Question 5: Do you think TalkBoard has sufficient power?
This question submitted by christiansen:
If you will be elected: What are you key issues to make FlyerTalk a
different place? Do you think TalkBoard has sufficient power?
This question submitted by christiansen:
If you will be elected: What are you key issues to make FlyerTalk a
different place? Do you think TalkBoard has sufficient power?
I believe that my answer here would be redundant to what I posted in response to Question # 3. Please look at that post.
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Hi
Well first of all my key issues might not be the same as any of the other candidates or even your key issues.
We are all individuals but within Flyertalk we form a community and as such its what the community wants that we should be considering rather than just the individual as 1000s of members will have their views but in a real world only so many can be put into play and usually that is the ones that the majority of folk want.
I don't want to make FT a different place. I enjoy what it is just now. If I didn't I think I would have left, rather than trying to remake it in my own image
What I do want to do is try and look to see what can be done to continue to improve FlyerTalk for all of us who use it.
As to power - I'm not sure that Talkboard has any power, beyond offering advice (which is generally taken) as to what changes could make the board a better place. And I'm pretty happy with that - I'm slightly concerned by the desire I see from some to expand Talkboard's reach and to try and take control of things on the board which are clearly outwith its current remit. For me Talkboard is an advisory council. It's not a parliament, IMHO it acts as an interface between the board owners and the users. I don't see it as likely that it will expand much beyond that in the near future either.
This question submitted by christiansen:
If you will be elected: What are you key issues to make FlyerTalk a
different place? Do you think TalkBoard has sufficient power?
TalkBoard only has as much power as Randy gives it. It was designed as a User Advisory Council and designed to assist Randy and improve FlyerTalk by representing the users to the management.
Personally, I feel that there are some places where TalkBoard could help Randy as he is overworked and under-available.
Perhaps TalkBoard should be the ones reviewing suspensions in an orderly fashion, so that an unwarranted suspension doesn't linger until Randy has time to review it. As an elected board of FT members, the TB would be perfect in this role.
__________________ I'm a member of TalkBoard. Please send me a PM with any suggestions.
FlyerTalk seems to be progressing nicely. I see no reason to reshape it into a "different place" at the current time.
As for power, I ask, power to do what? TalkBoard is an advisory board, and, as stated earlier, only has the power granted by FlyerTalk ownership. Randy and his staff are free to do what they wish with TalkBoard advisories.
With that said, Randy and his staff have shown that they value the input of the TalkBoard, and thus they do work with the board and implement changes. As such, TalkBoard seems to have adequate power for its mission.
__________________
A committee is a life form with six or more legs and no brain.
TalkBoard is a committee to relay user’s opinions to Randy and advise what the FlyerTalk population thinks would strengthen the community. TalkBoard per say has no power, but it is more of a gateway to Randy.
I'm not trying to make FlyerTalk a different place - I'm interested in keeping it the great place that it is right now with occassional improvement that meets its growing membership needs.
As for the "power" factor - I don't regard this as a position of power and I don't think its a good idea to look a this position as a position of power. TalkBoard is an advisory board. That's it. We're here to represent the members. Why am I running? To give back to the community that has given me so much. I'm not here for the power trip. I don't need that.
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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of faces if you look at them right.
Randy has placed in the hands of the Talkboard to recommend changes to the Board. He has implemented all recommendations from that Board... so that to me is enough authority/power.
Advisory Board means just that... and I honestly do not believe "power" enters into that equation.
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I answered that question previously so my opinion doesn't change.
I believe strongly in TalkBoard as an advisory body - and one that can only be effective if it takes the time to not only listen but to solicit ideas and suggestions from the community. I believe that Randy has given the TalkBoard plenty of leeway and forums with which to do this - its in the hands of the TalkBoard to see this maximized.
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TalkBoard has the power to advise, that is what it does, and what it's creation was founded on, and that it needs to help the community as a whole. It is my desire to continue the tradition of those TalkBoard members who have helped shape the site before me. I will continue their tradition and assist others on the board with this process.
I'm a member of 
