Friendly Hijack

[jonheal]

Conversationally, I sometimes tend to blurt off on random directions while I am talking to someone as something random pops into my head. I know it can be annoying or at least confusing for the other person, so I (more or less) try to keep a handle on it.

The equivalent on forums like these is "hijacking" a thread. I've done it myself, I'm afraid. I almost just did it again, where someone responded to a sort of side issue to another person's comment not entirely related to the OP's comment, and I was compelled to again reply to the side issue.

So ...

I don't know if this is even possible, but it would be useful for a rambler like me if there was a button on the reply form to cause your reply to actually start a separate thread. Then, when the hijacking urge presented itself, you could be friendly and easily start your own thread on the side issue.

[normen]

Thats a good idea. Or just an option for the OP to split a thread would be okay as well imo. Just so that if its a thread that is _supposed_ to stay on topic can be kept clean (e.g. "Dat Guitar Patches Thread").

Otherwise, I don't think that "cracking down" on "hijacking" is in any way appropriate. Thats how normal conversations work, they meander from topic to topic.

[selig]

For now it's easy enough to start a new thread and post a link in the old thread - a two step process for what you're suggesting instead of a one step process, right?
I've asked a few folks to do just that, especially when the tangent is an interesting subject deserving of it's own thread.

[AttenuationHz]

not necessarily start a new thread as the forums would most likely be bombarded with random topics, but I like the idea. Could it be possible to quote someone if it is going off topic and the special quote would be collapsible to anyone wishing to see it or maybe spoiler tags could work the same way. strike through [SPOILER]spoiler[/SPOILER]