The following excerpts are taken from the FAQ page of Flyertalk ( http://www.flyertalk.com/faqstext.shtml

Are there any censor features?

FlyerTalk administrators have the power to censor certain words that may be posted. This censoring is not an exact science, however, so certain words may be censored out of context. Please realize that the censoring, if any censoring is being performed, is being done by a computer based on the words that are being screened. Words that are censored are replaced with asterisks.

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Who owns my post?

For the sake of simplicity, we'd say that we own anything posted on FlyerTalk. Our reasoning is that we have the power to edit or delete any such post if we, representing the community, find it provides more harm than value to FlyerTalk. Also, if a member decides they no longer want to participate in the community, we would find it difficult to go into the database and delete each post an individual had made. Excerpts from posts to FlyerTalk may appear in InsideFlyer magazines, books, or other materials.

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What is your stand on the issue of posting news?

We understand that certain news is protected by copyright and would always suggest that any member posting news try to link to the original source of the information, give proper credit to the source of the information and/or give a brief recap of the news and provide the appropriate link. FlyerTalk has no commercial interest in any news posted on its Web site and would ask that members respect the origin of the news itself.

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What are the general guidelines regarding posting etiquette?

These guidelines will surely benefit you as well as other members. Remember,you are what you post.
Good Posting Habits:
Put things in Perspective -- If a post is made that appears to cross the line, remember that it's transient - in a week the words will have disappeared into the past and will be forgotten, unless you are the one that keeps it alive.

Don't take things personally -- We generally don't know each other and aren't communicating face to face. As a result, misunderstandings and confusion can easily occur. If someone appears to attack your ideas or opinion, don't take it the wrong way. Agree to disagree and move on.

Be Tolerant -- Respect the beliefs and opinions of others.

Use humor or poke fun at yourself to help defuse situations -- Avoiding the use of bitterness or ridicule will make you feel better while putting fellow posters firmly on your side. Humor is a powerful weapon so use it with caution and kindness.

Keep it friendly -- Any posts that come across as a put-down may be deleted. This is meant to be a fun, constructive learning experience for all involved.

Write in short sentences -- this will be a great aid to those who don't speak the same travel language, and helps to reduce misunderstandings.

Watch your spelling, and your language -- they are part of the message you send.

Read FlyerTalk awhile before posting -- This will let you become familiar with the "tone" of the messages typically posted here. Most posters strive to be inclusive, not exclusive; tolerant, not judgmental; reasonable people reasonably disagreeing, not flamethrowers. Behaving otherwise is very likely to be considered quite rude.

Post only to appropriate forums -- e.g., TheBuzz does not want questions about a new conga line for enrollment bonuses at FreeMiles.

Post something that contributes something new to the discussion. (Intending to advertise? Then you had better think twice - it's not allowed on FlyerTalk)

Use the search function before posting a question -- Someone may have already asked and answered the question. Not only will you cut down on unnecessary questions, you will get what you want faster.

Please include your email address in your profile if you anticipate being active in the community -- While not required, by choosing not to list your email address, you risk only a one-way conversation with most members.

When responding to a previous message please quote the relevant portion(s) of the message - but not the whole message (unless you are specifically responding to each statement in it) -- Inclusion of relevant quotes helps insure that the reader of your message understands to who and what you are reacting.

Private messages go to private email addresses.

Poor Posting Habits:
Don't post while feeling upset or angry -- Take a break and return to the discussion later.

If you want to tell someone "congratulations" or "I agree" then say it with email -- It is easy to post something that almost no one is interested in reading, and this will only serve to annoy everyone for wasting their time.

Avoid posting off-topic messages -- Virtually anything is considered ON TOPIC if it is related directly to the experience of travel and frequent flyer programs (or dining and other topics in their appropriate forums). If you wish to read or comment on topics other than these, do so in the OMNI forum of each board.

Direct posting of COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS is NOT permitted.

Do not CROSS POST under the guise of "please read and then tell to others!!!" If you do, you'll find your ability to post on FlyerTalk may be restricted.

Repeat violators of the FlyerTalk posting etiquette are subject to removal from the board or loss of unrestricted posting privileges for a 'cooling off' period, the duration of which will reflect the egregiousness of their violation.
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What are moderators (TalkAssist & TalkModerator)?

TalkAssists are volunteer members on FlyerTalk who can give you advice on which forum to post a specific topic, alert regarding an occasional unruly member, and help you along the way toward getting to most information out of FlyerTalk. We also have TalkModerators who control individual forums. They can edit, delete, or prune any posts in their forums. If you have a question about a particular forum, you should direct it to your forum TalkAssist or TalkModerator. Not every forum will have a TalkModerator, so feel free to contact [email protected].
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Again, there are no current hard-fast rules for moderators, hence the test peroid with three of us. We encourage you to provide us with your feedback, on the board or by email.


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