Actually, in the past five months, Punki has started exactly 3 threads that might in any way shape or form be related to the current conditions (both good and/or bad) of Flyertalk.
This
thread, was a simple inquiry as to the location of the most excellent procedures which
svpii had written and which were duly accepted by a vote of all then TalkBoard members (inlcuding
Randy), except
dhammer53 who chose to abstain. As the thread had absolutely no motive other than to find the procedures which I thought were public information, I must say that both
Randy and
Rudi's responses seemed very out of place to me, given the simplicity of my original post.
This
thread , had it been responded to as posted and not attacked by the naysayers, could have provided information that would have proved extremely valuable to
Randy, his staff, the TalkBoard and anyone else truly concerned with making FlyerTalk more user friendly. Unfortunately the thread was waylaid by people far more interested in doing battle than seeking answers.
My initial post:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">I have been around as either a poster or a lurker almost from the beginning and have been disappointed to see the deterioration of the spirit of Flyer Talk.
Here are the things I believe about Flyer Talk.
1. Almost all of the posters here are smarter than the average bear.
2. Almost all of the posters here really care about Flyer Talk (we actually come here because we are addicted) and want to do their part to make it work. (
Although, I am beginning to wonder if this is an accurate assumption)
3. Since the inception of FT Travel and random post movement there has been a lot of confusion and hurt feelings among honest, well meaning posters who just don't know where or why to post.
4. Many Flyer Talkers have expressed frustration and disappointment in the changes in Flyer Talk.
5. Many very valuable Flyer Talkers have lost interest, quit posting and/or drastically reduced their postings because of this confusion.
6. There may be some very logical (but unexplained) reason for these changes.
7. Most Flyer Talkers would love to help if they understood the logic and the goals.
Might it be possible for someone who really knows (probably Randy or a staff member) to explain the rationale for the changes, and the goals they hope to attain. I am certain that if this were made clear to all Flyer Talk members, that it would go a long way to regain the spirit of joyful cooperation that once reigned on Flyer Talk.
These are concerns that I have heard expressed by dozens of Flyer Talkers over the past year and concerns that I personally would like to see addressed (politely, of course).
</font>
in
this thread, was intended purely to help me and others who obviously don't understand the new system, better understand where to post. Even as I read it now, it sounds very respectful and polite to me. The responses thereto seem very inconsistent with the original post.
This
instant thread was intended to help us all open our eyes to different ways of doing/approaching things on a large and very busy internet bulletin board. I too believe that even very good things like FT, always have room for improvement.
There are some, however, who are apparently unable to objectively read and understand my simple, polite and noninflammatory posts, and who choose instead to interpret them through their own bias and prejudice and attack them/me apparently without taking the time to actually read or understand what I have posted.
My beloved brother (who is in all things wise and considerate) has finally been able to convince me that it is impossible to open the eyes of those who have steadfastly closed their minds and hearts.
While I still dearly love FlyerTalk and stand ready to help improve it in anyway I can, for now I shall turn my attention to less tiresome endeavors.
[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 10-05-2002).]