# What to do about hijacks? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 9, 2023, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509 "2023-02-09T04:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/61 "2023-02-10T15:21:06Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I thought of an example: Thank you both for moving that particular hijack to its own thread and for reminding us about it here. I knew that there had been some recent examples, but my so-called brain didn’t dredge any up while I was writing the OP. So I guess my suggestion for the mods, where appropriate and feasible, is to consider making such transplants more frequently, especially when the topic of the hijack is more substantial, as in that case, and the anthem hijack I mentioned above. As for matters of lesser import, like chicken and waffles (IMHO), just a gentle request from the OP or any annoyed Doper to stop or move it is generally acceptable? Would it be rude or inappropriate for someone tired of a hijack to start a new thread, quote a few of the hijack posts in the OP, and ask people to continue the subject there? I don’t remember anyone who was not a mod, or possibly a participant in the hijack, ever doing that, but it is another possibility. A bit too pushy, though? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/62 "2023-02-10T15:26:56Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Would it be rude or inappropriate for someone tired of a hijack to start a new thread, quote a few of the hijack posts in the OP, and ask people to continue the subject there? I don’t remember anyone who was not a mod, or possibly a participant in the hijack, ever doing that, but it is another possibility. A bit too pushy, though? That is actually recommended. I believe @Max_S has done this many times already and I know some other posters have also. But ask them to continue the hijack in the new thread politely and don’t ask more than once as that it close to Jr. Modding and getting pushy. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/63 "2023-02-10T15:30:23Z")
Okay, thanks. (BTW, I’m amused that my thread on hijacking was semi-hijacked by the discussion about @Velocity’s hijacks.) ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/64 "2023-02-10T15:34:10Z")
This has probably been brought up before, but I find it odd to have “breaking news” in a forum titled Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share. The title itself describes itself as dull and pointless. Then we stick **_very important_ _actual breaking news_** in there with different rules than the rest of MPSIMS. Would the community push back against an actual Breaking News forum that consistently moderates against hijacks? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/65 "2023-02-10T15:42:33Z")
In a breaking-news thread I would have had to mod myself for that one. But here I’m pretty sure it was on subject enough as a real time example if nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/66 "2023-02-10T15:45:37Z")
As OP and Junior Mod, I decided to cut you some slack this time. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/67 "2023-02-10T15:53:24Z")
> [@Ssounder](#): > > This has probably been brought up before, but I find it odd to have “breaking news” in a forum titled Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share. Yes it has been brought up before. > [@We should re-name the MPSIMS forum to just "Stuff I must share"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-should-re-name-the-mpsims-forum-to-just-stuff-i-must-share/963268): > > Much of MPSIMS is mundane and pointless. But much of it is not. Right now, the breaking news thread on the Ukraine war thread is running there. On Sept 11, the was also a long thread. There are threads about the death or illness of fellow Dopers, etc. That’s all pretty serious stuff…and the forum title should reflect it. A while back, the mods re-named General Q to Factual Questions…A very simple change, and a good one. I suggest we do the same with MPSIMS. > [@Ssounder](#): > > Would the community push back against an actual Breaking News forum that consistently moderates against hijacks? I don’t think that there are enough of those kinds of threads to warrant an entire forum. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/68 "2023-02-10T16:02:48Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > (BTW, I’m amused that my thread on hijacking was semi-hijacked by the discussion about @Velocity’s hijacks.) I had also spotted this irony and nearly commented on it. All I can say is that I feel responsible and I apologise. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/69 "2023-02-10T16:07:06Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I don’t think that there are enough of those kinds of threads to warrant an entire forum. Yes, this. Plus the tag works almost like a subforum if you want to navigate that way. ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/70 "2023-02-10T16:25:21Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Yes it has been brought up before. Thanks. I just read that thread and the best reason I can make out is tradition and some possible admin quirk (tags) which I didn’t follow. The OP asked what to do about hijacks, so I just thought it might help to create a logical, easy to understand space that is clearly not for hijacks. ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/71 "2023-02-10T16:33:22Z")
I missed this part while posting. Is it possible that there are less breaking news subjects because there’s no specific place for it? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/72 "2023-02-10T16:34:12Z")
Maybe, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/73 "2023-02-10T16:41:19Z")
Tags don’t work nearly as easily as forums on my phone. I basically never search by tag, because it’s too much of a pita. I tried for a while, and stopped. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/74 "2023-02-10T16:47:01Z")
Maybe I’m just an old fart\*, but I’ve ever gotten in the habit of using tags here, or anywhere else they’re available. \*“No maybe about it!” shouts everyone who knows me. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/75 "2023-02-10T16:54:04Z")
> [@Ssounder](#): > > Would the community push back against an actual Breaking News forum that consistently moderates against hijacks? I think this is a great idea. There may not be many BN threads, but if they are going to be modded more strictly, it would make sense to set them apart. And I am another one who is entirely oblivious to tags. The serve me absolutely no purpose. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/76 "2023-02-10T16:58:14Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I was really upset by the closing of that thread because it was my go-to source of information and entertainment about the Musk/Twitter fiasco. The re-opened thread has thrived in the Pit (currently at 3155 posts) and I’m always interested to see updates. I have no idea what the complaints you got were based on – maybe folks who are allergic to the Pit? The Pit thread remains a great source of news, rumours, and general discussion. ⁢ Really? Because what I see is a constantly hijacked thread. One poster is against the concept of the thread, trying to argue that Musk is just doing 5D chess, and is constantly pushing everyone to defend that the thread exists. This seems to take up far more posts than the ones on the actual topic of what’s going on with Twitter or Musk. It’s one thing to have commentary about the actual news. It’s another to have to constantly defend the idea that the news is legit. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/77 "2023-02-10T17:08:05Z")
For the record, @What_Exit I really appreciate your running a tight ship in the Ukraine thread. It’s still breaking news in that new things are happening every day, and it serves as a useful news aggregator. It shouldn’t degenerate into dicussion of nuclear war or what an ass Musk is. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/78 "2023-02-10T17:15:37Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > For the record, @What_Exit I really appreciate your running a tight ship in the Ukraine thread. It’s still breaking news in that new things are happening every day, and it serves as a useful news aggregator. It shouldn’t degenerate into dicussion of nuclear war But if Russia eventually launches a nuke, we’d be able to discuss it in that thread _then,_ right? Even if we can’t yet discuss it there now? ---
**Author:** ![Ssounder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@Ssounder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssounder)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/79 "2023-02-10T17:28:56Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > But if Russia eventually launches a nuke, we’d be able to discuss it in that thread _then,_ right? Even if we can’t yet discuss it there now? I can see it now: _My face just melted off_. “That’s not breaking news. You’re banned”. -jk ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509/80 "2023-02-10T17:36:20Z")
If Russia launches a nuke that’s in any way related to Ukraine, of course it can be reported there. But if that happens, you bet your booties there will be a lot of other stuff people want to discuss, and a lot of that should go on another thread. Or several other threads. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-hijacks/979509.md?page=5)