Forums / Maintenance / Suggest Ideas

6,926 total conversations in 572 threads

+ New Thread


Threadjacking [edit: has been] a problem [and is being addressed in feature development]

Last posted Dec 31, 2009 at 12:51AM EST. Added Dec 30, 2009 at 02:34PM EST
88 posts from 16 users

@skankin

Threadjacking image macros say otherwise.

@watcher

What you basically just did can be considered a threadjack.

First of all, you need a thread. Secondly, you need a person who has something of interest to say that's not related to the thread at all. Thirdly, you've got other people who want the thread to go in that new direction and the thread is jacked. Fourthly, you've got the other people who want to keep the thread on track raging at the derailment of their thread. Nothing much to it really.

This is how we're going to deal with threadjacking:

1. The Karma System:

One new feature that's very near completion is the Karma System. Each user will have a Karma rating. Karma points can be given and docked from each user, by each user. If a user hijacks a thread and a lot of other users are unhappy about it, they can dock karma from the threadjacker.

Believe me, I think the Karma system is going to introduce a whole new dynamic when it comes to the types of posts people make.

2. Posts may be deleted by mods:

This feature is already available to admins. We mostly hate to censor anybody, but threadjacking occurs so often that most threads seem to eventually corrupt into off-topic chatter. In some cases, admins may just delete the off-topic comment; especially within Meme Research threads.

3. Some of it is okay.

There are a lot of "general discussion" types of threads that threadjacking is completely fine in. But until we have the forums properly divided, we'll just have to judge each thread as a unique thread where the circumstances of the threadjacking are up for debate. There are some threads that upset most of the users, and get bombarded with baby animals. A lot of times this happens for the best.

4. You won't be banned for it.

A lot of admins, myself included, have taken part in a threadjacking or two. A lot of situations are fine for an off-topic post, but if a valuable discussion has been taking place and someone posts "This thread is now about (anything attention-grabbing and unrelated)" then it's probably going to gather negative karma for the poster, and might get deleted anyway.

So how does that sound?

It's been suggested that the feature only be available for Researchers and up, so that one must actually participate to give/take karma from other users. If I remember correctly that's what Jamie said he was going to do.

Threadjacking (when done correctly, as Jostin knows) is really an art form in its purest sense. I do agree it is done too often and randomly without any meaning, but we take our TJ'ing very seriously.

Skeletor-sm

This thread is closed to new posts.

Old threads normally auto-close after 30 days of inactivity.

Why don't you start a new thread instead?

'lo! You must login or signup first!