SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

About a week ago I had a post that I felt was going well and had decent participation and I felt the subject matter was worthwhile.
Then, somewhere North of ten pages, here they came. It looked like a scene out of Red Dawn, the HIJACK paratroopers landed and the battle was ON.
I don't even remember what the battle was about or whom all the combatants were but they preceded to rip the post to shreds, each trading punches for many pages!!

My question..., has this ever happened to you?!
Can anything be done?!
If you were the OP, did you raise your voice and start flinging obsceneties just like the Hijackers?
How can these situations be handled in the future?

If you are a known Hijacker, what possesses you to come in and start to destroy a perfectly good post?
Is it a fear that if you started your own topic, it wouldn't get past page ONE?

Maybe we can actually have a meaningful discussion.
Feel free to throw a Hijacker to the Wolves!! :lol:

Since there IS an invitation to Hijack, maybe we'll get a good hijack...., then we can dissect exactly how it went down and discuss the solution!!!

I think Hijacking is a big problem, but is there a solution!!! :twisted: :twisted:
SS

Rongnongno Loc: FL

lmao, welcome to the club. Why do you think I am grumpy? Trolls and morons abound on this site and the admin does not move on those allowing for a less than interesting participation.

Once I was answering in kind when some guy told me that by answering as them I became like them so...

No more brown stuff from me, just even more obscure comments.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Sharpshooter....You mean you had a thread that actually stayed on topic for ten pages? Lucky you!!

Conversations wander. It's just the nature of the beast. It doesn't mean that the thread has been hijacked. It's been that way since I've been on UHH. The original topic rarely remains the subject of the thread nearly as long as yours did. I will admit, though, that there are those quick to leap to another thought. Must be either their own agenda or ADHD. Your guess is as good as mine.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

because you have a screen name that even you can't say five times fast? :shock:

Kuzano

Sharpshooter,

Good forums have strict rules on this type of behavior and appoint People who step into the kind of frays you describe.

I have seen little evidence of this kind of protective overview on the UHH site. I think I have seen two, perhaps three occasions where users were kicked off the site for violating rules and etiquette.

I do visit other sites regularly and do not see very much of the type of hijack and slamming each other you speak of. When it does happen, those people are removed from the site.

I see a couple of reasons this might be different on UHH. First there are not many members here, so there may be a fear of offending people, where it's more likely that people leave because the site is left go in this area so much.

There is an inflated fantasy that represents this site as having over 30,000 member, whereas it's likely that is 30,000 look sees who never stayed. I quite often check the on-line number currently logged in and it rarely reaches 400. Where have the 30,000 gone. Evidence of sloppy control of the site and a small number of core people who stay regardless of the poor manners on the site.

I also think the site is run more as an income generator for someone than a true site caring (at the owner level) true assistance from member to member. I'm led to this conclusion by the large amount of click through advertising and that being controlled in content to fit the posts as they occur.

Somebody is doing a damn fine job of tailoring the advertising to the posts.

Again, the sites I really spend productive time on are far more controlled to prevent the type of activity you post about.

Have you spent much time on quality photography forums. Naturally, I can't mention them here.

Also, I fully expect to be removed from the site for this post, but also confident it will not happen, because no one really cares about site quality and clean activity.

If you don't see me again, don't be surprised.

Also, I've never seen such a pitiful picture viewer, which is why I don't post pics here. The first download view should be sharp. You should not have to count on and click on someones "save original" to see a sharp image.

Just not a quality site.

I will close by saying that there are mostly well intentioned people on the site, mostly posting to assist each other.

I simply wonder why so many stay in spite of the poor control of a few troublemakers, and blowhards.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

On the other hand, what other forums have contests, and special interest sections run by member-moderators as well as a general photo gallery. I don't know why anybody is beset by advertisements. I never see any. It must be my firewall. The one problem that I have is the pretenders who think they have an understanding of photography but actually know just enough to be dangerous.

dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

why are you saying you pretty good at it. :roll:

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

I thought I felt a finger poking me in the chest!!! :lol:

Steve, I've been here plenty long enough to see how it works here.
I'll be the first to admit that I'll walk into a post and make a wise-crack and step out!!
But they always have lots of :lol: faces to diffuse the quip!!
I'm talking about belligerent behavior, not a change of subject.
I know a post is dynamic and can go in a lot of different directions. BUT a different direction just discusses a different topic, not make it smell like a cesspool!! :shock:
No one should have to pass out clothespins!! :lol:
SS

SteveR Loc: Michigan

No, I def. did not have you in mind when using the "pretender" term. The problem is that one or two people out there talk such a good game that anybody who didn't know better would really think they might know what they're talking about. The problem is that people who REALLY know better don't step in and diffuse their half-truths.

Kuzano

To name one of the best ... Photo.Net, and a very good critique section separate from just a photo gallery, plus equipment reviews. They also have "moderators" who act in the best interest of the site AND the members. Been around a couple of decades.

Photocamel.com, and strictly moderated to eliminate trolls and troublemakers.

All I'm really saying here is that UHH would undoubtedly be a better forum if they moderated the troublemakers off the site, instead of good members leaving because of them.

I could name others. UHH is not as unique as some here would like to think.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

1, Hey...., I had all my fingers crossed!!!

2, The problem is..., That often if someone DOES step in, that in itself can start the doo-doo cannons firing!!! :lol:

On a forum, anybody can be an expert. If you read enough, you can actually sound like one. And in reality, I guess if one learns the written word well enough, then they really are an expert in that aspect of Technical subject! ;-)
SS

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Kuzano, if you're removed I'll be right behind you because I heartily endorse everything you've said.

I've only been here for three years so I don't really know how UHH started, but I can say that after trying to identify who Admin is I can only say that it's a for profit site generating hundreds of dollars per day through advertising sales, mostly through click throughs.

Nothing wrong with that. But when you ask about Admin intervention into flame wars, name calling and thread hijacking, what's their motivation? None. Click-through advertisers, whether it be Google or whoever, pay more for the number of members, posts, and site views.

Anytime a flame war with good name calling and character degradation happens, it's guaranteed to go on for a few more pages. More posts, more potential income for Admin.

Have you ever noticed that the membership numbers even include "banned" members? Wonder why?

How often do you see Admin step in to comment about inappropriate posts? Never.

OK, I've gone on long enough. But it's all about "show me the money" and what's good for business here.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I don't think many of the photographers on UHH would even dare to dab their pinky in photo.net. It seems to be a forum for professional photographers or highly advanced amateurs. Some UHH photographers yes, most, no. Thanks, though, for giving me the name of some sites to go to look for some good photographs.

As far as being banned or suspended by admin....he's pretty open to discussion. It really takes something to get suspended.

Macronaut Loc: Redondo Beach,Ca.

Having an invitation/permission to hijack takes all the fun out of it :-(

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

That's the very definition of a post hijack.

:)