Boycott click-bait blog entries!
 

I'm fed up with the click bait! I'm on slow foreign mobile networks and so every click comes at dial-up speed.

Suddenly the blog links with titles like:

You won't believe the simplest way to upgrade every time!

And

How to get status on the cheap.

And

Amazing award space on a surprising route.

Are driving me absolutely bananas because they inevitably are useless tactics that have no practical applicability. Which I would have known and not wasted my time/bandwidth on if the headline had been a headline instead of a tease. It's a form of lying. And I don't like being lied to.

So I've had it: any blog entry whose headline is a tease rather than a headline will never get a click from me again.

Thank you for indulging my rant.

Welcome to the Internet, you must be new here.

They must have learned that technique at BAcon. Maybe someone could write a 28 part report? Just kidding...

But seriously, I guess the blog gains by page views? Is that the idea?

The problem is that the goals of the blogger do not necessarily align with the goals of every reader. And that's ok.

Bloggers (I think) want to get ad revenue, credit card revenue and also award bookings. Maybe also Uber credits etc.

Readers want lots of things, like circles and arrows, tricks of how to look up award availability or free one-ways, credit card news etc, trip reports, analysis of program changes, etc.

How many people get mad at the 11pm news when they keep teasing the weather report? It's annoying, but that's how it works.

The bloggers should be held accountable if they don't post the best offer. Other than that, let them post away. If you don't like their posts, just stop reading their blog. Maybe it'll be enough of a difference and they'll change.

Clickbait works, otherwise nobody would use it.

Yes, well I was told there would be porn. So here I am.

"Program With the Single Best Award Chart, Aeroplan Award Pricing Mistake Update and Delta Fixes Online Award Booking (VFTW 06 Nov)

Delta fixing a temporary glitch that didn't show Alaska and Virgin Australia award space is mildly good news, but the headline phrase "Delta fixes online award booking" certainly connotes something different, given the notorious DL.dumb issues.

:D

Best post of the month so far :D

They also managed to screw up the dancing hamsters.

While I try and avoid rabid click-bait, clearly you need to have some sort of enticement in the headline.

For example: if you can get 500 bonus AAdvantage miles for a $100 spend then

"500 bonus AAdvantage miles for a $100 spend" is clearly fine

"500 free AAdvantage miles" is probably just about ok, if pushing it a little

"Naked Japanese schoolgirls run riot on AA plane" is arguably simply click-bait.

A delicate balancing act. But please just have a dig at me in the comments - rather than boycotting me for eternity - if I do ever push it too far...

I'd say this is well beyond "pushing it a little" and into lying to your readers.

Not because it is click-bait but because you're misrepresenting the offer.

I also enjoy techgirl's blog for great personal opinions and stories...

Is That YOUR Inflatable Penis?!

(How can you not click on that?!?)

Consider that clicked!

I thought you were boycotting click-bait??

But history shows that he loves inflatables....

Particularly Artiodactyla!

Nogales!!!!!

(Sidebar - I almost ran for TalkBoard this year on a "bring back the fun" platform. But I realized there are not enough people left who get my references.). :eek:

This article reminded me of this discussion.

I read that and couldn't help but think of half the newer BA blogs.

My favorite to hate on from the past couple days:

"Find out when to register for AMEX Small biz Saturday"

This was despite most other blogs having it in their title... Desperate much?

It's as bad as the ads for the local nightly news:

"Will we see snow overnight? Find out at 11"

Thanks, but I'll just check the forecast on my phone in about 30 seconds, and not even bother tuning in at 11.

I have felt the exact same way for years pertaining to the news and the weather...

...and often I already know what is “coming up” because I already saw it on the Internet before even watching the news...

Hyatt Promotion Code – Save $200 Off Your Next Stay

Except it's not $200 off your next stay - unless you have a $2,000 stay. Even the blogger didn't have such, planning to use $2K over two stays:

An honest headline of "10% off Hyatt gift cards" would have been fine, even if it isn't exactly breaking news at this point.

Me too!

Except I can't seem to find any porn on the internet, just travel blogs.

Am I internetting wrong?

In keeping with the "$200 Off Hyatt Stay" type of post, Points, Miles & Martinis" has this post headline yesterday:

"Free $30 Discount At Target.com Tomorrow Only Plus Cash Back -Black Friday Deal!"

OK, well it's 10% off which is a $30 discount only to the max $300 purchase level. And the GCs purchased on 28 November can't be used until 29 November so I'd argue that characterizing the discount as "tomorrow" was also slightly misleading.

VFTW has the Thanksgiving spirit of sharing in mind with yesterday's post of:

"The Credit Card That Gives Automatic Delta Gold Status"

A CC issued for those with a documented residence in Japan. I knew there are no such U.S. issued cards so I was curious what country it applied to, but I'm sure VFTW hoped to bait readers who may have thought it was a U.S. card.

I fully support this, I've posted before on how much I'm irritated by Click-Bait. Like this one:

I'm sorry, but when I see "Check This Out!" on the internet, I'm already associating your blog article with penis enlargement pills.

Or of course how about "Don't Mileage Run" which after a few paragraphs concludes with:

What a shocker that credit cards are your advice!

opppsss - sorry - not about me. i am sorry CMK10. delete!

What about mainstream media?

Here's Proof Pigs Actually Do Fly (Almost)

A pig landed on a US Airways flight out of Connecticut on Wednesday, but was taken off the plane after it became disruptive, a spokesperson told ABC News.

The pig would have never been treated this way if it had the US Airways card and had status to get the First Class upgrade! :D

On Facebook today, courtesy of View From The Wing:

Wonder if it has to do with Acai Berry? :rolleyes:

VFTW takes the cake again today with this headline -

"Denied a Cabana at Cathay Pacific's "The Wing" First Class Lounge"

turns out they were full when he went there, so he used a shower room instead... misleading and way over dramatic

Seems to be par for the course over at VFTW lately

He had another one today too:

I made a comment on his clickbait on Facebook, this is his response:

[redacted] :rolleyes:

Is he getting more clickbait ideas from this thread? Now I see:

3 Key Rewards Program Tools for Staying in Good Hotels at Very Little Cost

Of course the "tools" include signing up for credit cards and also an entire chain (Hilton).

You will all be happy to know that Gary Leff himself personally blocked me on Facebook because I made comments about his clickbait headlines.

Now you just need buzzfeed to block you and you'll be click bait free on fb!

I guess his policy of no censorship does not apply beyond his blog.

OMaaT unfriended me in fb a few months back. I don't miss it or his blog.

maybe now he won't use your graphics uncredited! :p

I remember that! Oh wow was he mad.

ZING! :D

Consider it a badge of honor!

I'm starting to think Upworthy bought Boarding Area. Gary again, naturally:

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....r-believe-one/

Incidentally, I'm proud to say that comment number 8 was submitted by my brother.

I've noticed his comment section has become more aggressively rude with the increase in credit card posts and clickbait headlines.

He posted a review of the Grand Hyatt Bangkok yesterday, and even on Christmas day there were very hateful and insulting comments.

It's possible it is just one disgruntled troll but why isn't he cutting back on the clickbait a little? It almost seems as if he is taunting loyal readers.

Bloggers titles plead for click rather than attract with wit. It's pathetic.

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