Originally Posted by clarence5ybr

Keep in mind that it's often hard to interpret intentions on the web. One reason 'emoticons' are helpful is that they can make clear intentions that would be obvious in person via facial expression, etc. but are often not obvious on the web. You interpreted the post as a boast, and maybe you are right. However I didn't intpret it as a boast and many others didn't either. How can you be absolutely certain that "It was simply a boast" when you don't even know the poster?

Example #1: I was NW Gold when NW stopped flying to RNO. After NW sent me a letter stating they were pulling out of the market, I started a thread in the NW forum describing the letter, including the fact that I was given some bonus miles. Did I do it to boast that I got miles that only RNO and ONT elites got, and to imply that everyone else was inferior to me? No, I did it to inform people of what I thought was a classy move on NW's part dealing with the situation (they also set up status matches with DL and CO for affected elites); however people could certainly have interpreted it a 'boast' that I was getting miles that they weren't.

Example#2: Is your profile a "boast"? I imagine not--you're just letting other FTers know what programs you're in and what status you hold in those programs. However, using the standard you applied to the OP, people could certainly consider your listing of status to be boastful.