This issue has been around on Flyertalk for a long time...since the first few months of the board. It is about the most divisive one we’ve had.

We have had people having entire conversations with themselves under alternate ID’s, people pretending to be entire families harassing airline employees, Trolls, multiple posters, etc. We have also had (and still have) “class clowns” that are seemingly above the rules. People have been “timed out” for infractions, people have been banned for infractions. Bans have been lifted.

This specific issue has even precipitated the formation of alternate internet mileage bulletin boards. But then this issue’s divisiveness for all intents and purposes brought down those boards (although shells of their initial promise still exist) and some integrity-free personal associations that went with them.

Personally for me, this one issue has changed me from a dedicated fan and supporter of Flyertalk (we used to be called “evangelists”) to an occasional user of my forums of interest, totally uninterested in the political forums and issues like Talkboard, community, moderation, etc.

As a slightly more exclusive community of verified participants, Flyertalk or a similar site could have been a place with dignity and sophistication – a real voice for the frequent traveler, communicating with the sell side of the industry with a strong and respected voice. Instead, it is a place that is replete with fake IDs, where it’s just as likely that the guy you’re chatting with is either a real million miler or a high school kid with an imagination. As such, no one in the travel industry takes it as seriously as they could. That’s not meant to be an insult – it’s just the facts and a shame.

This is what Flyertalk is. Don’t waste your breath and/or time on what it could be or can be, or get sucked into the endless circular debates of who would or would not have been here if, if, if.

Don’t try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.