It's coming!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forumcgi/ub...n=2451991.1551

I guess the migration is imminent!

Yet, perhaps in the interim, General TravelTalk could be easily be subdivided into:

Gen Travel Information

&

Gen Travel Deals

Would this possibly help to avoid "clutter?"

Any thoughts? Thanks!

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 05-23-2001).]

Is it time to possibly revisit this issue?

Just asking!

I've noticed that many new people post their questions on FT Travel (presumably because they follow the posting guidelines to the letter) and are greeted with a very tepid response simply because most regulars have found ways to talk about anything and everything under the auspices of FT Miles.

I'm guessing people might be more inclined to follow the rules if it were easier to navigate between the two sites. Another possibility would be to let users display only the forums they care about, but all on one screen.

I should add that the "Airlines, Hotels, and Car Rentals" forum is an especially bad trap for newcomers. They post but noone hears them. Plus, if people did use it as it was intended -- for all airline, hotel, and car rental talk that doesn't deal exclusively with points -- it would grow into a great big mess.

I know I keep harping on this, but I really believe if we had a top level forum that was just a meet n greet place, where nothing that within the terms of the TOS is considered off-topic, we could preserve the intention of buzz. The reason OMNI isn't used more is that by it's definition it sounds like "whatever doesn't matter". That and the fact that it isn't the top forum. Given the dilution of purpose of buzz, it's no wonder that newbies are posting irrelevant posts there - irrelevant by topic I mean, not by content. And it's a huge waste of moderator talent - and they're already taxed.

I think multiple divisions within a airline forum would be unwieldy.. but I understand the premise. I admit that on the few occasions I have posted on the travel forum, I have received responses - but posting it even on Omni gets more responses. I think this is most confusing and discouraging to new posters.

I understand that the "moderator issue" is a primary goal of Randy's and that it is his hope that TalkBoard will provide some guidance here. But it is not clear to me exactly what the goal is - even having sat on TalkBoard. Is it more moderators? Is it clearer or more specific guidelines? Is it a recruitment/training process? Is it protection from abuse? Is it all of the above?

Sorry to stray off the title here.. but I think it's all interconnected.

"In keeping with a goal of FlyerTalk to be the prime destination of members to talk miles and points and travel on the Internet, we have narrowed the ability of members to post to this forum. Its purpose is to create an enviroment to exchange pleasantries of opinion on topics not travel or miles or points related. Also, as an unmoderated forum, it's purpose may sometimes take away from what we are trying to do with FlyerTalk and thus we'll start to isolate its presense outside of the general board areas. Members may still find access in the "Travel" board area but this location is seen as temporary until a solution of convenience is found. Thanks for your understanding and continued thanks for supporting the topic of travel on FlyerTalk."

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum75/HTML/000032.html

AND ALSO

"We/I have decided to take down Only Randy Petersen for an undetermined amount of time. The energy it is taking to monitor that area and the demands of other things important to the board are not synching up. When there is more news on this forum, it will be made available here."

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum75/HTML/000031.html

---

While some advance notice would have been nice, one can easily see where this was becoming more and more of a problem each day!

FWIW, at the PPRuNe Bulletin Board, they now post "As this is a very busy forum please limit new topics to items of news or rumour related to public air transport..."

http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/ult...?ubb=forum&f=1

and

"A forum for issues that don't fall into any particular category available in other forums. Due to the excessive workload in policing this forum there will be no political or religious topics allowed. Ideally this forum is for stories and jokes that you can use on the flight deck. So...
** DO NOT ENTER IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED ** "

and

"Due to the almost impossible task of policing these forums I have decided that there will be no more politics or religion discussed on the website. You may consider this decision despotic and you may be right but then who gave you a vote? All current threads that I consider to be too politically or religiously sensitive will be closed and any new ones will be dealt with accordingly. Anyone objecting to this decision can make their complaints in writing to [email protected]. Replies may or may not be forthcoming, depending on my workload or mood. Being a despot has its rewards."

http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/ult...?ubb=forum&f=4

Would this type of approach help here on FT?

"FWIW, this fantastic board once already went "offline" a few years ago due to intense sniping.

Another related travel board, PlaneBusiness, also imploded recently for essentially the same sad reason..."

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/006510.html

Will simply locking threads and pulling fora properly do the job and effectively take care of the "problem"?

All good questions!

Any answers, anyone?

Perhaps these changes will actually help us ALL to better focus on "Miles and Points" and to better enjoy the boards main "thrust!"

The new easily accesible links:

FT Miles | FT Travel | FT Dining | FT Airports | FT Archives

across the top of the page should help considerably, IMHO!!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/001797.html