Dan, like others I really appreciate your efforts to get FlyerTalk back up and running. However, I do agree -- there HAS to be a better way. The goal should not only be speed, but efficiency as well. Everytime FlyerTalk makes a change to the way information is presented/organized, it disrupts how your users interact with the site. Honestly, it turns a lot of them off -- even if the change is for the better!

I've been in the interactive media design business for six years. Over the years, usability really has taken front stage above all else. If you really want this to work, would encourage you to study how FlyerTalkers use the forums before you chop it up into separate pieces.

Let me give you an example. Here's the way I use FlyerTalk: In the address field I type in "http://www.flyertalk.com/milesfr.shtml" and hit enter. This brings me (or used to bring me) to the main page with all the forums on it. I scroll down the list and right-click-"open in new window" all the forums I frequent. That's just a couple of clicks to get exactly where I want to go.

What can be learned from my usability methods? I know exactly where I want to go, and I want to get there as efficiently as possible. For someone like me, the option to "customize" the Flyertalk experience would be valuable. It would be great, in my profile for example, to say -- OK, I frequent the MilesBuzz, United, Starwood, and Trip Report forums the most... let's have only those forums appear when I start up FlyerTalk. With that option enabled, as soon as I hit the FlyerTalk main page, bam!, there are those four forum links.

While I realize such an option may not be possible given the technology constraints you guys may have I'm suggesting it more as way you can study how users interact with the site, and then make changes that a) make it easier for them, and b) reduce the loads on teh server/make FlyerTalk run faster.

Whew!

------------------
"What do you mean you didn't get miles for that?!"