Of course age is relevant! It's an "age" criteria'd event! See thread title:

What's the purpose of having an "Under 30 event" if it's open to anyone???

Nothing wrong with having an under/over any age event, if that's want you want. IMHO. Otherwise, it would be just another general event. And there are plenty of those all the time.

Although technically you could bring a gaggle of babies or 14 year olds with you, as it does just say "under 30." But I think most get the point. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I'm wondering if some of the fuss over the under 30/over 30 etc DO's is that while some of us, at least, could see the validity of an under 30, young travelers DO, that it might set a precedent for sub groups within FT and splinter off the happily inclusive process we undertake when we set up a do. While one event set out for younger people might not be a bg deal, it might start a trend for splinter group DO's that would tarnish the fun most of us have at totally open events.

As someone who once tried to plan a smaller evnet and clumsily tried to limit participation I understand how it might feel to welookgood to try and set up an event for a peer group he'd like to have an event with. I tend to think us older folks wouldn't be tempted by an under 30 do unlesss we could keep up, so again, I think the self selection process would work better than he might think.

The "splintering" argument is routinely trotted out when any group forms a group within a group.

However, the GLBT and Women's forums on FlyerTalk have not taken away from the other FT forums. The various Gay Do events have not lessened attendance at "general" events. Nor do they seem exclusionary in that it appears that I, a married man, would be welcome.

Even the COE™ tolerates my attempts to be cool. On the other hand, only two people took advantage of my offer to meet me at NRT during limited connecting times (one each way), so there will always be a self-selection process at work.

When it comes to Freedom of Association, guaranteed to all in the U.S. by the First Amendment, and often by similar provisions worldwide, the only limit -- to entities involved in interstate commerce and open to the general public, presumably including FT (?) -- is imposed by laws pursuant to the First and Fourteenth Amendments, barring discrimination based on Race, National Origin, Religion, etc.


[Edited to exclude an unwanted carriage return. (!)]
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[This message has been edited by SPN Lifer (edited 05-02-2003).]

and that's the issue - you as a non member of the group would be welcome...and that makes all the difference

Are you absolutely certain about that?

This has been very true in this group. There were negative comments about the Women's spa weekend, the Singles Do, and the GLBT do's. We all tend to gravitate towards the events and people we like anyway. Call the event what you want, and cater it to whoever you want, but I think that its pretty much an unspoken rule that once its posted, events are open to all who want to show up.

Well, debates aside, my completely unbiased and uninfluenced vote goes to NYC. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Keep me posted.

Why do you automatically assume that anyone objecting to this thread must be to old to go?! I do and will for several years to come qualify for this event.

However, this board is about travel and that's what we all have in common. I am sure there are places elsewhere on the internet where I can go to meet people based on age, if I so desired.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a get together to talk about travel from a younger perspective and nothing wrong with holding said get together in a hip/loud/etc. place. And, as many here and in several of the spawn-off threads have noted, if you were to post the intended theme and location of your event, the crowd would self-select and most attendees will end up being in your target age group. This tends to happen with most of the MSY and LAS DOs. But even the “singles” DO always specified that it was open to those non-singles who dared to join us.

But announcing a DO that’s closed to some members of this community is not only against what I think is one of the principles that makes this place so great, but also sets up a dangerous precedent. What’s next, a top-tier elite only DO? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by mashav (edited 05-02-2003).]

welookgood.com,

A honest question for you.

I am 30 years 5 months 12 days old (as of today May 02, 2003) BUT I am extremely good-looking (do part - time modeling for some health magazines). Could I be included despite the fact that I am slightly over 30?

Second question does the gathering have as good-looking people as me? Because in my experience in bars, what I find is that age has no correlation with looks. Some younger people are quite ugly and some older people are quite good-looking. (Please don't flame me I am just talking about looks from an attractiveness point of view, not for the purpose of discrimination!)

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Get over yourself, okay? And that goes for your other thread, too.

Mike

Originally posted by LastClass:
Not at all, given the uncertainty of who is even included within COE™ membership. Maybe they find my attempts to "fit in" to be humorous or even pathetic. But for the most part, they are too sophisticated or polite to say so. Perhaps it's that European or Canadian influence. I do know what AYBBABTU stands for. Thanks, ScottC!

Originally posted by mashav:
I made no such assumption about anyone's age in this thread. If you did not fit within the scope of my comment, I was not referring to you.

However, some people have voluntarily disclosed their age in OMNI threads such as this:

When did you graduate from high school?
http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/006460.html

I don't think anyone announced a closed event. Common sense and courtesy should be the rule. We are not talking about DHS Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services regulations, here. As has been pointed out, if too many over-30 people crash the party or are invited guests, it could "swallow the whole" and subvert the point of the gathering, that's all.

Given the excessive, to my view, focus of society and advertising on youth and sex to sell things, it has been set up as an ideal to which people aspire. This event is not about physical attractiveness, the name of the coordinator notwithstanding.

It is about shared experiences.

Absolutely!!! And why not?

Continental FlyerTalk Flyers Only Do. The rest...Keep Out! What the heck is wrong with that? If someone wants to have a party with only FlyerTalkers that fly Continental, why not?

Where does it say that anyone can't or shouldn't form their own Dos within whatever restrictive category they wish. It's not a "dangerous precedent."

It's called fun. You all remember fun don't you? Well, some folks ideas of what might make up a fun gathering of people might be different than yours or mine.

Wanna invite "Top-Tier FlyerTalkers Only?" Sounds like an interesting get together to me. Pencil me in! Gotta 40s to 50s FlyerTalkers Only you wanna run up the flagpole? I'm sure I won't be the only one to salute it.

If people want to go to a general FlyerTalk Do...there are PLENTY of them. But why insist that they all be that way? Talk about restrictive!! And to suggest it's counter-community spirited if they do? Come on!

Personally I think it would benefit FlyerTalk to see more "segmented" Dos happen. I bet some people would feel more comfortable "breaking the ice" and entering the Community this way...and then later "graduating" to general Do...big or small.

Regardless, I was taught whoever organizes the party is the "host." And you never question or second guess the criteria as to who they want to attend, nor attempt to intimidate them if you find yourself excluded. It's their party!!

Anything else is bad form, IMHO.

Don't like this under 30 gig and want to see it open-to-any? I gotta clue for you. Step up to the plate and organize your own! But don't try to hijack someone else's party. That's just rude.

IMHO.

Personally, I think this is a fresh and imaginative idea, and I think it's about time we see some new ideas for "Specialty Dos."

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif


Kathy

I would be in for this let me know when the details are figured out http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I do vaguely remember fun. And it involved very few CO top-tier elites.

And IMHO it's bad form to discuss a party in front of someone you are not inviting to it.