:D Yes, rather frightening, since other than roses, we don't seem to agree on much, other than this and images in OMNI. :D

I'd suggest looking at a couple of different lounge threads.

One I follow is often (though less so these days) what you say. The other two I follow are very much not as you say. One in particular has definitely helped to foster a sense of community--I've met over half of the regular partipants in that one, learned about construction of a new Yogurtland at my local airport, found and bought airline memorabilia and logo swag at huge discounts, converted people to In-N-Out's secret menu, bought vodka for missydarlin, learned about ADS-B (a new replacement for radar-based aircraft positioning), learned about new 3D TV technology, and found a $29 cruise...and that's only four pages. In that thread, I've never seen a post that was simply "Good morning."

Yes, and the rest of us, who may also find that information helpful/useful, can't find it because it's buried in a lounge thread in a forum we don't visit and lost in thousands of posts.

While I disagree on the uselessness of some lounges, many other lounges maybe useless. On the other end, I have no problems of adding OMNI PR posts into the count anyways.

FWIW, I think all posts should count as post counts (unless its flagged, and etc).

it seems you are only speaking with people that are thinking like you :confused:
I don't believe that you or I have to decide what is in the core forums or not.

BTW personally I really don't care that lounges' posts could not count anymore : I'm not judging somebody at the number of his/her posts, that's really too superficial :rolleyes:
I never imagined that anyone would be upset that their posts are not counted :D
Where have you read that I can't click anywhere else to find my lounge ? :confused:
Are you caring about such things as an Ambassador or as a member ?
I ask this question because I haven't understand the utility of Ambassadors yet.

Well, it's not really much of a loss to you, then, because most of those topics would not have come up without the conversational flow in the lounge. The very reason those topics got discussed is not because they were major topics that deserve to have a new thread created but rather because people were chatting back and forth and the conversation drifted to those topics.

I think of lounges as virtual versions of a do. Sitting around the table chatting with your fellow FlyerTalk members, many different topics come up in the course of organic conversation. Few of them would be worth putting on a meeting agenda (i.e. creating a new thread); most are just small, fun conversational tangents--just like you would have in a normal conversation in-person at a do. Without a lounge, most of the stuff just wouldn't be posted at all.

I agree with this statement 100%. ^^^

While I can't say much more than what was spoken for above, but suffice it to say it is there for casual conversation and such. As I defended the lounge as before, it's not useless as people here might denote it.

If this is about the post count, then I have no more argument because the existence of the lounges primarily is a place to chat, and it's existence should not be berated in a very bad light that it is actually part of the devaluation of the titles of FTers. Because in a sense, that is the general feeling here.

In a nutshell, if this is about titles n statuses, why not tell us so from the very beginning? :rolleyes:

You are correct. The talk board decides when a forum is needed and what should be going in it. Each one has a description. As well, IIRC, off-topic posts are against the TOS, that is, unless the mods allow it. I believe it's a wink & nog agreement.

Actually, people often comment that I somehow manage to find friends of all stripes and opinions. Perhaps those who frequent the lounge threads are those segregating themselves from the rest of the community.

And neither do I. I couldn't tell you what my post count is. However, when I see that Omni posts are often derided as being off-topic and not fitting with the core mission of FT, and then see a lounge thread, where the posts do count, it is a little disheartening.

I'm only upset because they contribute a great deal to the FT experience, yet are valued less than the "good morning" posts in the lounge threads.

Nowhere. So why don't you post or start them where they belong - in the off-topic area called Omni.

My role as an ambassador is to welcome newbies, show them around, and answer any question they may have without some of the sarcasm usually shown toward them.

But now that you mention it, those lounge threads are pretty much unwelcoming and, I imagine, daunting to newbies. They come off like a private club. So, I guess in my official capacity, perhaps I can and will suggest it ^^

I'm not a lounge person. Truthfully that's because I only have "X" amount of time to give to FT.

While I could care less about lounge threads, I've heard from multiple people that they've developed friendships/helped other FTers, etc, via these threads, and they have found them quite useful. So while it's not important to me it is to others. I don't have a problem w/ them, and appreciate it matters to others.

I'm never going to participate on the counting, blah, blah, threads in Omni for the same time constraint reason. So while those are not important to me, they are to others. I don't have a problem w/ them, and appreciate it matters to others (although I'd say less than the lounge, but that's just a guess).

FWIW - post count on Omni isn't the most important thing to me truthfully, compared to creating some travel forums, etc, but I'm always willing to listen to FTers so I'll keep an eye on this thread for folks ideas on why it should happen.

Cheers.

Then why isn't chat used for this virtual Do? It is available to everyone. Why are the forums allowed to be cluttered with these threads? I recall a time when one of them was always on the front page of FT.

It is not about titles and statuses.

It is about someone spending a good deal of time composing a response in Omni for someone looking for help and then have the community put zero value on it. As a matter of fact, Omni has long been derided by many people as not core to the primary mission of FT.

Yet, lounge threads are considered core because they are allowed to exist in the core forums.

Hence, my well thought out response is worth zero to this community while your "good morning" has a value of one.

That is the issue here. Not titles and statuses.

In fairness, chat requires FTers to be on at the same time. Lounge threads don't.

Both create a sense of community. One might like chat but not lounge threads & vice versa. Some might like count down threads on Omni & others won't.

The nice part about FT is all type of things work for diff types of FTers.

Cheers.

All we are asking is for either enforce the TOS by moving off topic threads to Omni or allow OT topics be counted in OMNI as it is any of the lounges... Why not make an uniformed policy about OT subjects or continue as is and allow all OT threads to be counted.

TB is not responsible for OT threads in any forum, so if someone has a problem w/ that & where they belong they should contact the appropriate mod.

I didn't think Omni HAD any OT topics. Isn't that the point of Omni?

Cheers.

Is it really appropriate to have a thread just for the sake of saying hello and servers no other purpose? I thought threads that serves no purpose belong in OMNI..