One Mile at a Time [OMaaT] discussions [merged]
Jul 14, 2015, 8:59 pm
#527
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
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Posts: 33,857
Jul 15, 2015, 10:56 am
#530
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Seems it was created by Ben and/or the Rolling Stone author. I'd venture to guess it came from Ben and latched onto by the author but who knows.
Jul 15, 2015, 1:19 pm
#531
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 101
I don't think that many people care how much money he is making from the blog. It's the fact that he asked his readers to fund his Kickstarter and then publicly criticized a pastor on his blog for encouraging his followers to fund a private jet (while Ben could afford to pay for his flight the pastor could not afford a private jet).
Tim Cook is rich, but do you expect to Apple to give people Macs for free? Ben publishes his blog to the world for free. I've learned so much and I've never paid him a penny. Think about that --- it's a pretty amazing value, as Ben would frequently say himself.
Now of course, he's not the only person doing this, and clearly he does get compensated in other ways, but I don't think anyone should feel entitled to Ben's services. He certainly has a right to decide when and what to charge. In this case, the Residence costs $20000, more than any other cost that Ben incurs for his other trip reports. So I think it's perfectly reasonable for him to expect something additional in this particular case.
Moreover, he was pretty careful and narrow in detailing his campaign. He was upfront with how frivolous and unnecessary it is and I don't think he played the "poor" card at all. I didn't donate, but if I were to donate, it would be because I wanted to see the trip report and not because I felt bad for a "struggling blogger." I find it hard to believe that anyone would be mislead over this.
On the other hand, expecting people to pay for a private jet as a "charitable donation," and trying to paint it as a necessity for the greater good, is a completely different matter...
Jul 15, 2015, 3:55 pm
#532
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
Jul 19, 2015, 6:37 pm
#533
Used to be 'Scooter'
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: SAN
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 398
Quite an interesting read, and while there was nothing truly shocking in the article, it basically confirmed everything I (we) assumed: he's gay, makes a crap load of money, and is totally headed for burnout. The amount of flying he's doing combined with the number of blog posts he's pumping out can't be healthy, so I hope he wises up and slows down soon. It's absolutely not necessary to fly/work so much to be successful, but somehow he's got the mentally that quantity trumps quality. I follow a lot of other bloggers (in other niches) that only post once or twice a month and make more money than he does.
I did find it odd that the author painted him as a depressed loner at the end of the article though. I'm sure it's lonely living in hotels like that, but Ben seems to be surrounded by people wherever he goes.
I did find it odd that the author painted him as a depressed loner at the end of the article though. I'm sure it's lonely living in hotels like that, but Ben seems to be surrounded by people wherever he goes.
Jul 20, 2015, 8:47 am
#535
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Jul 20, 2015, 1:35 pm
#536
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
Read the article and, despite knowing much about the hobby, I didn't find the article to be that well written. For instance, every time the writer referred to 'free' travel, I cringed. Even Ben admits its not FREE.
Also felt the use of the word "the Hobby" was absolutely cringeworthy.
Lastly, I agreed with most of the comments (even though they were half baked): what a depressing life...(*to ME...I, personally, think it's the epitome of depression. Ben obviously feels otherwise)
Also felt the use of the word "the Hobby" was absolutely cringeworthy.
Lastly, I agreed with most of the comments (even though they were half baked): what a depressing life...(*to ME...I, personally, think it's the epitome of depression. Ben obviously feels otherwise)
Jul 20, 2015, 3:30 pm
#537
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: MCI
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Posts: 323
Rolling Stone doesn't have a very good track record on that particular subject. I wouldn't even give it a second thought.
Jul 20, 2015, 4:57 pm
#538
Suspended
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Jul 20, 2015, 5:48 pm
#539
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NRT/HND, IWK, SAT, BWI, NAP, OKA, AUS, DEN, COS and PUB
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Posts: 994
I'm a little surprised that more aren't giving Ben/lucky a little more benefit of the doubt..
Lest it be forgotten, before he was in this article, before he started his blog, before anyone knew his name, he was just one of us. He was the young guy who was dorked out about miles and flying, kinda naive about the world, and obviously had more resources than most his age.
Really, the only thing in the article that caught me off-guard was having been banned from United. It was pretty clear that he was an AA junkie now, but I never understood why.. kinda missed his involvement in the UA forum actually.
Ben's just a guy who found something he got really into, played the system more than the rest of us, got in trouble but kept going, and decided to try and blog about it for a living.
Lest it be forgotten, before he was in this article, before he started his blog, before anyone knew his name, he was just one of us. He was the young guy who was dorked out about miles and flying, kinda naive about the world, and obviously had more resources than most his age.
Really, the only thing in the article that caught me off-guard was having been banned from United. It was pretty clear that he was an AA junkie now, but I never understood why.. kinda missed his involvement in the UA forum actually.
Ben's just a guy who found something he got really into, played the system more than the rest of us, got in trouble but kept going, and decided to try and blog about it for a living.
Jul 20, 2015, 5:58 pm
#540
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
The article is now online:
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/...-free-20150720
To answer Ben's response of "still not sure how I got myself into this"... Well giving free long haul first class flights around the world to a writer who has never been published in Rolling Stone couldn't have hurt!
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/...-free-20150720
To answer Ben's response of "still not sure how I got myself into this"... Well giving free long haul first class flights around the world to a writer who has never been published in Rolling Stone couldn't have hurt!