DavidAL

To a degree, I agree. I think there are some things that should be blogged about, but some things that shouldn't. Venmo/AP as a prime example. Spread it through word of mouth/PM's, not a step by step instruction guide. Now Venmo has gone the way of the buffalo.

gregorygrady

Well, hopefully this thread gets lots of eyeballs and people start applying through your links.

Or better yet, maybe a blogger will pick up on your deal for people to get 50% of their application commission kickback and post this great deal to their blog, and then it will get hat-tipped to death by 5-10 other bloggers tomorrow and then everybody will know about it and flock to your application links.

Oh wait, I forgot the bloggers only care about lining their own pockets. Guess you won't see a mention although I'm pretty certain over half the bloggers out there will have read this thread by tomorrow morning.

sbm12

And we should shut down all the other online communities that talk about deals, too, right? After all, those members aren't helping FlyerTalk.

A secret exists with one person. And the stuff being discussed here isn't even a secret so much as something that others might not have figured out yet. Pretending that there is only one person who can discover things and that without FT blogs wouldn't exist or have content is laughable.

QL_714

Deals like Venmo/AP/SQ and now OD serve a very useful purpose. They keep the herd occupied instead of looking in other directions.

Jaimito Cartero

Much of the problem with some members on FT is that they don't use enough common sense. Use, don't abuse. Don't turn it into a business. Don't call while the deal is in play. Stay under the radar.

LAXJetter

I have no problem with people taking these things and putting them on to a blog. I do have a problem when they can then make a living off a essentially killing deals for the community that allowed them to make money in the first place.

zombietooth

Whining about too many gaming the system while maximally gaming the system is just ludicrous! Talk about a sense of entitlement!

"What do you call it when the assassins accuse the assassin?" --Marlin Brando as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now.

Zantaine

Like others here, I can agree with the OP on several points. Unfortunately I personally don't know how to balance sharing information on a media format like the internet while maintaining some level of "discretion?"

What kills me about the bloggers today are the amount of credit card posts that have started in the last 18 months or so. Compare the number of credit card posts in the last 18 months compared to before then on each of the blogs and you'll see what I mean.

Additionally, it seems that like the OP mentioned the bloggers are heavily spoon feeding folks instead of "talking around" certain things. (In the past I've seen the bloggers successfully talk around subjects in their posts) but those days are history with the bloggers competing with each other to provide the most spoon fed information to the masses. (more hits = more cash for them)

I truly miss the days of the "honest bloggers" (don't get me wrong their are some hidden gems still out there)

The bottom line for me is, I want people to know about deals and not be excluded, BUT I wouldn't mind having to do some legwork myself to fully benefit from the deals/loopholes/tricks. If I have a question, I can always email/PM someone to help me out. Why spoon feed the masses if their not willing to even work a little bit?

Just my 2 cents.

Tiki

You are not one of the bloggers we are complaining about. You are actually one of the FEW who does do quality original content and doesn't ruin creative exploitation of deals.

It's the bloggers who are killing the geese that lay the golden eggs by exposing ways to exploit deals like Discover America that are upsetting many FTers. For example there is no harm in posting that (for example) on 23 April Wyndham points will be on sale, describe the packages, cost per point..............and then leave it at that. People "in the know" will know how to best use the points, why blab to the world that they can be converted into airline miles? Once again, this is not directed at YOU, it's the other bloggers who ruined this deal. The LINK to the deal is not what needed to fly under the radar, it's the exploitation that did. We know not all bloggers are the same, neither are all journalists but there is a huge difference between National Geographic and the National Enquirer. I actually came up with a term for those sensationalist type bloggers: Goose Killers.

Mommy Points

While I am sure I am one of the last people welcomed on a thread like this, I would still like to provide a different perspective both from the point of view of a blogger and on behalf of people like my parents and friends.

First, I agree very much that the exposure of some deals on blogs has and will lead to a quicker demise for those deals or loopholes. I also agree that there is a cohort of FTers/MPers/etc that receives very little assistance from blogs, and would be best served if the number of people who knew about the tricks and loopholes remained quite small. That would likely prolong the length of time that they were able to use the tricks that they or their friends have found and utilized. I also agree that when some information is learned from a place like Flyertalk, it is absolutely appropriate to give credit to the source. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also will help the reader by directly linking to the original thread that may provide some additional info long after the blog post has ceased being updated.

However, I also know that there are many, many, many folks who have benefited from blogs, and have learned to take their families, spouses, or even just themselves on trips that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford. A previous poster was correct in saying that some families who didn't even really know what miles and points were are now benefiting from blogs. This is 100% accurate, and is a large part of why I write my blog. Being able to be a small part of children and families seeing parts of the world they otherwise wouldn't be able to is invaluable to me. If it results in great family memories, or a more tolerant and open view of those around the world, then it was all worth it. While I certainly don't enjoy it, I'll take a thousand people mad at me on the internet if one child gets to experience a trip with their family that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to have. I believe that trips aren't just for fun - they are a chance for creating stronger bonds and for eliminating the view that what you do in your small corner of the earth is all that matters, or is the only right way to do things.

I can speak for my parents and some of my personal friends who are now traveling more, learning more, and maximizing everyday spending and promotions thanks to blogs who turned them on to miles and points. FT is fantastic for learning more and digging deeper, but I think that blogs and forums can work in harmony. They each serve a different function.

So, are blogs ruining Flyertalk? Of course my answer is no. Are blogs making some things harder for a cohort of people who have been maximizing miles and points for years? Probably. But, FT itself is also doing that. Some things can only survive if not discussed in the "open". I know that smaller more private communities and groups exist, and that is the right way to communicate about some loopholes and tricks.

However, some miles and points opportunities can and should be shared with anyone who cares to listen. Does that mean that I will only get to purchase one or two packages of Wyndham points via the Daily Getaways instead of maxing out with six packages - sure, but how many did I really "need" to begin with. I am happy to get one or two and know that other folks were able to do the same. I whole-heartedly believe that sharing (most) information helps far more than it harms, though some discretion at times is appropriate.

As an aside, I will also throw out there that the overwhelming majority of bloggers that I have met are genuinely nice and giving folks that want to help others travel more than they ever thought possible. That is why they started blogs in the first place. Some of the blogs did turn into full-time jobs (trust me - it is a full-time time commitment), but that doesn't change why they started or continue blogging. Speaking just for myself, I was a social worker before a blogger, and I can say that they two "jobs" aren't measurably different. They are really both helping professions - just helping different folks with different issues. Additionally, you can't really do either very well if your motive isn't truly to help.

I know my position is unlikely to change the minds of anyone who believes that blogs are the downfall of Flyertalk, but hopefully it is at least helpful to hear another perspective.

janetdoe

People who have the patience to read a 10-page thread; people who have the intelligence to figure out the deal without a step-by-step powerpoint style presentation with red circles showing where to click.

There is a huge difference between the brainstorming that occurs on FT: someone posts an idea or promo, and people start discussing ways to use it, there is a collaboration to discover the best uses of the promo and the limitations and gotchas, the community members read and contribute and think about the deal... and a blogger reading the thread, cherry picking some ideas, preparing a slideshow of instructions to spoonfeed an audience.

And while you may say that my concept of FT is idealized, at least in the FT format, someone has to be willing to scroll through a few pages of dross to 'figure out' the deal. When it comes to preserving deals, there is a huge advantage in having a slight barrier to entry as opposed to no barrier to entry.

TravelGuy1965

I was very sad to see the FTD long standing promo die.
And along with it the Spa finder Certificates that could be had for 35miles back on the dollar. It wasn't too hard to rack up over a million miles with this.

One - report blog and it died within 3 days after working for well over a year.

Many of these aren't helping more people, but rather closing nice items that people who did put the time in here would benefit from.

Now, any juicy nuget that could live on for years dies a rapid death of 1000 stones.....

peachfront

Well, the trouble with that argument is that we were all children once, and we frequently observe children in the course of our travels, and "think of the children" just don't fly, Mommypoints. Children want to go to camp or to the beach or to Disneyworld. They do not want to go to Paris or Fiji. There is no social service involved in putting entire families including small children in the air.

There's nothing wrong with being a blogger, collecting information, and making a living. But let's not pretend that this is helping children or that it's good for children or that the children even enjoy it. The kids are miserable. It's about the parents and trying to show up the other soccer moms on the playground.

I wish you had made a reasonable argument for yourself, because there's a good argument to be made for these blogs. "Think of the children" just makes me hurl, frankly.

AlohaDaveKennedy

The bloggers are motivated to promote themselves for profit. That is neither good, nor bad - just reality. So just keep your tradecraft off the boards and away from the bloggers. Doesn't mean you cannot share info, just share it underground instead of in public where the bloggers will highly publicize it.

Tiki

If families didn't know about miles and points before than they weren't missing out on anything. I grew up with very fulfilling family vacations to San Diego, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Yosemite, etc during which my parents and siblings had a wonderful time, met other people, visited museums, saw giant redwoods and many other things. At that age, you don't need money, miles and points to have a family bonding experience.

All you are doing is building up unrealistic expectations in people who didn't know what they were missing.....so they didn't miss it. And those of us who DO put the research in and spend the time are the innocent victims of your drive and ambition to get as many credit card referrals as possible.