Coupon Connection
 

I don't know if this has been suggested before, so here goes...

In my many years of lurking & now posting on FT, I have always felt the Coupon Connection was a very special place on FT. Why? Because there is & was a sense of "family" and trust there. Where else could virtual strangers trade, and in some cases, give away some very valuable pieces of paper?

I don't have and never have had very much to offer up. A few items I had I've given away (including a couple of books) and I completed a trade with a long standing member. That's it.

A problem seems to always arise when people, after hearing about FT, think that the Coupon Connection can be or is a piggy bank. For the only trade I made, where I specifically noted to post YHM and give your FT handle, I received TWO emails from people who never post, and one DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN ID. I do not want to trade with those people. Add to that people who post ONLY on Coupon Connection and never on any of the other boards, and the beauty of the board is lost - friends sharing & trading amongst each other.

So, I had a thought - Since Omni now requires access permission before someone can post, can't the same be done for the Coupon Connection? Access can be limited only to those with more than xxx number of posts in other forums. It wouldn't stop the emails from non-registered users, but it would be a step toward more easily policing the very valuable asset to FT.

What do you think?

Mary

This is an excellent idea and one I've heard people mention in the past... Perhaps it's an issue the Talkboard can discuss?

Some of us would not find this Mutually Beneficial http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif.

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Play the travel game 3 vacations into the future!

Interesting suggestion.

What I'd like to see is what kind of capabilities the new software has for doing stuff like this. (I wouldn't want to ask the FT staff to undertake something like adding members a la OMNI when the whole system is going to migrate to a different architecture. But here I'm just insufficiently technically expert, and look forward to getting a feel for the new software.

I'd also want lots of input from the current moderators.

But this is intriguing. Although my sense is that much of the problems that go on in Coupon Connection come not from posters with unverifiable identities but from trollers who don't actually post.

I get lots of 'gimmes' when I offer up a give away. I always ask for a FT username at a minimum in deciding who to gift to.

Short of limiting not just posting privileges but also READING privileges I'm not sure how much will be solved.

But very interesting.

I think this is a great idea! Certainly couldn't hurt.
I have done many trades on FT, with established members only. I've given stuff away, and received as well.
I also get a lot of other e-mails from trolls with unsolicited offers, but that is par for the course.

If this is not a tremendous burden for the FT staff, then I vote that we implement this ASAP.
Great suggestion! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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"I just wanna wish you good luck, we're all counting on you"
-Dr. Rumack

I think that would be a good idea, Mary, but there are some people that are newbies that change into regular posters (myself included) - and sometimes, to gain credibility, a newbie may be posting an offer (under the theory is people don't know them yet, so maybe they give away some things to gain credibility -or- the don't post regularly but they've been an FT'er for several months or years and now they have something that they could use or would be interested in listing on the coupon connection. Alternatively, you could put a note in the bottom of your post stating that you do not wish to trade with non-established FT'ers or non-registered users. That's well within your rights.

I have traded with several people that are new and have had wonderful experiences. In fact the most generous FT'er I've traded with only had 23 posts and he sent me his item and trusts me to send him mine (which I will, of course).

Certainly, there are people that may abuse the Coupon Connection and "prey" on newbies who don't know any better and solicit trades, but in reality, if you are posting on a public forum (which I realize Randy owns, but essentially, it is a public forum - we have about 25,000 registered users!) then you are opening yourself up to people e-mailing you about them - to avoid this, I would recommend removing the public viewing of your private e-mail address from your profile or creating a flyertalk specific e-mail address (which, to my knowledge, will still allow you to receive e-mail notifications for topics you start).

One of the people I just made an exchange with didn't post a YGM (because he may not have known to do so) - yet, it was a trade that worked out in both of our favors.

And as for the lurkers & trollers that reply when you are looking for or getting rid of something, ask them for their FT handle, if they don't respond, they don't have one, or if they send it to you, research it to make sure it matches to their listed e-mail addy on FT and check them out. Of course, there is always the possibility that the lurker or the troller does have what you need in which case, go ahead and trade if you are willing to.

You can always say that you don't want to trade with people below 200 posts if you'd like to filter them out. Or you can try trading amongst FT'ers that you have already traded with before putting it on the Coupon Connection.

The Coupon Connection already has some really great Moderators, Chuck always closes threads that shouldn't be open there. We have the FAQs and there's even the Voluntary Coupon Connection rules. Most people are good hearted on the CC. I've only done maybe three or four trades that the items in question were over a hundred bucks, but every single time, although I've been worried about being screwed over, it's always worked out.

I think that the trollers & predators that you are talking about are generally ignored by people on FT & if they aren't, it's probably because the other person is really interested in trading. There have been times that I wanted a lounge pass and a particular FT'er e-mailed me unsolicited - at first, I was about to flat out reject him and tell him not to e-mail me again, but after I heard what he had proposed, I felt that the trade was mutually beneficial and it worked out just fine.

So, basically, I think that could be a good idea, but if that were to happen, it would limit a lot of input and community that is Flyertalk.

Thanks much for your support of my idea. Nice to know I come up with a good one every now & then.

To explain why I would limit to xxx number of posts. Coupon Connection is a valuable resource to the community and many people have benefitted from it. But, before they can/should benefit, they should GIVE something to FT - information, a laugh, a recipe, whatever.

I don't doubt that there are lots of very honest people out there who are newbies and give far more than they recieve and become contributing members of other forums besides CC. As with everything else, it's a few bad apples that spoil it for everyone.

Posting in CC should be a reward for being a contributing member of the community.

Mary

I respectfully disagree.

If a new member wants to post in OMNI, are they not allowed to? Are they rejected if they apply to post in OMNI? I don't know - I don't think I've ever posted in OMNI - except for maybe once or twice before they restricted it. I realize the fact that the Coupon Connection may be its own little entity, but using that logic, then for a new UA 1K member, posting in the UA board should be considered a reward.

I completely disagree - sometimes, people put general posts that help everyone (such as the 5% off UA webfares link) that don't require an exchange - shouldn't those people be allowed to read & reply (even if it's just a http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif thanks for posting?)

In OMNI, I can't post because I never requested posting privileges there, but I can still read and private e-mail members if I want to regarding a post that they have there - which unless you set up a private forum (like the Talkboard Forum) which every member will have to be allowed access to. Will that access be automatically granted once a member hits 100 or 200 posts? Who is to determine that a member is giving quality vs. quanity posts - will there be someone that reviews a member's history once they hit that magical XXX mark? What if someone's post count is gotten higher just so they can trade coupons? That gives more incentive for people to post fluff so that they can be allowed to exchange with other community members. There are members of this board that have been registered for a long time and just don't post a lot - because they don't post a lot, or because they are new doesn't mean they don't bring a contribution to the community - it seems that by regulating who posts in a travel related forum, such as the Coupon Connection, regulates who has access to what information (tips that I've read on the Coupon Connection - i.e. the black art of gifting the HK50's post that xpacific wrote).

I, personally, don't think because one feels that the several (or even more than several) e-mails that one receives while soliciting for an exchange in a relative open market is reason enough to restrict posting privileges. I definitely don't think that the Coupon Connection should be a closed forum like the Talkboard Forum is either - and if it were to go the way of OMNI, I feel that it would be a disappointment to a lot of people in the community and that would not solve your problem because people can still view what you post and whom you are and what your e-mail address is and they will still solicit from you regardless.

Edited to add from the Coupon Connection description: "All exchange as a result of this forum are based upon free issuance and community spirit." - Mary, I understand your point that you are trying to make, but how can one restrict who is part of a community and who isn't part of it? If I move into a new apartment, aren't I a part of that community - don't I deserve a chance?


[This message has been edited by bhatnasx (edited Dec 18, 2003).]

I am with Mary on this one. Twice now I have "traded" on coupon connection and got burned both times. Out went my coupons, nothing in return. Don't play fair, lose the right.

Sorry for your losses, Maple Leaf, but I've had nothing but positive experiences. Maybe they should allow a "ban" list where if an FT'er doesn't follow up on a trade, then they are banned from trading or if they don't follow up then there should be a warning thread (if I recall correctly, PAKMAN was mentioned in another thread in the CC). Granted, people can post under false pretenses and this can & will happen, but that's why its up to the person who is trading to "research" whom they are trading with and make the decision on what an acceptable loss is.

A less technical answer might be to add this condition at the bottom of your posts:

Just a thought.

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-alan in sitges, home of the new, improved Si-Re-Do

[This message has been edited by alanw (edited Dec 19, 2003).]

We're going to have to agree to disagree http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif.

While I think the private emails are a problem, I don't think they are THE problem.

The problem are newbies that heard of CC from the newspaper, magazine, or a friend and their first post is "I've got a nickel, can someone trade me a SWU?" Not only is it an unfair trade, it is, in my opinion, presumptuous to come in an "introduce" yourself that way.

Like I said, there are some VERY valuable trades in CC - some of them have gone underground to avoid the newbie issues. That's a shame for the community. The ability to access CC should be a reward for being a contributing memeber.

I don't think there's anyplace else on the internet like this (thanks Randy). Yes, there have been bad trades, but from what I can see, this is a very very tight & trusting community, and overwhelmingly, the trades are successful. Kudos for Randy for such a good & popular resource.

Except for Omni, which has been limited to try to keep trouble makers at bay, FT is completely open (as it should be). What's wrong with having a place where long standing members who CONTRIBUTE can trade their valuable paper without much fear of getting burned?

Mary

On the 3 year anniversary of my joining FT and 4K posts later and umteen CC trades, gifts, or recipients of gifts later, I must say I think this is a LOUSY idea. I know for a fact of a FT'er who has been here as long as me but has very very few posts, many of you know this person though. Under Mary's proposal this person could not have made any exchanges of which some were for what I consider pretty valuable stuff (based on what I see traded or gifted on here). In addition, many of my exchanges are not made with YGM, I don't do that, why? just b/c I don't like too, I've still been able to complete many exchanges under these terms. I agree also that many newbies can offer up quite a bit of coupons etc. Some may even offer them up first, some may realize that gee, once they receive something that they will join in the giving, or others may just benefit greatly from mutual exchanges with newbies. Not much is going to stop those who want to cheat us out of a transaction. Whos to prevent them from signing up with some bogus email addy, post YGM 250 times to the same thread, or in omni and then stiff you. Post counts means absolutely zero. It is the most meaningless piece of information on FT including the crap thats in Omni. Length of time on here is probably the 2nd biggest piece of useless information on here as well.

There is my one devalued CO mile worth. If we have to register to post on here as well, I'll stop going here as I've stopped going to Omni. In the end who loses, the ones that leave.. b/c they take with them not only information but items of value to other FT'ers.

I can live with that! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

In response to alanw's suggestion, great idea, as long as you follow through! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

In response to keeping out the nickel for an SWU posts, one doesn't have to respond to those posts (and I'm thinking that you may be referring to the posts regarding the need for 140,000 miles for a senior thesis trip to Puerto Rico - it frustrated me too - but those posts often times happen so infrequetntly, that they rarely) and there are threads like this one where the original poster is probably getting a ton of offers, a lot that probably aren't even from FT'ers as he mentioned, but he's getting offers that he can filter out and determine whom to trade with (as you can see, he hasn't traded them as yet). I can see this how this is annoying, but he's got things that he doesn't need, so he's getting offers. But right below, there's another FT'er who has only 100 posts and only registered in October offering a free night SFO because he can't use it - from the tone of his post, I get the impression that if you have something to give him, fine, if not, feel free to use it.

The thing that frustrates me about the Coupon Connection is people posting things for trade & not closing updating their posts stating that the item is gone. I'd say about 85% of my YGM's have either had no response or are sent back from the OP stating that they've already traded the item - well then close or update your post!

Actually, this idea was floating around my head for a few years. As FT became more popular, the problems in CC increased.

The issue with the 140k miles PLUS I offered coupons for free to established FTers made me realize perhaps it was an idea whose time had come. I got emails from people who didn't post YHM nor offer their FT id. This was for a low value item. I can imagine what happens when valuable items are offered. Why should the offerers have to sift through emails from people not meeting the requirements. But, I digress. The email issue will not go away under my scenario http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif.

Note that in every post where I have offered something I have put the "established FT" note at the bottom. It's ignored. As for the PR spring break issue - well, someone told her to come here for the sole reason of soliciting donations. Do we want that kind of individual around?

So, we're continuing to disagree http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Mary