Pardon me, but of what use is this post after the administrator edited it? We don't even know what the problem is. I tried to register with BFT and got nowhere. When I clicked on "contact the web admin," I also got nowhere. What am I missing with this website???
Addendum: Now I know the secret. You do not get on right away. They email you, then you hit their url, then you are finally on. Why don't they tell you in the first place??
[This message has been edited by Karen2 (edited 09-25-2002).]
Programs: AA EXP, MR & SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hh Gold, PC Gold, GP+ Gold, Avis 1st
Posts: 13,781
Karen, IMHO, Theres something about this topic (BFT.com) that gets the powers that be all riled up.. so therefore there aren't too many BFT comments.. or threads that last too long around here in their original form
I recently used bft for the first time. The advice they gave me was exactly correct. They do have strict rules about how and what to post, and the person that runs it (Sheryl) seems to be a strong disciplinarian, but that attitude does keep the board clean, sharp, and useful.
Location: Near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Earth (PIT)
Programs: B6 or WN then UA, some generic hotel room, Hertz 5* (yes really)
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The strictness arguably also keeps it *less* useful than it *could* be, as more open discussion leads to free flow of ideas and could lead to potentially even more useful info. But they tread a fine line between getting the best deal and violating certain terms of Priceline use, and they're erring on the side of caution in these areas. Plus, they're running on an expensive board system that penalizes them for having increasing traffic and number of posts. They pay a high price for not having to deal with the technical end of it. Ethically, I think it's wrong to ask for "donations" when your site is your only job, but it's being done all over the web these days, apparently successfully.
I don't know what the original poster said. I suspect, as happened I think once before, someone posted the address out of the Whois record for the domain. Anyone can get that if they want it, of course, but it's not really appropriate to post here. It's one thing to disagree with the way the site is run, quite another to continue a vendetta against its owner. Discussions of BFT tend to deteriorate rapidly. The consensus, even among those in disagreement with how the site is run, is that the compilation of info can be quite useful in getting the best deals on Priceline. Unfortunately, the site management drives some of us to refrain from enhancing the content of the site with our own bidding experiences.
Ah, I see. This *is* the post where the address was. It was originally posted a month ago, and I didn't notice the difference. (Note, first post 8/25, all responses 9/25.)
Also of note, one does not need to *register* at all with BFT/EZBoard to just *read* there as I recall.
[This message has been edited by CrazyOne (edited 09-25-2002).]
Programs: AA EXP, MR & SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hh Gold, PC Gold, GP+ Gold, Avis 1st
Posts: 13,781
Bingo!!!!!
You hit the magic button on that comment
I use it to get info, but have never posted my results of my own bidding
I would if there was another place to post the results though
Quote:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CrazyOne: Unfortunately, the site management drives some of us to refrain from enhancing the content of the site with our own bidding experiences.
[This message has been edited by CrazyOne (edited 09-25-2002).]</font>
Here's the crux of the problem. Look at this thread -- it's useful to anyone needing a hotel in London in early October (the poster tells you his bidding experience). But because he didn't do the "research" Sheryl demands (hey, "we" all know 5-star hotels in London are likely to be going for more than $140), she is planning on removing the post. Who needs that? Hence, the frequent travellers don't post.
Programs: AA EXP, MR & SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hh Gold, PC Gold, GP+ Gold, Avis 1st
Posts: 13,781
Unbelievable.. well actually it isn't.. par for the course I guess
Quote:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by iahphx: Here's the crux of the problem. Look at this thread -- it's useful to anyone needing a hotel in London in early October (the poster tells you his bidding experience). But because he didn't do the "research" Sheryl demands (hey, "we" all know 5-star hotels in London are likely to be going for more than $140), she is planning on removing the post. Who needs that? Hence, the frequent travellers don't post.
Location: From and of Boston. LH SEN, UA2P, SPG Gold, IC Amb, OBE, MBA, Rainy, lows in upper 30s, e=MC^2
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Seems reasonable to me. BFT is a business, and it's good business practice to minimize news/information that would tend to discourage people from patronizing your business. Thus, information about winning bids is encouraged, and information about non-winning bids is discouraged with the extraordinary set of requirements and calculations.
__________________
Time flies like an arrow, and fruit flies like a banana
The moderators of BFT have a point when they want to put an end to posts like the one about the 5* hotel in London (mentioned in previous posts). The data provided by the poster provides no information since he didn't put it in context by providing additional information like available rates etc.
What puts most people off I think is the tone of some of the replies. It is difficult to put the right tone in written text opposed to spoken words. What can sound funny when spoken can be insulting or offensive when written. I'm sure many posters are keeping from posting on BFT because they don't like to be addressed the way sometimes happens on BFT.
On the other hand: it is their board, they post all kind of rules and requirements very clearly and they do a good job of sticking to the core of the board: providing bidding information and advise.
I think that almost everybody here agrees that BFT is a very useful board, too bad there is so much hostility going around (although sometimes fun to read )
[This message has been edited by ql2112 (edited 09-27-2002).]
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by iahphx:
...But because he didn't do the "research" Sheryl demands (hey, "we" all know 5-star hotels in London are likely to be going for more than $140), she is planning on removing the post. Who needs that? Hence, the frequent travellers don't post.
"The moderators of BFT have a point when they want to put an end to posts like the one about the 5* hotel in London (mentioned in previous posts). The data provided by the poster provides no information since he didn't put it in context by providing additional information like available rates etc."
Um, I don't want to offend you, but that's just a silly statement. The guy gave his dates, zone, star level and maximum bid. It was an extremely useful post, because it told you (well, before Sheryl deleted it), that you were unlikely to get a 5-star hotel in Mayfair for under 140 bucks during that time period. He shared his experience out of the goodness of his heart, and Sheryl treated him like a useless idiot.
Moreover, this whole business of "providing additional information like available rates" can also be quite silly. As I said earlier, anyone who has ever travelled to London knows that it is extremely improbable to get a 5-star Mayfair hotel for under $140 through "conventional" means. So it's a little like making someone quote the latest spot market prices on Columbian coffee beans to buy a cup of joe.
Good post iahphx.
I was browsing Fodor's travel talk section where many "non-professional" travellers have run into the same kind of treatment.It's hard to say how much less info is shared because of the attitude at BFT. A little polite consideration would go a long way to improve it.
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