I suggest it is time to rename/retire the Evangelist moniker?
Jan 30, 2024, 4:59 pm
#1
Formerly known as tireman77
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 5,521
I suggest it is time to rename/retire the Evangelist moniker?
I'm too old and too jagged to be anywhere near Cancel Culture or political correctness.
That being said, the title of 'Evangelist' on FT has always rubbed me the wrong way. It reeks of entitlement and hubris, in my opinion.
Reaching 10k posts should covey loyalty and knowledge. but I feel this title sends the wrong message to fellow posters, most especially newer members. A sense of implied authority that is not earned but rather gained by compilation or attrition.
Thank you for your time.
That being said, the title of 'Evangelist' on FT has always rubbed me the wrong way. It reeks of entitlement and hubris, in my opinion.
Reaching 10k posts should covey loyalty and knowledge. but I feel this title sends the wrong message to fellow posters, most especially newer members. A sense of implied authority that is not earned but rather gained by compilation or attrition.
Thank you for your time.
Feb 2, 2024, 11:55 am
#2
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,478
This is an interesting conundrum. Pretty much every website of this type - where it's a community of members mutually helping each other with advice - has all sorts of different descriptions for members depending on their level of contribution. Quite how some of them are awarded is a mystery - if you look at community.screwfix.com, a UK building website, they have New Member, Member, Screwfix Select, Active Member and Super Member as a minimum. If you contribute to the site you probably know what they all mean and how you move up (and maybe down) between levels, but to an outsider or newbie it's not anywhere near as obvious.
So we, at least, keep things fairly simple. We show, on the desktop version, a clear post count. We recognise Original Members, and we choose to call our higher post count members Evangelists. We also have Legends, although very few of them. I can't remember the last one and I'm not even sure there was ever a formal criteria. That's it in terms of honours - nothing too complicated. All of this dates back a long while - to when Randy formed FT. In that sense, it reflects the origins and history of what he created.
Now here's where it gets more difficult - none of this is automatic. You don't hit 10k posts and just become an Evangelist. You have to ask, and we have to manually update the description every time. You'll notice that not everyone chooses to ask, in spite of having very large post counts. So if we decided to do away with all that history, or change any descriptions, we'd have to go through every member individually and edit their record. That is, I'm afraid, beyond our available resources.
I'd also say, much like everything else on the internet, you need to make your own mind up about how reliable anyone's advice is. It really doesn't matter what title they have here.
If we started life now, would we do things differently? Maybe. Perhaps we'd choose a different moniker more widely used in today's lexicon. But the fact is we took the path we did, and we're too far down the line to unravel it now. So I understand your view, I have some sympathy with it, but ultimately it's only a naming convention, and what individuals actually contribute is far more important.
So we, at least, keep things fairly simple. We show, on the desktop version, a clear post count. We recognise Original Members, and we choose to call our higher post count members Evangelists. We also have Legends, although very few of them. I can't remember the last one and I'm not even sure there was ever a formal criteria. That's it in terms of honours - nothing too complicated. All of this dates back a long while - to when Randy formed FT. In that sense, it reflects the origins and history of what he created.
Now here's where it gets more difficult - none of this is automatic. You don't hit 10k posts and just become an Evangelist. You have to ask, and we have to manually update the description every time. You'll notice that not everyone chooses to ask, in spite of having very large post counts. So if we decided to do away with all that history, or change any descriptions, we'd have to go through every member individually and edit their record. That is, I'm afraid, beyond our available resources.
I'd also say, much like everything else on the internet, you need to make your own mind up about how reliable anyone's advice is. It really doesn't matter what title they have here.
If we started life now, would we do things differently? Maybe. Perhaps we'd choose a different moniker more widely used in today's lexicon. But the fact is we took the path we did, and we're too far down the line to unravel it now. So I understand your view, I have some sympathy with it, but ultimately it's only a naming convention, and what individuals actually contribute is far more important.
Feb 2, 2024, 12:33 pm
#3
Formerly known as tireman77
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 5,521
This is an interesting conundrum. Pretty much every website of this type - where it's a community of members mutually helping each other with advice - has all sorts of different descriptions for members depending on their level of contribution. Quite how some of them are awarded is a mystery - if you look at community.screwfix.com, a UK building website, they have New Member, Member, Screwfix Select, Active Member and Super Member as a minimum. If you contribute to the site you probably know what they all mean and how you move up (and maybe down) between levels, but to an outsider or newbie it's not anywhere near as obvious.
So we, at least, keep things fairly simple. We show, on the desktop version, a clear post count. We recognise Original Members, and we choose to call our higher post count members Evangelists. We also have Legends, although very few of them. I can't remember the last one and I'm not even sure there was ever a formal criteria. That's it in terms of honours - nothing too complicated. All of this dates back a long while - to when Randy formed FT. In that sense, it reflects the origins and history of what he created.
Now here's where it gets more difficult - none of this is automatic. You don't hit 10k posts and just become an Evangelist. You have to ask, and we have to manually update the description every time. You'll notice that not everyone chooses to ask, in spite of having very large post counts. So if we decided to do away with all that history, or change any descriptions, we'd have to go through every member individually and edit their record. That is, I'm afraid, beyond our available resources.
I'd also say, much like everything else on the internet, you need to make your own mind up about how reliable anyone's advice is. It really doesn't matter what title they have here.
If we started life now, would we do things differently? Maybe. Perhaps we'd choose a different moniker more widely used in today's lexicon. But the fact is we took the path we did, and we're too far down the line to unravel it now. So I understand your view, I have some sympathy with it, but ultimately it's only a naming convention, and what individuals actually contribute is far more important.
So we, at least, keep things fairly simple. We show, on the desktop version, a clear post count. We recognise Original Members, and we choose to call our higher post count members Evangelists. We also have Legends, although very few of them. I can't remember the last one and I'm not even sure there was ever a formal criteria. That's it in terms of honours - nothing too complicated. All of this dates back a long while - to when Randy formed FT. In that sense, it reflects the origins and history of what he created.
Now here's where it gets more difficult - none of this is automatic. You don't hit 10k posts and just become an Evangelist. You have to ask, and we have to manually update the description every time. You'll notice that not everyone chooses to ask, in spite of having very large post counts. So if we decided to do away with all that history, or change any descriptions, we'd have to go through every member individually and edit their record. That is, I'm afraid, beyond our available resources.
I'd also say, much like everything else on the internet, you need to make your own mind up about how reliable anyone's advice is. It really doesn't matter what title they have here.
If we started life now, would we do things differently? Maybe. Perhaps we'd choose a different moniker more widely used in today's lexicon. But the fact is we took the path we did, and we're too far down the line to unravel it now. So I understand your view, I have some sympathy with it, but ultimately it's only a naming convention, and what individuals actually contribute is far more important.
Feb 2, 2024, 1:11 pm
#4
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,478
Let me be clear - the process for changing a member's status is manual. The software doesn't detect post count, and we don't go out actively hunting out people who've crossed the threshold. Should anyone reach 10k posts and apply for Evangelist status, it would have to be a pretty extreme circumstance which would cause me to refuse, although ultimately I do have absolute discretion over the award.
Feb 2, 2024, 3:18 pm
#5
Formerly known as tireman77
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 5,521
Let me be clear - the process for changing a member's status is manual. The software doesn't detect post count, and we don't go out actively hunting out people who've crossed the threshold. Should anyone reach 10k posts and apply for Evangelist status, it would have to be a pretty extreme circumstance which would cause me to refuse, although ultimately I do have absolute discretion over the award.
Feb 6, 2024, 8:21 am
#6
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,184
In the early days of FT (early 2000s) having 10 000 posts meant you were pretty much living in the forum for most of your time. So the elation was somewhat understandable... some examples:
10K Post Club! [merged threads]
Another Evangelist
25 years on, the usual regulars who stayed definitely have more than 10k under their belt (OK people like me with far more should probably get a life, but that is another topic
).
10K Post Club! [merged threads]
Another Evangelist
25 years on, the usual regulars who stayed definitely have more than 10k under their belt (OK people like me with far more should probably get a life, but that is another topic
).
Feb 9, 2024, 9:50 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: FW, TX, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Programs: 2008 FT1 Fantasy Football Champion
Posts: 10,584
Now here's where it gets more difficult - none of this is automatic. You don't hit 10k posts and just become an Evangelist. You have to ask, and we have to manually update the description every time. You'll notice that not everyone chooses to ask, in spite of having very large post counts. So if we decided to do away with all that history, or change any descriptions, we'd have to go through every member individually and edit their record. That is, I'm afraid, beyond our available resources.
Since when? Always? I didn't ask for the title change (to my knowledge/memory), it just magically happened when I hit 10k.
Feb 12, 2024, 2:02 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
Feb 12, 2024, 3:33 pm
#10
Formerly known as tireman77
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 5,521
That was my understanding of the process too.
I recall something from Ken Hamer not wanting the title and got special permission to start a second pseudonym given his status on the forum.
Sounds like I'll have to go back to plan A and stop posting before 10k. So.. Ya'll can all start celebrating.
I recall something from Ken Hamer not wanting the title and got special permission to start a second pseudonym given his status on the forum.
Sounds like I'll have to go back to plan A and stop posting before 10k. So.. Ya'll can all start celebrating.
Feb 13, 2024, 11:12 am
#12
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,618
Feb 13, 2024, 11:14 am
#13
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,618
I never got the Evangelist when I hit 10k. I assumed it was because I already had "Ambassador" where Evangelist would have shown. But I've seen others with more than one, so maybe that's it? If you don't already have a title it's automatic, if you want more than one, then it's manual.
Feb 14, 2024, 2:48 pm
#14
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,639
I never got the Evangelist when I hit 10k. I assumed it was because I already had "Ambassador" where Evangelist would have shown. But I've seen others with more than one, so maybe that's it? If you don't already have a title it's automatic, if you want more than one, then it's manual.
Feb 14, 2024, 6:54 pm
#15
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
It is possible to manually remove the Evangelist designation. Send a note to the Community Director or to the Internet Brands support person, either one of whom can do this for you.