N830MH

That's very good to hear. I would appreciate for my contribution on FTs. It's almost for my 6 years anniversary where I join FTs back in Nov. 2005. My English is getting much better for everyday. I work so hard for everyday. I always be more supportive for my friend, moderator and etc, too. I would learn how to improve a better English skills. I am very valuable on aviation-related forum. I have meet many members all over USA. When I knew that I met Randy Petersan in person and others, too. I learn how to read the forum and I am very good airline investigation. I am doing the tutoring for every others day.

belfordrocks

People come for the content and stay for the community.

We cannot have one without the other and that's why we have to nurture both.

FlyerChrisK

Community edges out content, but only slightly, in my eyes. Most of us probably came, at least initially for the content, but as RichMSN says, we stayed for the community.

Suppose for a moment we could condense the raw facts of our frequent flier programs into a wiki. Even with the best summaries of EQM, RDM, award charts, fare classes, and so on, there are inevitable questions, especially in those edge cases we learn about from personal experience. "Can an AA PLT 'same-day' standby for flight just before midnight when booked on a flight just after midnight the next day?"

When we're looking for where to stay, we might ask whether a hotel is good for a business traveler or for a romantic getaway. The personal experiences of the community FlyerTalk has to offer are far better than what any cut-and-dry, purely fact-bearing website could offer.

There's then the various Dos, where we get to meet each other and realize that these slightly crazy people that we've been talking to the internet are real and are just as passionate as we are.

kokonutz

The content IS the community. We, the posters, create the content and in doing so create the community. You can't divorce the two.

Any attempt to do so would kill both.

Power to the posters!

RichMSN

I think the problem is that there are a significant number of people that would eliminate parts of the board (OMNI...cough cough.....OMNI/PR...cough cough...lounge threads) that have nothing to do with points and miles. This puts a significant wedge between groups of people at FT.

And I would never want to do that. To me, the content is what brings us. But let's face it -- many of us fly one airline (or maybe two) and stay with a single hotel chain. How much new information can I get these days about the Delta SkyMiles program or about SPG?

So when I check in multiple times a day (with MyFlyerTalk as my home page on all my browsers, I really have little choice ) I'll check out DL and SPG, but I'm also going to look at Travel Technology, TravelBuzz!, TB Topics, and the OMNIs. Without the other forums in place to entertain me (and these places are where I get to know more about the regular posters on FT, too), I wouldn't come so often. I'd probably check in once a week or so to see if there was anything new and then disappear for a while.

So for me the content is the reason people come -- the community is the reason FT is sticky for many of us.

dchristiva

The community drives the content. At least that's my vision of FT. The community should decide the direction of the content with a good dose of self-governance.

canforce

How can you have any content without community members to add it. Encouraging the sharing of information, while nurturing new additions to the FT family should be job number 1 of the board. The more voices contributing to the greater story, the better the story will end up being in the end.

This brings me back to my overall message. That of inclusion. Why those who have been here longer feel they have a right to jump down the proverbial throats of those who are new and asking questions puzzles me. We should be encouraging those new voices to add to our own.

kokonutz

Completely agree that there are folks who look at OMNI and PR as a problem rather than a precious gem.

IMHO, those people are being foolish. I was going to say that those people are idiots, but my campaign manager tells me I have offended enough folks already so need to tone it down.