In the FlyerTalk society, self-promotion is considered a violation of Terms & Conditions. So in that regard, yes, I suppose that I do consider it somewhat of a vice.

Many of the sites listed in this thread provide a valuable service. However, most, if not all of them, are commercial enterprises. They are not maintained for altruistic motives, they exist for the sole purpose of garnering referral bonuses for their owners. I get sick and tired of the shameless plugs on FT. And most of these folks (with a few notable exceptions) have given very little back to the FT community.