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Suggestion- Separate Credit Card Churn Forum
FT is changing and as such, I think we need to change Miles Buzz. It used to be the place to get general info on mileage or point promotions, and that's what I went there for.
The current description is Discussion of the latest frequent flyer & hotel program buzz...only
Except that it appears that every single post on the first page relates in some way to churning credit cards and/or how to get that once in a lifetime vacation for free. While that's all well and good, any real Miles Buzz type information gets lost really, really fast.
I used to visit Miles Buzz daily, now I barely look at it once a week.
I would suggest all this churning information be located with the credit card forums and let Miles Buzz go back to being, well, Miles Buzz.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mary2e
The current description is Discussion of the latest frequent flyer & hotel program buzz...only
Except that it appears that every single post on the first page relates in some way to churning credit cards and/or how to get that once in a lifetime vacation for free. While that's all well and good, any real Miles Buzz type information gets lost really, really fast.
(bolding mine)
I agree.
MilesBuzz! MODs used to have this announcement at the top about where to post credit card topics for a while but it doesn't seem to make any significant difference. Folks who want to start a non-milebuzzing credit card thread in MilesBuzz!, let it be newbies or long-time FTers, still throw out their questions in MilesBuzz! Forum. Thinking back about how many RBPs I'd sent, I am quite exhausted. I am sure our MilesBuzz! MODs, new or old, won't feel any less frustrated than I. Credit inquiries/scores/rating discussion was often seen in MilesBuzz last year and I also RBPed them.
True that credit cards have become a powerful "tool" to obtain bonus miles and are widely "encouraged" by savvy FTers. However, I am not sure if FT should have a cc churn forum, giving FT is NOT a credit card board. I am also not sure if this proposed forum, if created, would do a better job than say the finance section on either Slickdeals or Fatwallet.
BTW, that MilesBuzz! announcement is not viewable to regular FTers like me. Not sure if it has expired or needs another tweak from MOD to make it a more permanent sticky. But as we all know, info on sticky threads can't and won't change how people behave or choose where to start their threads.
Announcements in Forum : MilesBuzz!
Jun 15, 12 until Aug 30, 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by mia
Where to post Credit Card topics.
Please do not start a new thread in MilesBuzz! about credit cards, unless the post describes a new extraordinary offer. In general, new account bonuses of fewer than 40,000 miles or points are not extraordinary. This is only a guideline, we know there will be exceptions, use your knowledge of the card's usual bonus level to identify an offer that is Buzzworthy.
Routine discussions of American Express Membership Rewards, associated card benefits, and American Express policies and practices are in the American Express Membership Rewards forum.
Discussions of airline and hotel affinity cards generally belong in the corresponding airline or hotel program forum. In particular, questions about luggage, boarding, and elite status benefits can best be answered in those forums.
Discussions of all other credit card rewards programs, benefits, policies, practices, and strategies should be placed in the Credit Card Programs forum. This includes questions about which card you should apply for, keep, or cancel.
I will sort of agree with this. The milezbuzz forum is full of CC stuff. However I don't think another forum is needed just for CC churns. The current CC forum would do.
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I like this idea, provided that the numbers look good. Can someone please attempt to count threads (and their posts) on this subject over the last month or year or whatever?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tcook052
Why a separate forum instead of simply renaming the MilesBuzz forum?
Or perhaps renaming it to something like "Miles Buzz (including Credit Card Churning) and having the CC Churning as a sub forum. Imho, this keeps it all in one place and gives the CC Churning its own forum
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nsx
Like "Hot Deals to Earn Miles, including Credit Card Signup Bonuses" ?
Yes, and having members being able to order topics with different tabs or thread prefixes as that way you could either take it all in at once or view just the CC or just the travel threads.
For example, when I create a thread in forums now I can use one of two prefixes, "Question" or "FAQ", but could there be more and could they perhaps be forum specific? I'm not suggesting we given members dozens of choices but maybe a few more might help in some situations as this one.
More forums may not be the answer in all cases if we can more efficiently organize material within a forum. Just some thoughts.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tcook052
Yes, and having members being able to order topics with different tabs or thread prefixes as that way you could either take it all in at once or view just the CC or just the travel threads.
For example, when I create a thread in forums now I can use one of two prefixes, "Question" or "FAQ", but could there be more and could they perhaps be forum specific? I'm not suggesting we given members dozens of choices but maybe a few more might help in some situations as this one.
More forums may not be the answer in all cases if we can more efficiently organize material within a forum. Just some thoughts.
I've suggested adding prefixes like "Complaint" or "Compliment" in the DL forum, so people can easily skip the complaints if they'd like to do so.
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CC churn/etc forum would mainly be an organizational change
"cleaning" milesbuzz (currently 11 of first 25 threads are CC/etc)
as well as moving any and all threads from other forums into one single forum
* additionally it could act as a transition forum for new members who are coming from blogs/etc
also maybe have discussion subforum like mileage run deals [did more recently] - for technical, help, etc
cant speak for others, but - i recently suggested to someone that they consider churning. (or just signup bonuses in general) if a FT churn forum existed, i would have referred them to it.
Life is too short to spend it being angry 
Thinking back about how many RBPs I'd sent, I am quite exhausted. I am sure our MilesBuzz! MODs, new or old, won't feel any less frustrated than I. Credit inquiries/scores/rating discussion was often seen in MilesBuzz last year and I also RBPed them. 
