"If I ran FlyerTalk..."
 

Hi FTers,

We are soliciting ways to improve the community and site experience.

Complete the sentence, "If I ran FlyerTalk..."

-The FT Team

I would add a [COMPLETE] tag to trip report titles. I open too many interesting trip reports just to realize they haven't started yet, so I forget about them.

I'd start by changing these low tech emojis to the latest ones. Where is that crying emoji when you need it?! :D

Next, I'd probably make OMNI visible so you don't have to log in to view topics. Sometimes, I just like to browse discussions without having to log in.

That's about it for now :)

I want to see a "like" button for comments like Facebook offers. I would only offer "like" and not anything negative. I think this would help decrease multiple posts saying the same thing.

I would also like to see a seat map wiki. This would be a huge project, but Seatguru has such bad data, and updates are so delayed, that it would be really nice if we could do this ourselves.

i'd get rid of the mobile site completely.

even on mobile devices, it's an awful experience. as much as one can choose to 'view full site', it'll eventually kick back to the mobile site.

perhaps there can be an account option where each user can completely disable the mobile site when logged in.

I'd bring Randy back. And increase the minimum OMNI access requirements.

That said, you guys do run a pretty tight ship. I appreciate that you are soliciting feedback.

I would like to be able to "like" or "agree" or "LOL" to this post, similar to Facebook reactions, rather than post a reply.

And the app is unusable. Fix it.

Unfortunately, I cannot answer this question honestly without violating the FlyerTalk T&C. In fact, it's even possible that making that statement could be a violation of the T&C.

I'd get rid of the mobile website (or at least add a permanent opt-out rather than a cookie that just persists fir a week, make it easier to see new posts in a thread (the downward arrow icon is annoying to use [eg a small target to click on, especially on a phone), start deleting threads created by newbs who didn't even try reading the faq, and get a decent search engine that actually works.

I agree with you.

Bring back the mobile.flyertalk.com interface. It was such a breeze to use on my bb, and my postings have decreased as a direct result of it being discontinued with the software upgrade.

i would add a subscribe function, but only for the OP, so we can see when the OP updates and not when others comment

There are web-based IQ tests that could be used to determine suitability for admittance to Omni/PR.

If OMNI is made visible without requiring logging in, I think you would see the participation in OMNI drop quite a bit. Years ago, OMNI was opened to the public view, and a lot of posters requested all posts or threads they'd made be deleted.
To some extent, this.

If I ran flyertalk, I would get rid of the reliance of some web tech that makes the site unusable in China (I think some google code that cannot load due to government restrictions)

I would also stop forcing the mobile interface on mobile devices, and make that a setting in the user profile.

I would add tools that could connect FT'ers on the road. Either build on lounge/flight-connect or something completely new that effortlessly can connect FT'ers itineraries in a controlled way.

I actually like the mobile site interface. Maybe I'm the only one, but I don't like using the full site on my iPhone or iPad.

The things I would change would be to add a couple of features to mobile that don't exist (first and foremost the ability to see the wiki on a thread, and also the ability to report posts / suggest for talk mail, etc.), and fix the bug where opening the thread to the first unread post actually takes me nearly a full page back of the first unread post (making me scroll past stuff that was posted days, weeks or even months ago).

I'd also fix the annoying bug where some threads show that there are, for example, 30 pages of posts, but the most you can get to is 29.

If I ran flyertalk, I would make wiki post available also on mobile devices

Embed fewer ads in the page views

Make it easier to insert photos

Update the fonts to make them more readable

Limit moderation to only avoid spam and libel and get rid of the volunteer moderators

Agree that moderation can sometimes be overly enthusiastic (the thread about Delta service at SJC a few months ago is a great example of mod overreach).

I would give people the option of making a token donation to FT to disable ads. At home I use an ad blocker but at work I'm not allowed to install this rather useful bit of software.

I would also kill the mobile site or vastly increase its usability. Navigating the traditional site is easy. Navigating the mobile site is hard. For now, there is no utility (for me) to even bother with the mobile site. When my iPhone / iPad goes to the mobile site, I immediately switch to the full site.

I would find a way to post pics. Uploading to flickr or similar then linking in is painfully time-consuming. I'd rather just embed the pics directly into my posts. I suspect the difficulty in linking in pics is the reason relatively few posts have pics in them.

Someone PM'd me and said "It sounds like, from your post in CB, that you don't realize you no longer have to upload photos to websites to then post them on FT. You can embed them in posts from phone, computer, laptop, tablet. It's been that way for a few months now."

Well how about that? So if I ran FT, I'd let people know or find a way to make it obvious that there's an easy way to post pics now.

While certainly an improvement, the new way to upload pics still feels very 1998.

If I ran flyertalk I'd find a way to resolve the constant arguing within the Talkboard. Do with that what you may.

If I ran Flyertalk I'd drop any mention of it being a site for "Frequent Flyers".

It's a site for Reward Programme members as well as those interested in anything travel related.

Limit the number of threads people can start and/or number of responses people can make in a specific time frame. Might help improve the signal:noise ratio...

In no particular order...

1. Reform the moderator concept in general, including:

- Reduce the scope of what can be moderated to cut down on over-reach
- Require better transparency as to some moderator actions
- Listen and respond to constructive feedback about moderator actions and remove the rule making it a thought crime to discuss or comment about moderation (assuming it is respectful, civil, etc).

2. Eliminate TalkBoard. Other than arguing amongst one another and applying red tape to simple matters like updating a forum name, it's not clear that this body is necessary in 2016. No other online forums (on other subjects) that I belong to have anything like it and they seem to do just fine.

3. Auto-close (to new posts) non-active threads after a certain period of time. Seems to work well elsewhere on some sites. Admins/mods could re-open manually if requested and deemed appropriate.

4. Make wikis visible on the mobile site.

If I ran Flyertalk, I would make sure that all the members on the go had an awesome flyertalk mobile app to use.

+1. I like the view of the full site and hate the mobile version.

And I like to use my slack time waiting by browsing FT instead of Twitter/facebook and I don't run after pokemons :D

If I ran flyertalk,
There would be no popover ads
Tapatalk would be supported
I would strongly court official reps from programs that don't have a presence here

That is all.

Contrary to some of the opinions here about moderation, I'd amp up the moderation level in one specific way: I'd moderate new threads from new users by default.

The only two forms of noise that are of any particular annoyance to me are spam (there was a wave of it this morning) and people who show up here, mistake it for an airline's feedback form, vent about how Airline X must be a scam because they wanted $200 to change a flight, and never come back.

A moderation queue for any new threads from people who have posted fewer than ten times or whatever would fix it quickly.

I would look at ways to improve the ability to guide people asking for help, especially first-time posters:

1. When someone with a post count of less than, say, ten tries to post, I would have a screen come up that asks them to be sure that they have included sufficient information to allow for meaningful responses. Tell them that specific details, such as whether the trip is on one or multiple tickets, specific date, are required to be able to receive good responses. And ask them to be sure that their thread title is meaningful .

2. There used to be an unofficial policy that threads with no recent activity not be revived. This should be a formal policy, with threads auto-closing after x months of inactivityyour (possibly going into a special closed-thread archive that would show up in searches).

3. Some moderators seem to be reluctant to, if not outright refuse to, change or update thread titles, even when the change would be very helpful to subsequent readers. If someone goes to the trouble of notifying a mod about a misleading or obsolete title, the mod should have no issue with using their discretion to correct the title.

Make it a true social experience.

And the Voldemort thing.

And the mobile thing.

are you going to allow people to violate the T&C's with their views?

well others have raised it but seriously fix the moderation problem that borders far to often on censorship and favoritism.

1. Prohibit moderators from moderating content about themselves. In general, have some sort of moderation review, so concerns about moderation are decided by someone who isn't biased, rather than the same person whose actions raised concerns.

2. Change your censorship algorithm to prevent clbuttic (sic) errors. Or better, just remove it altogether. It's stupid nannying; let people express themselves as they wish, and let others respond to that as they deem appropriate. It also breaks links, like google documents, that contain the letter sequence W T F in the URL.

In general, I think that the moderation does cross the line to being biased censorship. For instance, on the TS&S forum, it's censored to disparage TSA screeners as a group … but not to disparage disabled people as a group. I do not think that censorship of this sort is an appropriate way to de-escalate hot conversations, let alone as a first pass action.

Pointing out where people are being improperly rude, and asking them to refocus on issues, requires *social* interaction and a calming voice — not censorship.

3. Allow people using Facebook login to add a username/password so there's an alternative login option (and so it works on mobile, and so it's possible to get email notifications).

4. Have a policy about moderating trolls, and permit posters to publicly call other posters on inappropriate behavior, rather than having the objections themselves be censored.

The moderation problem seems to also be that if one questions or even mentions moderation, there's a problem.

I'd also suggest having set term limits for moderators, and engaging other members of the community to serve as moderators.

This. ^

Some moderators are great, but others constantly overreach. At a minimum, it should be Ok to question their action or ask for detail without being punished. This is supposed to be a community, not a dictatorship.

That's an interesting idea. I'm of the view that most forums would benefit from more Moderator intervention, not less. Train the newbies to browse, to search, to use descriptive and searchable thread titles (not clickbait).

Limiting the number of new threads started per unit of time - per forum, or across Flyertalk - would also work to filter out the lazy who won't check the T&C's of the miles program/credit card/hotel program.

+1
 

Also the comments about the mobile site... I agree it is subpar. I like the low tech emojis. Just add a few more maybe?

As it wouldn't be a good idea to get into a slanging match in public it's best to contact Moderators through PM where I feel pretty confident they would be happy to explain their actions.

I agree with your second point. Too often we see new Moderators and Ambassadors selected in secret when a position becomes available. The process needs to be made more transparent.