posts something completely off-topic in a thread, usually requesting help for another unrelated problem they're having.

I've posted replies to threads that are already a page or two long, usually with just one person trying to help someone else; is this considered hi-jacking? I almost feel as if I'm intruding, but I feel like I may be able to offer a possible solution that hadn't been mentioned during the course of the thread.

I've been in the position of helping someone else, attempting to walk them through a solution, that can continue for a couple of pages. Several times, I reach a point that I'm really fumbling to help them any further...kept hoping someone with a little more experience would jump right in; it crossed my mind that maybe they didn't because it may be considered hi-jacking a thread.

I don't expect this to be a long and lengthy thread...but I'd like to know, if someone could clarify this for me...

[adamkane]

What you're talking about is good. In order to help someone, you should try to get as much attention as you can (in my opinion).

Hi-jacking is when someone starts a new topic that doesn't help the original poster. Maybe some forum people will try to hi-jack this thread to show you how it's really done.

[aysiu]

I think a thread has been hijacked if:

1. The off-topic discussion carries on for more than two posts.
2. The discussion is on-topic, but deals more with the hijacker's problem (even if it's a similar problem) more than the original post-er's problem.

Even if forum member A has a problem installing Flash and forum member B also has a problem installing Flash, if they don't have the same error messages, the help for both people can get confusing in the same thread.

[Clay85]

Maybe some forum people will try to hi-jack this thread to show you how it's really done.

In my opinion if the original poster's question has been answered, it's okay to move on if your question is slightly similar (Like Aysiu's example: Same situation, different error message). You already have the attention of the people who have been frequenting the thread, and who know about the hardware/software in question.

I was wondering about forum etiquette as well: Is it bad to post in one forum and if you haven't received a reply to post the same thing in another forum a few days later? Or what about bumping your original thread? Is bumping frowned upon?

/hijaked

Edit: Although I did this to hijack your thread, these are etiquette questions that I have been wondering about. (Feel free to throw tomatoes.)

On a dissimilar note: JUST GIVE ME THE BEANS!

[confused57]

Even if forum member A has a problem installing Flash and forum member B also has a problem installing Flash, if they don't have the same error messages, the help for both people can get confusing in the same thread.

Yes that would get confusing and if they're getting the same error message, one of them may come up with a solution that may help the other...

I was wondering about forum etiquette as well: Is it bad to post in one forum and if you haven't received a reply to post the same thing in another forum a few days later? Or what about bumping your original thread? Is bumping frowned upon?

/hijaked

Edit: Although I did this to hijack your thread, these are etiquette questions that I have been wondering about. (Feel free to throw tomatoes.)

I think most people would like to know proper posting "etiquette", speaking for myself...I wondered about "bumping" also. I won't feel like this thread is hijacked, unless someone posts a link for buying ****** cheep & discreet.

[Clay85]

haha! They call it "v1@gruh" now to get past your e-mail's anti-spam utilities.

[confused57]

haha! They call it "v1@gruh" now to get past your e-mail's anti-spam utilities.

Thanks, I needed a good chuckle...The spammers haven't figured a way past my anti-spam software, yet...

[prizrak]

This is a hijacking of the thread.
Yeah hi jacking is a huge issue, you guys hear about the talk Mark Shuttleworth gave at a panel disccusion on FOSS? It was pretty cool, someone wanna talk about it?
/hijacking
If this topic catches on with others the thread will be hijacked.
Bumping your own thread is considered more or less normal on this forum. This is a very big forum and only threads with recent activity make it to the front page. When you consider that there are thousands of users posting the threads jump around quite a bit and it is possible that your thread is simply overlooked. (Now if you didn't ask the bumping question in the first place this would have also been a hijacking)