squeakr, you have no need to defend your actions to me. Given your moderation criteria, which I concede appears to be the Flyer Talk standard, your actions were appropriate.

I just happen to dislike that moderation style. You are free to use that style and, as long as I am polite and considerate of others' feelings when so doing, I am free to express my disapproval of the style.

I personally believe that, so long as it fits within generally accepted rules of common decency, post content should be driven by the desires of the community, not the whim of a moderator. If the Community wants hundreds of posts discussing upgrades, the posting of miles, electronic certificates or The Great Offer, what possible difference could it make if they have them? I truth and in fact, in many instances (such as discussions regarding upgrades) there already are hundreds of threads and will eventually be hundreds and/or even thousands more.

In my perfect world moderators would hold maintaining civility as their highest duty and threads would only be closed under the very rarest and unusual of circumstances.

Yes. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I was pretty amazed to see this locked a few minutes ago in UA (and NOT by squeakr FWIW):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/019180.html

It had been "discussed before" therefore was now off limits. HUH? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/confused.gif

Why not lock every thread where someone asks for seating advice on a 747 - or what are the benefits of Premier Executive - or what is the meals service like on Transcons? Etc, etc, etc, etc.

Just bump up old threads on the topics? Un-necessary locking - IMO. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

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[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 08-12-2003).]

Without getting into a general discussion on this subject, it appears to me that in the case at hand actions of the moderator have been overwhelmingly supported by those members of the community that chose to participate in this very thread.

Well, count me among those members of the community that do not want hundreds of posts on the same subject. It makes so much harder to search for the most up-to-date information when such information is spread over multiple threads repeating the same question over and over again.

Of course, there are exceptions, when an important piece of information (perhaps, of somewhat urgent nature) needs to be provided, and a new thread started.

I completely agree with you. And IMHO, squeakr's moderating style adheres to that standard to the highest extent.

<Edited for a typo>

[This message has been edited by Eugene (edited 08-12-2003).]

Wow! I hadn't posted for a while. Some may know that I used to participate a lot. Put a fairly innocent comment on the UA thread (the one mentionerd above), then got flamed about never being happy (I have no axe to grind with UA), then the thread got closed for covering a topic previously discussed.

What HAS happened to this board in the year or so I've been gone? Come on guys. It seems not just the moderators are trigger happy. Some participants now flame others for nothing.

Nobbi

Fact is, Eugene, that there are (and IMHO should be) hundreds of threads on many of the same subjects in practically every airline forum. Part of the joy of FlyerTalk is the interactive participation between individuals. So what if a question regarding UA 1K companion upgrades was "asked and answered" most competently by PremEx four years ago, three years ago, two years ago, one year ago, six months ago, three months ago, one month ago or even again last week? If JoeBlow signs up today and wants to ask the same question, power to him, and in all likelihood, PremEx will again, graciously, supply a most competent answer and a relationship will have been initiated.

The good news is that the community is continuing to grow and build every time we have a positive interaction between members. In most instances, locking down a thread, shuts down interaction and is not a building experience.

The only real alternative to allowing members to ask whatever question happens to be on their mind, without requiring a search to determine that the question has not heretofore been "asked and answered" would be to make FlyerTalk a "Read Only" board on most common subjects.

Now, how boring would that be? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif



[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 08-12-2003).]

Again. I don't feel the need to defend my actions but I am interested in hearing and sharing points of view.

For the thread in question that I closed, the question had been ASKED and ANSWERED in the thread before the thread was closed. Given the plethora of Great Offer fax threads, I felt it reasonable to answer the question and imply that Richard could search further if he wanted more perspectives. Many of us have limited time on FT, and as a moderator OR participant, I don't want to rely on the good graces of any member to continue to answer the same question over and over. In my experience on other boards, that's the surest way to insure burnout of exactly those members we want to keep participating. So I don't agree that the best way to build relationships on FT is by having the same questions asked over and over ...

Regarding relationships, I think that relationships develop over time and not just because someone has answered a factual question. IMHO the best way to foster relationships on FT is to keep participating, and those who do reap the regard of a greater FT world.

Now that doesn't mean that if on August 14, a newbie (or oldbie http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ) posts an urgert question on the Gereat Offer that I will treat it the same way as on August 1. I think the mods in our forum have a good eye and good sense of what's urgent and what's not.

Clearly Punki has disagreements with what the moderators are charged to do. That's her right. But to accuse a moderator of being "triggerhappy" when we are doing a job we were asked to do, in the way we have been trained, seems a little out of whack.

edited for spelling


[This message has been edited by squeakr (edited 08-12-2003).]

Or, alternatively, someone would simply welcome JoeBlow to Flyertalk, and graciously provide the links to the most relevant prior threads, that would provide not just a single prospective, but a whole rainbow of experiences and expertise by many members. That diversity makes Flyertalk so valuable, IMHO.

Once again, the case at hand has nothing to do with the scenario you (or I for that matter) talk about here.

I completely agree.

That actually depends on how and why it is done, and whether the member feels satisfied and helped (as it seems to be in case at hand).

FWIW, but for only three minor exceptions in which case(s) moderators have been notably immoderate and even repeatedly and openly criticized others and their posts, I think the moderators are doing an excellent job!

Just one persons opinion! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Keep up the good work please! Thanks http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

-Mark