Global_Hi_Flyer

Congratulations, Randy, on the sale.

User-supplied content is a really hot area right now, and for the forseeable future. And face it, we users fit s certain demographic - and the ability to identify and tailor advertising to that demographic is very important to maximizing revenue.

As for changes, I'd be surprised if IB did anything to run off members of this community. The value is in US, the participants, more so than the brand (not that the brand isn't valuable). We supply the content - for free - so their costs are limited to the cost of providing the service, a compelling model in these days of high content costs.

Randy, thanks again for making this forum possible and for all your support. Congratulations on the sale.

JohnMcG

My name is John McGanty, and I'm the General Manager of the Travel Division of Internet Brands. It is great to see the appreciation expressed in many of these posts for the work both Randy and the FlyerTalk community have done in building FlyerTalk into such a valuable travel resource. Internet Brands is delighted to have the opportunity to become involved with FlyerTalk. I echo Randy's comments that we don't have an agenda for making changes to the site. We will look to the FlyerTalk community and moderators, as well as Randy and his team, to guide that visioning. Internet Brands brings some technical and business resources which we hope can make FlyerTalk even stronger. Randy has committed to staying actively involved with the site for years to come, and we are looking forward to the continued growth and success of FlyerTalk!

JohnSydney2000

Congratulations Randy on the sale. Once a small enterprise grows to a certain size, an individual can often feel they don't have the resources (cash/skills/energy) themselves to help it "grow up". The common dilemma, struggle through until being overwhelmed as an individual; or sell out and lose all touch with "your baby".
I hope you have been able to find the happy medium for yourself.
Thank you for letting me particpate for the last five years.
Best wishes. John.

tom911

Welcome to FlyerTalk

ozstamps

Appreciate hearing directly from the new owners JohnMcG. ^

From what I have gleaned off a careful perusal of your IB website, FT very nicely and neatly fills an obvious gap in the boards you own. Cruise boards you have well covered, but airline and hotel discussion was zippo.

As you can see from the past 10 or so posts many of the members reside outside the USA, so FT truly has an International reach and support and user base.

Left largely to the current working system, I feel sure FT member numbers, and posts will continue to grow, just as if no management change ever too place.

ranles

It has been a good run. I have appreciated the opportunity to help others in the beginning and to receive so much help along the way. You made that happen. Thank you Randy from another Randy...from the beginning to the new start.

...try to enjoy a bit of new found time (eventually), "retirement" sure changes travel. More time, eventual loss of status, miles and service. We have seen the erosion of point value, the end to double and triple miles. The gutting of domestic first class. The total wipeout of domestic airline profits. The crush on the airline industry employees. The total maze added to flying in the security. The hotels decline and amazing recovery. The shrinking seats of the airlines and the expanding ones of the flyers. It has been one hell of a ride. Enjoy your new focus and I wish you the best in your follow up endeavors.

Randy ranles

aceflyer2

Randy- Thanks for starting Flyertalk and being a guiding force in the travel/frequent flyer industry. My family and I have traveled to some wonderful places as a result of the knowledge I have gained from FT over the years. This has been a great ride and I hope it continues for many years to come. Best wishes to you in your future endeavors.

Punki

Welcome aboard, JohnMcG . I sincerely hope that you find FlyerTalk as educational, entertaining, and rewarding as Hunki and I have over the past (almost) nine years.

Please know going into FlyerTalk that it is indeed a serious addiction. If you like it a little bit today, you run the risk of becoming a serious, full-blown junkie. You might find yourself flying to Europe or Asia for a weekend just because...................well just because. You might find yourself moving from one hotel to another over a weekend just because.......................well just because.

You might also find yourself meeting some truly amazing, smart, honest, funny, and unique people from all around our big blue marble. Do this at your own risk.

Peruse my FlyerTalk photosite and you will learn a lot about FlyerTalk.

Here is one of my all-time favorite FT pics.

:-: :-: Right from the start, my understanding of FlyerTalk was: enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. I hope you have as much fun here as we have. :-: :-:

360guy

Congrads Randy on starting a internet revolution. I hope Internet Brands can carry on with same class as you. Good Luck.

obscure2k

Welcome to Flyertalk, JohnMcG. I very much appreciate your comments. Randy is a unique individual who has made a big difference to the internet community; specifically, the traveling community. That you will continue to look to Randy and his vision is most encouraging. That you are open to making FT stronger, given your resources and expertise sounds quite positive. Thank you very much for your input. As a "private citizen" and a Moderator, I also look forward to the "continued growth and success of flyertalk." As well, I look forward to your participation on FT and trust that you will be receptive to input from the FT Community.
Again, Welcome to Flyertalk, John
Obscure2k

sunil

Congratulations on the sale Randy. I do feel a tinge of sadness in having FT seperated from you, but wish you all the best.

BoyAreMyArmsTired

I will add my congratulations too, and though it does feel a bit like the end of an era. I'm happy to hear that Randy will remain involved to help keep the best interests of the members at heart. I will continue to participate with optimism, remembering all of the things I've learned over the last few years, and especially the wonderful people I've met.

RichardInSF

In any merger&acquisition activity, it's common practice to reassure customers and employees that everything will remain on an even keel. This is important because everyone concerned wishes to avoid impairing the value of the asset right from the start. Change, if any is contemplated, is introduced gradually and after the initial hubbub has died down.

So the real test here is not what is said now, but what happens -- or fails to happen -- later.

Interstate Brands (IB) is a private company that takes full advantage of the privileges that being private entails. IB chooses not to share with the public its goals, financials, or strategies. This is perfectly legitimate, and indeed, the ability to keep this information from competitors is one of the main advantages of being a private company.

I can readily conjecture about what might be in the deal for Randy. But I am having a much harder time understanding what's in it for IB. Frankly, in this situation, most folks -- cheerleaders aside -- will assume the worst.

IB can choose solely to show their intent over time through their actions. But if that's not an intentional choice by IB, it would be a heck of a lot better if they could clarify their goals to the FT membership now rather than wait.

RichG

I tossed a coin and decided to chime in on the positive side. (Just kidding)
Randy, you're to be commended for sticking with a money loser for eight years and devoting tons of what is the most valuable commodity of all -time- to this community. I'm delighted that you're going to continue your association with FT much as before for the foreseeable future, because we would all certainly miss you. Everyone here with thousands of posts, which describes the majority of posters in this thread, has to be able to say that their lives were changed by FlyerTalk. How many people can say they created a community and changed peoples' lives in a manner that they value?

I never understood how you were able to publish print magazines, write columns for every travel publication anybody ever heard of, continue to travel as much as the top FT road warriors and still run FlyerTalk. I think the day had to come when you had to shed some of the load, and the decision as to which it was going to be had to be yours alone. Good luck with everything in the future and be proud of what you created.

With sincere admiration,
RichG

cepheid

Randy, congratulations on the sale - I'm sure it will be lucrative for you, and I'm glad that you are staying around for four years.

Compared to most (if not all) of the posters on this thread so far, I've only been here a relatively short time. As a (not independently wealthy) graduate student, I don't even get to fly that much (!!), but I've come to love FT as a source of information and as a fun, lively, and spirited community. My short time here has already taught me more than I could have hoped to learn without FT, and I've made a number of friends and acquaintances with whom I hope to continue corresponding (and meeting) for years to come.

So, I hate to be the one to ask this, but... will FlyerTalk remain free? Apologies for bringing this up but when an online community is run as a for-profit business rather than as a hobby, worries like this become relevant. It is a very different thing for a membership fee to support a hobby-built community versus to be a profit center.

I'm sure all will work out for the best, but I just had to ask. Thanks for building and nurturing such a wonderful community, Randy - I hope it continues to be just as excellent in the coming years.

And, welcome to FT, JohnMcG!