Is there any way to prevent threads being hijacked

[pedals2slowly]

Why do people take the discussion away from the original subject?

[PH]

Yes, pay the ransom.

[Tangled Metal]

I wonder what the origins of the word hijack is? I think it's a strange word unlike others so quiet what it's origins are. Anyone know?

[Jdsk]

Possibly from highway, but not known.

Jonathan

[Cunobelin]

I wonder what the origins of the word hijack is? I think it's a strange word unlike others so quiet what it's origins are. Anyone know?

Take your pick:

SEMANTIC ENIGMAS

What is the origin of the word 'hijack'?


IT ORIGINATES from the prohibition era in America. Supposedly a member of one gang would approach the driver of a rival gang's bootlegging truck with a smile and a disarming 'Hi, Jack!' before sticking the muzzle of a gat in the face of the poor unfortunate, and relieving him of both truck and its alcoholic cargo.
Tim Wood, Cardiff.



THE word 'hijack' has its origins in pre-revolutionary France. Impoverished peasants attacked and robbed aristocrats travelling in coaches through the countryside. The word they employed for this practice was 'échaquer,' which, sharing a common root with 'éjecter' in the Latin word 'eiacere,' meant primarily the physical removal of the aristocrat from his carriage and of his possessions from his person, but also, through its onomatopoeic second syllable, contained elements of the peasants' anger, expressed in the guttural spitting sound used to pronounce the word and also possibly the sound of a knife entering and twisting up through the aristocrat's intestines. Wider implications of the word were explored in the revolution of 1789. The word reached England by way of the many English bandits who worked alongside their French colleagues. The reason for this was similar in many ways to the situation today where unemployed Englishmen pick grapes in France. In the 18th century the pickings were simply richer in France. The aristocrats were vain and haughty and felt themselves to be untouchable. This made it a simple matter to relieve them of their considerable wealth. I do not know whether the word was misheard as 'é Jacques' and thus translated by the English brigands as 'i Jack' or if the word was taken as heard and, due to the similarity in 18th century rural English pronunciation between the 'e' and 'i' sounds, has simply come to be written down as 'hijack' by adding the 'h' an educated person of that time would have assumed a peasant to have left off. The word 'échaquer' disappeared from French usage after the revolution. Today, the French use the word 'détourner' which, in its mildness, perhaps best sums up the civilising influence of the revolution. It also reflects the changing usage of the word 'hijack' which today refers almost exclusively to the taking over by force of an aeroplane or other vehicle by a group of terrorists who wish it to go to a different destination. Thus the French have a new word for a word which originated in their own language.
Peter Bowen, London SW12.


I've been researching the 1920s lately, and the first newspaper reference to "hi-jacking" I've seen is from around 1923. The original hyphen shows that it's a compound word. I assume it's from "highway jackrolling," meaning a theft by a show of force. My news editor in the 1960s said the term should be used only for a liquor theft.
Wayne Klatt, Chicago USA


I wonder could it have originated as a mishearing by Americans of a word used in many Eastern European countries for bandit , "Hajduck"? "Hajduk (or ajduk, haydut, haiduk, haiduc, hayduck, hayduk) is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe. "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajduk
Mick Burke, Dublin, Ireland

[Cunobelin]

Threads often develop a life of their own like any conversation.... it is often evolution, not hijacking

[pedals2slowly]

OK, so does anyone realise how irritating it is to have to wade through piles of drivel to find the information related to the title of the thread?

[pedals2slowly]

Are there that many people who don't have real life conversations that they need to have imaginary friends to talk to on this forum?

[Paulatic]

Are there that many people who don't have real life conversations that they need to have imaginary friends to talk to on this forum?

Ah
I see what you did there P2S
Hijacked your own thread into a discussion on imaginary friends.

I’ve found if you want the answer to the thread title you’ll usually find it on the first page.

[Cyril Haearn]

Threads often develop a life of their own like any conversation.... it is often evolution, not hijacking

Right again, just like talking in real life

The moderators remove a lot of harmless drift, plusminus?
..
Indeed, there are lonely people for whom interweb fora are important

[Cyril Haearn]

May one ask, why do some people quote others but remove the name of the user quoted, so that the latter gets no quotification?

[freeflow]

May one ask, why do some people quote others but remove the name of the user quoted, so that the latter gets no quotification?

Because some of us use the quote button in the reply to box and not the quote button in the post one is replying to.

[simonineaston]

Why do people take the discussion away from the original subject?

I have no idea - but I tell you what... I saw this great video the other day for a recipe. I tried it and I couldn't believe how tasty it was - and so simple, too!! You must try it.

[Oldjohnw]

While we're not on the subject, did you see how he government messed up the A levels?

[Cyril Haearn]

More moderation, maybe a charge could be levied for that