# \ declarations **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953 **Category:** About This Message Board **Created:** [February 13, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953 "2003-02-13T23:51:26Z") **Posts on this page:** 12 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo) #### Post date: [February 13, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/1 "2003-02-13T23:51:26Z")
Does it really add anything to declare that your reply is going to be a slight hijack? Given that it allows the reader an advance warning not to read the post if that reader is \ sensitive, but who is it really serving? ---
### Author: ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros) #### Post date: [February 13, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/2 "2003-02-13T23:56:30Z")
I always assumed that a _hijack_ was used to indicate that you wanted a quick answer to something and that you didn’t want too many responses on it. \-Is your last name _Lamas_? ---
### Author: ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy) #### Post date: [February 13, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/3 "2003-02-13T23:58:02Z")
I think it’s done out of respect to the OP, and acknowledgement that the hijacker understands that he/she’s going off-topic. I’ve seen hijacks which go bad, and the subsequent frustration from the OP who tries to bring the thread back on track. So I think a little pre-apology from the hijacker is a good thing. ---
### Author: ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz) #### Post date: [February 14, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/4 "2003-02-14T00:01:03Z")
You are acknowledging that it is “off-the-subject” and you are not trying to steer the thread in that direction. _Of course, it might bother some posters, but not as much as a **drive-by** which is very bothering to almost every poster. What do you think about them?_ ---
### Author: ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros) #### Post date: [February 14, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/5 "2003-02-14T00:09:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > \*\*You are acknowledging that it is “off-the-subject” and you are not trying to steer the thread in that direction. _Of course, it might bother some posters, but not as much as a **drive-by** which is very bothering to almost every poster. What do you think about them?_ \*\* **drive-bys** are quite annoying. Especially if they are really inflammatory. ---
### Author: ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo) #### Post date: [February 14, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/6 "2003-02-14T00:29:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > \*\*You are acknowledging that it is “off-the-subject” and you are not trying to steer the thread in that direction. _Of course, it might bother some posters, but not as much as a **drive-by** which is very bothering to almost every poster. What do you think about them?_ \*\* I don’t like 'em too good. ---
### Author: ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson) #### Post date: [February 14, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/7 "2003-02-14T04:26:21Z")
What I freaking hate is when a _legitimate_ side-issue comes up which has _direct bearing_ on the OP, and the creator of the OP comes in waving their hands and complaining about how their precious thread has somehow been “hijacked” from whatever rigid, totalitarian definition they had in their own mind as to the direction of the thread. It’s troll-like when this happens multiple times in the same thread, too. There obviously has to be some tolerance for legitimate side-issues that do bear on the OP. But drawing that line is difficult, at times. ---
### Author: ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz) #### Post date: [February 15, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/8 "2003-02-15T20:10:50Z")
> [@](#): > > _ **Of course, it might bother some posters, but not as much as a drive-by which is very bothering to almost every poster. What do you think about them?** _ I put the above in Italics to indicate it was a **hijack** and still you took the bait; **hook, line and sinker!** :rolleyes: ---
### Author: ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo) #### Post date: [February 18, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/9 "2003-02-18T01:06:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > \*\*I put the above in Italics to indicate it was a **hijack** and still you took the bait; **hook, line and sinker!** :rolleyes: \*\* Allow me to be so presumptuous to conclude that the antecedent-less “you” above refers to none other than myself. Joke’s on you, buddy: “I don’t like 'em too good” is my best imitation of the me I might have been had I never become educated and thus prone for falling for obvious traps. Buds? ---
### Author: ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz) #### Post date: [February 18, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/10 "2003-02-18T17:40:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lorenzo \* > \*\*Joke’s on you, buddy: “I don’t like 'em too good” is my best imitation of the me I might have been had I never become educated and thus prone for falling for obvious traps. Buds? \*\* No problem, except I’d like to say that I did not intend it as a trap. Sorry if you thought that I was trying to whoosh someone. [ul]😉 [sup]No hard feelings on this end.[/sup][/ul] ---
### Author: ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch) #### Post date: [February 18, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/11 "2003-02-18T18:17:01Z")
Watch out, **kniz**! I don’t think **Lorenzo** is really left-handed! ---
### Author: ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo) #### Post date: [February 18, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slight-hijack-declarations/154953/12 "2003-02-18T23:46:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Munch \* > \*\*Watch out, **kniz**! I don’t think **Lorenzo** is really left-handed! \*\* (raises white flag and surrenders)