I am very new here and I am perplexed by the number of threads that get closed without explanation.

Is this a form of censorship?
Is this a Politically Correct Site?

Also there seems to be an inordinate amount of rules when I signed up. I thought the whole point of the internet was the free and open exchange of ideas and opinions. There seems to be an orthodoxy here that seems to stifle free thinking.

Please tell me i am wrong.

There are multiple forums in FT and they are grouped according to special interests in order to preserve some semblance of order. I don't think it is a pc thing nor really a censoring thing, but more of a "please don't have your conversation here as we are trying to talk about something else here."

Some people may think their topic deserves to be heard by all (and they may be right), but as I liken that to having to listen to someone else's cell phone conversation or someone else's last night's exploits when I am at the movies trying to hear the show. It is distracting to say the least.

This forum is for miles, so I am violating the intent of this forum by replying. Is that a serious violation? I guess so but I don't always stay exactly on topic (some Fters hate that when the topic shifts inside a thread) and there are forums for this kind of thread and I am sure this threads will be closed and moved.. It doesn't censor the topic, it just puts it in the place where people are looking to talk about that particular topic.

Fwiw, in FT, I go into Miles Buzz, followed by Mileage Run, then on to NW, and then on to Hilton. . . Secondarily I go to Starwood, CO, Delta, and then to Travel Buzz and in FT Travel to the place I am going to next (lately Paris).

Welcome to Flyertalk.

I think you'll find that threads get closed for two main reasons --

* They are posted in the wrong forum. To improve the quality of the board, there are guidelines about what items should be posted in each area. When an item is posted in the wrong place, the moderator often moves it. It appears closed in the original forum, but more often than not there's a link to show where to continue the conversation.

* The topic has shifted away from the point of flyertalk -- the discussion of miles and points -- and has devolved into personal attacks, etc.

There are terms of service for this bulletin board. It is, after all, a private endeavor. What Randy (board's owner) or his designees set out as rules is entirely their perogative.

I do think you'll find that this board is more open and freewheeling than many others.

At the same time, it isn't a complete free-for-all. The fact that we do have moderators speaks to that.

On the whole, most of us find that it works pretty well. It is, after all, a very successful internet bulletin board. Hundreds of thousands of posts and a wealth of information!

You really don't need to study the terms of service or anything like that.

Just use common sense:
* be courteous. don't start flame wars. stick to miles and points. be helpful and constructive.
* don't advocate anything illegal or in clear violation of the rules of whatever program you're discussing
* stay on topic --- and each forum has a fairly clear and concise description as to what its purpose is.

This really isn't an uptight place. Just practice the golden rule and all will be fine.

Again, welcome!

------------------
More Room Throughout Coach: the Website of Free Miles and Free Markets

Most threads get moved, not shut down. It is very rare that I have seen a thread shut down and it has always been for good reasons---

Howdy,

I don't speak for Randy.

I don't speak for Flyertalk in any way, shape or form.

But - it's my not so humble opionon that this (Flyertalk and all it contains) is not a public space, but a private one.

We are a community of practice, by and large the majority of us (I think) are very, very happy with what moderation does occur here.

We do not want the wild west, we want some form of order and as large as we are - this does require some form of a policing action, hence - moderators.

Three cheers for those sorry folks - (looks to me like a rough job with little thanks).

Just my two cents.

Keep the faith,

Pakse

OK, you are wrong.

Most, a very vast majority of the threads that are closed, are closed because they are in the wrong place, if the last message doesn't indicate it then there is a line on the upper left side above the message block that usually says where it was moved to. Very few get shut off and not moved, and there is usually an explaination for that.

It's not censorship, as this isn't a public site, it's a site run by somebody who can do whatever they want to. If one day they get pissed off at the letter i, they can remove it from all the posts.

And while the internet as a whole is a free and open exchange, it's up to the owner of each and every site to set what they consider appropriate or not in their sites. It's nothing new, there have been moderated sites online since the beginning of the internet.

Everyone is too anal! That's why this is such a hot topic.

If you want a more free-wheeling, unmoderated forum go to http://frequentflier.com but be advised that on it you'll find more opinionated posts and rude behavior than here.

I think we should point out that there seem to be more topics on Milesbuzz closed than on most of the other forums. I would think this is because it is the first forum listed and alot of subjects (that don't belong) get started here. So, if a newbie were mainly reading Milesbuzz he/she might get the idea that it is common throughout FT.

And welcome to FT Feamom!

[This message has been edited by paradocs (edited 11-16-2002).]

It's not censorship as much as whim.

Stick around; it will sometimes seem as mysterious as crop circles.

whim? No, that's not this board... maybe that other one.

FewMiles..

------------------
[ FlyerTalkers' Resources on the Web ]
[ Unofficial Guide to AAdvantage ] [ Unofficial oneworld Info Desk ]

Actually, I think I understand crop circles, I'll never figure the moving stuff out, but now that I know how to follow it...

And now you can see why topics get closed.

I think everything, if written as such and explained as such, can intertwine. The problem with having multiple levels of the forum could be that you have crossed-topics, or the same thing talked about twice. Things do relate. For example, had there just been an AIR-only miles forum and then a hotel only forum, then youd have problems trying to convert miles from say, UAL to Hilton Honors!

That's just my opinion. Everything does and can relate. I try to make my posts, even the ones filled with just theory or philosophical miles-related questions, be related to the topic. That is the best way to keep it in the same family, I bet