Feb 3, 2016, 1:55 pm
Last edit by: SkiAdcock
Should the Travel News forum remain open as its own standalone forum?
Here is the Travel News forum. Should it remain open; or should it be closed? Please post objective reasons for either position below.
Keep the Travel News Forum Open
It provides a place where only news linked to other sources can be posted.
Travel News serves a different function than other forums. It is for news articles that can be quickly perused & not buried in other forums. TravelBuzz, for example, has topics such as 'should the spouse get the upgrade' & discussions re: that. Travel News has links to articles of interest that may or may not get commentary, but does get a lot of views so obviously of interest to FTers. Just as some will read articles in the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, USAToday because the articles are of interest but not comment. That doesn't mean the articles have no value. They're easier to find in Travel News.
Close/Merge the Travel News Forum
It is redundant; and discussions posted in it are best served when residing in other forums on FlyerTalk — such as TravelBuzz, for example.
It is obsolete due to improved technology which has emerged over the years, allowing news pertaining to travel to be easily obtained elsewhere.
It is not at all clear what types of posts belong in it.
Travel News made a lot more sense before FT had a forum for any and every thing travel related. But now FT does and Travel News is out of step with how FlyerTalk is currently organized.
Here is the Travel News forum. Should it remain open; or should it be closed? Please post objective reasons for either position below.
Keep the Travel News Forum Open
It provides a place where only news linked to other sources can be posted.
Travel News serves a different function than other forums. It is for news articles that can be quickly perused & not buried in other forums. TravelBuzz, for example, has topics such as 'should the spouse get the upgrade' & discussions re: that. Travel News has links to articles of interest that may or may not get commentary, but does get a lot of views so obviously of interest to FTers. Just as some will read articles in the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, USAToday because the articles are of interest but not comment. That doesn't mean the articles have no value. They're easier to find in Travel News.
Close/Merge the Travel News Forum
It is redundant; and discussions posted in it are best served when residing in other forums on FlyerTalk — such as TravelBuzz, for example.
It is obsolete due to improved technology which has emerged over the years, allowing news pertaining to travel to be easily obtained elsewhere.
It is not at all clear what types of posts belong in it.
Travel News made a lot more sense before FT had a forum for any and every thing travel related. But now FT does and Travel News is out of step with how FlyerTalk is currently organized.
Travel News Forum: close, re-purpose or merge with TravelBuzz?
May 28, 2015, 11:02 am
#121
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In other words, you have no idea if the content allowed on Travel News will be allowed on Travel Buzz. Pretty clear to me Travel News should not be closed if you can't answer the questions I raised and have not discussed your proposal with the Travel Buzz moderators off-line.
Why can't the Talk Board members talk to the Travel Buzz moderators and get their take on this before a vote? Is there a rule that you're not allowed to talk to them? Are you going to be sanctioned for starting that discussion?
Why can't the Talk Board members talk to the Travel Buzz moderators and get their take on this before a vote? Is there a rule that you're not allowed to talk to them? Are you going to be sanctioned for starting that discussion?
Cheers.
May 28, 2015, 1:44 pm
#122
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
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May 28, 2015, 1:49 pm
#123
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But is she willing to let news articles be posted in her forum without commentary, as they are in Travel News today (and have been for over a dozen years there or in Newsstand)? If we're relocating Travel News content to another forum, will the Travel News posting requirements move with them?
May 28, 2015, 3:33 pm
#124
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
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But is she willing to let news articles be posted in her forum without commentary, as they are in Travel News today (and have been for over a dozen years there or in Newsstand)? If we're relocating Travel News content to another forum, will the Travel News posting requirements move with them?
Hopefully, you will find out the answers to your questions directly from them in this discussion in a timely manner.
May 28, 2015, 4:23 pm
#125
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I cannot personally answer that question; but I did send a private message to all of them moments ago with a direct link to the quoted content you posted and a request for them to post their thoughts in this discussion.
Hopefully, you will find out the answers to your questions directly from them in this discussion in a timely manner.
Hopefully, you will find out the answers to your questions directly from them in this discussion in a timely manner.
Cheers
May 28, 2015, 6:54 pm
#126
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
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But is she willing to let news articles be posted in her forum without commentary, as they are in Travel News today (and have been for over a dozen years there or in Newsstand)? If we're relocating Travel News content to another forum, will the Travel News posting requirements move with them?
My understanding is that moderators generally take their guidance from the Community Director, who generally accepts the recommendations of the TB.
So if a TB motion were made to close TN and allow posters to post currently TN-acceptable threads to TB, I am confident the Community Director would take that recommendation seriously.
May 28, 2015, 7:07 pm
#127
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
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May 28, 2015, 7:13 pm
#128
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May 28, 2015, 7:16 pm
#129
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
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I'd still like to know where the Travel Buzz moderators stand on this. Are they on board with news articles being posted in Travel Buzz without commentary? If they are, merge away.
May 28, 2015, 7:30 pm
#130
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If this interests you, you're welcome to PM them. Don't forget that TB is made up of volunteers all of whom have a work and travel life, if you feel passionate about it then we'd love to have you take the lead on something like that.
May 28, 2015, 7:47 pm
#131
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
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I'm not the Talk Board member that put this proposal in play. That's the member that should be interfacing and alerting the moderators of the impacted forums so they can join the discussion, and even gathering input from them before starting the topic in a best-case scenario. Why isn't that happening here? It's like you're in competing camps and can't talk to each other to come up with proposals that work.
Before introducing this topic, I would have asked the Travel News moderator if he wanted his forum closed or merged, and I would have asked the Travel Buzz moderators if they were OK with the extra workload and the Travel News posting policy continuing in their forum. Would have taken all of 3 mins to start some off-forum discussion with them before taking it to the membership. Maybe the Talk Board member could have come up with middle ground with that type of discussion before taking it on-line to the general membership.
I won't be taking the lead. It's not my proposal. I could just as easily live with Travel News staying exactly where it is.
Before introducing this topic, I would have asked the Travel News moderator if he wanted his forum closed or merged, and I would have asked the Travel Buzz moderators if they were OK with the extra workload and the Travel News posting policy continuing in their forum. Would have taken all of 3 mins to start some off-forum discussion with them before taking it to the membership. Maybe the Talk Board member could have come up with middle ground with that type of discussion before taking it on-line to the general membership.
I won't be taking the lead. It's not my proposal. I could just as easily live with Travel News staying exactly where it is.
May 28, 2015, 8:09 pm
#132
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
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I'm not the Talk Board member that put this proposal in play. That's the member that should be interfacing and alerting the moderators of the impacted forums so they can join the discussion, and even gathering input from them before starting the topic in a best-case scenario. Why isn't that happening here? It's like you're in competing camps and can't talk to each other to come up with proposals that work.
May 28, 2015, 9:47 pm
#133
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
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I'm not the Talk Board member that put this proposal in play. That's the member that should be interfacing and alerting the moderators of the impacted forums so they can join the discussion, and even gathering input from them before starting the topic in a best-case scenario. Why isn't that happening here? It's like you're in competing camps and can't talk to each other to come up with proposals that work.
Before introducing this topic, I would have asked the Travel News moderator if he wanted his forum closed or merged, and I would have asked the Travel Buzz moderators if they were OK with the extra workload and the Travel News posting policy continuing in their forum. Would have taken all of 3 mins to start some off-forum discussion with them before taking it to the membership. Maybe the Talk Board member could have come up with middle ground with that type of discussion before taking it on-line to the general membership.
I won't be taking the lead. It's not my proposal. I could just as easily live with Travel News staying exactly where it is.
Before introducing this topic, I would have asked the Travel News moderator if he wanted his forum closed or merged, and I would have asked the Travel Buzz moderators if they were OK with the extra workload and the Travel News posting policy continuing in their forum. Would have taken all of 3 mins to start some off-forum discussion with them before taking it to the membership. Maybe the Talk Board member could have come up with middle ground with that type of discussion before taking it on-line to the general membership.
I won't be taking the lead. It's not my proposal. I could just as easily live with Travel News staying exactly where it is.
We are all posters first and foremost.
I am not comfortable with the notion that moderators should have an outweighed say in how FlyerTalk is organized. Never have.
We are all volunteers. If someone doesn't like a decision he or she is free to leave. There are lots of volunteers ready to take our places.
So I value the opinion of mods as much as I value the opinion of any poster.
To me the only question is: what is in the best interest of the posters. In this case I obviously believe that one TravelBuzz is better than an Travel Buzz plus a redundant mini-Travel Buzz.
Further, I strongly believe that a transparent conversation is superior to a back room conversation and deal.
So yes, many thanks to the hard working mods. But they are not the deciders. The posters are (including the mods).
May 28, 2015, 9:59 pm
#134
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
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May 28, 2015, 10:08 pm
#135
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
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I hope the Travel Buzz moderators don't bail over the increased workload if Travel News articles are permanently moved there. It does take some serious policing to comply with the Talk Board policy as to what is "on-topic" and cblaisd should be applauded for all his hard work on the Travel News forum. It appears he is quite content to have the Travel News forum stay in place.
Last edited by tom911; May 28, 2015 at 10:13 pm Reason: added another line