TalkBoard Elections/05 - The Open Forum for Candidates

This forum is designed to allow candidates to address other issues beyond those in the direct questions from the members of FlyerTalk. All candidates have been advised to not make things personal - its about the issues and it's about only those things that happen on FlyerTalk.

Even if you do not vote for me, I do sincerely urge you to participate and to thus have your voice heard.

Thanks! :)

Mark/"doc"

Here’s a question that has been on my mind: Should corporate representatives of the companies or programs discussed be identified more clearly (such as their names appearing in green)?

I see some benefits in providing more prominence to those representatives. First and foremost, sometimes users want an “official” response. Their answers carry a certain weight to them and therefore it is a benefit to the community as a whole to highlight posts that they make and information that they share. The second benefit is that it more clearly highlights which companies have active participation on the board and that in turn incents additional participation. If most hotels chains, for example, have a representative here then others might be more inclined to jump on the bandwagon and ensure their message is also represented. And those representatives are the individuals who provide us a channel into the organizations themselves and have the potential to actually make changes to respond to the experiences of this group.

The down side is that some users might feel less valued as their opinions are shown to carry less weight than those of official representatives. It also increases the likelihood of negative comments that pollute the environment with anger and ire rather than constructive debate and it might therefore lead to additional moderation.

Overall, I think I would likely support giving it a try but I recognize that several here have far more history than I. Has this type of things ever been discussed before? And what are the broader opinions on whether or not it might be a viable direction for this community? Is it just me or do others see potential value in getting the providers more involved with our discussions?

Thanks.

There are several questions that have occurred to me, as a voter, to pose to my fellow candidates. But I haven't decided if any in particular are good ones...

What one member who chose not to run do you most wish you could vote for?

Outside of yourself, who do you believe is the best candidate running?

What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates? (Bonus points if your answer is, "What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates?")

What have you done for the benefit of the community of Flyertalk (as opposed to the understanding of miles and points)?

How have you personally benefited from Flyertalk?

If any of y'all find those interesting or useful questions, feel free to pose them. :)

Even if you do not vote for me, I do sincerely urge you to participate and to thus have your voice heard.^, doc!

(But then I wonder if you just want to get maximum participation possible to run up your own margin of victory? ;) :D :cool: )

Something I believe should be address by each of the candidates is the recent discussion and vote regarding whether positions on the board should be “reserved” for members outside of North America. Dovster, who himself benefits from this rule, has been a champion of its rescission and has characterized it as a form of affirmative action that allows those with fewer votes to win over those with more. Perhaps it is unfair to discuss this in a forum where he cannot participate and defend his views but I believe that this discussion will likely resurface on the board and therefore it is reasonable that we make our own opinions known to the voters.

While I appreciate Dovster’s objectives, I find myself of the opposite view. In a representative democracy, both words are important. The board we elect must be representative as well as borne of a democratic process. To provide a salient example, if California has far better candidates than Oregon, should the former be permitted to elect 4 senators while the latter gets none? Of course not. The system is built to systemically ensure that everyone is represented. In some cases, that might seem unfair. And some excellent candidates might at some point be passed over. But I believe the objective is sufficiently compelling to warrant accepting those occasional lapses.

As you suggest, non-Americans are currently winning their seats without the benefit of this rule. That is a testament to the growth and maturity of this community. But I do not believe that this progress obviates the need for the systemic protection that ensures that this democratic body continues to be representative. For whatever it is worth, that is my opinion and that is how I would vote.

Here’s a question that has been on my mind: Should corporate representatives of the companies or programs discussed be identified more clearly (such as their names appearing in green)?

Great of you to be thinking of new ideas!

I'm not sure I like this one, however.

Company representatives do a pretty good job of identifying themselves when, in fact, they're official representatives of a program rather than members who happen to work for a program or airline or hotel company.

One way they do this is identifying themselves in their signature line with their company role. Another way is through a clear Flyertalk username.

Has anyone had a sense of confusion over who was a legitimate program representative and who is not? And if so, was the confusion driven by anything other than infrequent posting on the part of the program rep?

I imagine that color-coding usernames would require something in the registration process, or special application through Randy or his tech staff. I'd hate to create additional barriers to program reps coming online.

Separately, while I do like to encourage program participation, I think Flyertalk is about the members and members are the best source of information in most cases. While I think that Starwood Lurker has done an amazing job, his information isn't always the definitive final word even if he is able to communicate an official word. (Sometimes members can offer suggestions about how things work in practice that differs from the way things are supposed to work -- either because of actual experience or because a program representative is somewhat handstrung by the official terms and conditions of a program.)

Starwood Lurker is a great example. I love how he's become a member of this community, not just a voice for Starwood. I'd like to encourage more program reps to emulate that model, if at all possible, and allow them to become members just like everyone else.

All that said, I think it would be great to brainstorm ways we could foster greater positive program participation... in ways that provide quick customer service replies and timely information.

Here’s a question that has been on my mind: Should corporate representatives of the companies or programs discussed be identified more clearly (such as their names appearing in green)?

I don't have an issue with that per se or with some other manner of recognizing official representatives of companies or programs.
We want to encourage more travel companies to establish an official presence on FlyerTalk. I think a proper, resepectful manner for recognizing these representatives is something that should be discussed.

What one member who chose not to run do you most wish you could vote for?

Canarsie seriously considered running but decided against it as he has several other FT and business issues on his plate. I think he would make an excellent candidate.

Outside of yourself, who do you believe is the best candidate running?

I'm going to have a hard time deciding on just five candidates from such a talented field.
Having said that, however, I'm not going to name names so as not to cost myself any votes from my fellow candidates. :)
Here we're only 2 days into the election process and I'm already straddling the line....;).

What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates?

I'd like to know what event or issue, if any, was the deciding factor convincing my fellow candidates to run for TalkBoard?


What have you done for the benefit of the community of Flyertalk (as opposed to the understanding of miles and points)?

I think my position as a volunteer moderator for two forums is a small way of giving something back to the community.
Also, I've always tried to be welcoming and helpful to new members. And even some of the veteran members...;).

How have you personally benefited from Flyertalk?


I've benefited in many, many ways but if I had to pick just one, I'd say it's the dozens of friends I have made at Flyertalk. Many feel just like family.

Here’s a question that has been on my mind: Should corporate representatives of the companies or programs discussed be identified more clearly (such as their names appearing in green)?


Ft has a variety of corporate reps, both official and unofficial. I've been posting as an "unofficial" rep since the beginning, and was recently offered "official" status by the airline for whom I work. I turned it down. Mostly because everyone already knows who I am, and those who don't are usually filled in pretty quickly. It always warms my heart to read "I bet missy would know" or "why don't you send Missy a PM?"

People who post in the AS forum, know that when I say something, its coming from me and not the company line. The vast majority of company reps post here voluntarily, and I think an earned reputation (good or bad) is far more effective than one that comes with a green handle. I also don't believe that anyone who volunteers their time here should be more noticable in the firing line when program changes arise that don't particularly sit well with the membership.

There are several questions that have occurred to me, as a voter, to pose to my fellow candidates. But I haven't decided if any in particular are good ones...

What one member who chose not to run do you most wish you could vote for?

Starwood Lurker

Outside of yourself, who do you believe is the best candidate running?

You. I have a lot of respect for your opinion, and your level head.

What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates? (Bonus points if your answer is, "What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates?")

I haven't thought of one yet.

What have you done for the benefit of the community of Flyertalk (as opposed to the understanding of miles and points)?

The Community of FT is very important to me.. moreso personally than the pursuit of miles and points. As an airline employee, I'm not the avid collector of points and status, but I do enjoy getting to know those who do. I've hosted several Do's, and attended more than I can count. When my schedule allows, I participate in FT Chat, which has been a great catalyst in getting people to attend FT events.

How have you personally benefited from Flyertalk?

I've stayed in some great hotels for free or very little. I've visited Europe more times in the past 4 years than I ever would have thought possible. I've been able to use information I gleaned here to help my customers at work have a better flying experience. I've met some fascinating people from all walks of life. And most importantly, I've made some amazing friendships.

What one member who chose not to run do you most wish you could vote for?

Not sure but SanDiego1K would be a good choice...

Outside of yourself, who do you believe is the best candidate running?
bhatnax only because I think we share a lot of similiar interests and ideas.


What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates? (Bonus points if your answer is, "What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates?")
For former TalkBoard members: How have YOU improved FT since you have been elected and what significant contributions have YOU made through your appointments on the TB?

What have you done for the benefit of the community of Flyertalk (as opposed to the understanding of miles and points)?
I pressed and pressed and pressed, and got rid of the Northwest Airlines "Newsstand." It was done as a trial and if it 'worked' it would have spread to every other airline forum. Thankfully, myself among a few vocal others, we pressed and got rid of it and put program/airline specific news right where it belongs - in the main program forums. It was a bad idea and would have been horribly unpopular had it been spread further.


How have you personally benefited from Flyertalk?

I learned about many things, miles, status, how to maximize flights for more miles, more EQMs etc. w/o FT I was literally clueless and had no idea how alliances worked or anything.

Here’s a question that has been on my mind: Should corporate representatives of the companies or programs discussed be identified more clearly (such as their names appearing in green)?

If someone is actually a sanctioned corporate represenative, like Starwood Lurker or Marriott Concierge, then I don't see any issue with this - if that's what they choose to do. However, as gleff pointed out above, Starwood Lurker is more than just a company represenative - he is a member of FlyerTalk who has attended FT functions and has even been a TalkBoard represenative. FlyerTalk does have quite a few airline, hotel, and rental car (and even an Amtrak?) unofficial reps that are not sanctioned by their companies - and could potentially get in trouble if their companies knew they were actively posting on FlyerTalk. In my mind, those people are FlyerTalkers who happen to work for a represented company. There's no reason to single them out because of their knowledge, experience, and desire to represent their company, albeit unofficially.

What one member who chose not to run do you most wish you could vote for?

I agree with Cholula on this 100% - Carnarsie would be an excellent TalkBoard member. I have always admired his moderation style and his genuine interest in making the forum he moderates the best it can be. I had the pleasure of meeting him last weekend in person and it was an honor & a pleasure to meet him. He would make a great member & although he passed on running this year, I would hope that he is able to find the time & energy to run at next years elections when current member terms are up.

Outside of yourself, who do you believe is the best candidate running?

gleff is one of the best candidates running. I believe that gleff has given quite a bit back to this community. He was one of the first FT'ers I met in person at a FlyerTalk Happy Hour in the spring of 2003. I read his blog regularly and I appreciate his ability to look and analyze things a bit deeper than a lot of people do. He's a great candidate and I believe he has been a great represenative of the FlyerTalk community during his most recent term as a TalkBoard member.


What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates? (Bonus points if your answer is, "What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates?")

Well, if bonus points are there, then my question is "What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates?" :D

Seriously though, I guess my question for my fellow candidates would be whether or not the candidates view themselves as an influencer and/or a leader. I believe that since TalkBoard's role is to make recommendations that will ultimately affect the members' experience, it is important that the FlyerTalk TalkBoard be leaders and be able to fight for what they believe is right for members.


What have you done for the benefit of the community of Flyertalk (as opposed to the understanding of miles and points)?

Well, I used to coordinate the DC Monthly Happy Hours (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405712) (which is currently managed by headinclouds). I had started & for 2 years managed the Amtrak Discount Code thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=460735) (which has been since taken over by ByeByeDelta, the Amtrak forum moderator). I started the Mileage Run Tools thread in the MR forum before I was a moderator & have continued to update it since. I believe that this compilation was one of my best contributions to FlyerTalk since it gave users a single place to learn about Mileage Runs. Lastly, I helped countless members get a free iPod mini (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=343188) which eventually led to more freebies, such as free flat screen TVs & other items. The very cool thing about this particular thread is that there were a lot of FlyerTalk members that contributed to the thread management. Although I was the one that initially started it, when I was traveling for an extended period of time with no access to the internet, other members thankfully stepped in & assisted with the thread management. I believe that quite a few FT'ers got the free iPod mini!

These are just a few examples of what I have done which I do hope show that I am interested in serving this community that I am a part of.


How have you personally benefited from Flyertalk?

Well, I got free iPod mini & a free flat screen TV thanks to my participation in FlyerTalk. I also was able to go to Iceland for 61 bucks, and Fiji for 51 bucks. I have been able to meet many new people & now have friends in countries that I have never even been to. I went from being a one to two times a year leisure traveler with about 150K total points & miles in all my accounts combined to being a leisure traveler (who is just starting his first job that has business travel) who will earn NW Platinum & US Silver this year soley on leisure traveler & the total costs for both of these levels of status is about 1300 for NW & 400 for US. I have been able to give friends free tickets when they are needed and as gifts. My post FT mileage balance as stated earlier was a cumulative 150K - now, it's a cumulative 750K - and I've only been on FT for 2.5 years! Last year in NW alone, I earned 170K miles - this year, I'll surpass 230K banked miles! So as for the question "How have you personally benefited from FlyerTalk?" - I'd have to answer that with "Quite well, thank you!"

I pressed and pressed and pressed, and got rid of the Northwest Airlines "Newsstand."

Well, since this was actually a TalkBoard decision --

For former TalkBoard members: How have YOU improved FT since you have been elected and what significant contributions have YOU made through your appointments on the TB?


You're welcome! :D ;)

I'd like to know what event or issue, if any, was the deciding factor convincing my fellow candidates to run for TalkBoard?

I can't say that there was really an event or issue that led me to running for TalkBoard. The reason why I am running for TalkBoard has a lot to do with my addiction to FlyerTalk. I love this place and it has benefited in me in so many ways. I want to give back. That is the reason why I applied to be a moderator of the MR forum. That is also the reason why I am now helping out with the Budget Travel forum as well and helping our new moderators understand what it takes to be a moderator on FlyerTalk. I am here, running for a position on TalkBoard because of my interest in serving FlyerTalk. If I don't get elected, I won't be disappointed. I will be happy that the membership got the opportunity to decide who will best represent them. I ran for TalkBoard last year & was not in the top 4 candidates, however, I am back again this year to give it another shot. I believe in giving back to the community that has given me so much.

Hi Folks,

Well I thought I would try and answer some of the questions:

Q. What one member who chose not to run do you most wish you could vote for?

A. My mate Bounty

Q. Outside of yourself, who do you believe is the best candidate running?

A. Well at the moment its John C.

Q. What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates? (Bonus points if your answer is, "What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates?")

A. At an FT meeting as a FT board member would you be the first one to buy a round of drinks?


Q. What have you done for the benefit of the community of Flyertalk (as opposed to the understanding of miles and points)?

A. I have tried to point people in the right direction with regards hotel stays and flights etc. As well as that I think its what benifits can I give to the board if elected, for starters that would be my precise time that I am willing to give up to support the board as I think its a worth while cause.

Q. How have you personally benefited from Flyertalk?

A. 1. 16 nights free holtel accomodation in Europe for this years summer
holidays.
2. Now British airways Silver.
3. Over 100k of BA Airmiles and climbing
4. Earned over 270k of Priority Club points this year from Priority Club
with the help of FlyerTalk.
5. Advice on what hotels to stay at in Europe whilst planning holidays.
6. A good social board that has made me laugh at times when stuck in
in some hotel on business.

I do have one question for everyone. What does your family think of your addiction to Flytalk and points collecting if your into that?

regards
RadioMan

At an FT meeting as a FT board member would you be the first one to buy a round of drinks?

<snip>

I do have one question for everyone. What does your family think of your addiction to Flytalk and points collecting if your into that?

I don't believe that the TalkBoard meets in person regularly, if ever. I believe that the TB meetings are all online meetings via posting in a private TalkBoard forum - maybe a current TB member can answer that? As a moderator, in the time that I've been a moderator, there have been 2 moderator meetings - on in LAS which I was unable to attend due to prior commitments & one in ORD (last weekend actually). I went to the ORD one & Randy bought the drinks (Thank you, Randy!) - but if the TB were to all meet up, I'd happily buy a round!

As for the question of what my family thinks? Well, I'm single & unmarried - so the only family I have are my parents, who think its a little strange that I fly around the world for airline miles & my sisters who think the same way - yet none have them have ever complained when I've hooked them up with the awards that I have reaped from my travels & participation on FT. I do have a dog - and I'm sure she hates my addiction to frequent travel - however, I also have a fabulous roommate who is always willing to watch my dog when I'm gone - and in return, she gets to reap some of the awards that my FT addiction has gotten!

A. At an FT meeting as a FT board member would you be the first one to buy a round of drinks?Well, I think koko is the candidate of free beer. But if it's 30 years old and single malt, you can put it on my tab.

Well, since this was actually a TalkBoard decision --



You're welcome! :D ;)
Thank you :)

But without my insistance, it may not have made it to your table..

I do have one question for everyone. What does your family think of your addiction to Flytalk and points collecting if your into that?

Mrs. Cholula used to look at me with the patented Evil Eye™ while I devoted so much time to maximizing points and miles. And over the last several years when I'm logged onto FT more often than not.
But it's surprising what several award trips to Europe in Air France First Class combined with free stays at Five-Star hotels can do to change her attitude. :)
Today she fully enables my addiction.

My life more or less is is rapidly approaching the singularity, I travel with lots of devices and stay incredibly connected on the road... usually.

I'm not trying to duck the debates, but I'll be offline from Wed 10/12 - Sunday 10/16.

This trip is for a death in the family so I'm unlikely to be checking in.

This still gives me a couple days worth of debate, and a couple days on the backend before voting begins. Please get your shots in now, so I can answer them in a timely fashion.

Thanks!

Sorry to hear of this, gleff. Please know that you and your family are in our thoughts.

My life more or less is is rapidly approaching the singularity, I travel with lots of devices and stay incredibly connected on the road... usually.

I'm not trying to duck the debates, but I'll be offline from Wed 10/12 - Sunday 10/16.

This trip is for a death in the family so I'm unlikely to be checking in.

This still gives me a couple days worth of debate, and a couple days on the backend before voting begins. Please get your shots in now, so I can answer them in a timely fashion.

Thanks!
Sorry to hear it gleff, safe travels

I will have to withdraw, I am afraid - due to an extremely dramatic turn in my life over the last few days I will not be able to devote the time necessary.

I have emailled in to advise of this, but seems not to have been actioned as yet.

Regards, and good luck to all.

Dave

This trip is for a death in the family so I'm unlikely to be checking in.



God bless!

Our condolences, gleff. I doubt there will be too many shots while you're gone.

***

Dave, thanks for your interest & dedication - hopefully everything will work out fine.

What one member who chose not to run do you most wish you could vote for?

If I had to choose one, I would probably have to choose letiole. She is clear headed, smart, and thoughtful (in both senses). If elected, I will likely try to persuade her to run for office next year . . .I think I have just convinced her not to vote for me. :)

Dan Hammer would also rate highly for me.


Outside of yourself, who do you believe is the best candidate running?

Gleff. He has experience, and has obviously put some thought into what is involved. If you have to choose between him and I, vote for him.

EDIT: Since posting this, I have read further in the thread, and read of gleff's loss. Since a lot of you do not know me personally, I want to assure all of you that this is the answer I had written prior to reading his later post, and not an attempt to gain political currency from his tragedy. I had considered changing my answer to aviod the appearence of such a maneuver, but decided that it was how I honestly felt and it should stand as-is.


What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates? (Bonus points if your answer is, "What question that hasn't been asked yet would you ask your fellow candidates?")

I've got several:

1) What is *your* vision for FT (if not already mentioned in your platform), and what will you do to make that vision reality.

2) What experience, education, and skillset do you have that will make you an effective Talkboard member? I'm looking for things like "City Council Member" and "Brokered peace talks in regional conflict" as opposed to how many miles you flew.

3) Do you think it is fair that the candidates are listed in alphabetical order so that VPescado's entry is on the bottom of the page?


What have you done for the benefit of the community of Flyertalk (as opposed to the understanding of miles and points)?

I have been a great evangelist for FT. I have given out countless business cards of mine away with FT's website written on the back to seat opponents, folks in airline clubs, FA's, pilot's, friends, and even random folks on the bus who were talking about miles. In my conversations I always try to represent FT in a very positive manner, often offering some good travel advice along the way.


How have you personally benefited from Flyertalk?

An excerpt from my application for the Talk Board (its a great read by the way - check it out):

I love the way it has changed my lifestyle. I now travel to places I would have never dreamed of going. I make trips that would have seemed insane to me a few years ago - like going to MEM for lunch and a quick pass through Graceland, or BOS for dinner. I go on Mileage Runs with other FT'ers and it turns into a 30 hour traveling party. And best of all, it is pretty darn affordable due to the tricks I have learned along the way.

This trip is for a death in the family so I'm unlikely to be checking in.

My condolences gleff. I really don't think you have much to worry about in the election, so please keep you mind focused on the important stuff while you are away.

1) What is *your* vision for FT (if not already mentioned in your platform), and what will you do to make that vision reality.

I think I covered that in my platform but it is to make FT as user-friendly as is technically and humanly possible. We're collecting a daunting amount of information at a dramatic rate on FT and it's critical that the information be structured so that it's easy to locate and use.
I envision a task force of volunteer members from FT...we have an unusually large number of very intelligent people in our member base...to suggest ways to structure FT so it best serves our growing membership.
Then we need to see what is technically and financially feasible and implement these changes over time.

2) What experience, education, and skillset do you have that will make you an effective Talkboard member? I'm looking for things like "City Council Member" and "Brokered peace talks in regional conflict" as opposed to how many miles you flew.


I have 35+ years of experience in a variety of sales and marketing positions ranging from entry level all the way through National Sales Manager and Director of Marketing for a major US food company. My education consists of both a B.S. and an MBA degree.
I'm managed companies and brands with sales in excess of $100 million and have also managed many dozen employees.
The skill set I believe I bring to TalkBoard is my decades in the business world analyzing and solving problems, negotiating contracts, planning, budgeting and forecasting years in advance and working closely with hundreds of other employees for a common goal.



3) Do you think it is fair that the candidates are listed in alphabetical order so that VPescado's entry is on the bottom of the page?


I hadn't thought of this but it's a good question. Makes me now wish my FT handle was aaaCholula :).
There are definite advantages, in an election or the Yellow Pages, to being at the top of the list.
Perhaps a fairer way would have been to list the candidates in the order their application was received. Or via a random draw.
I'm not sure how the candidates will be listed on the actual ballot.

Hi,
Well here are the answers to VPescado's questions.

VPescado] I've got several:

Q. What is *your* vision for FT (if not already mentioned in your platform), and what will you do to make that vision reality.

A. To continue to make FT the biggest and best travel forum in the world. Work dam hard to promote the forum where I can and act on the wishes of the membership.


Q. What experience, education, and skillset do you have that will make you an effective Talkboard member? I'm looking for things like "City Council Member" and "Brokered peace talks in regional conflict" as opposed to how many miles you flew.

A. Sorry but I am not a City Council member and for the record I have not won a Noble Peace Prize before you ask (yet). As for the part about how many miles you flew, well does that mean that if you flew NO miles and you Brokered a peace deal in a regional conflict then you would vote for them? I don’t think so.

For the record I am a member of two UK National Committees which deal with aspects of dare I say Radio Communications. We discuse and deal with issues regarding Radio Spectrum and Technical information, especially in new technologies.

I am also a Senior Engineer for a worldwide company and have to deal with customers at various meetings around the world as well as running the projects. This means dealing with various third party companies as well as other company gov agencies.

Q. Do you think it is fair that the candidates are listed in alphabetical order so that VPescado's entry is on the bottom of the page?

A. I don’t really care one way or another. But if it bothers you, you can always get a handle change to AAVpescado, at least you would be first on the list....


Sorry can’t find the other four questions in your list? You did say you had seven ;-)


regards
RadioMan

[QUOTE=Cholula]
I hadn't thought of this but it's a good question. Makes me now wish my FT handle was aaaCholula :).
QUOTE]

Hi
That was my idea, I see that there was only 2minutes between our postings. Dam, now everyone will be jumping on the band wagon.

regards
RadioMan :D

That was my idea, I see that there was only 2minutes between our postings. Dam, now everyone will be jumping on the band wagon.


No, there can only be one aaaCholula, and according to most folks in another debate it can't be Cholula himself.

Hi

I have a few questions for my fellow candidates :D :

1. What are your views on non-US members standing for election?

2. What are your views on having at least one non-guaranteed US member on the board?

3. What sort of time can you give to the board? I.e. once a week, twice a week?

4. What’s your view on the $15 to pay for FlyerTalk Premium?

That’s about it. :p

Regards
RadioMan

1. What are your views on non-US members standing for election?
I encourage them to!

2. What are your views on having at least one non-guaranteed US member on the board?
We currently have several.. I think. Not sure what a non-US member is, exactly, and this gets problematic enforcing some sort of quota. There are several members, for instance, who split their time between the US and Europe, US and Asia, etc. Fortunately the median Flyertalker is unlikely to be the stereotypical American tourist.. we're quite worldly around these parts. I guess I'm not a fan of a quota for non-US members of TalkBoad, but I do hope that the international membership is well-represented (by whomever they choose) and I think that, to date, they more or less have been. Now, if the TalkBoard develops a domestic US-myopia I might well change my mind.

3. What sort of time can you give to the board? I.e. once a week, twice a week?
Way too much time. I really should be working when I'm at the office, sleeping when I'm in a hotel room, and when I'm at home with mrs. gleff . . . ;) Heh.
4. What’s your view on the $15 to pay for FlyerTalk Premium?I think you're being overcharged $3. :D

Sorry can’t find the other four questions in your list? You did say you had seven
Actually I said that I had several. I probably did have another seven, but then thought better of posting them. ;)

Actually I said that I had several. I probably did have another seven, but then thought better of posting them. ;)


Hi
Just making sure that I did not miss them :D

Hi

I have a few questions for my fellow candidates :D :

1. What are your views on non-US members standing for election?

2. What are your views on having at least one non-guaranteed US member on the board?

3. What sort of time can you give to the board? I.e. once a week, twice a week?

4. What’s your view on the $15 to pay for FlyerTalk Premium?

That’s about it. :p

Regards
RadioMan
1) The more participation the better FT will become
2) I don't believe anything in life is or should be guaranteed
3) this is an opened/fluid question but I'm willing to give whatever is needed to get the job done
4) I have no issues with it, Randy is a business man and should be able to earn a living, $15 isn't much to pay however if you choose not to pay (as I did) it's pretty easy to ignore the ads

1) What is *your* vision for FT (if not already mentioned in your platform), and what will you do to make that vision reality.

2) What experience, education, and skillset do you have that will make you an effective Talkboard member? I'm looking for things like "City Council Member" and "Brokered peace talks in regional conflict" as opposed to how many miles you flew.

3) Do you think it is fair that the candidates are listed in alphabetical order so that VPescado's entry is on the bottom of the page?



1) I believe its mentioned in my platform - and to make that vision a reality, I will do my best to vote for what I believe will best benefit this community and in line with what I believe the entire community wants.

2) I've never been in City Council & I certainly never brokered peace talks anywhere - but I was the Senior Patrol Leader of my Boy Scout troop when I was much younger! :D Seriously though, the only other time I've "run for office" was in the 2004 TalkBoard elections - I got quite a few votes & did okay - however, there were better candidates than me at the time. As for leadership roles, I've always been viewed as a leader as well as a listener. I don't necessarily believe that having been in City Council or brokering peace talks will define a good TalkBoard member - I believe a good TalkBoard member is a TalkBoard member that will listen to the membership and will fight for what is best for FlyerTalk - I'm from the DC area - the people here that broker peace talks and are in the City Council are not people I would necessarily strive to be like.

3) I know you'll hate me for this, but I do believe its fair - I believe it's the only way (other than reverse alphabetical order) that is fair. Sure, Randy could have organized it based on submission date of entry, but the alphabetical method is best. Do I think its good that my username starts with a "B"? Not at all - any time I look in the phone book, I don't go with the first listing & when I'm at a restaurant, I rarely choose the first thing on the menu. After reading the first few descriptions on the menu, I gain more interest in the later ones & will sometimes forget what the first few are - especially if there are 35 entrees to choose to from. Of course, I believe that the meal that will satisfy my hunger are the ones that are most filling - and the ones that attract my attention most - placement doesn't matter.

1. What are your views on non-US members standing for election?

2. What are your views on having at least one non-guaranteed US member on the board?

3. What sort of time can you give to the board? I.e. once a week, twice a week?

4. What’s your view on the $15 to pay for FlyerTalk Premium?


1) I have no issues with non-US members standing for election. We are a global community & should have global representation.

2) TalkBoard is Randy's advisory board. I believe that since this is one of the things that he wanted from the begining, he had good reason for wanting to be like this. I think its a good idea to have at least one non-US member on the board, guaranteed, because we are a global community & there are cultural differences - granted, we are, for the most part, world travelers, so we recognize these differences - but we can't go into everything with our own perspectives - and I am sure that someone that was raised & lives in a different environment than I potentially has different views & experiences than I do - and I welcome that difference.

3) I will give as much time as necessary to TalkBoard. Currently, I am moderating two forums and I travel for both business & pleasure & work as a manager/trainer for a Fortune 500 company. Yet I am still online quite regularly. As a moderator, I am pretty quick at responding to PMs & doing moderator-related responsibilities. I am a regular participant on many forums and I check FT several times a day. When I travel, I still make sure I am checking FT (unless of course, I'm backpacking somewhere with no access to the internet - in which case, I will always send a note out to my fellow mods & future TalkBoard members).

4) I think FT Premium is a great idea & I am glad that Randy is able to help financially suppor the site this way. I am also glad that there is still a free FULL version of FlyerTalk that is available to all members. I believe that had I been introduced to FlyerTalk as a pay site, I would never have joined - but since it was free, I did join - this is something that must remain free for us to attract & retain quality members.

Well, I think koko is the candidate of free beer.

He is?

Does he offer it for a YEAR though? ;)

1) What is *your* vision for FT (if not already mentioned in your platform), and what will you do to make that vision reality.

My vision for FT isn't all that different from the reality of FT. Flyertalk is an amazing place.

2) What experience, education, and skillset do you have that will make you an effective Talkboard member? I'm looking for things like "City Council Member" and "Brokered peace talks in regional conflict" as opposed to how many miles you flew.

I work in the airline industry as a customer service rep, and I'm the mother of teenage boys.. I broker peace talks every day! Having planned a few FT get togethers, I also herd cats well. I've served as a member of the Talkboard for the past two years, and was part of a group that made some real progress in defining the role of the Talkboard.

3) Do you think it is fair that the candidates are listed in alphabetical order so that VPescado's entry is on the bottom of the page?


A terrible injustice. Everyone knows it should be ladies first, Bay Area residents last.

1.What are your views on non-US members standing for election?

I believe they are absolutely a necessary function of a well rounded board.

2.What are your views on having at least one non-guaranteed US member on the board?

I personally think it should be 2.

3.What sort of time can you give to the board? I.e. once a week, twice a week?

It's a pretty rough week for me if I'm not popping in at least every day. Other than when I'm travelling, or swamped with school work, I'm generally checking the Talkboard forum a couple times a day. Not to say that sort of addiction is necessary to being a productive member, The Guidelines ask for and require only minimum weekly participation.

4.What’s your view on the $15 to pay for FlyerTalk Premium?

It would be a bargain at twice the price. Flyertalk is an amazing and totally free resource. Having the option to view it ad-free and give something back to Randy is worth every penny. I'm proud to have served on the Talkboard that voted in the idea.

^, doc!

(But then I wonder if you just want to get maximum participation possible to run up your own margin of victory? ;) :D :cool: )

---

C'mon Gary, I only wish there were five "gleff's" running, so that I could simply withdraw. :)

Yet as it stands, there are actually lots, certainly more than five, really good candidates, IMHO. Is it too late! :D

And may I offer my condolences, Gary, to you and your family.

And sorry Dave/"thadocta" to learn of this dramatic turn and wish you the best.

-Mark

I know this is a completely random question, but am I the only female candidate? Of all the handles that I recognize, it would appear to be so. My apologies if I missed someone that I should know.

I know this is a completely random question, but am I the only female candidate? Of all the handles that I recognize, it would appear to be so. My apologies if I missed someone that I should know.

Hmm...looking at the names that I recognize, I believe you are correct!

1. What are your views on non-US members standing for
election?

I see FlyerTalk as a true global community although I'm guessing the majority of members are from North America. I don't make a distinction between a member in the US or one in Asia, Europe, etc.
All should have an equal opportunity for election.



2. What are your views on having at least one non-guaranteed US member on the board?

Again, I don't think we should impose quotas here. Let the best man or woman win regardless of where they happen to reside. Plus with the way we FT'ers are all traveling back and forth globally, the country of one's origin loses a bit of significance.




3. What sort of time can you give to the board? I.e. once a week, twice a week?


I'm logged into FT on a daily basis so I'll give it whatever time it takes.


4. What’s your view on the $15 to pay for FlyerTalk Premium?


Even at $12, $15 or whatever the number is, Randy is still deep in the $$$ hole with FlyerTalk.
And I don't think that offering FT Premium was his way to turn a profit. It came about from member requests for an ad-free environment and I think it serves that purpose well. If he can also pick up a few shekels to cover some expenses, then it's a win/win in my opinion.

Well, I think koko is the candidate of free beer. But if it's 30 years old and single malt, you can put it on my tab.mmmmmmmm...single malt with a beer chaser......

One time, at the Portland brew fest, I bought the entire FT contingent dinnerand drinks. And the fact that I dont REMEMBER doing this does nothing to mitigate the fact that i DID it...

does this answer the question?

mmmmmmmm...single malt with a beer chaser......

One time, at the Portland brew fest, I bought the entire FT contingent dinnerand drinks. And the fact that I dont REMEMBER doing this does nothing to mitigate the fact that i DID it...

does this answer the question?

Where's a moderator when you need one? :D

Where's a moderator when you need one? :D

Down in the pub....... :D

One thing is for sure.....we're all very similar with our sense of humor :D

One thing is for sure.....we're all very similar with our sense of humor :D
I'm going to have to talk to my campaign team.....is Cholula Hot is he Spicy? And since Mrs. Cholula reads these threads I hope she doesn't get the wrong idea :eek:

Vote for the HOT & SPICY Candidates
Cholula & Socratesfor Talkboard
Experience to Ensure our Future


Perhaps kokonutz and I should team up on a similar ticket:

I will fight for transparency and consistency in the administration of the Terms of Service, while he will fight for transparency and consistency in his beer.

Perhaps kokonutz and I should team up on a similar ticket:

I will fight for transparency and consistency in the administration of the Terms of Service, while he will fight for transparency and consistency in his beer.
Isn't transparent beer also known by the name water?

Isn't transparent beer also known by the name water?

transparent beer is called Bud light :D

I know this is a completely random question, but am I the only female candidate? Of all the handles that I recognize, it would appear to be so. My apologies if I missed someone that I should know.Sometimes I like to wear women's knickers. Does that count for anything?

Isn't transparent beer also known by the name water?All I know is that when it is time to sober up, nothing does the trick like Miller Lite on ice!



I have a question for my fellow candidates:

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why?

My answer is a liger. It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic.

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why?



Although the liger is known for its skills in magic, I would prefer to be a dragophant - they are know for being wicked smart & they can fly! ;)

I have a question for my fellow candidates:

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why?



The Bird of Paradise, so I can spread harmony across the globe

And in tonight's poetry corner...

My time here I’ve truly adored
Giving back would be ample reward
Please see what I wrote
And I ask for your vote
To represent all on the board

My haiku in response:

Foolish candidates
Promise free beer like junior high.
I promise free miles. :D

Hi
I would like too say that I will give everyone who votes for me a free mile. Show your support and claim your free mile.

Terms and Conditions:
Please note this offer is only open to members of Flyertalk and in order to be obtain your free mile you must submit in writing on pink headed note paper with a yellow stripe up the middle.

All claims for mile must also come with photographic evidence of you wearing some outrageous clothes.

Failure to comply with these T&C will result in no mile being granted.

There's nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Are now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss.

:eek:


--Pete Townsend

1. What are your views on non-US members standing for election?

FT is an international site -- both by the nature of its content and that of its regular visitors -- albeit it is quite likely that 90% of its traffic comes from the United States, and American expats abroad. At the same time, among regular posters, there is likely a higher representation from Canada, the UK, DownUnder [both Australia and New Zealand], the Asian rim of the Pacific, and Europe, than among actual signed up members. Thus it should not be an issue to have non-US members standing for election.

2. What are your views on having at least one non-guaranteed US member on the board?

The nature of FT makes it essential for at least one member of the Board, preferably two, to come from outside the United States. I might add that given the AirCanada forum is the third or fourth most-visited, there should also be some mechanism to ensure that not all North American board members come from the US. For despite what some in other parts of the planet may think, we are quite different from our neighbours to the south. And this is quite evident by the unique cast the AC Forum takes on, and the rules it operates by. [In any case, one would hope the law of numbers works and that at least one of the three of us Canadian candidates does make it onto the Board. As well as another non-NAmerican hailing from another part of the world.]

3. What sort of time can you give to the board? I.e. once a week, twice a week?

The nature of my work gives me flexibility to attend to various matters as required. I already spend too much time on FT, but diverting some of this posting/reading time to other FT activities would not be a problem.

4. What’s your view on the $15 to pay for FlyerTalk Premium?

This is a fine option to have, and the cost of this access must be reasonable and yet balance the potential loss of "ad eyes". FT must be an open site and keep growing. But FT must also find ways of providing better service to those who make the most use of it. And at the same time, cover its costs.

Greetings All,

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be offline from October 14-17. I have a 4 day mileage run (BWI-LGA-LEB-LGA-ORD-SAN-PHL-LGA-LEB-LGA-BWI) & although I will have my laptop with me, I don't believe I'll have too many opportunities to access the internet.

Friday night, I still don't have a hotel for LEB - but the midsize car that I'm renting should suffice if I can't find anything cheap enough up there - Saturday night in SAN, I'll be at a Ramada Inn near Qualcomm Stadium (gotta love best price guarantees!) - but I'll also be visiting friends so I don't know how much time I'll be online & Sunday night, I'm on a redeye. This will requalify me for status with US & it was only 77 bucks! (Thanks, FT! :))

I'll try to get online when I can.

bhatnasx

Actually, a vacation schedule post for full disclosure isn't a bad idea.

The bad news: I'll be mostly unavailable from Oct 22 - Nov 21. That's a full month long absence.

The good news: I'll be doing lots of research for future postings during this period. John C is getting married Oct 22 and for our honeymoon I am cashing in just over half a million miles and doing a month long Round-the-World trip.

I believe in my candidacy. I think I'll serve the TalkBoard well. But just as I have been very upfront about my views - so too do I want to be completely candid about this upcoming absence.

John C is getting married Oct 22 and for our honeymoon I am cashing in just over half a million miles and doing a month long Round-the-World trip.
.

Congratulations, John!

***

edited to add - I PM'ed Randy & Mikel asking them to follow up with your request to add a thread for candidates to post when they'll be offline if it will be for extended periods of time.

Congratulations, John!

Thanks! We are pretty excited about the whole thing. But I must admit that she gives me funny looks when I tell her that I need to photograph all the in-flight meals we get along the way so that I can include them in my trip report. ;)

Congratulations, John!

I second that. Congrat’s on the marriage and enjoy the RTW trip with your hard earned miles!
I understand that there are a few things a bit more important than FT and you’ve just discovered a couple of them.
Look forward to your trip report.

Congratulations indeed! Maybe your spouse-to-be will be joining FT as well? :)

FewMiles..

Wow RTW trip! Pretty impressive. Congratz!

Mind if i ask what the routing is, just to satisfy my own curiousity?

getting married Oct 22 and for our honeymoon I am cashing in just over half a million miles and doing a month long Round-the-World trip.

.


Hi JohnC,

Well congratulations. I hope you enjoy your honeymoon and spending of ur points/miles.

regards
RadioMan

Best wishes to you and yours, John. :)

-Mark

Mind if i ask what the routing is, just to satisfy my own curiousity?

Mind? Actually, that is a topic I LOVE to talk about. ;)

The Wedding is in Florida. From there, we head straight to Hawaii for several days R&R to recuperate from everything that leads up to a wedding. After tossing around several options on these boards, I finally decide to go with the Ritz Carlton for that little bit of extra pampering for our first stop (and it would be overly repetitive to discuss each decision FTers assisted with, but let’s just say I received a whole lot of really good input).

From there, we head to Tokyo for a few days. I'm generally not big into crowds but I've always wanted to go see Japan. Then, due to an intentional flight schedule disconnect, we get to spend one night in Seoul.

Next, we head to Beijing for several days to see the Great Wall of China, panda bears, and the now infamous Tiananmen Square. And then it is on to India, first Mumbai (Bombay) and then New Delhi with a trip out to the Taj Mahal for more pictures.

Egypt and the Pyramids follow. And then we wrap up in Europe with stops in Sorrento (Naples), Venice, Nice/Monte Carlo, Lyon (Wine Country), and Paris.

The trip lasts for an entire month, which is far quicker than I would really like to do it, but that is as long as I dared take off from work. ^

Congrats John C!!!

Congrats John C!!!

Am in YKM at the moment and have only a few mins online.. back in a couple of days.

Thanks to everyone for your good wishes. It is certainly a busy time around here. Within a two month period we have/will:

Both get new jobs in Atlanta and move up from FloridaSell two houses and buy one new one (3 active contracts as we speak)Get marriedTake a month-long Honeymoon RTW tripRun for TB

Things are certainly busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We truly have much to be thankful for. And I do appreciate all the kind words here. Forgetting the politics for a moment, this board does draw a lot of very solid people and that is the biggest reason why I enjoy being a part of it.

Hi Folks,

I have been looking at the amount of people who have viewed the threads in this forum and I was wondering how many of the Flyertalk members are actually bothered with these elections?

I would suspect that a large part of the total number of views is made up of the actually people standing for election rather than the voting public.

During the last set of voting how many people in total voted for the new board members?

Does anyone know of a way that we can get more people interested in the future of FlyerTalk?

Does the general membership care about it all?

Anyway, somethings too thing about and dicuse.

regards
RadioMan

I would suspect that a large part of the total number of views is made up of the actually people standing for election rather than the voting public.

Does anyone know of a way that we can get more people interested in the future of FlyerTalk?


I think you're right in that the number of views are comprised mostly of candidates (I know that I look at a thread whenever I see that it has new posts). The Moderation thread is the one with the most views and I suspect that the majority of those views are from the anti-moderation group on Flyertalk.

Perhaps one way to help publicize this "election" would be to feature it on the Flyertalk homepage and perhaps changing the "Announcement" at the top of each forum from "The Future of Flyertalk: The Candidates Debate" to something more specific "Talk Board Elections October 19-31: The Candidates Debate".

State of Play

Hi folks,

I am sorry but this .....ing in the debate has got to STOP!. It seems to me that people are loosing track of what its about and also by the looks of things the vast majority of FlyerTalk users dont really give a damm about the elections.

Lets keep things on track folks, if not then I dont want to be a part of this election which is sadly starting to sound like a joke at times

regards
RadioMan

It seems to me that people are loosing track of what its about and also by the looks of things the vast majority of FlyerTalk users dont really give a damm about the elections.

Lets keep things on track folks, if not then I dont want to be a part of this election which is sadly starting to sound like a joke at times


Sadly, you are correct. The vast majority of FlyerTalkers don't give a damn about the elections. Look how many votes it took to win last year vs. how many total members there were.

However, there are some people interested, and a lot of them don't know what is really going on behind the scenes. I personally feel it is important to get the word out. It might cost me the election, but I really want the minority that cares enough to vote, to have the opportunity to know who and what they are voting for.

I think you're right in that the number of views are comprised mostly of candidates (I know that I look at a thread whenever I see that it has new posts).
I too would concur with this. While it is nice to see that a few do take the time to submit questions and then read and discuss the ensuing discussions, they are clearly a tiny minority of the overall community.

Perhaps one way to help publicize this "election" would be to feature it on the Flyertalk homepage and perhaps changing the "Announcement" at the top of each forum from "The Future of Flyertalk: The Candidates Debate" to something more specific "Talk Board Elections October 19-31: The Candidates Debate".
I agree with you peteropny. I think that would be a better headline. As we enter the voting period one would assume the announcement would change and I hope the title will become something more in-line with your suggestion.

As in any election, people often vote their frustrations and gripes. Contented people have fewer criticisms and therefore fewer motivations to become politically active. Many candidates, myself included, have indicated that FT works pretty well and that it doesn't need radical changes. I think what we are seeing is somewhat of a confirmation of that fact. The risk is that people will only become interested when the worst occurs and the board goes in a horribly wrong direction. Fortunately, I believe we have a generally strong slate of candidates this year and I predict that a solid majority of the seats up for election, if not the entirety of them, will be filled with solid individuals who will work to prevent such a thing. I might be proven wrong, but at this point I feel better about this voting than I do about the majority of the national elections in which I have participated.

The Moderation thread is the one with the most views and I suspect that the majority of those views are from the anti-moderation group on Flyertalk.



Thanks for the insight Mr Moderator. :rolleyes:

Could it not be (gasp) that FlyerTalkers in GENERAL are 4 times more interested in moderation issues on FT than any other topic?

The thread views indicate that.

How on earth do you make the leap of logic that those 3,500 views are from "the anti-moderation group" ?

Maybe they are from the PRO moderation Group? That logic makes as much sense don't you agree? i.e. NONE. :p

Perhaps there are no groups - just members interested in TalkBoard issues? And some actual facts are being outlined for them here to read. Heaven forbid.

Hi Folks,

I have been looking at the amount of people who have viewed the threads in this forum and I was wondering how many of the Flyertalk members are actually bothered with these elections?

Keep in mind that the actual voting goes on for 10 days, at which time (I believe) another talkmail will go out reminding people to vote. There may be plenty of people just waiting until the voting period starts to get involved.

I would suspect that a large part of the total number of views is made up of the actually people standing for election rather than the voting public.

I'm sure its a good percentage.

During the last set of voting how many people in total voted for the new board members?

The last election had lower numbers than the year before. Could have had something to do with the US presidential elections going on at the same time. Randy had posted the vote tallies somewhere but I can't seem to find them. If I recall correctly though, the top vote getter was Spiff with somewhere around 1500 votes... as opposed to the year before when Starwood Lurker took the top spot with over 3400.

Why should anyone care? Flyertalk is great because of the members, not because of the TB. The TB can't really do anything that will upset the majority of the members in any case. Neither the members nor likely Randy would allow it. The TB could help improve Flyertalk in some small ways, so sure it's good to vote for the right people. But it's not like the UA board or the BA board is just going to disappear if they don't vote.

Some of you are taking this waaaaayyy too seriously, like being on the Talk Board will add luster to your life. If I'm elected, I'll give my best advice and input to the board. But I won't consider it my job, or my way of life, or some tremendous accolade. There are other things in life that are vastly more important.

Why should anyone care? Flyertalk is great because of the members, not because of the TB. The TB can't really do anything that will upset the majority of the members in any case. Neither the members nor likely Randy would allow it. The TB could help improve Flyertalk in some small ways, so sure it's good to vote for the right people. But it's not like the UA board or the BA board is just going to disappear if they don't vote.

Some of you are taking this waaaaayyy too seriously, like being on the Talk Board will add luster to your life. If I'm elected, I'll give my best advice and input to the board. But I won't consider it my job, or my way of life, or some tremendous accolade. There are other things in life that are vastly more important.Ding ding ding.

Lets keep things on track folks, if not then I dont want to be a part of this election which is sadly starting to sound like a joke at times.At times!?!?!?

It goes back to what you think the TB is and just what it can accomplish.

I will be totally honest: I think the answer is: inherently not much.

Unless and until the TB can make a compelling case to Randy that things can be done better then the status quo will remain in effect. And to the extent that most posters feel like the status quo is just fine, I pretty much expect the incumbents, Missy, Scott and Gleff, to be returned to office.

At the end of the day, FT is a benevolent dictatorship. One that, imho, has been incredibly successful not only because of Randy's vision and leadership, but to a large extent because of the POSTERS ourselves. Together we have created a place with a wealth of information, opinions and community that comes FROM the posters FOR the posters. Where trolls are unwelcome, where goodwill is the norm and where online relationships often grow into true friendships.

While the TB is structured to 'speak for the posters,' that voice is only as powerful and compelling as the people making the case. No matter how much I think that things like expanding the benefits of FT Premium, open TB debate and consistent and public moderation are important to the future of FT, if I can't convince Randy of this then it does not matter if I am a Talkboard member, a moderator, a poster or a banned user; the result will be failure.

I dont really see any of the incumbents running on a record of specific accomplishments where they have changed Randy's mind about something. At the same time I know that MANY former TB members have quietly resigned in aggravation.

So I assume that it must be a very frustrating thing to be a TB member at times. And I have often wondered if that is part of the reason the TB keeps its deliberations relatively secret. There is a limited sandbox over which the TB is given dominion but beyond that, in the the things that REALLY matter to posters, a TB member's influence is limited to the ability to convince Randy. Same as anyone else's.

For my part, I have no trouble calling it like I see it. I have done it before and I will do it again. As long as I continue to care, I wont stop making a strong case for what I think is in the best interests of FT's posters. I.e., keeping this haven of ours on the internet focused on the posters and allowing us to thrive in as open and free a community as we can possibly have. Even if doing so gets me slapped down from time to time as it did in the moderator thread.

If in the end if I cant influence Randy's opinion...well, see my Pete Townsend quote above, or my .......ization of Shakespeare in the moderation thread....it will be more of the same sound and fury, same as the old boss. @:-)

The last election had lower numbers than the year before. Could have had something to do with the US presidential elections going on at the same time. Randy had posted the vote tallies somewhere but I can't seem to find them. If I recall correctly though, the top vote getter was Spiff with somewhere around 1500 votes... as opposed to the year before when Starwood Lurker took the top spot with over 3400.

Madame President .. you have no real idea on voting results for members for the TalkBoard you preside over? Wow. ;)

Let me assist your memory. You are near 100% too high with last year - top vote was 846.

The year before Starwood Lurker polled 10% less votes than you state. But exactly 1800 more votes than you got actually. :cool:

Madame President .. you have no real idea on voting results for members for the TalkBoard you preside over? Wow. ;)

Once the members are IN the Talkboard over which I preside, the numbers that got them elected are of little importance, as we all have equal voting power.

Let me assist your memory. You are near 100% too high with last year - top vote was 846.

The year before Starwood Lurker polled 10% less votes than you state. But exactly 1800 more votes than you got actually. :cool:

I stated in my post "if I recall correctly" and apparently I did not, so I certainly appreciate the clarification. Thank you.

I've submitted a question for the poll, which does not appear to have made it yet to the list.

"Have you ever been TimeOut'ed or Suspended as a member of Flyertalk"

My Answer is "No, neither"
Anyone else??

Never timed out.
Never suspended.
Never banned.

nope.. neither

NO to all three as well.

And I'm assuming this Forum goes to "read only" soon if I understand the instructions properly.
If not, fine. Let the debate continue. It's been interesting, enlightening and has kept me out of trouble for a few days.
I thank those of my fellow candidates who weighed in on these threads with their thoughts, opinions and ideas.
No matter the eventual outcome of this election, I think we have raised several very important issues that will hopefully be considered, discussed and acted upon by the 2006 TalkBoard.

I thank those of my fellow candidates who weighed in on these threads with their thoughts, opinions and ideas.

^^

And I'd especially like to thank those who kept their campaigns mud-free.

Nope, I guess I'm not controversial enough. :D

For those who haven't been here forever, I have been VERY controversial at times, but as the saying goes, you can't cheat an honest man. And I also have Randy to thank for standing up to a few zealots who tried to ban me in the past.

The voting appears to be enabled but I notice the page specifies in multiple places that a voter may choose only 4 candidates instead of 5. I am assuming that is at least one of the reasons why we do not yet see an announcement.

Never timed out.
Never suspended.
Never banned.
Same here :D

Never timed out.
Never suspended.
Never banned.

Same here :D

What they said. All nevers for me as well.

As noted in my campaign platform, I was given a 7-day "time-out" (what are we, children? :rolleyes: I call it a ban) for an act of civil disobedience when I used some salty language in a trip report thread but self censored like "th!s." Instead of contacting me and/or editing out the questionable words, the moderator simply deleted my entire 3-paragraph post.

So in protest of the capricious over-moderation I posted the moderators PM to me telling me about how he deleted my entire post.

One thing that will get you banned faster than anything else: talking about moderation.

It was worth it.

Never timed out.
Never suspended.
Never banned.

Same goes for me!

Koko, as much as I've agreed with some of your posts in this debate, I have to differ with you on this situation. So in protest of the capricious over-moderation I posted the moderators PM to me telling me about how he deleted my entire post.

OK. So you decided that Civil Disobedience was the way to fix things and decided to violate the TOS. I can't say that I agree with that as a means to get the problem fixed - at least in the case of FT. I suspect that you probably alienated some mods that might have been sympathetic.

But if you honestly thought it was somehow going to help, I respect your right to make that decision, provided that you are willing to accept the consequences.

One thing that will get you banned faster than anything else: talking about moderation.

Certainly, when combined with purposely violating the TOS, you are probably correct.

It was worth it.

Really - what did you accomplish besides venting your anger? Honestly, I don't expect you to apologize or show contrition, but I find it bizarre that you think the result was worth it.

Really - what did you accomplish besides venting your anger? Honestly, I don't expect you to apologize or show contrition, but I find it bizarre that you think the result was worth it.
The danger in commenting at all regarding this is that I don't know the particulars of the situation and how much of the description given is fact versus spin. That is not a knock on Koko but rather just an acceptance that we all have a tendency to present our case in the best light. But literally, I never saw the thread in question and I do not know what happened.

Therefore, I wish not to delve too deeply into the specifics of this instance but I do believe the broader assertion embedded within your response is important. While I am generally a pretty law and order kind of guy, I do appreciate that the world needs people who will take a stand at perceived wrongs. If I felt other avenues had been exhausted then I can definitely appreciate fighting back against undue censorship, broadcasting the case to anyone who would listen in order to expose what I believed was wrong, and then accepting a suspension for it and thinking it was worth it. Personally, I can't imagine myself interlacing a post with thinly veiled profanity and then picking that as my place to fight, so even based on his report I might question his judgment in choosing an appropriate place to make a stand, but I can definitely respect someone who chooses to fight for his beliefs and who is willing to knowingly suffer the consequences of defending his conviction.

So, in summary, while I won’t defend his actions in this particular case, I will say that I would not characterize the act of civil disobedience itself as inherently bad in all instances. As with most things, there is a lot of gray between the blacks and the whites.

I'd thought this forum was opened for "other" issues, no? :)

This forum is designed to allow candidates to address other issues beyond those in the direct questions from the members of FlyerTalk. All candidates have been advised to not make things personal - its about the issues and it's about only those things that happen on FlyerTalk.

---

There has already been a question about this topic, moderation, posed herein, by none other than Randy himself, so why not express ones concerns there in response to it?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=480479&page=5&pp=15

---

This question was submitted by member Randy Petersen (Because I am a general member/voter as well):

"It would seem that the sheer size and traffic of FlyerTalk would require Moderation. Are you of the 'anything goes/low moderation' POV, self moderation works best for FlyerTalk POV, moderation is really a member benefit POV or are you somewhere else on this issue? I'm not interested in hearing about moderators themselves, just the topic and what's right for FlyerTalk."

---

This thread, bearing the question, revealed a thread view count this morning of 3521, arguably suggesting that there is some genuine member interest in this moderation issue.

I've also asked, once again, specifically, for members thoughts on the suggested moderator guidelines I'd proposed with Randy over a year ago now.

What are your toughts, if any, concerning the implementation of these, or some similar, guidelines?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=480479&page=5&pp=15

Thanks. :)

Mark

Koko, as much as I've agreed with some of your posts in this debate, I have to differ with you on this situation.

OK. So you decided that Civil Disobedience was the way to fix things and decided to violate the TOS. I can't say that I agree with that as a means to get the problem fixed - at least in the case of FT. I suspect that you probably alienated some mods that might have been sympathetic.

But if you honestly thought it was somehow going to help, I respect your right to make that decision, provided that you are willing to accept the consequences.



Certainly, when combined with purposely violating the TOS, you are probably correct.



Really - what did you accomplish besides venting your anger? Honestly, I don't expect you to apologize or show contrition, but I find it bizarre that you think the result was worth it.Well, I'll probably get in MORE trouble for talking about it, but this is my very last opportunity to convince people not to vote for me, so here goes:

As noted, my entire post was deleted for the sake of a couple of words. The moderator invited me to repost my post with the offending censored words deleted. So I reposted using **** instead of -!--. That post was deleted, too and I was told I was going to be banned.

So I posted the PM telling me I was going to be banned in protest.

Here was my point in doing so: I was banned for the violation of (quoting the TOS) "Using alternate spellings of filtered words or even profanity in other languages, to try and bypass any profanity filters is not acceptable." In my second post I did edit out the words the moderator found objectionable using the same standard that the FT filters use, ie, asterisks instead of letters. This was found to be my second violation in a row and it was for this that I was told I would be banned.

So I posted the mod PM for the sake of transparency: to show that I HAD, imho, in fact complied with the moderator's request using the ****s and yet was to be banned anyway. To allow posters themselves to decide if I was bad, the moderation (NOT the ModeraTOR, just the moderaTION) was bad or both.

In the end, of course, I was also banned for (quoting the TOS) "Flyertalk treats private communications on or through flyertalk as strictly confidential and does not access, use or disclose the contents of private communications." (an aside: IMHO, this clearly is a term of service that applies to FT itself, not to FT members. As I pointed out at the time, I am glad that FT treats communications confidentially, but there is no requirement inherent to that TOS there that members do so. If the rule is that posting PMs from mods is prohibited, the TOS should clearly define that fact). That said, of course I KNEW and KNOW that posting a PM from a mod is something that Randy despises. As I have said, though, Randy and I disagree about whether moderation ought to be done publicly or privately so, knowing I would be banned (unjustly, IMHO) anyway, I decided that creating transparency, even for a few precious minutes, was worth the greater wrath that i knew it would incur.

That's just how I am, folks. I stand up for what I believe in, particularly if I consider it to be an injustice. And damn the consequences. Randy has all but said that he hopes I am not elected to the TB and quite frankly I think he and I are of a mind on that point. After all, I'd hate to think that eventually my firebrand approach would be co-opted into having to be a responsible administrator actually charged with convincing Randy to change things to, in my view, protect the interests of the posters and let posters decide for themselves whether the board is being well-moderated and administrated.

Oh, and btw, this IS about the process, not the moderator. I DID take a couple of cheap shots at the mod by email at the time, and that is my only regret. The mod is a good person who simply lacked good solid guidelines from which to work and so was applying his own interpretation of moderation. And after my 7-day ban, I came back, apologized for the disruption (but NOT for making my point) and got on with life.

Oh, and btw, this IS about the process, not the moderator. I DID take a couple of cheap shots at the mod by email at the time, and that is my only regret. The mod is a good person who simply lacked good solid guidelines from which to work and so was applying his own interpretation of moderation. And after my 7-day ban, I came back, apologized for the disruption (but NOT for making my point) and got on with life.

Koko, you've done a much better job of making your case this time (although still I think the posting of the note from the mod didn't help). By the way looking at the above quoted paragraph, makes me think that you should take a look at my platform - perhaps you would like to vote for me? :)

As the campaign comes to a close, I thought it would be nice to have closing statements from the candidates.

I'll start the ball rolling:

==============

When I signed up to run for TalkBoard, I had no idea if I could win. I still don't. Normally, I would say that is proof that I accomplished nothing during the last couple of weeks. :)

However, I do believe that I accomplished quite a bit. I got my views out there and got people to discuss them. I'd like to think that I got the dialogue moving. I even got Randy to reply to a pm that I sent him :) (no disrespect to Randy - he doesn't exactly have an excess of free time). I've corresponded with members that I never had previously, and if nothing else I will walk away with a few more friends than I had before.

I also raised issues that many members would not have otherwise known about. And for that I've taken a lot of heat. In the process, I have been accused of negative campaigning or muckraking.

If what I did was negative campaigning, I am sorry, but I felt it was necessary: There were a lot of things going on behind the scenes that no one was mentioning on FT. If you talked to the right people you would find out. FT doesn't have a press corps bringing the scandals to the surface, and no one else was stepping up to the plate. And indeed a lot of the dirty tricks continue - it would be interesting how many of the votes in the election come from a certain ISP in Nicaragua.

I would ask those quick to condemn me take a look at my posts. I avoided attaching any names to the muck unless a candidate involved made a statement implying that I wasn't telling the truth or that they weren't involved. I only asked that those who wanted to know the truth ask around. Many of those that did found out what I was talking about, and a couple of members even thanked me for it. I never reported anything that I didn't believe to be true, and I posted about scandals even when they involved folks who I agreed with (and in at least one such case, it is costing me more than one vote).

In my campaign I have done a few things I would do differently - and I ammended posts and apologized in a couple of those cases. But other than those already ammended posts, I stand by what I did and said with no regrets.

But thats not why I want you to vote for me. I want you to vote for me because you've read my platform and posts and realize that I've given the matters at hand a good deal of thought - even if you don't agree with me on every point.

I want you to vote for me because you see what I have done for the community in the past (e.g. the MR - "How to" thread), and trust that I will continue to do what I can to make FT a better place.

I want you to vote for me because I have vision. I want you to vote for me because I have experience building concensus and finding solutions.

Most of all I want you to vote for me because you think I would be a great choice to serve on the TalkBoard.

I remain the Candidate with Candor,

VPescado

My closing statement is easy. I am not going to ask for your vote. I am not going to tell you that I am superior to the other candidates or that I would better represent you because there are a lot of very solid people running who would do a great job. I have actively participated in these discussions to demonstrate how I feel about various topics and how I believe I can make a meaningful contribution to a deliberative body. I still believe that a relatively new member brings a slightly different perspective that could add valuable perspective to the discussions of the TalkBoard but I recognize the difficulty in getting elected without broad support built over many years. If elected, it would be my honor and privilege to serve. If not, I have enjoyed being a part of this process and being exposed to some interesting new topics and new-to-me realities about this place. Whether or not I am a member of the TalkBoard, I know I'll be a better member of the community from this experience.

Thanks!

A good idea, VPescado!

As for me, the reason why I am running for TalkBoard is simple: I want to give back to the community that has given me so much.

The role of TalkBoard is to be an advisory committee to Randy. In the past two & a half years I have been an active participant on FlyerTalk, the TalkBoard has made numerous changes to FlyerTalk. These changes include addition of forums, recommendations on signatures, consolidation of less-used forums, among other things. I believe that the changes that the TalkBoard has recommended to Randy are in the best interest of FlyerTalkers.

If elected, I will continue to look at and consider recommendations that I believe will be in the best interest of not only FlyerTalkers, but that are in the interest of the board as a whole. We have over 80,000 members and each member regards FlyerTalk as the definitive source for airline & mileage & general travel information. This is a strong community of people who all share the same thing - a love for travel.

As a member of FlyerTalk, you have the ability to choose how you want the future of this board. I believe that by choosing me as one of your candidates, you will be ensuring a strong future for FlyerTalk. During this election campaign, I have made the choice to stay out of the politics & stay out of some of the conflict & negative campaigning. But I have also made the point to share my views and hopefully outline to you, not only in these discussions, but in my interactions in all the forums that I participate in, and in my interactions at various FlyerTalk events, what kind of a person I am.

I have a lot of good competition with the candidates and I am not concerned with whether I win or lose this election. My concern is ensuring that FlyerTalk's future is what its membership wants it to be & if that means you don't believe that I'm the best candidate, then that's okay with me. For those of you who do believe I'm one of the best candidates, then I ask that you vote for me. I have faithfully served the membership in FlyerTalk by being an open and honest poster & moderator. I will continue to be one if elected to TalkBoard.

I believe that the way the candidates have carried themselves during this campaign as well as how they carry themselves in all aspects of the board will be a reflection on how they will perform as a member of TalkBoard. Make sure when you vote, you vote for the candidate that best represents your ideals, goals, and interests on how you want FlyerTalk to be.

Thanks to all that have supported me in their signature lines as well - I never once asked anyone to do this & appreciate all those that believe I am a strong candidate and if elected, I look forward to serving you over the course of the next two years here on FlyerTalk.

Enjoy your travels,

bhatnasx

My closing statement is...Oh darn, they're calling my name at AMS. Gotta run to the gate now and catch a flight. cya and good luck!

My closing statement: See you in the bar... the first rounds on me!!!

My closing statement: See you in the bar... the first rounds on me!!!

If you ever make it to a DC Happy Hour, we're holding you to this! :D

Closing Remarks for me:

1. Even if you don't wish to vote for me, please vote!
2. I would suggest choosing candidates who have contributions to make to Flyertalk that are positive and supportive. Be aware that quantity (of posts) does not equal quality.
3. Some candidates are The Usual Suspects who have disrupted Flyertalk in the past. Have a look and see who DIDN'T reply to my question about being banned.
4. Please vote!

(BTW- There is a post on another board which suggests that I supported the request by a programme Lurker to remove a promo code. In fact I totally opposed that request and refused to edit the post when I moderated that programme. Just to set the history right.)

Ok as my closing statement... I need to withdraw my candidacy for the talkboard.

It's a long story. I appreciate the support and running... but i've had some things come up that are unavoidable and are going to occupy an immense amount of time and I can't devote it to the TB.

Thank you Randy for the opportunity, thank you to those who voted for me, and thanks to my fellow candidates for making this a fun and good learning experience.

-brian