# The new rules about hijacks are not being applied seriously **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 11, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354 "2020-09-11T16:19:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/1 "2020-09-11T16:19:12Z")
At the beginning of this year, the Dope administrators announced some [new, welcome rule changes:](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rules-for-great-debates-and-elections-january-2020/845726) \*"\*\ ***Hijacks**. \*_This is, perhaps, the single largest and most important change to the rules in Great Debates and Politics and Elections made in 2020. Staying on topic is a strong goal of Great Debates and Politics and Elections moving forward. Threads exist for a reason. Presumably, the original poster wants to discuss a specific topic. Posts which pull the thread away from that topic are hijacks. Some of these are inadvertent, some are not. Posts that seem intended to steer a discussion away from the original topic may be sanctioned."_ Yet, there are some threads that are being allowed to be completely derailed with no moderator action. One example would be the “[Why are Trump defectors having little effect on Trump’s election chances](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-trump-defectors-having-such-little-impact-on-the-polls-and-trumps-chances/920041/271)?” That thread is currently 277 posts long at the moment, however, only the first hundred posts or so were actually about the original thread topic - Trump defectors and their effect on the upcoming November election. The remaining 170+ posts that followed completely derailed the thread into a different topic - a thread about poverty, racism, being black in America, mental handicaps, social inequality, etc. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/2 "2020-09-11T16:42:57Z")
[I am SERIOUSLY WORRIED that these riots are going to get Trump re-elected - #280](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-seriously-worried-that-these-riots-are-going-to-get-trump-re-elected/919092/280) already got closed for topic drift, note. Yes, mods should be more proactive. Plus that one should have been merged early on with [This is how you blow a very winnable election - #156 by asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-how-you-blow-a-very-winnable-election/919094/156). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/3 "2020-09-11T16:48:19Z")
The question has to be asked in every example: Has this hijack been reported to the Moderators? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/4 "2020-09-11T16:53:04Z")
Yes, I mean I think it should only be an issue if someone (principally the OP) objects and reports it. But if the original narrow topic has run its course and nobody objects, surely there’s no reason for a conversation not to broaden organically - within reason, and within forum parameters. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/5 "2020-09-11T16:55:00Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Yes, I mean I think it should only be an issue if someone (principally the OP) objects I disagree that the OP should be grated special privileges, especially with regard to topics of general interest (as opposed to say, discussion of the OP’s personal life, for example). ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/6 "2020-09-11T16:58:10Z")
Topics will naturally drift somewhat from the original question or topic, which is not necessarily a bad thing. When topics become pissing contests between posters in which a poster is either trying to trigger another with stupid one liners or trying to show “I’m smarter than you are” - that’s when it’s time to pull the curtains on the thread. But even then if it’s just one jackass poster derailing a thread, the Mods can deal with said jackass. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/7 "2020-09-11T16:58:20Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I disagree that the OP should be grated special privileges Yes, I agree. I didn’t mean to imply that the OP has any special right to determine what areas of discussion are relevant to the topic as stated, the mod should determine that. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/8 "2020-09-11T17:45:31Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The question has to be asked in every example: Has this hijack been reported to the Moderators? Yes, I had made a report yesterday. But it’s not just this thread, others have been derailed too. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/9 "2020-09-11T19:11:50Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > > **The question has to be asked in every example:** Has this hijack been reported to the Moderators? > > Yes, I had made a report yesterday. But it’s not just this thread, others have been derailed too.  And did you report the other threads you’re concerned about? (bolding added) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/10 "2020-09-13T02:19:03Z")
Yes, they certainly shoudl be given special privileges, but hardly the final say. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/11 "2020-09-13T02:19:31Z")
Ddi you report it? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/12 "2020-09-13T02:52:47Z")
OP: “Analyze Trump’s public perception.” Response: “What has the public perceived Trump doing?” OP: “Stop derailing the thread.” ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/13 "2020-09-14T14:35:27Z")
Weird, I thought **Riemann** was referring to **Velocity** as the author of this particular topic. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/14 "2020-09-14T14:52:19Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yet, there are some threads that are being allowed to be completely derailed with no moderator action. I can’t speak for moderators, but I can speak for myself. I can also share this from [the thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-start-reporting-what-i-consider-to-be-hijacks-gd/846194) I made in January: > > [@Should I start reporting what I consider to be hijacks? (GD)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-start-reporting-what-i-consider-to-be-hijacks-gd/846194/1): > > > > With the new rules for Great Debates, the staff are clearly calling for more focused threads with less hijacks. There are plenty of posts that I think are hijacks. Should I report them? > > > [@Should I start reporting what I consider to be hijacks? (GD)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-start-reporting-what-i-consider-to-be-hijacks-gd/846194/6): > > > > Yes, you absolutely should. > > > > I really need to crack down on hijacks and wandering threads. The boards will be better served - and threads more focused - by people starting new threads instead of hijacking existing threads. > > > > Don’t worry about reporting. That’s exactly what we’re here for. It’s no trouble at all. I’ve filed a couple reports, but not as many as I should. Sometimes I’ve caught myself and explicitly made spin-off topics. Or asked others to followup in a new topic/private message. I can’t say I enjoy it, and I think it makes me look like I’m using bad-faith tactics to avoid answering direct questions. In [one instance](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-conservatives-or-progressives-more-likely-to-buy-their-child-birth-control-at-age-13/919541) I took an active hijack, which I was not yet participating in but found interesting, and copied the entire discussion to a new topic. In retrospect I probably shouldn’t have done that. I’m not a moderator and what I did looks a lot like moderating. Maybe I should have just reported it and moved on - but I did want to contribute to the discussion a little, which I did in the dedicated topic. I don’t think I bothered reporting this particular instance. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/15 "2020-09-14T14:54:10Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > Weird, I thought **Riemann** was referring to **Velocity** as the author of this particular topic. That’s a weird assumption. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/16 "2020-09-14T15:11:32Z")
I guess _this_ is a hijack, so I’ll spoiler it. > **** > > In my head, there was a bit of mental substitution: > > > **Czarcasm** writes: _The question has to be asked in every [example-that- **Velocity** -thinks-is-a-hijack-with-no-moderator-action]: Has this hijack been reported to the Moderators?_ > > > > **Riemann** writes: _Yes, I mean I think [moderators-not-handling-hijacks] should only be an [issue-worthy-of-an-ATMB-topic] if someone (principally the [OP-of-the-ATMB-topic-in-this-case-Velocity]) objects and reports it. But if the original narrow [topic-Velocity-thinks-has-been-hijacked] has run its course and nobody objects, surely there’s no reason for [that] conversation not to broaden organically - within reason, and within forum parameters._ ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-rules-about-hijacks-are-not-being-applied-seriously/920354/17 "2020-09-14T15:27:47Z")
I got that the referent of “OP” was _theoretically_ ambiguous. And I certainly wasn’t doubting the fact that you are capable of making weird assumptions.