Originally Posted by points_hog
why was this rule implemented?
Here's what
the announcement Canarsie refers to above says:
What we value most on FlyerTalk is dialog about the topic of miles and points. It's in our history and in our souls. The S.P.A.M. Forum grows out of the familiarity of Community, which is actually a good thing. However lately we've found that new members are becoming members of FlyerTalk to take advantage of the generosity of the S.P.A.M. Forum. I have strong feelings that is not the best direction for FlyerTalk. As a result, we've instituted a feature of FlyerTalk that will limit access to S.P.A.M. to those members we feel have contributed enough to FlyerTalk to enjoy the benefits of posting on this forum. The idea that by posting in the miles, points and travel forums, members will better familiarize themselves with the other members they may exchange with later and have developed a sense of respect for the Community we call FlyerTalk. We feel that it's better to give first into the Community of FlyerTalk by way of content, advice and information than it is to be lined up at the goodie wagon. I feel that becoming part of the Community of FlyerTalk will go a long way toward enjoying the other benefits of this wonderful group of people.
The entrance level to enjoy posting in S.P.A.M. will be contributing 100 posts to the topic of miles, points or travel. It's what we started with and what we still require today. I am sorry if there will be any inconvenience, but certainly we have not taken away your ability to read and enjoy the content in this forum, only the ability to post.