I just got this e-mail from Randy Petersen. I'm sure I'm not the only one:

I just have one thing to say: Randy, it's we who should be thanking you!

(Added later to clarify my reason for posting this: I'm fairly sure that I got this because of my post count, which just means I've been around for a while and ought to get a life It doesn't mean I'm anything but persistent, so I'm not bragging - I just thought it was a nice gesture on Randy's part and deserved to be known even by those whose 5,000th post is still in the future.)

Seconded ^ ^

Randy Doesn�t like me....

^

But seriously - I think it might have something to do with a threshhold number of posts. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant note and I appreciated it too.

And some of us did thank Randy - privately, which is how we received the email from him . ewrfox, you'll note from the original post that it was sent to some people who had 5K posts (don't know if all 5Kfolk or not. I'm not privvy to that). Since you have less than 5K that might be why you didn't receive it. But I'm sure Randy appreciates all of us & our posts. Cheers.

And here I thought I was the only one.

Seriously, very kind note and I agree it is Randy who deserves the thanks.

Very nice note and much appreciated.

Thanks to Randy, and thanks to all of you who regularly contribute valuable information to FlyerTalk.

For many years, up until nine years ago, Hunki and I were pretty typical business flyers. We got the cheapest tickets and flew in coach. In 1996 we took one of our first leisure trips together, to Hawaii. It was the first time that I remember walking through first and business on a three class plane, on our way to middle seats in coach. Those lovely looking, empty business seats were calling my name throughout the entire flight. I decided then and there that I needed to figure out how to do my best to make sure that I got myself into first or business from then on--Hunki too, of course.

Our next major flight (the one that hooked me up with Flyer Talk in 1998) was going to be on award tickets for our entire family from Seattle to London, London to Malaga, Malaga to Barcelona, Barcelona to Palma, Palma back to London and then back to Seattle. Had we purchased those tickets they would have cost a total of $60,000.00, but we got them for a pittance in taxes.

OK, from then on I was an absolute addict. I admit it. For the past six years, all but 2 or 3 of our domestic flights have been in first or business and all of our international flight have been in business or first--thanks to all of you and the amazing information you have shared on FT over the past 7 years. How totally cool is that!

Even better, we have learned how to accumulate enough miles to park ourselves in business or first on as many flights as we want to take for the rest of our lives.

Oh yeah, we have also made tons of wonderful friends and had dozens and dozens of totally amazing travel experiences with fabulous FlyerTalkers.

Cool beans!

Randy, thanks for your kind gesture.

What a classy guy ^

I wouldn't say that. It is true, of course, but I still wouldn't say it.

I believe that all of us who exceeded the 5,000 mile post received Randy's much appreciated letter.

I agree with what he said in it. FlyerTalk's value is created by those who contribute to it. Post counts, of course, are not the only measure of this -- someone with 100 posts may well have given more solid information than those of us who hang around Omni (guilty), post quite a bit in the Unabashed Cholula Spam Thread (guilty again), or simply like to joke about their UIG or BAG (three strikes and I am out).

Still, most of the posters with the higher counts have contributed quite a bit towards making FlyerTalk what it is. Last month I posted the following:

"Randy is like the Pope who commissioned Michaelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Without that pope, the classic work of art would never have been done...but without Michaelangelo the Sistine Chapel would have just another painted ceiling like the millions of others in Rome. FlyerTalk members who make solid contributions are the Michaelangelo in this equation."

I will continue to enjoy the ceiling provided by Randy and the artwork provided by my fellow posters -- and hope that they don't get too annoyed by my spraypainting the graffiti on the walls.

Thanks for the note Randy. It made me smile after a very long and arduous day.

Best regards,

RobotDoctor

I think you may well be correct.

And from what I read elsewhere, it may have been the only time all day long!