TalkBoard Elections/11 - Question 12: How should Talkboard members get feedback from the community at large?

What do you believe is the most effective way for Talkboard members to receive feedback? Would you seek feedback mostly by reading the comments of members, or would you pursue other forums of communication? If so, what are they?

I think that all Talkboard members should be able to be contacted via their own forum posts/names.
E.G If you had issues with any Australian or Asia Pacific questions/feedback, and if I was the only person based in this region..then those questions would come to me for me to source and assist.

I truly believe that all Talkboard members have insight and experience in specific areas, and we all obviously have a voice (otherwise we wouldn't be supporting FT and being a greater part of the community), and to be able to feel comfortable enough contacting one or two people with ideas or comments would make a huge difference.

A 2 year term is a huge commitment. I would like to think that all of Talkboard genuinely want to assist other members, rather than putting their own ideas/views only on board.

The conventional method of learning what members want is to ask them in the TalkBoard Topics forum. In most cases the idea originates from outside the TalkBoard, and the bigger FT gets the more true this will be. Nine people can't know everything that FT needs. Our job is to use member input to educate ourselves, then vote for what will be best for FlyerTalk as a whole.

Sometimes we need to ask Internet Brands what kind of change is feasible. Are they willing to do something for us (e.g., mask OMNI from non-members)?

Sometimes we need to find out whether the moderators would be affected by a change, and if so whether they would be willing to shoulder the extra work. Some of these decisions end up being made by the Community Director, since the limit of TalkBoard's scope is not precise. Since Randy's departure there have been no surprises or non-consensus decisions, so I think the decision making process is working very well. All the way from the top, everyone wants to hear all the input that members have to offer.

Is there a place for private communication here? Not really, other than on very narrow technical questions such as feasibility. When we need to gather member input, the public TalkBoard Topics forum is the one and only place to go.

I think the existing channels through which TalkBoard members can receive (and respond to) feedback from the public--the TalkBoard Topics forum, in the general discussion forums, via private messages, and, of course, in person--are, in general, useful means of communication. I've used all of them.

What I think is lacking is the "advertising" of these means of communication and even the existence of the TalkBoard itself.

There's a balance, however, between overloading the pages of FlyerTalk with information that's not relevant to everyone and making such information easy to find for those who want it.

I've maintained a link in my signature for the entire duration I've served on TalkBoard that leads to the TalkBoard Topics forum. It's a small link, and I'd like it if the signature length parameters allowed for me to more fully describe TalkBoard and invite feedback, but my hope is that those who see the title of "TalkBoard Member" underneath my handle and who wonder what that means will then click on the TalkBoard link, where that question is answered.

Some of the other ideas I'd had previously turned out to be harder to implement on a technical level, such as creating a clickable TalkBoard avatar that leads to a description and feedback form.

Some feedback has made its way to the Community Director via the Contact Us (http://www.flyertalk.com/help/feedbacktxt.php) link in the top menubar. The Community Director has then (not often, but occasionally) brought that feedback in front of the TalkBoard for us to discuss and consider. I'd like it if that feedback link were able to be made more prominent and have even considered asking for a specific "TalkBoard" link in that feedback form that then gets sent as an email to the nine TalkBoard members (something easily set up).

I'm very open to any ideas from the community about how to best solicit and receive feedback, and I will bring forth any ideas sent to me on this or any other topic. During the time I have been a TalkBoard member, I have made it a strong point to always bring up among the larger TalkBoard any member concerns brought to me. They haven't always been supported by the necessary supermajority, but I have and will continue to represent the membership of FlyerTalk and make sure their concerns or ideas are heard.

I'd like to see more members post in the TalkBoard forum, with their concerns, questions, and suggestions for TalkBoard. I'd think that would be a good start to feedback from the community, but would welcome the opportunity for members to share feedback, either anonymously, through some sort of survey or PM to the Community Director or someone else they trust on FT to share the feedback anonymously with TalkBoard, or by sharing their feedback and their identity in a survey, PM to the Community Director, or TalkBoard members.

A survey could be drafted, and posted as an announcement to the members, perhaps at the midpoint of each TalkBoad year to gain insight into what the members think of the current TalkBoard, how they can improve, and issues the members would like to see tackled. The survey could be handled without any identifying information.

This would allow those who do not feel comfortable sharing their identity to share feedback, would increase awareness of TalkBoard, and would, I'd hope, increase knowledge of what the members want.

I think that the current way of posting a topic in the Talkboard forum is pretty good. I think that private messages should also be used for the Talkboard members to get feedback. Although I do not know if that is already a large source of feedback for the members of the Talkboard. We could also look at some sort of survey for the members. Kinda like a presidential poll. That asks the members of Flyertalk if they are happy with what the Talkboard is doing, and if not, what can be done to make you happy with what they are doing.

Delta747

Qualitative feedback format through Community is a great way currently for FlyerTalk Members to get in touch with the TalkBoard with questions, concerns and opinions..

Data accessible by way of a survey, statistics or focus group, can quantify data for a global analysis of FlyerTalk direction.. This data organized into a useful format for TalkBoard to analyze and determine trends, would help with the direction of policies..

Its always important for a TalkBoard Member to be available via PM for any FlyerTalk Member to send questions, concerns or opinions.. TalkBoard Members have a duty to reasonably provide a response, and report material issues to the TalkBoard..

So a survey for FlyerTalk members, would be a great new way to collect demographic, psychographic, geographic information and member preferences. Need be, miles and points offers can be set to the preferences to the market segments present in FlyerTalk, reducing needless noise, and more targeted offers towards members who would appreciate to know the deal most.. possibly right onto the computer screen.. The Community needs to have a way to provide input, and TalkBoard needs to deliver on the 'customer' demands..

I think TalkBoard Topics and PMs to TB members (if the member would prefer to keep the question/concern private) is sufficient. I promise I'll respond to every PM I receive and will regularly participate in TB Topics if I'm elected.

I think TalkBoard Topics and PMs to TB members (if the member would prefer to keep the question/concern private) is sufficient. I promise I'll respond to every PM I receive and will regularly participate in TB Topics if I'm elected.

Agreed fully. If the person who asked this question could chime in (perhaps by PMing myself, SanDiego1K... as to what other methods he/she had in mind...

As a TB member, I would regularly be checking the TB forum, and I always respond to PMs

PMs are awesome because they are not TOS restricted and you don't get defensive mods shutting conversation down. That's how I always get all the juiciest gossip about what the mods are up to, or the MP boys.

IMHO, a thread should be posted to relevant forums when a TB conversation is taking place (eg, in the Other Euro Airline forum when A3 is being discussed) so that interested posters can know and click in.

TB members should have a sig link that says they are a TB member and open to suggestions (nice job, jackal!).

TB members should also actively participate in the TB Topics forum. That's the best way to get feedback, by actually spending time discussing the issues not just behind closed doors, but with those passionate enough about a topic to talk about it in the TB forums.

Through any means possible - forum threads, PM, email, social outings/events/dos, phone conversations, etc.

The community-at-large should be able to (and be comfortable) reaching out to the TalkBoard in whatever way will convey feedback most effectively. As a TalkBoard member, I would open all lines of communication.

TB members should also actively participate in the TB Topics forum. That's the best way to get feedback, by actually spending time discussing the issues not just behind closed doors, but with those passionate enough about a topic to talk about it in the TB forums.

Let's just say that I will only keep behind closed doors that which I'm required to by the TOS or by the rules of TB. I intend to be fully open and transparent about my viewpoints and about why I voted the way I did.

I'm all for more transparency -- the more, the better.

Let's just say that I will only keep behind closed doors that which I'm required to by the TOS or by the rules of TB. I intend to be fully open and transparent about my viewpoints and about why I voted the way I did.

I'm all for more transparency -- the more, the better.

Same here. I've never hesitated to share my opinions before, why should I hide them now? :D

Oh the usual ways. Suggestions forum, debates in the threads on upcoming votes, PMs etc. But I personally think a really good TB Candidate will have his or her ear to the ground and be able to take a pulse of the members at large on certain issues. They should know the website and community well enough to know if something overly unpopular or detrimental to the site is going on and can act accordingly

Current way is fine, however I think we need more communication about the TalkBoard forums (I myself for example, didn't understand about TalkBoard until recently)

Just on the above point, a bit more communication about the actual role of TalkBoard and what's it's there for could be beneficial- e.g. for every vote we have there are always a couple of posters who simply go "I vote yes" without understanding that the TB members actually make the vote, or what the TB is in general.

Otherwise, PM's and other similar measures are the way to go.

.....Its always important for a TalkBoard Member to be available via PM for any FlyerTalk Member to send questions, concerns or opinions.. TalkBoard Members have a duty to reasonably provide a response, and report material issues to the TalkBoard...Yes, yes and yes

.....IMHO, a thread should be posted to relevant forums when a TB conversation is taking place (eg, in the Other Euro Airline forum when A3 is being discussed) so that interested posters can know and click in.While in theory, that works but how many folks would read that thread (or sticky or announcement)? There needs to be a better way to not only make the announcement more visible but also TalkBoard itself. Maybe it's me, but how many members actually know about TalkBoard and what purpose it serves? In terms of making a proposal visible, perhaps an e-mail sent out saying "TalkBoard is considering XXX". This way members will know about it and if they choose to participate or not (or turn off e-mail notifications), it's up to them.

TB members should have a sig link that says they are a TB member and open to suggestions (nice job, jackal!).Playing devil's advocate......wouldn't "TalkBoard Member" in one's profile be sufficient? Going back to my above comment, if TalkBoard was made more visible (including letting members know that any TB member is open and available) wouldn't that be suffieient?

TB members should also actively participate in the TB Topics forum. That's the best way to get feedback, by actually spending time discussing the issues not just behind closed doors, but with those passionate enough about a topic to talk about it in the TB forums.'Nuf said ^

Let's just say that I will only keep behind closed doors that which I'm required to by the TOS or by the rules of TB. I intend to be fully open and transparent about my viewpoints and about why I voted the way I did.

I'm all for more transparency -- the more, the better.Agreed on all points ^

While in theory, that works but how many folks would read that thread (or sticky or announcement)? There needs to be a better way to not only make the announcement more visible but also TalkBoard itself. Maybe it's me, but how many members actually know about TalkBoard and what purpose it serves? In terms of making a proposal visible, perhaps an e-mail sent out saying "TalkBoard is considering XXX". This way members will know about it and if they choose to participate or not (or turn off e-mail notifications), it's up to them.

I wouldn't mind an email, but would most read an email?

I'm not a techie, but perhaps, on someone's first visit to FlyerTalk once TalkBoard starts discussing something, a pop-up window could alert them to the "discussion about 'new airline forum," in TalkBoard Topics" with a link to the discussion?

I wouldn't want the pop-up every time they visit the site, and I realize that for those who use pop-up blockers, it wouldn't work, but it might help at least some.

A systemwide PM to all users would also help.

That said, I'd think the membership should be given the option to "opt out" or those sorts of alerts as well.

I wouldn't mind an email, but would most read an email?

I'm not a techie, but perhaps, on someone's first visit to FlyerTalk once TalkBoard starts discussing something, a pop-up window could alert them to the "discussion about 'new airline forum," in TalkBoard Topics" with a link to the discussion?

I wouldn't want the pop-up every time they visit the site, and I realize that for those who use pop-up blockers, it wouldn't work, but it might help at least some.

A systemwide PM to all users would also help.

That said, I'd think the membership should be given the option to "opt out" or those sorts of alerts as well.Bolding mine: Imho, at some point, there has to be an onus on the members at large to become as involved as they so choose as I'm sure you have read things like "when did this change?" or "How come I can't access Coupon Connection" (or OMNI) and when the answer is given, the member decides to b!itch, moan and groan about never hearing about it. Yes, it sounds hard nosed but the way I look at it, it is the leading the horse to the water but not being able to make the horse drink the water situation. While whatever solution comes about, it can only go as far as the individual member chooses but the more options you give members to become involved, the better things might (n.b. might ;)) become.

Agreed goalie

I love the current way. It's a great way for us to learn more about the community and improve on what needs to be improved on.