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It is obsolete due to improved technology which has emerged over the years, allowing news pertaining to travel to be easily obtained elsewhere.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?
May 13, 2015, 2:49 pm
#16
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May 13, 2015, 3:03 pm
#18
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That would be, I presume, the judgment call of moderator(s) wherever such posts might appear.
May 13, 2015, 3:17 pm
#19
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May 13, 2015, 3:34 pm
#20
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Given that most of the threads in the forum are aviation related, maybe it should be retitled 'Other aviation news'.
May 13, 2015, 4:03 pm
#21
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Thank you. Well-said.
Along with military aviation, Travel News has turned out to be a good home for stories about specific airframes/aircraft that are not airline-specific in their import.
I just ran some quick numbers:
A little over 40% of of the last 46 threads were either closed because the topic was already being discussed in a more appropriate forum (thus keeping FT from having that ever-so-frustrating phenomenon of the same topic being discussed in multiple places -- very unfriendly to those seeking information) or moved to a more appropriate forum.
Put another way 3/5 of all the threads were on-topic for the forum and would have fit no where else as readily.
As for the putative "redundancy" criterion, if threads with topics already being discussed in the most appropriate forums were in fact left open in Travel News, then you would have actual redundancy.
But keeping a close eye on the forum on most days means that FT'ers won't in fact be subjected to the confusion of redundant open threads on a topic.
Along with military aviation, Travel News has turned out to be a good home for stories about specific airframes/aircraft that are not airline-specific in their import.
I just ran some quick numbers:
A little over 40% of of the last 46 threads were either closed because the topic was already being discussed in a more appropriate forum (thus keeping FT from having that ever-so-frustrating phenomenon of the same topic being discussed in multiple places -- very unfriendly to those seeking information) or moved to a more appropriate forum.
Put another way 3/5 of all the threads were on-topic for the forum and would have fit no where else as readily.
As for the putative "redundancy" criterion, if threads with topics already being discussed in the most appropriate forums were in fact left open in Travel News, then you would have actual redundancy.
But keeping a close eye on the forum on most days means that FT'ers won't in fact be subjected to the confusion of redundant open threads on a topic.
May 13, 2015, 4:55 pm
#22
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I'm not trying to discuss specific moderator actions, but are the threads being closed (to further posts) or moved to the more appropriate forum and, if necessary, merged with another thread there, with the pointer remaining in Travel News? I realize that the latter is more work, but it contradicts the logic of having all information about a topic in one place on FT.
I would disagree with your last sentence; once a thread is moved the cross-reference to it remains in Travel News but the actual information/discussion is now in the correct forum. This is different than having extensive substantive threads in multiple forums.
Hope that explains? If not, try me again
May 13, 2015, 5:29 pm
#23
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IM(nsh)O, Travel News isn't quite as bad of a redirection and padlock hell as it was prior to the "before time," but it is easily a subset of Travel Buzz.
Just picture it - Travel Buzz - Now including News!
Just look at the forum's purpose: If it's a travel topic worth talking about, it's likely in this forum. (non-frequent flyer program travel)
I do not know why military aviation news is "Travel News." It may be interesting, but it is military, not general consumption travel, news.
Just picture it - Travel Buzz - Now including News!
Just look at the forum's purpose: If it's a travel topic worth talking about, it's likely in this forum. (non-frequent flyer program travel)
I do not know why military aviation news is "Travel News." It may be interesting, but it is military, not general consumption travel, news.
May 13, 2015, 6:22 pm
#24
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Good Lord almighty! TravelBuzz is already crowded/repository of where else does stuff go? I don't see an advantage to closing TN to punt it over to TBuzz, especially given some of the #s posted in this thread where it seems TN still serves a purpose. Of course I don't understand why there is a continual focus on closing this particular forum either, given there have been multiple attempts to do so. My input to TB members is let it stay (except for koko, who obviously wants it shut down & who presumably is a vote for doing so).
Cheers.
Cheers.
May 13, 2015, 6:28 pm
#26
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Puhleeze.
koko has a history of trying to shut down TN & doesn't have history in the public TB forum of shutting down other forums. In fact, the entire TB has been quiet when FTers have asked them recently to post their thoughts in the appropriate thread re: shutting down forums. There's no reason to single this particular forum out when ignoring the legitimate questions that have been raised re: other forums. If there was a reason to shut down this forum it should have first been raised in the other thread.
On a dif note - one could ask whether External Miles & Points Resources forum should still stay open, given most of it is just blog bashing & truthfully not that many new threads in the last year
Cheers.
koko has a history of trying to shut down TN & doesn't have history in the public TB forum of shutting down other forums. In fact, the entire TB has been quiet when FTers have asked them recently to post their thoughts in the appropriate thread re: shutting down forums. There's no reason to single this particular forum out when ignoring the legitimate questions that have been raised re: other forums. If there was a reason to shut down this forum it should have first been raised in the other thread.
On a dif note - one could ask whether External Miles & Points Resources forum should still stay open, given most of it is just blog bashing & truthfully not that many new threads in the last year
Cheers.
Last edited by SkiAdcock; May 13, 2015 at 6:41 pm Reason: add the italic part...
May 13, 2015, 7:14 pm
#27
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I would say that the first person to complain about the state of the Travel News forum should be cblaisd, who might at times feel like little more than a traffic cop directing discussions to more appropriate locations on FlyerTalk...
...but since he is not complaining — and, rather, defending its existence — then why close it?
Life seems to be easier for those who are uncertain about where to place topics which they believe belong in the Travel News forum; and if cblaisd is more than happy to perform a service and do the work for them, then why not leave it alone?
I do not believe that this forum should be closed. It is a good place for FlyerTalk members to post discussions with links to sources pertaining to general news about such topics as miles, points, travel, lodging, rental cars, aviation, and men’s travel.
I added that last one just to see if anyone is reading what I posted...
...but since he is not complaining — and, rather, defending its existence — then why close it?
Life seems to be easier for those who are uncertain about where to place topics which they believe belong in the Travel News forum; and if cblaisd is more than happy to perform a service and do the work for them, then why not leave it alone?
I do not believe that this forum should be closed. It is a good place for FlyerTalk members to post discussions with links to sources pertaining to general news about such topics as miles, points, travel, lodging, rental cars, aviation, and men’s travel.
I added that last one just to see if anyone is reading what I posted...
May 13, 2015, 7:46 pm
#28
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SkiAdcock, all i know is i have made comparisons between potential new forums and smallest forums. i didnt know if kokonutz was doing something along those lines. (but i personally would never be in favor of closing any forums, from a philosophical preference standpoint.)
i kind of like the comparison to External forum.
the point i was tying to make there was if there is discussion of 'de cluttering' travelbuzz, dumping all travel news content there is counter productive.
my main thought now is if closure led to things not being allowed (dont fit in travelbuzz) i think that would be a good reason to not close.
CMK10, Canarsie, rwoman (& moderator) - no in this thread
MSPEconomist, nsx - voted no last time
kokonutz - yes in this thread
dchristiva - posted in support of closure last time
bdschobel, jason8612
i kind of like the comparison to External forum.
my main thought now is if closure led to things not being allowed (dont fit in travelbuzz) i think that would be a good reason to not close.
CMK10, Canarsie, rwoman (& moderator) - no in this thread
MSPEconomist, nsx - voted no last time
kokonutz - yes in this thread
dchristiva - posted in support of closure last time
bdschobel, jason8612
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; May 14, 2015 at 1:12 pm
May 13, 2015, 9:10 pm
#29
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Puhleeze.
koko has a history of trying to shut down TN & doesn't have history in the public TB forum of shutting down other forums. In fact, the entire TB has been quiet when FTers have asked them recently to post their thoughts in the appropriate thread re: shutting down forums. There's no reason to single this particular forum out when ignoring the legitimate questions that have been raised re: other forums. If there was a reason to shut down this forum it should have first been raised in the other thread.
On a dif note - one could ask whether External Miles & Points Resources forum should still stay open, given most of it is just blog bashing & truthfully not that many new threads in the last year
Cheers.
koko has a history of trying to shut down TN & doesn't have history in the public TB forum of shutting down other forums. In fact, the entire TB has been quiet when FTers have asked them recently to post their thoughts in the appropriate thread re: shutting down forums. There's no reason to single this particular forum out when ignoring the legitimate questions that have been raised re: other forums. If there was a reason to shut down this forum it should have first been raised in the other thread.
On a dif note - one could ask whether External Miles & Points Resources forum should still stay open, given most of it is just blog bashing & truthfully not that many new threads in the last year
Cheers.
Seems like every forum has a constituency no matter how small.
the TB has taken a bunch of heat for not closing forums after annual review. This is why, folks.
So next time you are tempted to bring up the annual review please visit this thread and realize that THIS is why no forum gets closed ever: whenever we try we get shouted down by that forum's small constituency. @:-)
Last edited by kokonutz; May 13, 2015 at 9:18 pm
May 13, 2015, 9:32 pm
#30
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That forum -- a respectful civil well-moderated place to discuss religious travel concerns (so unlike most venues on the internet) -- is a part of FT to be proud of.
Quantitiative metrics never do nor should tell the whole story. And it's hardly a matter of "constituencies" for this or any forum; that's a red herring. Rather, it's a matter of what makes for an orderly informational classification schema (and information is, after all, what FT primarily exists for) + what forums add value and pride to FT no matter their metrics.
Put another way, the question isn't and shouldn't be "what forums are the most/least visited" but "what forums make the most sense from a classification and information-retrieval point of view?"