Another one still around, though the designation for 10,000+ posts replaces the "original member" label. Don't post as much as I used to because I don't travel as much as I used to when I did a lot of flying for work, but I haven't gone away yet - in either sense of the phrase!

Hello, Efrem! Nice to see you resume to post again. :)

I've been wondering where you've been, especially missing your friendly & informative posts to shed some light for newbies. Glad to know you are doing well except for the less travel part. ;)

wow.. for 10 years?, :) and have you been very active here in FT for those years. how nice.. :)

I have been around since near the beginning in 1998. Some computer glitch wiped out my join date a year or so out and I got stuck with one they made up.

How many were at the PIP?! :-: I think possibly the first major DO. Party in Paradise. Oct 1999. We were talked into it at the Top of the Mark in San Francisco by Punki and Rudi (in Swiss garb) in Sept 1999, our very first DO. About a dozen of us. For our last time to see Randy Petersen at a Basque DO in San Mateo, my husband wore his PIP tshirt!

And I definitely remember auh2o!

I do not remember any hostilities at all on Flyertalk back in 1998 or 1999. Just the opposite. I was impressed by the professionalism of the members who had such trust that they actually met each other in person. I started my travel site journey with the old www.trip.com which was a disaster as passwords were not required and it self-destructed with people posing as others on the site, then getting nasty. Pretty soon, it was of no value. An early cruise site also went bad for the same reasons. I credit Randy for requiring passwords when that was not common as it is now.

Checking in ... I too am an original member.

Thought last year I finally hit 1000 posts ..but see to be losing posts with age :confused:

With the introduction of the new badging system, I'm reviving this thread - #234 here.

Still here
 

Been here forever!

Traveling less so less engaged, but I've had some good times.

The "join date" of May 1998 is (more or less) synonymous with "Original Member." There are some very long-term members who haven't posted much.

Just curious as to how those who may have changed handles (JetYi, YRKInsider, LinBros) can get credit for our total years of participation. Also how do the Countries, Nights and Airline Miles counts get calculated and generate the associated badges?

I don't know the answer to your first question - you might try asking in the Technical Support and Feedback forum - but the second one is simple:
1. Click MyFlyerTalk at the top of this page, left.
2. Once there, click Badges, the last line under Your Control Panel in the left margin.
3. Once there, pick any you want (up to five). It's on the honor system. Nobody verifies anything.,

If you asked to have your username changed, your membership should date back to the original "Join Date."

If you abandoned the original username and started a new account, which BTW is against the rules, you can PM IBJoel and ask to have your two accounts merged; the "Join Date" of the merged account should be that of the older one.

I'm surprised to see so many posts here by original members without the new "20 Years" badge. I thought that FT had installed the years on FT badges automatically (versus the other ones, which we self report).

Unfortunately, it does not. Shows when the new account/name was enabled, not my original join date of Sep 16, 2001. I do not recall the accounts being "merged" but also don't recall all the details now, 14-15 years later. :(

Did do this; pending reply (fingers crossed). :) Thank you.

Some FTers apparently don't like the new badges, and it's possible that a subset of them decided to suppress even the length of membership badge.

Yes, I realize that. I have been on FlyerTalk for 19 years now. Soon it will be 20 years anniversary since I was joined FlyerTalk in November 2005. It’s a very long time. I was learning about the aviation, and I am very knowledgeable.

Sometimes I am not on the forums. When I was taking a break from the forums. I don’t have much time to posts on the forum but I was so extremely busy at work. I have a job. My life is very hectic. When I go out to the movies. I watched a lot of movies.