brooklynmatt, the point is more about how few of this kind of blog outside US
which is what Raffles is talking about - not ANY blog, if you are implying that
Raffles has been much more specific (category of blog) in his statements in past
in discussion of points/miles/whatever blogs, theres no need for him to be repetitive
I've just seen many times how his blog has a large readership, and it now has become "probably the largest non-US" but i've only ever heard it from him - I was just wondering if I hear this regularly, if there might be something other than his opinion on it. I understand the distinction between US and non US within the niche, but it comes across as an expert opinion regarding volume/data/whatnot when it might be that the readership in question is fairly small.
blogs target mainstream new non-experts - so what are you saying?
I think that is a very limited view, assuming that all blogs are TPG designed to convert new readers, and that conversely all experts come to FT.
There are many blogs out there that aren't packaging information found within FT for the purpose of converting 'newbs' and there are many newbies that come to FT. There's also a lot more going on out there within the game than you see on a forum like this one, often with people with experience leading the way.
Now I am not saying that someone like FTG is out there innovating manufactured spend (heck they haven't figured out how Avios works yet) but to think that is all that exists is very narrow minded.