MRLIMO

Catman, glad to hear you're back on track.

CameraGuy

Catman,

THANK YOU!

If I get flamed, don't worry. I am a big boy (Literally) and I more than likely brought it upon myself. I also know when to "Walk Away".

If you and some of the other "Missing" members start contributing again, the ratio of noise will go down.

BlondeBomber

Glad to see you're up Catman!

. . . but what's the matter with Diet Pepsi -- my favorite soda (other than some rare root beers and ginger beers).

I know I know way OMNI!

PremEx

Right on Catman! Glad to hear you're not only back on track, but in the pink(online.com)!

Now I hope you will continue to enjoy debating truly important travel issues. Like what gives those up-ity First Class passengers the right to come back through the curtain and use the Coach restrooms!!? That one really bugs me.

ElmhurstNick

I've noticed a marked downturn in quality in the volume during the three months that I've been online here. [Hopefully, not around my own posts....] As others have stated here and elsewhere, that's an unfortunately side-effect of growth. But the really great posts are still there waiting to be read.

Part of the joy of FT is reading things from the cool people that actually bring a soul to this board. I find that the soul is primarily in the Community and Trip Report sections. I read every single trip report and have posted one and soon two. I realize that I must try to send personal emails to the reports that I really like, since I don't want to clog things up with "thank you" posts that don't add more value.

Another part of the soul of FT appears to be meeting these people FTF. This is something that I have not had the opportunity to do yet, although one makes their own opportunities I guess.

Those of you that have met others obviously post at a completely different level of (searching for the word....) consciousness than the rest of us. You are able to make all of this a very different experience, and to some of the rest of us, that is really cool and a level to which many of us aspire.

The folks that have no aspirations, they'll call that a clique and be derisive. But who should waste their time giving credence to people that do not have aspirations to improve themselves??

I emphathize with the plight of Catman and the other originals. Catman is obviously troubled by all of this more than most, I suspect because he has so freely given of himself to the experience. Some of the next generation of FTers do not seem to understand or care how to reciprocate.

If the originals do fade away or go elsewhere, I suspect that many of us that are less original will fade out of sight here as well. Unfortunately, I think it's inevitable in an unmoderated public space like this one. I hope that I will have made enough friendships on this board before that happens to be able to carry the spirit of the original FT through them.

[edited to add the previously missing phrase "some of" about new FTers - thank you for pointing out that I had made a poor generalization.]

[This message has been edited by ElmhurstNick (edited 09-01-2000).]

Notsonewhere

I posted this in this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/002520.html a month ago.

Oh well.

Building on Larry U's suggestion, how about a feature limiting the # of posts/day? I do not see a Freedom of Speech issue here (this is not a government entity), Flyertalk can make its own rules. It would force some people to be more thoughtful in their comments perhaps, and would bring the quality of the posts up.

[This message has been edited by Notsonewhere (edited 08-29-2000).]

nathan detroit

Notsomewhere: good thoughts but they just don't carry too much weight when they are anonymous, i.e, no email identity. Been a bit too much of that on the boards, something like unsigned letters. But cheers!

Vulcan

Notsonewhere:
I understand that your making a constructive suggestion, but I'll bet that a lot of people would hesitate to limit the # of posts. Who is to say that the one item not posted because of a limit was the one thing that would have been very valuable to me. IMHO, let people who post a lot continue and if anyone consideres it overdone, they should simply ignore all posts for that individual. I do agree that an enhancement of Flyertalk would be a way to exclude visualization of all posts by any posters that an individual member wants to exclude. I myself would pick a very few (about 2 that I can think of). I say keep on posting and I'll weed out the garbage. Just my 2 cents.
Ed

james

I think the 'squelch' idea is now a must. However, the nature of a travel board is that people go away for the week, come back, read 200 new threads and post replies. A daily limit hits our 'core' audience the most.

Catman - I have been here a long time and I sympathize. It isn't what it was. But in all fairness, it's just becoming like any other part of the internet (a shame though that may be). I think there is still a lot of good stuff in the airline specific forums, although I imagine UA has suffered quite badly from spam-dilution. I don't like the personal attacks either - but hard though it is, the way to overcome them is to ignore them. That is something I am very bad at personally, but I suppose we must try. Overall, I still really enjoy it here and I think it is well worth the time invested. lots of people (and it isn't fair to name them) still make FT different, and a bit special.

[This message has been edited by james (edited 08-29-2000).]

kidpachinko

Vulcan: Agreed. I don't know if I would use an "ignore" feature at this point, but I don't see the harm in it.

Limiting post #'s does not seem the way to go. -If I were bitter and wanted to "mass post" out of spite, I guess I could just be KP1, KP2, KP3, etc. and post the max allowed on each.

Rather, and I was not particularly aware of the "problem" addressed on the UA board ('cause I rarely check in there), it would seem to me a simple first step to discuss things directly via off-board e-mail. The poster seems civil enough that, if people would prefer toning things down, s/he would go along with it.

It seems there were similar "problems" (I wasn't here then) in the past that, to my knowledge, are no longer problems. I am sure something can be worked out with this as well.

Personally, I find I can remain happier by not getting so worked up about things. If an "ignore" feature is doable and would help people to do this, I would welcome the improved atmosphere that would likely result.

-KP

(I hope I am not prolonging the death of a horse that would be better served as glue.)


And to respond to Catman (wow! got sidetracked!): I think the others above have responded very eloquently, as you acknowledged in your follow-up response. There is little that I can add, other than to hope that those who remember the good old days can continue the spirit of those days, so that we newer folk can be swept up in its grandeur and ignore the rest. -"Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things," and all that. <No offense to the felines, o' course >

Hang in there, all!

[This message has been edited by kidpachinko (edited 08-30-2000).]

Jon Toner

Catman: Welcome back. You've been sorely missed.

I posted "Who we are (as a group)"
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/000541.html to talk about what I thought was poor treatment of new users.

It appears we are in yet another installment of the bi-monthly (+ or -) flame wars.

I can't help but wonder when Randy's patience will be exhausted with this kind of foolishness, and we find ourselves staring at "ERROR 404 - PAGE NOT FOUND"


------------------
"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

PG

Catman - I am sorry you feel that way. I was gone for several months because of personal bickering and personal attacks. I do take issue with your comment - "Some posts that IMHO are just so unnecessary" - there is a saying that those who live in glass houses .... Please do not take that as a personal attack on yourself. I have myself posted a lot of unnecessary junk on these boards. One mans junk is another man's delight.. You said a while ago in response to ozstamps post (about the new rules for the UA summer inconvenience bonuses) that it gave you headache, but for me it was a very useful post. To each their own.

Merry had some good things to say several months ago about clutter. But I think that we all do "prefer" clutter - I know I like my own clutter.

[This message has been edited by PG (edited 08-30-2000).]

ozstamps

I think the "good ole days/nostalgia" thread is running right here folks:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/003318.html

Coke is no longer a nickel, gas costs more than 10c a gallon, TV is no longer black and white, and DC3's are not the backbone of the aviation industry.

Things move on. Fine boards like FT get bigger. New people come. Old people go. Look back at any thread from a year back and see how FEW of these are still here posting. Nothing to do with me or others - just evolution. Like it or not this is internet life in the 21st Century.

If I (and others) ruffle the "old boys club" so be it. There is a large enough gang to close ranks and self protect the status quo. A lot of that has no factual basis behind it IMHO, but it will happen all the same - it is the nature of BB's to try and repel boarders.

Never forget the newbies of today are the old boys of 2001. Those still here will I am sure impart useful advice to newcomers, and interact socially at FT functions, along with the core of current old hands who clearly will still be here and active.

It is sad to see a well known long time poster is now transformed into his alter ego "Not So New Here" so he can post all kinds of things on various boards, mainly directed at me that he apparently is not man enough to place his regular handle upon. The identity of that poster I'll happily give you a blueprint for!

I sent a long letter to someone (with a real name and an e-mail address!) who has posted above, who may choose to circulate it. He made some very sensible points. I sent it hours before I saw this thread, and was glad I wrote it before reading this.

Just because I have chosen to spend a decent slab of time daily on this board in recent months is my choice, not ANYONE else's here. If I am on-line 20 times more than many, (which is the case) it is not unreasonable to post 20 times more - basic math.

If you do not care to read or respond, that is your call. No-one holds a gun to anyone's head here. I am happy to get along, but when a posse of whooping indians pounces on any little thing it does make it difficult.

Judging by the positive emails I get from those too timid (or wise!) to enter into some of the frays, the regard for the old boy network is not as rock solid as many might imagine.

------------------
~ Glen ~

kyklin

Practicing what I preached: silence is golden.

But face it Oztamps, "like it or not this is internet life in the 21st century." I suggest you settle in.

[This message has been edited by kyklin (edited 08-30-2000).]

eastwest

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/000559.html

Punki's words might be a welcome break here.

------------------
Travel is a powerful antidote to contemporary American arrogance.