Bloggers posting wrong and misleading advice
Jun 6, 2014, 10:29 pm
#76
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
Who cares? It's all about credit card conversions 
Well, VFTW's newly "updated" guide to AA redemptions has glaring errors:
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....merican-miles/
Most of them look like overlooked revisions related to the examples of now-eliminated stopovers, but some clearly stem from not reading the updated Web page (or the FT thread(s)!). For example, AAnytime awards are now subject to the $150 fee for changes to origin/destination.
I would expect further updates.
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....merican-miles/
Most of them look like overlooked revisions related to the examples of now-eliminated stopovers, but some clearly stem from not reading the updated Web page (or the FT thread(s)!). For example, AAnytime awards are now subject to the $150 fee for changes to origin/destination.
I would expect further updates.
Jun 7, 2014, 2:54 am
#77
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: United 1K, Hyatt Diamond, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 119
But if they are simply cut and pasting Wikipedia text and doing an Expedia search to find out which chain hotels are available, there is little value in these articles. As you witnessed, it can even cause damage to the site's reputation.
Jun 7, 2014, 7:59 am
#78
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Only if they make the choice to write about more cities than they visit. I only write about places I've been. No one is forcing them to "write stories" (and I use that term loosely) based on having not visited a place.
Jun 7, 2014, 8:57 am
#79
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,997
...and I am not even sure as to what is the value of writing an article about a place to which one has never visited...
Jun 7, 2014, 10:14 am
#80
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Jun 7, 2014, 11:10 am
#81
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,997
I should have clarified what I posted by saying “I am not even sure as to what is the value to the reader of writing an article about a place to which one has never visited” — but I completely agree with you.
Jun 23, 2014, 8:44 pm
#82
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
VFTW/gleff's post tonight about the 12 longest flights in the world is riddled with misinformation (and typos) and uses photos of seats not flown by the airlines on those routes. And he could've just used wikipedia to get the list. 
Jun 24, 2014, 2:39 am
#83
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: 10 months VLC, 2 months everywhere else
Programs: *A
Posts: 3,770
Yeah, I noticed that as well. He's the CFO for a university research center, and that is a major job in itself. Maybe he's getting pressured/running out of time to post more.
Last edited by GuyverII; Jun 24, 2014 at 4:09 am
Jun 24, 2014, 2:59 am
#84
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,165
I recoiled in horror when I read it this morning... did he even proof read it?
And he is not 'the CFO for a university'. For the correct info please look at the LinkedIn profile.
And he is not 'the CFO for a university'. For the correct info please look at the LinkedIn profile.
Jun 24, 2014, 4:09 am
#85
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: 10 months VLC, 2 months everywhere else
Programs: *A
Posts: 3,770
Jun 24, 2014, 6:24 am
#86
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
I'm just surprised there weren't some CC affiliate links embedded in it!
Jun 24, 2014, 7:25 am
#87
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,607
Not his best effort by a long shot.
Jun 24, 2014, 7:32 pm
#88
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law
Jun 24, 2014, 9:58 pm
#89
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,607
I think you are completely wrong here. Do you not see the direction his blog is taking? First, why write original material when you can just list out what everyone else posted this week and sprinkle referral links... then... post wrong information in your other posts when you don't have time to do research and let people leave comments for free copy editing... Brilliant use of Cunningham's Law!
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law
Bits n' Pieces:
Astrophsx claims that VFTW uses Cunningham's law to copy edit his posts.
In my experience Richie Cunningham was kooler than Potsy but not as kool as the king of kool, the Fonz. Of course, Ralph Malph was kooler than them all.
Ultimately, what's really kool is Chase Sapphire.
Meanwhile, miles are longer than hours.
In other news, OMAAT is NOT currently running a kickstarter.
Astrophsx claims that VFTW uses Cunningham's law to copy edit his posts.
In my experience Richie Cunningham was kooler than Potsy but not as kool as the king of kool, the Fonz. Of course, Ralph Malph was kooler than them all.
Ultimately, what's really kool is Chase Sapphire.
Meanwhile, miles are longer than hours.
In other news, OMAAT is NOT currently running a kickstarter.
Jun 29, 2014, 12:00 pm
#90
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, SPG/Bonvoid LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, $tarbucks Titanium
Posts: 14,404
I thought his defending AA's no-notice change was a new low, but that post may have topped that.