Just randomly bouncing about the "FlyerTalk Archives" and I would like to single out for a suggested read, the following threads from the early days:

SEPTEMBER 1998

pagupta011 now handled as PG makes a prophetic suggestion that at least United instituted just recently (over a year and a half later), in:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/000131.html

Mileageaddict gives birth to what would become The Coupon Connection in:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/000108.html

While Jaws43 and Catman together make the first suggestion of an OMNI forum in:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/000181.html

And before the "Who We All Are" threads started, philforest kicked off a great discussion of just that, and how did we find the time to spend putzing about FlyerTalk?:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/000136.html

A special Thank You or "back slapping" or whatever you want to call it, to those "early birds" who contibuted to and helped develop FlyerTalk into the great resource we all enjoy today. It was, and continues to be, with the help of new members and old-timers alike, The Greatest Frequent Traveler Community In The World!

IMHO.