LIH Prem

automation would be key for that IMO.

require a specific format for new threads,

IB would have to add instant notification for thread creation in a specific forum (another subscription option).

But .. it's not possible now except manually and that creates a lot more work for the moderators to enforce both the subject format and the companion thread posts.

-David

FlytheTail

This new forum did appear (seemingly) out of nowhere but overall I think it's ok. What I detest though is inclusion of [FARE GONE] threads. Those should be moved to another forum (e.g., Mileage Run Discussion), as was standard practice when fares expired. I think we need a new "Premium Fare Discussion" forum for expired premium fares and inquires/discussion about premium class travel.

tcook052

I would agree the GDPF was better than the current version and so support OP's motion. There are after all individual airline forums on FT in which to discuss at length details regarding the airlines whether that be the hard product itself, frequent flyer plan, alliances, lounges, etc. Over time I expect the new forum to duplicate if not divert premium cabin discussion from those airline forums making it as much of a premium product forum as premium fare deals forum. Merely MHO.

kokonutz

Interestingly, there was a fare that expired on Halloween but is now back again.

Zombie fare!?

But generally I agree.

tcook052

Ahem:

smachiz

I think a hybrid approach is the right way - use the unified annual thread for new deals, and as good deals come up and gain traction, they can be split into their own thread in the premium subforum.

It allows me to have a pulse on new deals as they come up, and then tune out the "super" deals that generate pages of posts that aren't of interest to me.

LIH Prem

That is what we used to do. Any deal that got more than a few posts of discussion ended up in it's own thread. The mods were great, they took care of that in the instances that people didn't do it on their own.

-David

seacarl

LIKE

tom911

But whose responsibility is it to alert the members of any particular forum? I've posted links before when I've seen a topic being discussed in the Talk Board forum that might be of interest to users in an individual forum, and I've seen other members do the same thing when OMNI changes were afoot, alerting members in that forum. I don't think FT has any rule spelling out "who" has to alert the members in a specific forum. In this case, you could have been the member to alert others in the existing thread when you saw the discussion here. There's just nothing in the rules that requires the forum moderators or Talk Board members to bear that responsibility. Any member can take on that task on and post the message. Maybe it's something the new Talk Board would want to create policy on.

Wasn't there a decision a few years ago that all Talk Board motions/votes-in-progress would display as a banner across all the forums of FT, much like the election banner I've seen this week (mine doesn't appear today but I have seen it a few times this week)? Did that banner not appear to alert all members they were considering a motion and voting on a new forum? Wouldn't that be adequate notice if it appeared?

edited to add: Here's the motion the Talk Board passed in 2011 requiring the notification across all forums:

SkiAdcock

Respectfully David, you're suggesting that TB should close a forum that

* was created only 3 weeks ago,
* hasn't had the guidelines sorted by the mods & the CD (but which will probably be coming in the not too distant future),
* and is equally supported by as many FTers as there are those that are unhappy

That, to me as both a regular FTer and a TB member, doesn't make sense.

While I appreciate that decisions should be revisitable if something is seriously wrong, there also needs to be a reasonable timeline involved to evaluate whether something is working or if there are major problems. Short of a major catastrophe (and no the new forum isn't one), there isn't a reason to re-evaluate it before the normal time frame involved with all forums.

If the moderators came back & said this is an absolute disaster, then TB & the CD would probably consider it before the normal time frame. But besides the fact that there are as many people supportive of the new forum as against (and TB has to consider both sides) even the mods are saying it exists, let's figure out to make it a forum that meets needs & come up w/ some consistent rules. They've asked for input on those, yet I don't see many responding to their requests which is a bit disappointing.

Cheers.

SkiAdcock

tom911, you're correct re: your first paragraph. It can be anyone (or no one for that matter) doing the heads up. tcook052 said he did alert his fellow mods to the discussion taking place. I don't think he alerted the forum, but he was under no rule to do so.

Re: the public announcement. Yes it is part of the guidelines, but as noted it's up only until the voting is ended or the decision is known, whichever comes first. Voting happened pretty rapidly, so a decision was known before the CD had time to post the site wide announcement. It should also be noted that the site wide announcement might go up immediately or be delayed a tad. The CD is not available 24/7, just like mods & TB members aren't (although we try to be).

Cheers.

LIH Prem

I didn't start this.

By creating the new sub-forum, TB broke the notification method current users of the thread had available to them.

The community should be able to discuss any decision or any vote IMHO. I thought that's what we were doing, except for a couple of TB member comments that suggested they were closed to even the discussion.

Sorry if you disagree. I really didn't think you would disagree with that, knowing that you are generally a community advocate, even if we're on opposite sides of an issue, we've always respected each other.

I'm more interested in finding a solution to the notification issue at this point. that is the problem now.


Tom: If I knew about it, I would have gladly entered the discussion before the vote.

-David

SkiAdcock

Please point out where I said the community couldn't discuss a decision or vote. I have never once said that in my 4 years of serving on TB.

Cheers.

LIH Prem

edit .. I understand the issue now.

By stating up front that you are unwilling to reconsider, that sounds like you are saying you won't even consider that option. I characterized that as "having the discussion".

I think all options should be on the table for the discussion.

We can agree to disagree. I will say that IMHO the important thing is to solve the notification issue now, reasonably.

-David

tcook052

Yes voting did happen rapidly and IMHO too rapidly as had TB taken it's time on this matter a site-wide announcement might've draw more users into the debate and given some on TB cause to reconsider their planned vote. As it was barely 17 hours elapsed between motion being posted publicly and results of the unanimous vote being announced, far too short a time frame and something I hope the new TB would avoid in future.