Thanks for taking the time to do this, because it really does help to illustrate what's on the table.

Whether these are improvements is the main question; minimalism is a corollary one. Improvement is a consideration of context as well as personal tastes.

I still don't find avs or additional smilies as an improvement "to the existing look and feel of Flyertalk."

I'm not against avs per se (and, of course, do partake in the use of emoticons as much as anyone else on FT). In fact, I very much like using my personal avs and goofier smilies on another IBB. The expression angle -- I get it. But enabling the display of additional image-type content on this IBB, given the comments made thus far, appears to be of highly questionable added value.

(To borrow a popular sign off) ... other FT members may feel differently.

Thanks again, nroscoe, for creating those examples. They are very helpful.