I think this thread in the BA forum has increased traffic:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...our-forum.html

Thanks.

So who voted is ultimately not really anonymous and it is just "secret" to the extent that anyone with control over root access to the database wishes it to be? Same goes for how such persons voted? Seems like déjà vu.

That thread, which I've been following, has been around for days, and yet only today the voting pattern changed in a very lop-sided way.

Going from a c. 3-10% difference over many days and then having a 75+% difference in the opposite direction for votes within the past 24 hours, on a rather large number of votes cast today? That thread explains some increased traffic, but the very dramatic voting shift? Maybe weekend voters are different than holiday voters, and this is the post-holiday hangover effect? ;)

Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall hand out a bunch of Christmas hams and turkeys on Boxing Day, as a reward for support? But that was yesterday.:D

I know I've only spent a relatively small amount of time on FT between travel, Christmas, etc.

I noticed the jump as well today. Perhaps others are spending more time on FT again or those who feel passionately about this are PM'ing others to cast their poll vote?

There was a lobbying effort -- or two or three -- which perhaps could have come to fruition today after the Hannukah and Christmas holiday periods ended. It's just the votes are rather extremely different and this period of time isn't usually amongst the most active FT periods . Either way, given how cliquish this place is, can't say I'm surprised that such a huge change in voting pattern took place within this day.

If you want this pointless thing, go here.
www.facebook.com.

It is not needed here.

Not clicking on something is not the point.
I do not want to see "x has liked this post" text boxes randomly through threads.
I do not want to see anything in messages or profiles saying "you have x likes".

If such a unnecessary farce is added to FT, I want the option to not have to see it anywhere.

How is that "Like/helpful" thing working out for Milepoint.com?

Not necessarily. Lobbying efforts (on, off or cycled) -- when it comes to popularity contests -- come with changed results too.

Sometimes a rigged vote is a "vote going how you wish it to"; and sometimes a rigged vote is not.

Sometimes a vote defeat is tactically or strategically desirable -- rigged vote or not.

Well, “likes” contribute towards elite level status over at Milepoint, where you get gifts with each level — such as no advertising to interfere with your experience once you reach Gold elite level status — whereas there is no elite level status here at FlyerTalk.

In other words: except for the possibility of cliquish behavior, there is no incentive to give or receive “likes” on FlyerTalk other than as a commentary on content posted.

As for any lobbying efforts, I know nothing about them. Speaking for myself, the poll is but one factor to contribute to my decision if and when there is a vote to be cast by me on whether or not FlyerTalk should have a “like” function; and the comments — which I am reading — are another factor...You know your New York City politics from the nineteenth century...

I noticed that as well, and questioned the large swing.

Or maybe it is just a whole bunch of "brand new members" ;)

As a BA Board resident, and daily reader of same, it did seem to me that things were a little quieter than usual over the last few days. Was there something else going on that I missed? :)

BTW, I have not received any lobbying PMs. A one of the more vocal [and occasionally constructive] BA denizens, I would have thought I would have been a prime target. Just saying.

Is it a fact that there will be no incentive on FT?

I asked earlier in this thread about the plan what to do with the data collected, ie would 'likes'/'helpful' be used for anything later on. Like top lists, status and so on, but I didn't really get an answer.

I would have thought you and I would have been anything but a prime target given our history of activity on this issue. And PMs are not the only way we communicate on and off FT. ;) Time and resources spent on other things to drive the vote would probably be better off invested on others, unless it was to try to convince us to get others whom we know are likely or certainly going to vote in the "preferred" way -- even if those others are lurkers-turned-new-members-turned-voters or double digit or less post count voters -- to vote. It's an open, "secret" vote for all who register regardless of FT member registration date, right?

Just saying.