Another thread just vanished from Miles Buzz. This one had the word "Censored" in the subject line. Apparently that is a no-no. It lasted for about one hour. It is gone now without a trace of where or why. The thread was not rude nor unfair or flaming anyone, but had several very reasonable comments by people like Doppy and Tango on a very pertinent topic.

If someone here had set out to deliberately discourage some of the most careful and thoughful posters on Flyer Talk, they could not do better than what they are doing now.

As a generic example of the current folly of moving posts, consider the treatment of fare deals, one of the most useful functions a forum such as FlyerTalk can offer. If fare deals are originally posted in Mileage Run, they can stay (but the title, Mileage Run, is not a forum title that would encourage many to look for fare deals). However, when fare deals are posted somewhere else, like Mileage Buzz, they are almost always quickly removed.

When removed, fare postings appear to go first to Misplaced Threads. You can find some now that have languished there for several days.

Where they go then, I don't know, but it probably doesn't matter, for their usefulness is usually gone.

It is beyond my comprehension why any forum like Flyer Talk, claiming to help frequent flyers, would deliberately try to hide items, of which fare deals are only one example, not to say hide some of the most useful and helpful comments made on Flyer Talk.

I am not sure many FT'ers ever read this board, but, hopefully, someone in the management area does check it at least once in a while.

Bruce

Bruce -- Are you talking about this thread?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/001877.html

Has it ever been in MilesBuzz? I first saw it in the FlyerTalk Community forum, and it's still there.

Eugene,

Agreed... that is where it has been for me at all times also... in the Community section.

William

I beg the board to immediately adopt Kokonutz' name for Misplaced Threads, "The Isle of Misfit Posts"

Also, as it is certainly related to the referenced post, I wanted to reiterate and expand on my request that it be policy for Moderators and TalkAssists to leave a closed copy of a moved thread in the original forum.

This serves two purposes.

1) Those who have already participated can follow the thread to its new location without feeling that censorship or deletion has occured. When they tow your car in cities far larger than FlyerTalk, they tell you where you can find it.

2) It offers a chance for education. So many people may forget about threads (out of sight, out of mind) and not realize that they are being moved. By showing the closed thread in the original forum, more people are exposed to exactly what is moved and what isn't, and more people can learn the rules. The additonal link can serve to drive more people to the new forums, which is the objective.

The closed threads will quickly fall off of a busy forum like MilesBuzz, and those who are terribly offended by off-topic posts will know to avoid closed threads, thereby not causing them any problems during this transitional period.

EDIT: I have the worst time with it's and its!!!

[This message has been edited by robb (edited 03-26-2002).]

Yes, that's the thread. And, yes, it was in MilesBuzz for an hour or so. I finally found it again. I sort of understand what Randy is trying to do, but I still find it very confusing and unnecessary, like explaining why it "belongs" in Flyer Community, but not MilesBuzz.

Bruce