Proposal: Lounge/Off-Topic Threads Do Not Count Toward Post Count
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUN
Programs: TK E+
Posts: 11,230
You know, I really hate all this back and forth. The intention was and is to undo the unilateral decision Randy made all because a few people abused Omni with lots of counting threads and he got fed up. Instead of stopping the counting threads, he stopped posts from counting. I always loved to say rather than get rid of the poster, Randy got rid of the feature (of course, as a joke).
I don't think TB or anyone else had a say in it. He just made the decision.
Why the TB/mods should even bother jumping through these hoops is beyond me. It's just an IBB. The other boards I've seen allow their OT to count. Only here does it become an issue.
IMHO, the choices should be easy and universal:
-count everything, as in the past
-count nothing and get rid of visible post counts
-get rid of all non-elected/appointed titles
That will put everyone on the same footing and not give any impression of the experience of the poster. Let the words speak for themselves.
To start segregating out forums and threads just to achieve consistency is far more work/trouble than it's worth.
I don't think TB or anyone else had a say in it. He just made the decision.
Why the TB/mods should even bother jumping through these hoops is beyond me. It's just an IBB. The other boards I've seen allow their OT to count. Only here does it become an issue.
IMHO, the choices should be easy and universal:
-count everything, as in the past
-count nothing and get rid of visible post counts
-get rid of all non-elected/appointed titles
That will put everyone on the same footing and not give any impression of the experience of the poster. Let the words speak for themselves.
To start segregating out forums and threads just to achieve consistency is far more work/trouble than it's worth.
We prefer that discussions are around this subject and not on the coupons for free yogurt or how to plant flowers.
There are other BB to discuss about that
#62
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt


Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: New Jersey
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 47,405
That's your point of view, mine, and I'm sure it's one of a lot of other people, is that FT is a "Frequent Flyer Community" and that is the core.
We prefer that discussions are around this subject and not on the coupons for free yogurt or how to plant flowers.
There are other BB to discuss about that
We prefer that discussions are around this subject and not on the coupons for free yogurt or how to plant flowers.
There are other BB to discuss about that
And disboards.com is about all things Disney, yet they have an even more robust OT area than tivocommunity.
And macrumors has an OT area as well.
Even the gardening BBs have OT areas.
I believe you're advertising your Tunisia Do on milepoint and they have a few OT areas some of which aren't visible until you reach a certain posting threshold, and guess what? They count posts there too. That's a frequent flyer community. When Randy started it up he allowed posts to count.
I dare say that all major BBs have OT areas and in none of them that I have seen do the posters get treated like second-class citizens. They also all count posts.
As well, if you prefer discussions about the core of this community, why do you post in lounge threads? After all, there are other places for the types of posts I've seen there. It's not core to the community, and I thought that is what you prefer.
So I'm very much confused... you claim that you don't want to see OT on FT, yet you post OT.
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUN
Programs: TK E+
Posts: 11,230
I believe you're advertising your Tunisia Do on milepoint and they have a few OT areas some of which aren't visible until you reach a certain posting threshold, and guess what? They count posts there too. That's a frequent flyer community. When Randy started it up he allowed posts to count.

As well, if you prefer discussions about the core of this community, why do you post in lounge threads? After all, there are other places for the types of posts I've seen there. It's not core to the community, and I thought that is what you prefer.
So I'm very much confused... you claim that you don't want to see OT on FT, yet you post OT.
So I'm very much confused... you claim that you don't want to see OT on FT, yet you post OT.
), but IMO it's more related to FT Community than coupons for free yogurt.We begin our posts with "Good M / A / E" to be polite and for fun.
Originally the "Morning / Afternoon / Evening" came because we are from different time zones.
You're wrong, that's not what I prefer, the thread I prefer is "Mileage Run Deals" especially the mistake fares ^
P.S. : as long as lounges threads are "posts counting" I'm not posting in anymore
Last edited by G_G; Aug 10, 2011 at 2:48 pm
#64
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums




Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 25,435
Re: creating a sub-forum within parent forums & moving lounge threads there, in addition to TB, we would need the mods of those forums to buy into it. So, in addition to seeking your input (and please do provide it), we're (or at least I've; not speaking for all TB members) started contacting some of them for their thoughts, pro & con. We need input from you & them, as well as our own, before making any decisions & moving forward.
- Unlike a single lounge thread, a sub-forum takes up valuable space at the top of the FlyerTalk “page.” This could potentially be an issue, especially for FlyerTalk members who view FlyerTalk on a monitor or display with limited “real estate.”
- Greater than one thread could be posted in a sub-forum. I do not believe there is a technology solution to preventing additional threads from being posted without allowing full access to a lounge thread.
Thank you.
#65
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend




Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 74,119
I am not opposed to this suggestion, but as a moderator of the Delta SkyMiles forum, I do anticipate two issues with this idea:
Thank you.
- Unlike a single lounge thread, a sub-forum takes up valuable space at the top of the FlyerTalk page. This could potentially be an issue, especially for FlyerTalk members who view FlyerTalk on a monitor or display with limited real estate.
- Greater than one thread could be posted in a sub-forum. I do not believe there is a technology solution to preventing additional threads from being posted without allowing full access to a lounge thread.
Thank you.
We need to investigate #1.
#2 I think can be handled easily. If a subforum is approved, it can be made clear by the mod that the only thread in the forum allowed is the lounge thread. After all, the sub-forum would be called (fill in the blank forum) lounge thread sub-forum.
If that doesn't work, last I heard mods have the ability to move threads to either their own or other forums
, so if someone decides to post a thread that isn't a lounge thread it can be easily moved.Cheers.
#66
Moderator: The British Airways Club, Iberia Club, Airport Lounges and Eco-conscious Travel




Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,605
When giving consideration to the creation of new child forums, should the usual TalkBoard metrics apply?
If we were to add half a dozen or so mini-OMNI child forums and distribute them amongst airline forums and communitybuzz, what effect will this have on the existing OMNI and OMNI PR and indeed the parent forums themselves?
- Will the forum be (or is it now) beneficial to FlyerTalk?
- Will the new forum benefit a relationship with FlyerTalk? E.g., does the forum provide value for FT members, such as a friendly ear highly placed in the company
- Is FT the best place to discuss this subject?
- Is there a passionate following? This is essential in order to provide dedicated expert helpers to get questions answered.
- Is a critical mass of posts and readers anticipated or existing? We need adequate traffic to keep everyone visiting frequently. One living forum is more valuable than two mostly dead ones.
- Is this the best place on FlyerTalk for this subject? This is the classification issue. The answer depends primarily on achieving and maintaining critical mass. It also depends on whether or where the discussion might (or does) occur in the absence of the forum.
- For proposals to split a forum, is the split expected to improve the signal to noise ratio? Why?
If we were to add half a dozen or so mini-OMNI child forums and distribute them amongst airline forums and communitybuzz, what effect will this have on the existing OMNI and OMNI PR and indeed the parent forums themselves?
#67
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Milton, GA USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Elite, Hyatt Discoverist, Radisson Elite
Posts: 19,217
I sincerely hope we do not create any more sub forums... it really does mess up the forum listings for last active thread.
With the activity that the Lounge threads get, they will most likely always be the "Last Active Thread". This means that the last post of the "parent" forum will almost always show the Lounge thread... that will become useless to those of us who use the "Last Post" feature to decide whether to visit a forum.
This just makes those Lounge threads more obvious.
With the activity that the Lounge threads get, they will most likely always be the "Last Active Thread". This means that the last post of the "parent" forum will almost always show the Lounge thread... that will become useless to those of us who use the "Last Post" feature to decide whether to visit a forum.
This just makes those Lounge threads more obvious.
#68
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, In Memoriam




Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 69,201
I want to get two different types of posts disqualified from being counted:
1. Any post in which "lose" is spelled "loose".
2. Any post in which the first word is "So".
Should a post appear in which both of these appear (see example, below) the poster's entire count should be reset to zero.
So I found out that I am going to loose my HHonors points if I don't have any activity in the next two months.
1. Any post in which "lose" is spelled "loose".
2. Any post in which the first word is "So".
Should a post appear in which both of these appear (see example, below) the poster's entire count should be reset to zero.
So I found out that I am going to loose my HHonors points if I don't have any activity in the next two months.
Last edited by Dovster; Aug 11, 2011 at 6:59 am
#69
Moderator: Hawaii-based airlines & Hawai'i forums


Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ka ʻĀpala Nui, Nuioka
Programs: NEXUS/Global Entry, Delta, United, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Hertz
Posts: 18,721
Wish we had a "like" feature, Dov. ^
#70
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,775
With the activity that the Lounge threads get, they will most likely always be the "Last Active Thread". This means that the last post of the "parent" forum will almost always show the Lounge thread... that will become useless to those of us who use the "Last Post" feature to decide whether to visit a forum
(I know I'm missing something, I just don't know what it is.)
#71
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Milton, GA USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Elite, Hyatt Discoverist, Radisson Elite
Posts: 19,217
If a new subforum is created, then a post in the Lounge Thread would show as the last thread posted to in both the Parent AND Child forum.
As an example, lets say a Delta Lounge Forum is created as a subforum of the existing Delta Forum. If a post is made within the Lounge Forum, that thread would show in the forum listings for both the Delta Forum and the Delta Lounge forum. I know many people, myself included, who look to the "Last Post" to decide to go into a forum... for activce Lounge threads, that would always show active.
Of course, I many not have cleared anything up with that explanation...
As an example, lets say a Delta Lounge Forum is created as a subforum of the existing Delta Forum. If a post is made within the Lounge Forum, that thread would show in the forum listings for both the Delta Forum and the Delta Lounge forum. I know many people, myself included, who look to the "Last Post" to decide to go into a forum... for activce Lounge threads, that would always show active.
Of course, I many not have cleared anything up with that explanation...
#72
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 52,790
If a new subforum is created, then a post in the Lounge Thread would show as the last thread posted to in both the Parent AND Child forum.
As an example, lets say a Delta Lounge Forum is created as a subforum of the existing Delta Forum. If a post is made within the Lounge Forum, that thread would show in the forum listings for both the Delta Forum and the Delta Lounge forum. I know many people, myself included, who look to the "Last Post" to decide to go into a forum... for activce Lounge threads, that would always show active.
Of course, I many not have cleared anything up with that explanation...
As an example, lets say a Delta Lounge Forum is created as a subforum of the existing Delta Forum. If a post is made within the Lounge Forum, that thread would show in the forum listings for both the Delta Forum and the Delta Lounge forum. I know many people, myself included, who look to the "Last Post" to decide to go into a forum... for activce Lounge threads, that would always show active.
Of course, I many not have cleared anything up with that explanation...



