Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Community > TalkBoard Topics
Reload this Page >

Travel News Forum: close, re-purpose or merge with TravelBuzz?

Community
Wiki Posts
Search
Old Feb 3, 2016, 1:55 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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It is obsolete due to improved technology which has emerged over the years, allowing news pertaining to travel to be easily obtained elsewhere.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.
Print Wikipost

Travel News Forum: close, re-purpose or merge with TravelBuzz?

 
Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 29, 2015, 11:07 pm
  #166  
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,997
Originally Posted by tom911
I regret missing this post earlier in the discussion. Could have saved me a lot of posting time. Appears you're going in the same direction that Talk Board member MSPeconomist is with making Travel News the main repository of news items.
You would be correct.

I personally have subscriptions to both the TravelBuzz and Travel News forums on MyFlyerTalk because I believe they serve distinctly separate purposes...

...and cblaisd seems to be open to suggestions from fellow FlyerTalk members on how to further improve and strengthen the purpose of the Travel News forum. In my opinion, that is the route we should consider first and foremost, with the consideration of the shuttering of the Travel News forum only as a last resort.
Canarsie is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 10:53 am
  #167  
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Originally Posted by Canarsie
You would be correct.

I personally have subscriptions to both the TravelBuzz and Travel News forums on MyFlyerTalk because I believe they serve distinctly separate purposes...

...and cblaisd seems to be open to suggestions from fellow FlyerTalk members on how to further improve and strengthen the purpose of the Travel News forum. In my opinion, that is the route we should consider first and foremost, with the consideration of the shuttering of the Travel News forum only as a last resort.
Bolding mine: Agreed ^ and I agree with all of the above as well!
goalie is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 7:46 pm
  #168  
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,600
Originally Posted by Canarsie
You would be correct.

I personally have subscriptions to both the TravelBuzz and Travel News forums on MyFlyerTalk because I believe they serve distinctly separate purposes...
can you be specific as to the distinctly differnent purposes they serve?
...and cblaisd seems to be open to suggestions from fellow FlyerTalk members on how to further improve and strengthen the purpose of the Travel News forum. In my opinion, that is the route we should consider first and foremost, with the consideration of the shuttering of the Travel News forum only as a last resort.
We've been tinkering with this forum for years. And yet to this day it's still nothing more than a redundant mini travel buzz.

Time to put it out of its misery. And reduce all our subscriptions from two redundant forums to a single travel buzz forum.
kokonutz is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 8:13 pm
  #169  
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Can you please stop saying "put it out of its misery"? Not only is that overdramatic but it's insulting to the people like me who like to use the forum and to the moderators who help run it.
CMK10 is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 8:35 pm
  #170  
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,600
Originally Posted by CMK10
Can you please stop saying "put it out of its misery"? Not only is that overdramatic but it's insulting to the people like me who like to use the forum and to the moderators who help run it.
Why do you find the term insulting?

It's a pretty common term for killing something. With mercy and love.
kokonutz is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 8:45 pm
  #171  
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,024
Originally Posted by CMK10
Can you please stop saying "put it out of its misery"? Not only is that overdramatic but it's insulting to the people like me who like to use the forum and to the moderators who help run it.
Thank you.
cblaisd is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 8:54 pm
  #172  
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Originally Posted by CMK10
Can you please stop saying "put it out of its misery"? Not only is that overdramatic but it's insulting to the people like me who like to use the forum and to the moderators who help run it.
THANK YOU ^^^^

Originally Posted by kokonutz
Why do you find the term insulting?

It's a pretty common term for killing something. With mercy and love.
Ive posted several times that a proposal should be "gender neutral" as a proposal simply asks for opinions but you are not asking that at all as saying something should be out out of its misery is, afaic, demanding something and Talkboard members should never (n.b. never) demand anything as that to me borders on abuse of power
goalie is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 9:30 pm
  #173  
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Originally Posted by kokonutz
Time to put it out of its misery. And reduce all our subscriptions from two redundant forums to a single travel buzz forum.
Go ahead and put it up for a vote so we can put this thread out of its misery-- surely you have support over on the private Talk Board forum or we wouldn't still be going back and forth with this.
tom911 is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 10:12 pm
  #174  
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,600
Originally Posted by tom911
Go ahead and put it up for a vote so we can put this thread out of its misery-- surely you have support over on the private Talk Board forum or we wouldn't still be going back and forth with this.
I don't think its a best practice to rush such an important decision.

There are many people who have an emotional connection to the redundant forum. And I think it's important that they be fully heard before we shut this redundant forum down. ^

After all there may be some explanation as to why the forums are not redundant that no one has articulated yet.
kokonutz is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 10:20 pm
  #175  
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,997
Originally Posted by kokonutz
can you be specific as to the distinctly differnent purposes they serve?
For me, discussions in the TravelBuzz forum pertain to general travel experiences, trivia and other topics dealing with travel from the point of view of FlyerTalk members, based on the point of view of FlyerTalk members.

Travel News deals with links to existing stories from news sources whose topics interest FlyerTalk members.

In my opinion, that difference is quite distinct.

As previously mentioned, if there are any discussions in the TravelBuzz forum which are better suited for the Travel News forum, then perhaps they should be moved to the Travel News forum. A simple request can be reported to the moderators of the TravelBuzz forum, who would be more than happy to comply.

If anything, I find that the front “page” of FlyerTalk and the Travel News forum are more redundant than with TravelBuzz, but with one distinct difference: an actual discussion amongst FlyerTalk members can occur in the Travel News forum.
Originally Posted by kokonutz
There are many people who have an emotional connection to the redundant forum.
One more thing: I have no “emotional connection” to the Travel News forum. My opinion is based on what I consider to be simple logic — nothing more.
Canarsie is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 10:44 pm
  #176  
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,024
Originally Posted by Canarsie
Travel News deals with links to existing stories from news sources whose topics interest FlyerTalk members.

In my opinion, that difference is quite distinct.
Indeed. Well-said
cblaisd is offline  
Old May 30, 2015, 11:04 pm
  #177  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
Originally Posted by kokonutz
After all there may be some explanation as to why the forums are not redundant that no one has articulated yet.
Many valid explanations have been given, both now and last time the issue was raised, that you appear to dismiss.

Another way of putting it may be to compare it to television news. I look for News being on a different channel to Magazine Articles. I see the two fora being the equivalent here on Flyertalk.
ft101 is offline  
Old May 31, 2015, 8:15 am
  #178  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Originally Posted by Canarsie
For me, discussions in the TravelBuzz forum pertain to general travel experiences, trivia and other topics dealing with travel from the point of view of FlyerTalk members, based on the point of view of FlyerTalk members.

Travel News deals with links to existing stories from news sources whose topics interest FlyerTalk members.

In my opinion, that difference is quite distinct.

As previously mentioned, if there are any discussions in the TravelBuzz forum which are better suited for the Travel News forum, then perhaps they should be moved to the Travel News forum. A simple request can be reported to the moderators of the TravelBuzz forum, who would be more than happy to comply.

If anything, I find that the front “page” of FlyerTalk and the Travel News forum are more redundant than with TravelBuzz, but with one distinct difference: an actual discussion amongst FlyerTalk members can occur in the Travel News forum.One more thing: I have no “emotional connection” to the Travel News forum. My opinion is based on what I consider to be simple logic — nothing more.
For some time now, there is more actual discussion on travel topics in Travelbuzz than in Travel News, and I don't see why that should change at this point with some kind of concerted effort to change practice in the Travelbuzz forum.

I see no good reason that a travel topic with a news link necessarily needs to end up in Travel News just because it has a news story link. Travelbuzz is often a good place for travel discussions that don't fit into the other forums with more traffic and longer discussions, even when what sparked the interest in the topic is a news story.

I'm still curious what those "likely other reasons" are for wanting Travel News closed. I'm not wedded to the idea of closing the forum, but I'm also not wedded to the idea that it needs to be maintained for perpetuity. And if I'm not mistaken, I'm saying this as one of the most prolific posters to that forum.

Last edited by GUWonder; May 31, 2015 at 8:24 am
GUWonder is offline  
Old May 31, 2015, 8:39 am
  #179  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Originally Posted by Canarsie
For me, discussions in the TravelBuzz forum pertain to general travel experiences, trivia and other topics dealing with travel from the point of view of FlyerTalk members, based on the point of view of FlyerTalk members.

Travel News deals with links to existing stories from news sources whose topics interest FlyerTalk members.

In my opinion, that difference is quite distinct.

As previously mentioned, if there are any discussions in the TravelBuzz forum which are better suited for the Travel News forum, then perhaps they should be moved to the Travel News forum. A simple request can be reported to the moderators of the TravelBuzz forum, who would be more than happy to comply.

If anything, I find that the front “page” of FlyerTalk and the Travel News forum are more redundant than with TravelBuzz, but with one distinct difference: an actual discussion amongst FlyerTalk members can occur in the Travel News forum.One more thing: I have no “emotional connection” to the Travel News forum. My opinion is based on what I consider to be simple logic — nothing more.
I get that TN has links to news articles of interest, but isn't the point of posting them also so that FT'ers can discuss the subject?

Which leaves the only real distinction between TN and TB, that there is an article linked in TN threads. And since there are TB threads that both have and don't have linked articles (either in the OP or in later threads as part of the discussion), but TN threads can't not have an article, it does seem like TB can easily accommodate it all.

Assuming the intent of TN is to have discussion, most threads appear to have very little of it. It might be worth considering that the articles would attract more eyeballs and discussion in TB instead.

Like I said upthread, I'm not losing any sleep either way. But there does seem to be little real reason the forums have to remain separate and TB already encompasses the scope of TN essentially. Just my two cents.
84fiero is offline  
Old May 31, 2015, 10:24 am
  #180  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,626
Originally Posted by CMK10
Can you please stop saying "put it out of its misery"? Not only is that overdramatic but it's insulting to the people like me who like to use the forum and to the moderators who help run it.
I cannot understand why it is insulting. After all, what would you call a restaurant with great waitstaff but a meager and not always tasty menu (with items constantly disappearing), and barely enough customers to keep its doors open?

Most would eat at the booming place next door, the one that ironically has offered everyone at the empty place, a job.
Eastbay1K is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.