I was thinking recently about a small town near where I grew up -- Sooke. When I was young, there wasn't much there. In fact I remember the fanfare when the population crossed the 6000 mark, complete with a new sign at the entrance to the villiage. It was a log, on its side, with “SOOKE - Population 6000” carved into it. Doesn't seem like much now, but when I was youg it always foreshadowed adventure each time we drove past it.

Later, I used to take my off road motorcycle out there to go boonie-bashing. It was great, lots of roads and trails, very few people, and no horses. As I grew older I traded my off road bike for a street model. I pretty much stuck to the ashphalt, but the ride to Sooke and beyond was still pretty scenic, even from the road. Sometimes I got nostalgic for the wilderness, so I'd stop along the way, buy some weiners, buns, relish and mustard, and look for a nice stretch of beach. I'd climb down to the beach, gather up some well seasoned driftwood, and start a small fire. While it was building some coals, I'd go looking for a suitable roasting stick, And then I'd have myself a picnic.

Once in a while I'd see a plane fly overhead. My first reaction when I started writing this was that they were probably mostly Air Canada planes, but then I rememberd that Canadian was still flying then. (This was before I started travelling much (or really, at all) so pretty much all planes were the same. They were just chunks of stuff crossing the sky.

So, are we on topic yet? No? OK, how 'bout if I tell you that I wrote this last evening midway between Vancouver and Honolulu? I was on an Air Canada plane of course, in seat 1A on a CP configured 767.

OK, are we there yet? Are we on topic? Probably not, as this forum is about Aeroplan, and not Air Canada, per se. But in reality, I was on a mileage run to earn a stack of points, and to swap a pair of 2005 upgrades for a pair of 2006. (I'd use 2005's to upgrade, earn my first 15,000+ status miles, and 2 2006 upgrades as well.) I was taking advantage of the post-Christmas “never ending story” seat sale, and the lax advance purchase and minimum stay requirements. That allowed me to book and confirm upgrades, both ways, at the time I booked the ticket. (Well, I had to wait until I'd actually handed over my CC number and purchased the ticket, but I'm sure you get me drift.)

I'm pretty sure I'm on topic now, though just barely. Perhaps the first 3/4 of my post should be excised. In any case, I'm guessing you have some idea where I'm going with this thread.

Yep, the never ending stream of complaints of about what does or does not belong in this forum. And more importantly, my ongoing disappointment with these complaints. I know that makes me sound just like everyone else, complaining about what everyone else is posting. But that's not really what I'm disappointed in. To find out what it is, you'll have to read to the end (or just cheat and jump ahead.) In the meantime, feel free to continue posting your complaints.

Here's my take on the on going issue: Regardless of claims to the contrary, many people seem to feel that the only things that should be posted in this forum, are the things that they themselves want to read, and only if posted by someone of whom they approve.

Someone recently posted that this forum should only contain posts about Air Canada and Aeroplan. But even that's not entirely true -- this forum, indeed all of FlyerTalk, is supposed to be about sharing ways to earn (and burn) miles and points. So discussion of the new meals, the seat configurations on 767's, when the new planes will arrive, who's running what department at AC are just as off topic as when UA will come out of bankruptcy, or whether Air Miles qualifies as a frequent flyer program for WestJet. And posts about who's winning what hockey game or election, and so on, are even further from on topic.

So who decides what defines the bounds of on topic? Aeroplan and nothing but? Aeroplan and AC? Aeroplan and alternatives? Aeroplan and substitutes? Canada? Conrad Black? George? Everyone seems to feel that what should be posted is what they themselves determine appropriate. And even many of those calling for less off topic material sometimes seem to have no problem posting their own “off topic” material, or taking a topical thread off course, sometimes with complete and utter banality.

But what's the problem? If you don't like the topic (i.e. if the topic contains the letters “U” and “A” in close proximity) don't open the thread. Someone posted something off topic in an otherwise topical thread? Forget it, don't read it, ignore the poster, or if worst comes to worse, put the poster on “official” ignore. I see lots of posts that I have no interest in, even if I am reading the rest of the thread. I figure it takes between 1 and 4 seconds to determine whether I'm interested or not. Fortunately most people are not nearly as verbose (i.e. full of hot air) as I am, so their posts are usually very short, often 1 or 2 liners. How much of an imposition can it really be?

Or perphaps you just don't like the content of the material. I can't help but wonder if people are really that vexed when someone posts something they don't like. Lots of people post stuff I don't like. I just ignore them. You can too, it just takes discipline. ('Course if you put someone on ignore, and then just keep clicking “view post”, well, that's kinda like cheating at Solitaire.) Or maybe the material really is that disturbing, and you'd just as soon it was not there, so no one else can read it either.

Are UA and WestJet really such a threat to AC's existence or reputation? 'Cause sometimes that's what it seems like. We only want AC/AP material. That way we can honestly claim that of all the airlines in the world in the AC forum, AC is the absolute best. But then it would also be the absolute worst, too.

Seems there was no end of complaints about WestJet posts, then they were moved aside. Then there was also no end of complaints about UA posts, and now they are being moved aside. Finally there seems to be no end of complaints about who is posting. So are those people going to be moved aside, for the benefit, pleasure or enjoyment of selected others?

And so we come to my disappointment... the ever growning belief of some that the FlyerTalk Air Canada Forum is here for “my” benefit, and mine alone. It doesn't matter if others find those posts I don't like useful, or interesting, or amusing, they bother “me” so they should be removed. “It's my bar, and it's my boat. And anyways, I'm the Captain. Play my way or I'm taking my toys and going home.”

So what if it diminishes the overall value, or utility, or benefit of the forum, to others? So what if others like, or at least don't mind, the vitality that comes with vibrant discussion and wide ranging information. I wan't it “my” way -- plain, vanilla, and cold. I don't care what anyone else wants to read or look at. I see FlyerTalk on my own computer, ergo, it must be my own forum.

The variety of topics that have been posted on the AC forum in the past have resulted in no less an august individual than the owner of the BB lauding the exceptional character of the AC forum. As long as there was some Canadian Content, it was considered beneficial to the community.

As for saying if you're interested in UA or someother forum, go there, that's a non-starter. If KLM offers to match not only status but point balance to Canadians, for example, I want to know about it. And contrary to any protests, so do you. But I'm not going to scour several hundred forums everyday looking for some tidbit that might be useful to me.

However if someone else that does have a specific interest in that forum and sees something that might be of interest to the Canadian community, I for one will be grateful for them posting it in the AC forum. So will most everybody else, including the silent majority. And how exactly does it harm you, Air Canada, Aeroplan, or FlyerTalk if they do so?

On the other hand, if it's just that you're annoyed at the amount of time you've wasted reading stuff you didn't want to read, then perhaps you don't really have enough time to be perusing FlyerTalk in the first place.