Credit Card Programs is not a new forum, it has existed the entire time that I have been a FlyerTalk member, but was underutilized. Previously, the same credit card offer was often discussed in three places:

• The sponsoring airline or hotel program's forum
• A credit card forum
• MilesBuzz!

Moving most discussion of this topic out of MilesBuzz! is an improvement, but as you note there is still duplication. In principle I would like to see discussion of co-branded affinity cards hosted in the sponsoring programs' forums, but often the content of the parallel threads is quite different.

Posters in the airline or hotel forums tend to see the credit card as an extension of the loyalty program. They write about how the card can enhance their flights or stays.

Posters in the credit card forums tend to see the credit card as a freestanding opportunity to accumulate miles or points in a program about which they may have little knowledge. These threads are often more about the credit card issuer than the airline or hotel program.