Feb 3, 2016, 1:55 pm
Last edit by: SkiAdcock
Should the Travel News forum remain open as its own standalone forum?
Here is the Travel News forum. Should it remain open; or should it be closed? Please post objective reasons for either position below.
Keep the Travel News Forum Open
It provides a place where only news linked to other sources can be posted.
Travel News serves a different function than other forums. It is for news articles that can be quickly perused & not buried in other forums. TravelBuzz, for example, has topics such as 'should the spouse get the upgrade' & discussions re: that. Travel News has links to articles of interest that may or may not get commentary, but does get a lot of views so obviously of interest to FTers. Just as some will read articles in the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, USAToday because the articles are of interest but not comment. That doesn't mean the articles have no value. They're easier to find in Travel News.
Close/Merge the Travel News Forum
It is redundant; and discussions posted in it are best served when residing in other forums on FlyerTalk — such as TravelBuzz, for example.
It is obsolete due to improved technology which has emerged over the years, allowing news pertaining to travel to be easily obtained elsewhere.
It is not at all clear what types of posts belong in it.
Travel News made a lot more sense before FT had a forum for any and every thing travel related. But now FT does and Travel News is out of step with how FlyerTalk is currently organized.
Here is the Travel News forum. Should it remain open; or should it be closed? Please post objective reasons for either position below.
Keep the Travel News Forum Open
It provides a place where only news linked to other sources can be posted.
Travel News serves a different function than other forums. It is for news articles that can be quickly perused & not buried in other forums. TravelBuzz, for example, has topics such as 'should the spouse get the upgrade' & discussions re: that. Travel News has links to articles of interest that may or may not get commentary, but does get a lot of views so obviously of interest to FTers. Just as some will read articles in the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, USAToday because the articles are of interest but not comment. That doesn't mean the articles have no value. They're easier to find in Travel News.
Close/Merge the Travel News Forum
It is redundant; and discussions posted in it are best served when residing in other forums on FlyerTalk — such as TravelBuzz, for example.
It is obsolete due to improved technology which has emerged over the years, allowing news pertaining to travel to be easily obtained elsewhere.
It is not at all clear what types of posts belong in it.
Travel News made a lot more sense before FT had a forum for any and every thing travel related. But now FT does and Travel News is out of step with how FlyerTalk is currently organized.
Travel News Forum: close, re-purpose or merge with TravelBuzz?
Jan 30, 2016, 5:10 pm
#451
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That's why I was elected wasn't it? There are other forums that have low traffic, other forums that are redundant, neither of which are enough on their own to warrant a closure.
As bdschobel always used to say, we aren't running out of internet. There are people who get use out of the forum and i want them to continue to do so.
As bdschobel always used to say, we aren't running out of internet. There are people who get use out of the forum and i want them to continue to do so.
Jan 30, 2016, 8:14 pm
#452
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I appreciate your time and thoughts all the same.
Remember, military travel topics can and do attract quality discussion (if you think about the best forum to post them in) - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...force-one.html
Remember, military travel topics can and do attract quality discussion (if you think about the best forum to post them in) - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...force-one.html
Originally Posted by CMK10
That's why I was elected wasn't it? There are other forums that have low traffic, other forums that are redundant, neither of which are enough on their own to warrant a closure.
Can you please name it?
Jan 30, 2016, 8:55 pm
#453
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In all seriousness, it makes no sense to close the Alaska forum because the content isn't duplicated elsewhere. It also doesn't make sense to argue that it should be merged elsewhere where more eyeballs will see the content and comment on it is not because none of the other existing forums make logical sense for people to look for information on Alaska. People wouldn't think to look in the West forum, and most of the people hanging out in the West forum aren't really any more likely to be knowledgeable about travel in Alaska than people in the South forum or the Texas forum or the Washington, DC forum. (The Hawaii forum might actually be slightly more knowledgeable about Alaska than others because so many Alaskans visit Hawaii.) Alaska is a discrete topic that isn't easily discussed elsewhere. (Well, maybe if we had a dedicated Yukon Territory forum...)
I am not getting the sense that's the case with Travel News.
Jan 30, 2016, 9:03 pm
#454
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Jan 30, 2016, 9:23 pm
#455
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As opposed to a forum about general travel topics (often including threads started with news articles) and a forum about news articles about general travel topics? A thread about the new Air Force One fleet started with a news article vs. a thread about an article about the new Air Force One fleet...
Really?
Jan 30, 2016, 9:40 pm
#456
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Yes, I do. I think there could easily be a forum titled Travel Tools and Technology.
But that's the beauty of opinion isn't it? You disagree with me on those forums as I do with you on Travel News but unfortunately for you most of the rest of TB and enough of the people who chimed in agree with me on Travel News so it seems it's staying open.
But that's the beauty of opinion isn't it? You disagree with me on those forums as I do with you on Travel News but unfortunately for you most of the rest of TB and enough of the people who chimed in agree with me on Travel News so it seems it's staying open.
Jan 30, 2016, 10:42 pm
#457
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Yes, I do. I think there could easily be a forum titled Travel Tools and Technology.
But that's the beauty of opinion isn't it? You disagree with me on those forums as I do with you on Travel News but unfortunately for you most of the rest of TB and enough of the people who chimed in agree with me on Travel News so it seems it's staying open.
But that's the beauty of opinion isn't it? You disagree with me on those forums as I do with you on Travel News but unfortunately for you most of the rest of TB and enough of the people who chimed in agree with me on Travel News so it seems it's staying open.
That's the power of incumbency.
Jan 31, 2016, 12:31 am
#458
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If someone wants to discuss articles about smoking, but not the actual topic of smoking, where do they go?
Jan 31, 2016, 3:02 am
#459
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In a sense, I feel the need to offer an public apology. Last year I held the belief that being on TB made people silly. Now I realise being off TB can make people as silly. I say this because when even senior members comes up with things like those on TB denies the uncomfortable truth or are acting emotional and not seeing the one true logic, it is hard to confine the silliness.
I'm really trying to see the arguments here. One argument that is repeated is closing TN leads to better visibility and higher number of replies, ie more discussion. While there is a proposal to determine if so is the case, I'd still like to know if number of replies, or even 'quality debate', is the one true mark deciding which content should be on FT. I don't see the connection between interesting material and a mandatory broad debate. Sometimes it is true, sometimes it is not.
Compare to the social media scene. I find it valuable to be informed that Jimmy quit and Jody got married on my FB wall, but I'm not really going to comment on it. (They should have known they'd never get far.)
I'm really trying to see the arguments here. One argument that is repeated is closing TN leads to better visibility and higher number of replies, ie more discussion. While there is a proposal to determine if so is the case, I'd still like to know if number of replies, or even 'quality debate', is the one true mark deciding which content should be on FT. I don't see the connection between interesting material and a mandatory broad debate. Sometimes it is true, sometimes it is not.
Compare to the social media scene. I find it valuable to be informed that Jimmy quit and Jody got married on my FB wall, but I'm not really going to comment on it. (They should have known they'd never get far.)
Jan 31, 2016, 3:54 am
#460
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I don’t think the question of whether the content should be on FT or not has been approached in this thread. Linking news articles to posts does add value.
What we have is a strange anomaly whereby news articles are accommodated in every forum (bar none) yet TravelBuzz and to a lesser extent OMNI share a duplicate outlet in TN. The evidence shows that TravelBuzz and OMNI have the capacity and audience to promote discussion whereas TN does not. So my argument is to focus our energy on the forums that excel in facilitating first rate discussion and remove what has chronically been a third rate news clipping forum.
What we have is a strange anomaly whereby news articles are accommodated in every forum (bar none) yet TravelBuzz and to a lesser extent OMNI share a duplicate outlet in TN. The evidence shows that TravelBuzz and OMNI have the capacity and audience to promote discussion whereas TN does not. So my argument is to focus our energy on the forums that excel in facilitating first rate discussion and remove what has chronically been a third rate news clipping forum.
Jan 31, 2016, 5:25 am
#461
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I understand that, but is 'promoting discussion' key to every topic?
TravelBuzz and OMNI surely has the capacity to add a large number of opinions on every and any subject, and both of these exists IMHO primarily to solicit the opinion of others, ie to get involved in "vibrant dialogue". So I am trying to understand if vibrant dialogue is/has to be the goal of FT in general.
I see FT as an virtual lounge. When at the lounge, sometimes you go to the bar and have a discussion with someone, and sometimes you just want to sit in the quite library and read something. I have yet to hear someone saying "this airport lounge is bad because there is a library, when you in fact can read newspapers at the bar just as easily".
Maybe a news clipping service can't be successful on FT, maybe too few people are looking for "the library". Then it will fade away and not bother anyone doing so.
TravelBuzz and OMNI surely has the capacity to add a large number of opinions on every and any subject, and both of these exists IMHO primarily to solicit the opinion of others, ie to get involved in "vibrant dialogue". So I am trying to understand if vibrant dialogue is/has to be the goal of FT in general.
I see FT as an virtual lounge. When at the lounge, sometimes you go to the bar and have a discussion with someone, and sometimes you just want to sit in the quite library and read something. I have yet to hear someone saying "this airport lounge is bad because there is a library, when you in fact can read newspapers at the bar just as easily".
Maybe a news clipping service can't be successful on FT, maybe too few people are looking for "the library". Then it will fade away and not bother anyone doing so.
Jan 31, 2016, 6:57 am
#462
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I see your point, intuition, and it made me think of an idea. Would putting news articles in TravelBuzz with a "News" prefix (like what Coupon Connection has) solve the problem? Those only interested in News articles can "visit the library" and only read the article, those wanting to "visit the bar" and engage in the discussion that ensues can do that.
Jan 31, 2016, 8:25 am
#463
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I understand that, but is 'promoting discussion' key to every topic?
TravelBuzz and OMNI surely has the capacity to add a large number of opinions on every and any subject, and both of these exists IMHO primarily to solicit the opinion of others, ie to get involved in "vibrant dialogue". So I am trying to understand if vibrant dialogue is/has to be the goal of FT in general.
I see FT as an virtual lounge. When at the lounge, sometimes you go to the bar and have a discussion with someone, and sometimes you just want to sit in the quite library and read something. I have yet to hear someone saying "this airport lounge is bad because there is a library, when you in fact can read newspapers at the bar just as easily".
Maybe a news clipping service can't be successful on FT, maybe too few people are looking for "the library". Then it will fade away and not bother anyone doing so.
TravelBuzz and OMNI surely has the capacity to add a large number of opinions on every and any subject, and both of these exists IMHO primarily to solicit the opinion of others, ie to get involved in "vibrant dialogue". So I am trying to understand if vibrant dialogue is/has to be the goal of FT in general.
I see FT as an virtual lounge. When at the lounge, sometimes you go to the bar and have a discussion with someone, and sometimes you just want to sit in the quite library and read something. I have yet to hear someone saying "this airport lounge is bad because there is a library, when you in fact can read newspapers at the bar just as easily".
Maybe a news clipping service can't be successful on FT, maybe too few people are looking for "the library". Then it will fade away and not bother anyone doing so.
Was Newsstand/Travel News created to segment out travel news from Travelbuzz?
The driver of the news on FT used to be doc, but that was before the powers that be on here decided a different direction was needed with his legendary contributions. And the dynamics of the Newsstand/Travel News forum has changed materially at least once since doc's rapid news contributions here came to a grinding halt.
Wasn't the purpose of the News forum to divert away allowed activity until it was stopped? Either way, I don't really see the purpose of a standalone Travel News forum. Most any travel news article can be diverted to another existing forum with more activity than the current Travel News forum.
Jan 31, 2016, 8:51 am
#464
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I would argue there are many third rate forums that are so moribund as to not generate first rate discussions with regularity so if we are weighing the relative worth of forums we should not be looking at this one forum with an eye toward closure but a number of others.
Jan 31, 2016, 10:01 am
#465
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A religious travelers news forum?
A women's travel news forum?
A travel technology news forum?
If I proposed these forums today would the TB create them using the success and utility of travel news as a precedent?