2011 Election Results
Dec 1, 2011, 6:25 pm
#91
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: YUL
Posts: 970
1375, a drop from last year's 1875. Honestly, I'm disappointed that more didn't come out to vote. We had solid candidates who threw themselves into the debate. We kept up changing announcements reminding everyone of the vote. We indicated who was running. We used Avatars to show who voted. We kept the vote open past Thanksgiving weekend. It was featured in TalkMail.
The board has expanded enormously this year. I guess with growth comes disengagement. Fortunately, good people ran and were elected.
The board has expanded enormously this year. I guess with growth comes disengagement. Fortunately, good people ran and were elected.
Dec 1, 2011, 6:56 pm
#92
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: QFF Gold, Flying Blue, Enrich
Posts: 5,366
I would agree with a minor edit to 'outside North America'. And perhaps some form of recognition of the global nature of FT with a voice for Europe/Australasia/etc. Our voices seem to be drowned out quite often; I am participating in a thread about airport security in the UK which is a great example of that.
Dec 1, 2011, 8:03 pm
#93
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,450
Dec 1, 2011, 10:47 pm
#94
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 15,354
Dec 2, 2011, 3:27 am
#95
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
I voted and I don't know/recognise any of you guys, because, like origin, I don't visit the boards that you post on. Or, to put it another way, you guys don't visit the ones that I post on 
.
Is that do with geography? Yes, quite possibly. I'd not be surprised if it turned out that most NA based members post mostly in NA based forums (AA, United, Delta etc). In fact, I only recognise nsx because he/she posted in the BA forum, although it was in relation to issues that affect NA based members. That's not a complaint or jibe at anyone, just stating my suspicions, in the same way that I'd expect UK members most likely stick to the BA, Virgin and BMI boards.
Honestly, I don't think that most people even know what TalkBoard is, or what their remit is. It's not clear to me either. I only came into contact with TB when there was a notice at the top of one of the forums about counting OMNI posts in a person's post count.
In short I'd say that if you want more participation, you need more communication.
. Is that do with geography? Yes, quite possibly. I'd not be surprised if it turned out that most NA based members post mostly in NA based forums (AA, United, Delta etc). In fact, I only recognise nsx because he/she posted in the BA forum, although it was in relation to issues that affect NA based members. That's not a complaint or jibe at anyone, just stating my suspicions, in the same way that I'd expect UK members most likely stick to the BA, Virgin and BMI boards.
Honestly, I don't think that most people even know what TalkBoard is, or what their remit is. It's not clear to me either. I only came into contact with TB when there was a notice at the top of one of the forums about counting OMNI posts in a person's post count.
In short I'd say that if you want more participation, you need more communication.
Dec 2, 2011, 5:08 am
#96
Ambassador, New England
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Maineiac, USA
Programs: Amtrak, WN RR, Choice
Posts: 2,655
Dec 2, 2011, 10:00 am
#97
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 599
1375, a drop from last year's 1875. Honestly, I'm disappointed that more didn't come out to vote. We had solid candidates who threw themselves into the debate. We kept up changing announcements reminding everyone of the vote. We indicated who was running. We used Avatars to show who voted. We kept the vote open past Thanksgiving weekend. It was featured in TalkMail.
In all honesty, if TB spends another year of doing nothing substantive or worthwhile (in terms of *my* use of the board [and I know that's sort of a selfish view]), it's unlikely I'll bother voting next year. Last year, their only functions seemed to be new forum creation, and ensuring that the majority of FT could no longer access parts of the site. Their motions (all 16), were mostly made up of new board creation (7), access removal (2), attempts to "reward" a small subsection of board membership for posting in a restricted area (1), the addition of images to that restricted area (1), alterations to internal TB processes (4) and a single vote that had anything to do with most board members; the one dealing with public notifications.
Given the above, why should I vote for TB? Had it not been for the punitive motions last year, it's unlikely I would've bothered doing so this year.
Dec 2, 2011, 10:05 am
#98
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Join Date: Oct 2006
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Posts: 12,509
Dec 2, 2011, 10:14 am
#99
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 599
I'd be willing to bet that the *vast* majority of FT users has less than 180 posts. Unless my math is *way* off, the board's statistics themselves give a per user average of 46 posts.
Dec 2, 2011, 10:16 am
#100
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,953
Sorry, I know it's like 3 pages later, but I'd been thinking about this and wanted to respond.
In all honesty, if TB spends another year of doing nothing substantive or worthwhile (in terms of *my* use of the board [and I know that's sort of a selfish view]), it's unlikely I'll bother voting next year. Last year, their only functions seemed to be new forum creation, and ensuring that the majority of FT could no longer access parts of the site. Their motions (all 16), were mostly made up of new board creation (7), access removal (2), attempts to "reward" a small subsection of board membership for posting in a restricted area (1), the addition of images to that restricted area (1), alterations to internal TB processes (4) and a single vote that had anything to do with most board members; the one dealing with public notifications.
Given the above, why should I vote for TB? Had it not been for the punitive motions last year, it's unlikely I would've bothered doing so this year.
In all honesty, if TB spends another year of doing nothing substantive or worthwhile (in terms of *my* use of the board [and I know that's sort of a selfish view]), it's unlikely I'll bother voting next year. Last year, their only functions seemed to be new forum creation, and ensuring that the majority of FT could no longer access parts of the site. Their motions (all 16), were mostly made up of new board creation (7), access removal (2), attempts to "reward" a small subsection of board membership for posting in a restricted area (1), the addition of images to that restricted area (1), alterations to internal TB processes (4) and a single vote that had anything to do with most board members; the one dealing with public notifications.
Given the above, why should I vote for TB? Had it not been for the punitive motions last year, it's unlikely I would've bothered doing so this year.
Dec 2, 2011, 10:30 am
#101
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 599
That's a terrific question, and one I'm still considering. In all honesty, it may be that there aren't any that TB can do anything about (the board software, for instance, being hopelessly out of date). In which case the question remains, why bother voting? Moreso when the only improvements that seem to need to be made are to only benefit a small subset of users (I say that assuming that the OMNI post count stuff will be the first thing TB bothers with this term).
Dec 2, 2011, 10:40 am
#102
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Marriott or Hilton hot tub with a big drink <glub> Beverage: To-Go Bag™ DYKWIA: SSSS /rolleyes ☈ Date Night: Costco
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Posts: 12,509
This is a discussion board, not a lurking board.
Dec 2, 2011, 10:43 am
#103
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,625
I'm glad to see that the vote discrepancy between what Randy posted and what I currently see for years lost in the mist of time bugs me more than anyone who has posted. I've spoken to Randy. The only thing we can figure out is that the 2003-5 votes were cast on a different platform and the migration to the current one hiccuped. The tech guys who were around then no longer work for House of Miles. Fortunately, we do know that this year's post count (as well as recent years) were recorded properly and posted properly.
And while I fear the answer, I have to ask: while the numbers were clearly off, were the orders of finish identical between what Randy reported and what you see in the actual record?
Dec 2, 2011, 10:48 am
#104
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,953
That's a terrific question, and one I'm still considering. In all honesty, it may be that there aren't any that TB can do anything about (the board software, for instance, being hopelessly out of date). In which case the question remains, why bother voting? Moreso when the only improvements that seem to need to be made are to only benefit a small subset of users (I say that assuming that the OMNI post count stuff will be the first thing TB bothers with this term).
Dec 2, 2011, 11:02 am
#105
Community Director Emerita
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,755