Are bloggers ruining Flyertalk????
#61
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta Silver, Hilton Gold
Posts: 966
I have seen this a few times. I do have a site that I talk about which is about the United Airlines fleet that I created for flyertalkers that tracks literally every aircraft in the United fleet. I make no money, no ads. It is a hobby of mine, and I don't ever plan to make money off of the site.
#62
Formerly known as iahsumr
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 520
Love it. Couldn't agree more. Kids would have far more fun spending the night in a tree house in the back yard and spending the day at a nearby lake or beach or at the local amusement park than they would spending hours on a boring flight and a night in some ritzy Marriott or Hilton in San Fran or Paris or Rome and exploring the Louvre or Coliseum. Never could understand why parents bother bringing little kids to such places when they are too young to really enjoy and appreciate the experience. I guess some have more money and/or miles than they know what to do with. Yup, in most cases it's more about what they parents appreciate than it is with the kids.
One thing that we all seem to have in common here is that miles and points are very important to use for our own reasons. Of course those reasons differ from person to person, but we all want to see deals survive whenever possible. We also all presumably enjoy working together with a collective community be it on blogs, forums, or small private groups. I believe that we are all smarter and more informed as a result of those communities, and look forward to continue helping (and receiving help) from anyone who is interested.
#63
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ICT
Programs: AA ExP
Posts: 1,860
As I noted above, I'm not anti-blogger per-se, just anti-certain-kind of blogger. To my discrete blogger friends, I believe this will separate you from the chaff when this is properly quantified and organized. As it is, we tend to lump bloggers together into one group, while in reality they are vastly different in skills and discretion.
#64
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,129
This is an interesting debate.
Ultimately, I will come to rest on the side that benefits those who make the effort to keep up on this stuff, read through the lines, and actually work for it. At the same time, while I like the challenge and work, there are economic incentives for a blogger to come along and tear down the barriers to entry and make it mainstream when theres something valuable. I don't like it, but I can accept it in a similar vein that many of us see an opportunity to exploit. Some things are unfortunate but inevitable, byproducts of size and success of this site.
I also don't like to broad brush here, and go on a case by case basis. Some bloggers have really perfected their craft with innovative, unique content and have become real authorities on all things mileage programs and are good resources for matters outside the hot deal of the day. Some-simply- have not. I think there are far too many shamelessly piggybacking off the rest of us here at FT and aren't offering much else.
I'll give props to good business, good ideas, creativity.... I won't give props to the simple minded idea piracy.
Ultimately, I will come to rest on the side that benefits those who make the effort to keep up on this stuff, read through the lines, and actually work for it. At the same time, while I like the challenge and work, there are economic incentives for a blogger to come along and tear down the barriers to entry and make it mainstream when theres something valuable. I don't like it, but I can accept it in a similar vein that many of us see an opportunity to exploit. Some things are unfortunate but inevitable, byproducts of size and success of this site.
I also don't like to broad brush here, and go on a case by case basis. Some bloggers have really perfected their craft with innovative, unique content and have become real authorities on all things mileage programs and are good resources for matters outside the hot deal of the day. Some-simply- have not. I think there are far too many shamelessly piggybacking off the rest of us here at FT and aren't offering much else.
I'll give props to good business, good ideas, creativity.... I won't give props to the simple minded idea piracy.
#65
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,274
Having said that, the bloggers do not know everything
#66
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
But to say that anyone here should be able to decide that XYZ deal is only for "us" and other deals are OK for "them" is a tremendously selfish and not particularly realistic approach to the world IMO. Either you're in it for yourself or to help others. Neither is necessarily wrong. But that also means none of us should get to decide that the others are wrong for doing what they do.
If anyone knows about a deal then it is reasonable to assume that others will, too. The key is to be smart and quick. Get what you want while you can. No deal is going to last forever even if no one knows about it.
#67
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: MSP
Posts: 81
OMG!
Preach it, Mommy Points! I am a huge fan of your blog.
All I can say to you old-times (your term, not mine) is, Oh my goodness! Do you hear yourselves? Do you have any idea how selfish and elitist you sound?
Life in the blogosphere is changing and changing fast! Theres no turning back! Pining for what used to be serves no good purpose and it will NOT slow down this train! If you dont stay current, youll be left in the dust. And maybe thats best for everyone! You probably also complained when kids started using calculators because they didnt have to do as much work as you did to figure out math problems. Or maybe you complained when the abacus was invented because it didnt require as much work.
When I get old(er) I want someone who cares about me to give me a swift kick in the a** if I ever start sounding like that!
At some point werent you all noobies, too? Some of us are at the beginning, just like you were, spending time "reading, learning, sharing tips/tricks, etc. I started reading FT recently and have been both thankful for the help I have received and disappointed at the snarky, caustic, vitriolic comments I read.
Please gain some perspective this is SUCH a first-world problem! And so what if you get to fly a little less and others get to fly a little more because the deals are known by the masses? Power to the people!
All I can say to you old-times (your term, not mine) is, Oh my goodness! Do you hear yourselves? Do you have any idea how selfish and elitist you sound?
Life in the blogosphere is changing and changing fast! Theres no turning back! Pining for what used to be serves no good purpose and it will NOT slow down this train! If you dont stay current, youll be left in the dust. And maybe thats best for everyone! You probably also complained when kids started using calculators because they didnt have to do as much work as you did to figure out math problems. Or maybe you complained when the abacus was invented because it didnt require as much work.
When I get old(er) I want someone who cares about me to give me a swift kick in the a** if I ever start sounding like that!
At some point werent you all noobies, too? Some of us are at the beginning, just like you were, spending time "reading, learning, sharing tips/tricks, etc. I started reading FT recently and have been both thankful for the help I have received and disappointed at the snarky, caustic, vitriolic comments I read.
Please gain some perspective this is SUCH a first-world problem! And so what if you get to fly a little less and others get to fly a little more because the deals are known by the masses? Power to the people!
#68
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: PDX
Programs: OnePass, MilesPlus, AAdvantage, SkyMiles (unfortunately), PC Plat, HH Silver, Marriott Aluminium
Posts: 739
If the people who listen or read about it are lazy, they will give up quickly. If they are knowledgeable and persistent, they will find deals, to post here, that may help all of us long before the bloggers find it.
In the mean time, there will always be deals to be had.
In the mean time, there will always be deals to be had.
So anyway, I don't know if these blogs spoon feeding things will really change the game all that much. Some of those spoon feeding blogs will help those that would be willing to put forth the work eventually anyway and yet their blogs will still fly over the heads of those that will just never get regardless of how remedial they are.
Either way, not much anyone can do about it so we'll just have to deal with it.
#69
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: PDX
Programs: OnePass, MilesPlus, AAdvantage, SkyMiles (unfortunately), PC Plat, HH Silver, Marriott Aluminium
Posts: 739
When I get old(er) I want someone who cares about me to give me a swift kick in the a** if I ever start sounding like that!
At some point weren’t you all noobies, too? Some of us are at the beginning, just like you were, spending time "reading, learning, sharing tips/tricks, etc.” I started reading FT recently and have been both thankful for the help I have received and disappointed at the snarky, caustic, vitriolic comments I read.
Please gain some perspective – this is SUCH a first-world problem! And so what if you get to fly a little less and others get to fly a little more because the deals are known by the masses? Power to the people!
At some point weren’t you all noobies, too? Some of us are at the beginning, just like you were, spending time "reading, learning, sharing tips/tricks, etc.” I started reading FT recently and have been both thankful for the help I have received and disappointed at the snarky, caustic, vitriolic comments I read.
Please gain some perspective – this is SUCH a first-world problem! And so what if you get to fly a little less and others get to fly a little more because the deals are known by the masses? Power to the people!
#70
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,891
First, the blogs kill deals that used to be well hidden. This is pretty much incontrovertible and there for anyone to see (if you spend the time to read through some old threads). Read some threads from 2006 about churning or account funding, a 2007 thread about TYPs (the original version, where 60k points could yield a $9k ticket), the 2008 DL Budget rentals, Shutterfly in 2005 ... these were deals that were lucrative beyond-your-wildest-dreams, but things were kept quiet. If you asked an inquisitive question about churning, someone would PM you and ask you to edit your post, and you'd make friends you exchanged information with in private. It all changed, I'm not sure when and why, but secrecy is no more. Deals that were going on for years were killed overnight. Good men may disagree about what's better, secrecy or openness, and we can argue until we turn blue whether it's better for a select few to use a deal for years or thousands of people for a few days. But will this killing of deals damage FT? Probably not, although a case can probably be made that with every bright mind and knowledgeable poster wandering off to a private forum, FT loses out (and make no mistake, this is happening very frequently).
But second, and more importantly, there has been a significant change in the way content is created and discussed on FT. Think, for instance, about the current Radisson promo. In the past, this would have created a huge buzz on FT, with rich discussions. Now, it's essentially, "blog A says this" (often, this is posted by owner of blog A), "blog B says that," and there's very little discussion on FT. It takes place elsewhere, or not at all, because mommy or secrets, or whoever they are posts an "idiot's guide" with colorful illustration. And this effect, which has become more noticeable over the past few months, is threatening to FT, and I am greatly concerned about it.
#71
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA, UA, SQ, VA, QF, AF, BA
Posts: 2,865
I like that idea! Please start a thread like that. People could supply links to posts that inappropriately share killable deals and you can keep the OP updated with post titles and URLs organized by blog. Make sure and list the blogs that don't have any objectionable posts as well, in order to highlight that.
As I noted above, I'm not anti-blogger per-se, just anti-certain-kind of blogger. To my discrete blogger friends, I believe this will separate you from the chaff when this is properly quantified and organized. As it is, we tend to lump bloggers together into one group, while in reality they are vastly different in skills and discretion.
As I noted above, I'm not anti-blogger per-se, just anti-certain-kind of blogger. To my discrete blogger friends, I believe this will separate you from the chaff when this is properly quantified and organized. As it is, we tend to lump bloggers together into one group, while in reality they are vastly different in skills and discretion.
I would like to see Internet Brands ban links to blogs that have a proven track record of copying info off FT in people's siggys. I have seen at least one such case within this thread. Why should FT and Internet Brands help them get higher Google rankings and boost their personal income?
#73
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORF
Programs: Amex Plat, AA, BA Silver, Marriott Plat, Choice Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Diamond
Posts: 3,745
Gosh, information (could be news articles, could be music or videos downloaded, could be information on great travel deals) on the internet, freely distributed? Who knew?
Welcome to the problem that the New York Times, Sony Music, and Time-Warner video have faced for years--who owns the information? Once it's published on a public website, what's to stop an information aggregator (in the current state of things, The Points Guy, View from the Wing, Frugal Travel Guy, Mommy Points--but who's to say in the future, it won't be Google itself?) from disseminating the information? Nothing. I mean, the irony of folks who have benefited from information they've learned on the internet complaining about many others learning about the same information, but just from other sources on the internet, is mind blowing.
And, from what I can see, many of the bloggers, such as our wandering friend, FTG, and Gary (before some other board was formed), were (and still are in some instances) leading contributors here. It seems like a chicken-and-egg question: would FT be what it is without the contributions from some of these folks who moved on to do what was a natural evolution of information on the internet? The development of information consolidators whose value was absorbing, digesting, and making accessible information from a ton of sources. And, as many have pointed out, they do make the information accessible. Also, don't flatter yourselves, it's not all information coming from FT. And, from those original consolidators, a second generation, such as Mommy Points, TPG, and Lucky (somewhat hesitant to put Lucky here because despite his age, he's a vet and a pro, but he's young enough that I have to).
There's a lot of work to do to comb these threads. There's little automatic about it. A lot of the bloggers now make money through credit card referrals and other avenues by separating the wheat from the chaff, including from sources like FT.
I'm too lazy to do all that work so I appreciate their efforts. And, guess what, when I go to the blogs, I never see a worthless, whining thread such as this that does nothing to earn me miles and points.
Welcome to the problem that the New York Times, Sony Music, and Time-Warner video have faced for years--who owns the information? Once it's published on a public website, what's to stop an information aggregator (in the current state of things, The Points Guy, View from the Wing, Frugal Travel Guy, Mommy Points--but who's to say in the future, it won't be Google itself?) from disseminating the information? Nothing. I mean, the irony of folks who have benefited from information they've learned on the internet complaining about many others learning about the same information, but just from other sources on the internet, is mind blowing.
And, from what I can see, many of the bloggers, such as our wandering friend, FTG, and Gary (before some other board was formed), were (and still are in some instances) leading contributors here. It seems like a chicken-and-egg question: would FT be what it is without the contributions from some of these folks who moved on to do what was a natural evolution of information on the internet? The development of information consolidators whose value was absorbing, digesting, and making accessible information from a ton of sources. And, as many have pointed out, they do make the information accessible. Also, don't flatter yourselves, it's not all information coming from FT. And, from those original consolidators, a second generation, such as Mommy Points, TPG, and Lucky (somewhat hesitant to put Lucky here because despite his age, he's a vet and a pro, but he's young enough that I have to).
There's a lot of work to do to comb these threads. There's little automatic about it. A lot of the bloggers now make money through credit card referrals and other avenues by separating the wheat from the chaff, including from sources like FT.
I'm too lazy to do all that work so I appreciate their efforts. And, guess what, when I go to the blogs, I never see a worthless, whining thread such as this that does nothing to earn me miles and points.
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,274
There are quite a few deals kept quiet to keep them sustainable long term.
These deals, if were on the blogs - would be done quick.
#75
Used to be 'Travelergcp'
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans
Programs: AA Plat, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,823
Yes. In their arms race to drive traffic to their affiliate marketing and to differentiate themselves from their competitors, it's in their best interest to publish strategies rather than sit on them. Driving hits to credit card signups in huge size is going to make more profit for them than whatever they might have made executing the strategy alone.
For people who aren't going to find stuff on their own, however, the bloggers create much more value than they destroy.
As to the relative level of bonuses, maybe they'd be higher if affiliate links didn't exist, maybe not. There's no going back now though.
For people who aren't going to find stuff on their own, however, the bloggers create much more value than they destroy.
As to the relative level of bonuses, maybe they'd be higher if affiliate links didn't exist, maybe not. There's no going back now though.