True enough, if you've been around for a while you know who knows what, about what, as it were, and post count is completely irrelevant. However, from a new member's point-of-view, it might be a bit misleading in some cases to see "Flyertalk Evangelist" under a member's name, not knowing that that is automatic at 10,000 posts, and think that that designation actually meant that the member in question must be one of the more knowledgeable members here, rather than just a persistent Omni poster.

First, I agree completely that quality of information is extremely important on FlyerTalk. Quantity also matters.

Consider this: you have a poster GoodNewbie who has posted just one, or five, or some other small number, of posts; all, or most, had good, useful info on points, miles, travel.

Then you have another poster GoodOldie who has posted, say, 5,000 posts; all, or most, had good, useful info on points, miles, travel.

I wouldn't say that the posters had contributed equally! The one who contributed 5,000 good posts has contributed FAR MORE than the one who contributed only a handful.

Hence, post count DOES matter. And I realize that the 5,000-post person may have had a head start of a few years over the 5-post person (though not necessarily). Still, I think it's disingenuous to dismiss post count as irrelevant.

Also, I am NOT slamming OMNI as a "bad hangout." I hang out there myself! I'm just saying that, since the primary subject of FlyerTalk is points, miles, travel, it only makes sense to increment post count on those subjects and not on OMNI subjects such as OMNI games, politics, advice for the lovelorn, weird news stories, philosophical discussions, and all the other stuff that we (yes, me too!) love and hate in OMNI.

And, talking about "meeting people" through OMNI: Guess what! There's a Community Forum right here! All kinds of fun parties, get-togethers, and meetups are organized on Community. In fact, I'm in Seattle as I type for SeaDoo VI!

I think the OMNI thing is a good idea. As a regular OMNI game player, I've been getting a bit fed up with the implication that has been posted on a few occasions that I'm only doing it to pad my post count. Now no-one can say that, I won't get fed up and I can continue to play the games.

Kathy, yes community is there for meets, but some of the interactions in OMNI allow people to get to know people they might never have had an opportunity to meet. But I'm sure you know that, since you also post in OMNI Since my liver can't afford to do meets and Dos all the time, OMNI gives me those extra opportunities

JonNYC wrote:
I agree with this completely. The FT Evangelist moniker is very misleading because it's based on the number of posts. We all know there are FTers who can easily run up their count by posting meaningless tidbits in the points and miles forums. Even if one becomes an "evangelist" through posts that "count," it doesn't necessarily mean much. OTOH, there are people on the board I would give that label to, and I don't believe they have anywhere near 10K posts.

I understand why you needed to implement this requirement, but is there an way lurkers like me can get around it? And I'm not talking about a never-poster, just someone who fills in when needed, and keeps quiet most of the time.

I have been a member of the community since way before the congas started spaming the S.P.A.M board, I just don't talk much. Never really saw the point in spamming the boards with "me too" comments, so I try and make my posts count; not in a numerical, but in a meaningful way.

Is there anyway to allow access to these boards once you have been a member for 6 months or a year? I read FT everyday, but am active on less active boards, such as WN. We don't have much to complain about there, or have to worry about making elite or upgrades, so most of the posts are speculation on future cities and how to use the new online technology. Hence my low 29 posts for being a member since November of 2003. And I don't even remember how long I lurked before signing up for an account because I had something to say.

If there cannot be a provision for people like me, I will take my time earning 100 posts. I still see no need to say "yeah, i agree" in a thread full of "me too" posts. Its just a shame that members of the community that contribute cannot have full access to the board.

Thanks for the great site, either way I am happy to be a member.

I thought it was EITHER 100 posts OR some longevity required to be allowed to post in certain forums. In which case, you should be good to go.

(However, I didn't think that was really the subject of this thread.)

I lurked since FT STARTED before finally getting the nerve to post in 2001. I never felt I could offer much, but I learned a lot from the masters that started the boards ^.

Try it, once you get started, you'll like it.

I don't travel very much any longer. The bulk of my travel was BEFORE I started posting. I try to be as helpful as possible whenever I can.

SPAM got completely out of hand with the Ipod conga and there was even a pyramid scheme going. Unfortunately, kids started populating SPAM and bringing there own version of the net to FT, which is an outstandingly well behaved community. It was getting unruly.

So, while you may lurk daily (so did I), I'm sure you have accummulated enough knowledge and hints to post to travel related topics. Give it a try, you just may like it ^

Mary

Not sure if anyone has posted "tens of thousands" of times in the one "game" thread Kathy. Indeed, the post record appears to me to be a mere 4,267 posts by a single FT'er in this one thread in the 4 months since it started. You are there with 1, which for the record is 1 more than myself.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/misc....hreadid=309875

Who Posted?

User Name - Posts

Kiwi Flyer - 4267
jfe - 3641
myefre - 1732
Canarsie - 1379
empedocles - 1365
500 miles at a time - 1269
Cholula - 1113
FewMiles - 857
flamboyant1 - 814
Jenbel - 800
RobotDoctor - 680
rkt10 - 468
redbeard911 - 421
ralfkrippner - 350
UALOneKPlus - 258
Arcolaio99 - 257
Gaucho100K - 255
inkoherent 209
chrislacey - 209
I-flybynight - 199
Richelieu - 182
ScottC - 157
MapleLeaf - 153
CameraGuy -127

etc, etc, etc

I guess as we often read post count was 'never the reason' for anyone posting on this or the many similar threads, these totals above will surely all pretty much double in the next 4 months?

Even though the posts do not NOW count to the user's incremental tally, as far as I can see the number of posts per user per thread still remains visible to all via the link I have posted here. I'll be rather curious to see if the above tallies are doubled in the 4 months come years end. @:-)

I'm sure it will for some of those folks on that list !!

I encourage the curious ones to actually take a moment to look at this thread in question...it's very much the 'lounge' as suggested previously. I don't think anyone who posts on that thread (or at least the top group of us)does it for the sake of "posting" and "padding our post count". I post there for the social/entertainment value on its own. But I am still an avid reader of the other forums but tend to avoid posting unless I know the answer to a specific question or have a question myself.

Since when does size matter??? (of post count total that is)

Add me to the list of I love this change

As for the is Omni a bad hangout.. well its like the bar down the street as someone said.. except I'd add that 99% of the patrons in that bar are good customers, good citizens just there to have a drink watch a game etc.. however there is always those couple of patrons that are there to cause trouble.. the ones who walked into the bar looking to start a fight.. and most omni posters and/or lurkers know who those patrons are

This change affects users of the community as well. I know the some moderators worked hard on the freeipods.com conga line and were themselves on it. Now that newbies are not allowed to post in SPAM, the Conga line is dead and there hard work goes unrewarded (no ipod referalls for them). The conga lines also brought alot of new people to this site (from yahoo or google search) such as myself. Just my 2 cents.

And is there a single instance of any of these new members meaningfully participating in any other part of FT besides the SPAM pyramids?

"VenomizedCobra" - I just checked the link below and every single post you ever made on FT was in S.P.A.M. ... apart from this one. Nearly all of these were on the free IPOD and free flat screen TV conga lines.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/searc...earchid=340147

I may be wrong, but possibly that is not wants Randy FlyerTalk to facilitate? Perhaps for some reason he did not picture it as a Yahoo groups freebie free for all?

Add some airline advice and hotel mile earning tips etc, and you'll not only get over the 100 post mark, but you'll add something back to this great board.


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I respect the decision to not count post counts from Omni from this point on. I would agree with jfe's comment in this thread:


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ferrerid=15618

I would also add, remove all the rants and raves that some members occasionally get involved in as this has little, or nothing, to do with travel as well. I think the Omni post count did little to damage FlyerTalk. I do venture to Community often as I do a few other travel forums. Post count totals mean little to me as did the reputation point system. However, it appears to me that some people are hung up with status and post count totals is one way of attaining that status. To me, it is not about post count but post content. Just my 2 cents.

Oz,

Come on, please post 1 in this game. Please. We would welcome you with open arms. ^

Best regards,

RD ( a semi post padding monster )