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It is obsolete due to improved technology which has emerged over the years, allowing news pertaining to travel to be easily obtained elsewhere.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?
Feb 14, 2016, 8:22 am
#571
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
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There are additional costs in terms of user experience which kokonutz described in his post above (#563). I’d go further and argue that any forum that requires such a disproportionate amount of housekeeping is symptomatic of fundamental underlying problems - so easily fixed if TB has the will to address it.
Feb 14, 2016, 8:46 am
#572
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Is it not good practice to frame out the purpose of each forum that clearly guides the member's contribution. kokonutz has already described how difficult it can be contribute to TN - it really is a minefield. A few members persist and good on them but I'd wager many have simply turned their backs on TN are posting elsewhere. Once bitten, twice shy. The diminishing traffic numbers does suggest this.
Feb 14, 2016, 8:55 am
#573
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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It probably costs nothing in monetary terms but forums filled with redirects do suffer from fragmentation causing issues with the search engine. For example, if you search within Travel News for “SeaPort”, the results exclude http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...on-thread.html, posted last week in TN.
There are additional costs in terms of user experience which kokonutz described in his post above (#563). I’d go further and argue that any forum that requires such a disproportionate amount of housekeeping is symptomatic of fundamental underlying problems - so easily fixed if TB has the will to address it.
There are additional costs in terms of user experience which kokonutz described in his post above (#563). I’d go further and argue that any forum that requires such a disproportionate amount of housekeeping is symptomatic of fundamental underlying problems - so easily fixed if TB has the will to address it.
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Feb 14, 2016 at 9:00 am
Feb 14, 2016, 9:18 am
#574
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
By this standard, we should have closed Information Desk shortly after it opened. In fact, TBT seems to get a lot of misplaced threads at times, leading to moved threads and redirects. I currently see ten thread redirects on the first page (of about 25). The second page of TBT has 8 redirects while the third page has 19.
Feb 14, 2016, 10:25 am
#575
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
We also get our share of spam, but at least TBT is not usually the target of spam attacks (I've seen the most on Travel Buzz, followed by Information Desk probably).
Feb 14, 2016, 12:47 pm
#576
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: n.y.c.
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Anyway, if you look at the activity in the Travel News forum, the discussion is usually not about the article, but largely about the actual travel-related topic.
It seems like someone made up the meta-discussion rule to justify the existence of the forum, while the forum fills up with content that is overwhelmingly off-topic.
Feb 14, 2016, 1:55 pm
#577
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No one can answer this question?
Anyway, if you look at the activity in the Travel News forum, the discussion is usually not about the article, but largely about the actual travel-related topic.
It seems like someone made up the meta-discussion rule to justify the existence of the forum, while the forum fills up with content that is overwhelmingly off-topic.
Anyway, if you look at the activity in the Travel News forum, the discussion is usually not about the article, but largely about the actual travel-related topic.
It seems like someone made up the meta-discussion rule to justify the existence of the forum, while the forum fills up with content that is overwhelmingly off-topic.
Feb 14, 2016, 2:42 pm
#578
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
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The moderator made them up. And it's against the rules to talk about moderator actions, which is likely why no one answered your question. I hope I am not suspended for doing so.
Again, against the rules to talk about moderator actions (or inactions).
But speaking to the remit of the forum only: yes, it continues to be a muddled mess as the criteria laid out are not consistently adhered to by posters. Not out of malice but caused by the narrow remit itself.
Anyway, if you look at the activity in the Travel News forum, the discussion is usually not about the article, but largely about the actual travel-related topic.
It seems like someone made up the meta-discussion rule to justify the existence of the forum, while the forum fills up with content that is overwhelmingly off-topic.
It seems like someone made up the meta-discussion rule to justify the existence of the forum, while the forum fills up with content that is overwhelmingly off-topic.
But speaking to the remit of the forum only: yes, it continues to be a muddled mess as the criteria laid out are not consistently adhered to by posters. Not out of malice but caused by the narrow remit itself.
Feb 15, 2016, 5:24 pm
#579
Moderator: Avianca, Travel Photography, Travel Technology & USA
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Far western edge of the La-La Land City limits
Programs: Emeritus VIP Fromins Deli Encino grandfathered successor program - UA MM & HH Diamond
Posts: 3,729
Let's stop dancing around the rules about discussion of moderator action. Koko's surreptitious comment will be the last on the subject.
If you have a question or comment about how a moderator handled something, then contact that person via PM.
If you have a question or comment about how a moderator handled something, then contact that person via PM.
Feb 15, 2016, 5:35 pm
#580
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Quoted from the wikipost:
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.
I don't believe this statement provides us with an accurate description of TN's scope. In fairness, TN arguably serves as a duplicate function to TravelBuzz and OMNi but the distinction really ends there.
Feb 16, 2016, 8:57 am
#581
Suspended
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Quoted from the wikipost:
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.
I don't believe this statement provides us with an accurate description of TN's scope. In fairness, TN arguably serves as a duplicate function to TravelBuzz and OMNi but the distinction really ends there.
Mar 1, 2016, 7:28 pm
#582
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
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Posts: 31,005
I must admit I'm not up on the latest TB rules, and I haven't studied Robert's Rules since my fraternity days. Is 10 months still "rushing"? After years of similar discussion?
(btw, there have been 12 new threads started on TN between the last two individual posts in the discussion on TN)
(btw, there have been 12 new threads started on TN between the last two individual posts in the discussion on TN)
Mar 2, 2016, 7:27 am
#583
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Mar 2, 2016, 7:38 am
#584
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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FWIW, I resent the title of this thread. It doesn't list "leave it alone" as a p
ssibility.
ssibility.
Mar 3, 2016, 3:23 pm
#585
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Original Poster
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Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,603
(btw, there have been 12 new threads started on TN between the last two individual posts in the discussion on TN)
This thread is that forum's best friend. Every time this thread gets active, that forum does too as supporters of the forum find and post articles that fit the narrow, restrictive remit of the forum in order to justify its continued existence.
You are welcome, forum supporters!
