kokonutz

Look, the growth of forums is an art not a science. Every poster, every TB member is going to approach the question more from the gut than from the head.

Does a new forum FEEL right?

That's why the threads about them are so long.

My personal criteria regarding the creation of a new forum are:

- Is it travel related?
- Will it serve a useful purpose to very frequent travelers?
- Is that use well met somewhere else?
- Will a vibrant community evolve around the new forum?

Each of these is, of course, a subjective question. But I did the analysis of the forums the current TB rejected and I found many of their decisions sorely wanting (oh GREAT, now I am alienating the current TB...there goes another constituency of potential votes...oh, wait, I already lost their votes in my answer to question #1!!!! Sweet, so I'll proceed apace).

[reposted from my platform statement]Here are some of the decisions the current TB has made (and why I think they were bad decisions from a community perspective):

Motion Failed: Travel with Pets Forum (People are passionate about their pets. For people who travel a lot dealing with their beloved pet is a constant issue whether the pet travels with them or not. A vibrant community could easily have evolved here.)

Motion Failed: Create Government Traveler Forum (Black and even brown passporters and their equivalents from all countries face very specific and special travel restrictions and needs. The TB here missed a golden opportunity to create a community dedicated to those folks.)

Motion Failed: Creation of a Mens Travel Forum (Men don’t have a forum where men can talk about men-related travel things that men want to talk about. Where threads will be moderated instead of closed. Where men can be men.)

I'd like to have the TB give greater weight to the travel community aspect of FT and not focus solely on the points and miles aspect.


As for closing forums...well, if a community fails to evolve, the forum ought to be recycled after a year or two.