MCruler

VFTW

josephstern

Fortunately, we have blog readers! I mean that in the website sense - not the people.

In my Google Reader I can scroll through the endless, repetitive blogs over at BoardingArea without really wasting too much time. Frankly, I don't really even distinguish one from another anymore. I just scroll, and as I do they get marked as "read" and if one looks interesting, I click on it.

Those blogs that have kept their own URL really get more time from me just because they're different entries on my setup.

Of course, on my phone, they're all the same, they're even more abbreviated, and I scroll through them even faster.

In the end, I actually think I spend less time overall on the blogs. When I read maybe four, I eagerly sought them out each day. Now, with the proliferation without distinction, I scroll and scroll and mostly ignore.

HikerT

ROTF ^

beltway

With you so far ...
Here I disagree -- somewhat. I've previously noted my dislike of MMS, so I won't belabor the point (other than to agree with your principle in this instance). However, there's the occasional blogger whose sole focus is a single program, and Priority Club Insider (http://www.priorityclubinsider.com/c.../bonus-points/) absolutely crushes it. I wish the site were organized a bit differently, but the quality of the info, especially the collection of promo signup links, is top notch.

More importantly, I don't have to see (or read about) the blogger's meals/fiance(e)/lounge visit/credit card referrals, ever. He (or she) is practically invisible -- nay, self-abnegating -- reminiscent of Emerson's "transparent eyeball," or the "negative capability" of Shakespeare about which Keats wrote so admiringly.

TroyMcClure

+ 1

Those blogs are just one giant advertising board for the various credit card issuers and their respective banks.

mileshound

FTG used to be my #1 but I do not like the direction he has gone. Nothing personal, but it just does not relate to me anymore. for me, there is no meat there anymore. TPG is my #1 now. Although I am no newcomer, he still is a teacher to me. I enjoy learning and I do get a lot out of the blog.

I am not going to rank the others since I visit them in no particular order and not daily.

I do feel for the guys. Realistically, how much is there to write about on a daily basis? I certainly could not come up with 365+ topics a year.

beltway

Look back at the splash TPG made with some of his early multi-part series on topics like redeeming BA miles. That stuff was fantastic and, as far as I could tell, much more than a rehash of what you might find on FT. Instead of cribbing, it seemed to me like he was producing original (and extremely well organized) material.

Since then, MHO is that the blog has gone badly downhill, between the brazen lifting of material wholesale from FT (with no attribution) and the constant card flogging. So long as one isn't driven by some manic need to post every day, there's still plenty to talk about, such as the massive changes to BA's program (which rendered the old TPG series largely obsolete, alas).

As somebody wrote above: quality, please, not quantity.

flyerfrog

Most bloggers recommended here write extremely useful content. For instance, I would have never been able to use my miles effectively without the award redemption articles that have been written. I find them so indispensible that I created a dedicated page for them on my website.

HikerT

I'd agree TPG's polish is fading but still have to give him props for being the first to blog about e.g. 40x spafinder and 36x nordstrom. There are a few new bloggers that buck the trend and offer niche value added content (Frequent Miler comes to mind on Boarding Area). No niche and you are just a dime a dozen blogging about the same stuff everyone else is blogging about.

josephstern

Exactly!

And that's the point: don't blog for the sake of blogging. These bloggers don't NEED to blog everyday. The frequency should be when they have interesting news, not a daily grind.

belfordrocks

Well some (most?) of them have no real job, so they have to keep clutching at straws to keep people from coming back and, hopefully for them, getting credit card referrals.

pcharles

And they are not worried about the people who already follow FT or other blogs. They want the new blood, the newbies just googling in, just feeling that amazement for the first time. They throw a bone once in awhile that is enticing enough for the more experienced mile/point earner, but their real focus is the newbie.

I like some of thepointsellout small earning stuff, use it, and have been happy with him posting it. Otherwise, I don't like his sleezeball self promotion, constant card pushing, and ignorance of criticism when called out. Doesn't matter to him which is blatantly obvious, as he's looking toward the unsuspecting type. The again, besides any google hits hit gets for me clicking on his site, it's not like he's ever got a dime otherwise from me.

The frequent flier seems to have some newness. I can't diss Daraius, he was the person who posted here and the reason I got the 75K biz Amex recently (which the same day thepointsellout posted it eventually and pushed it down to like 3rd or 4th in his column -i.e. no commission. A common trend, no commission, no mention with tps/o

Astrophsx

My feeling is that the most popular bloggers get more tips from readers and therefore it is easier to create content. The other bloggers who are not full time try and read flyertalk/milepoint and other travel blogs and are basically taking that material and "try" to give their own spin on the material to make it feel as if it is their own.

What I find annoying is why would I want someone's opinion on a particular topic if they've only been using the boards for a year and have a post count under 200? FTG at least skips all the nonsense and just pays someone to read the other blogs and give the top 5 or so deals that were talked about that day.

ingy

You are correct that the majority of good content comes from readers. And your assessment of my opinion is right on. Why write in detail about something that six other blogs are talking about? I think we all read multiple blogs and I don't feel the need to talk about a 500 mile promo if everybody else is.

I'd love to be able to go back and see how many blogs were on BoardingArea before they opened it up to credit card links and what that number is now. I just don't know how??

Yes there is good new content. AAdvantage Geek and Frequent Miler come to mind.

CodeAdam10

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