I just wanted to add my .02. I think post counts should be done away with. I think new people, like myself, should be able to ask appropriate questions and also get CC access (esp. when we go premium). I am going to Europe (CDG) and China (BJS/PEK) in December and the CC could have helped me maybe. I won't know until Jan/Feb.
Just venting (& adding post counts! LOL)

I don't mind the post counts........what I don't like is the term "Flyertalk Evangelist".

Some of the so-called 'evangelists' have a habit of posting "fluff" replies, and one in particular seems particularly fond of posting three and sometimes four replies, in succession, when they could really have replied in one post.

What really got me, however, was that when Randy took the RV out a couple of months ago for it's little 'vacation', I believe at least 3 'evangelists' were on the trip.



If it were up to me, I'd can the bestowing of the 'evangelist' title upon making 10,000 posts, and save it (or some other chosen phrase) for those FTers who have gone above and beyond, year after year, to offer help and information, not just opinions and arguments.

IMHO it is not the post count but the quality of the posts. I would like to see the breakdown of users posts i.e. among different forums without having to do a search for users history and count first few hundred posts.

Ok, I am over 90 posts, but I have to be a member for 90 days? I dunno....

I think Cholula's initial post gave the best reasons for maintaining the post count. Others who might use the count as a metric on "worthiness" are at least occasionally missing the boat in my opinion. I log in every day, several times. There can be a certain cliqueishness (is that a word?), or if not that there are clear alpha dogs in the various forums. Further, there are some people whose posts are almost always the same (e.g. "go do a search", etc.), and thus post counts don't truly measure their worth.

So, as a (mostly) lurker, I have a pretty good feel as to who knows their stuff, and who "contributes" in the forums I frequent. I can appreciate that the frequent posters would be unfamiliar with me and my opinions, so I suppose my 180ish post count tells them.. something. Leave it be.

Unless I'm really slow, I've yet to find the qualifications for any of the special forums posted anywhere.

The last time I did a search & read was last the other day, and I didn't find much information (The search criteria I used, btw, was OMNI Qualification, so that could be why?)

Could someone let me know what they all are?

Thanks!

Personally, when post count goes into the thousands I wonder whether the poster is some kind of crank. I think the huge numbers are jsut an attempt to show off.

Just like all low numbered posts are simply an attempt to access OMNI.

There is no set criteria for OMNI, hence the lack of defined rules. It is roughly 6 months of quality posting on FT and 180 posts I believe (i.e. 180/180).

Your best bet is to PM Randy Petersen as he is the moderator of OMNI and he can give you the definitive answer for qualifications. Sorry I have been part of OMNI before rules, so they didn't really apply to me.

sounds like a great topic for the TalkBoard to consider. I'll pass this thread along.

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Yes, I agree and I'll be pleased to bring this up for discussion!

As many of you well know, my opinion has been well documented throughout the history of FT, and I think this is a fine idea!

Mark

Why is it silly? Don't you have something to contribute here, versus just being an observer? If we all sat on the sidelines and watched, there wouldn't be a FlyerTalk board.

They is the FT board owner, who prefers the main purpose of this board be discussion of miles and points. He's been pretty clear about that for years.

Perhaps there could be some composite metric incorporating several quantitative and qualitative measures including: length of FT membership, frequency of site visits, number of postings, quality of posts (as rated by peers), etc. Perhaps there should be a way to "rate" the quality of a post like on cnet and other websites.

You do know that FT has over 80,000 registered members? What you suggest sounds like a major undertaking (i.e. involves money and support personnel and new software). How would you distribute these members among their peers? Doesn't sound very workable.

A rating system was tried once before (prior to your joining FT). It didn't work, and FT management turned the feature off.