dchristiva

No. I would never make it mandatory as a TB member. If that's what IB wants, I would not oppose it, as no one has given me a good reason why they don't want an "I voted" badge next to their name (or not, if they didn't vote). There's no shame either way. I simply find it to be a nice reminder to others that there's an election happening. We're not making global government policy here. Vote if you want. Don't vote if you want. Most do not.

Based on what I've read, IB has already provided a way to opt out, so I think you have what you need. I think complaining about a lack of "privacy" about whether one voted or not for a bunch of volunteers to represent membership on an internet board is much ado about nothing. For instance, I'm not terribly concerned that I am not part of the "Secret Santa" program and don't have a badge for that. But it's a nice reminder that the program exists and, if it makes someone inquire about the icon and learn something about the exchange, great. I do not share your view that being "outed" as a non-voter here is anything to be concerned about. I have heard two people voice the idea that they would rather not vote than have the badge associated with his/her name. That is not a compelling argument.

B747-437B

Then we are wasting our time in further debate as we share the same position.

kokonutz

Anyone without a badge is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR R


We DO need stinkin' badges!!!

Or, put another way, 'we don't need no stinkin' badges' which, being a double negative, means precisely the same thing!

MSPeconomist

If we're getting rid of badges, I would suggest removing the permanent "Flyertalk" guy for those who were chosen for interviews by some blog a while back, especially for TB election candidates. It seems to give those people an unfair advantage over other candidates for no real reason.

CMK10

We're NOT getting rid of badges, no one has suggested that. And what are you talking about with that last sentence? Are you accusing Sharon of having an unfair advantage?

SkiAdcock

Whether someone has TB member, TB candidate, I Voted, Flyertalk guy avatar, Evangelist, Flyertalk Legend, Moderator, Ambassador, CommunityDirector under their handle, it still costs $5 to get a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Cheers. Sharon

dchristiva

I agree. Are there many folks around who haven't been interviewed at one time or another? And does it matter? Heck, the Wall Street Journal interviewed me about a decade ago. I don't have an avatar. But I'm still successfully annoying the tar out of many of our members!

tcook052

I thought several members had given their reasons and they seemed like good ones to me.

dchristiva

I recall two reasons: privacy and not wanting to be identified as a "non voter". They seem pretty intertwined in this instance, and seem like extraordinary concerns to me. That's my position. You can refute it with your 2016 TB vote.

rwoman

How does the "Faces of Flyertalk" badge give someone an unfair advantage? Because it makes it easier to learn a little bit more about a particular candidate?



NUMEROUS past and present TB members (and those who've never been members) have been featured.

MSPeconomist

If FT members can easily learn more about some of the candidates but not others, one would assume that (unless the additional information is really bad) people are more likely to vote for those whom they feel they know better, other things being equal of course.

SanDiego1K

This might be worthy of a discussion with me before the next election. There will be no changes for this election.

rwoman

Or perhaps give all candidates a platform on which to really introduce themselves...though I think it's partly covered in the current process.

Not a big deal to me, but not all Faces of Flyertalk participants' icons (including my own) show up.

SkiAdcock

I think MSP is vastly overrating the importance of the Flyertalk guy avatar & any influence it might have on voters.

As rwoman mentions, it is an avatar that has a tendency to disappear/re-appear on a regular basis. Also most FTers wouldn't know what it is, means, or that if you click on it it will take you to an interview (which in my case is a a few years ago, so info dated). I didn't even know that until recently.

Following MSP's reasoning, a TB member shouldn't have their title under their handle, nor a mod their title nor an ambassador their title nor the evangelist or legend their title for the entire 3-4 weeks of the election process, because any of those titles could influence voters. Heck, they should probably not post in any forum for the 3-4 weeks too because FTers might get to know them better if one posts in a more active forum than another.

If someone is going to take the time to vote, assuming they're not familiar with the candidates, they're probably going to vote based on what they read in the talkthevote/platform part & maybe the Q&A if they got to that part. Whenever I vote (before, during & after my term on TB), I went through each candidate's platform & based my vote on that. Avatars don't even appear in the 'talk the vote'.

The concern about the Flyertalk guy avatar is much ado about nothing IMO.

Cheers. Sharon

Mary2e

Doesn't this same discussion come up every year?

As wel, that icon is flaky and shows up only sometimes.

I don't know why you were interviewed Sharon, but mine was about credit cards and churning - of which I really don't do. The way FT is going, should I run, that would be a negative in many poster's eyes