http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/only-...flyertalk.html

Good luck in whatever the future holds for you.

dhammer53

Thanks for sharing as I hadn't seen that open letter. I found it harder than expected to add my thoughts to that other thread as I wanted to say something more than a simple 'thank you' but in the end kept it brief so the sheer volume of posts thanking Randy for his efforts could speak louder than any words I could muster.

While writing my thanks to Randy, I felt as though I was saying good bye to a family member. It's hard to believe that he'll be leaving us, but I do hope to see him on a flight in the future!

Thanks for the heads up.

It truly saddens me that one of the greats will be leaving us soon. It truly was a pleasure having you around Randy.

Same from me Randy.

Wow! So why is Randy moving on?.. Sounds like a great guy to mastermind this forum.

(1) I think he said all he wants to say in the open letter linked from the first post. Any speculation beyond what he said there is just that. If he wants to say more later, he will.

(2) Agreed, but that doesn't force him to do it forever.

From all those of us that don't know Randy, who is Randy exactly? Was he the forum creator/moderator? Thanks in advance!

I dont know if this question has already been asked but... if I understand correctly, Randy will step down as part of the 'staff' or 'inside circle' that runs FT... but, will Randy still post here as a frequent flyer and/or "mortal" member of this community...???

Bolding mine: With all due respect, Randy is not mortal

May I suggest a Google search for "Randy Petersen?" (Be sure to get the last name right. That's an "e" next to the end, not an "o.") The top seven hits were all about "our" Randy. After that hits about him are mixed with those for a movie music composer, a free-lance writer, and assorted other folks.

Randy had an idea in the 1980's. He was the guy (like many of us) that enjoyed reading his mileage and hotel statements that came in the mail. He talked about the tidbits of useful information (to anyone interested) around the watercooler so to speak, to anyone that would listen. Eventually he had a genius idea @:-) to create a magazine for frequent flyers called Inside Flyer. www.insideflyer.com

Randy wrote in the mid-late 1990's about taking this online. Keep in mind people were first buying computers in the early - mid 1990's. Flyertalk opened for business in 1998. That's why you see some folks with Original Member under their signature. It's a badge of honor. In the late 90's, you would go for days without any postings.

The oldtimers around here could fill you in with their institutional memory, but this is the gist of it. How do I know? Randy told me so at the CatmanDo back in 2001.

flyer81, thanks for asking, and welcome to Flyertalk.

dh

In the old days (going into 2000 now, when you and I popped in, though I lurked for 6 months before getting the courage up to make my first post), there weren't too many members, either, and one of the forums was called "General Travel". I was member #2,898 and you weren't to far behind me at member #3,552. Aren't we something into the 200,000 range now?

I was at the Catman DO in Manhattan in 2001 and do remember seeing Randy there, but didn't have the chance to talk with him. It would be interesting to get into the FT archives and see how many FTers from that event are still here posting.

Tom in the Admiral's Club at ORD

Unlike Tom, I popped onto FlyerTalk in 2006 looking for JetBlue coupons... who would have thought FlyerTalk would sway me to switch to the legacies, lol

I even remember Randy scolding me for a post I made with a silly observation that was perhaps out of line... Also remember meeting Randy for the first time in NYC not too far from where I now work, and he was super gracious.


Thank you Randy for everything! See you around...