So... the problem is that some people may not be an Evangelist, but they have the title?

Umm... why not get rid of the title? Why not "hide" post counts so that they may only be viewable if you click on the poster's profile?

I have always tended to agree with the itinial part of your post above.

I am not aware of this member who has posted 2000 times on OMNI in the past week.

I have not voted on this motion yet, as I have been closely following member comments here, but if someone can confirm for me these posts were mostly on games type threads, I am swayed that such posts should not count in one's overall total.

I have nothing whatever against anyone playing the "Counting Down From One Million" threads and "Word Association" threads etc.

However if it means (as seems possible) someone can theoretically rack up 10,000 posts in a month or so, without contributing even one post on points and travel and assisting other members in any way, it seems to me prudent to vote that such posts do not add to one's overall post count.

10,000 posts on miles and points is one thing, but .....................

I looked at one of those for the first time today. I see how easy it is to build post count now just by typing a number.

Most of the OMNI threads I view actually can be very detailed, and take some time to compose messages, just like the forums on miles and points. I wish there was some way not to count the game threads where all you type is a number, but I gather there's not a way to differentiate among different types of OMNI threads when you add up total posts, so it's either count them all, or count none.

I've always taken post counts to be an investment in FT. It takes time to type all the responses, no matter what forum you're in, even if it's OMNI. Most of my 10,000 posts came from the airline side and now I see others where they get 10,000 posts from typing a number. Yes, it does bother me that we could see FTers posting on airline forums where their 10,000 posts have come from typing 10,000 numbers in one thread, and then they pop over to an airline forum and appear to have expertise, to a new poster, because they have 10,000 posts.

I hadn't even thought about the appearance in Coupon Connection, where I have seen some posters offer to trade only with posters with a certain minimum post count, which now could be attained by typing a bunch of numbers in an OMNI thread.

I get PM's all the time from posters on the AA forum that, I sense, do equate high post count with program knowledge, but may be too afraid to post publicly, or follow up for fear of being embarrassed. I just don't want to see those same PM's going to people that got their 10,000 posts playing a game and have 1 post on an airline forum, and appear to have program knowledge because of a high post count. The reality is that those of us with high post counts do get PM's asking about our airline based on our post count (at least I do).

Is there any way to just flag the game threads and not have them count towards total posts? Maybe that would be a fair middle ground.

edited to add: could the game threads be moved into a separate forum (OMNI Games, for instance) and just not count the posts in that specific forum?

What's your view on someone posting 10,000 times in a game thread where all you post is a number? Does that foster community? If you took those away from post count, I'd have no problem counting OMNI posts where people actually contribute something there (by typing several sentences, not a number).

This thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=679596 is worth a look for further perspective on this issue.

I think this is a very good point. People who have been here a while do get an awful lot of emails from lurkers and newbies. I get a few a week average mostly from UA forum readers.

I had no idea that anyone was posting 2000 times in a week on OMNI - presumably on the "games" threads.

As you say if someone with 5,000, 10,000, 15,000 posts 'earned" in that way then pops up on an airline or hotel thread, some other members may assume they know their stuff on that forum. ;)

Glen

I looked at that thread (on his success at reaching 17,000 posts just a day ago). The way things are going he may hit 18,000 posts within an additonal day or two and be able to start a new congratulations thread. Those OMNI game threads are really paying off. I see this person does have over 14,000 posts in two game threads.

He is very close to doing that. 28 hours have passed since he started that thread and he is now at 17,711 posts.

You have mail.

Slightly off-topic...

If an Omni post isn't counted in the future, my guess is that we will experience a surge in Omni. Something to think about.

I would say that FT members whose posts majority is made on OMNI doesn't see it as a problem at all.

For me FT is mainly to gather travel related knowledge and to post on a thread when I feel that I can genuinely contribute something.

Quite often I come across one of the "Evangelists" that I don't recognize neither from Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental, Marriott, or United forum that I visit frequently nor from other forums that I check weekly. If I check their post history is often mainly OMNI.

I don't have a problem with OMNI and I check it every now and then. I don’t believe, however, that anybody should become "evangelist" based on posts made mainly on OMNI that doesn't reflect the purpose of the site at all.

Good example is the poster referenced above whose 17K post count 14K posts are made on two post bumping threads on OMNI.

If we still had the "reputation" feature, we could all ding the post-padders!

I agree (and have ALWAYS agreed) that OMNI posts should not count. @:-)

I have at least several hundred posts in OMNI and won't mind a bit if my post count is reduced (by whatever number).

Also, I wonder if we really need all the "xxxx post club" threads in the CommunityBuzz forum (and my apologies if this was already brought up in this thread -- didn't have time to read the whole thread). Maybe those should all be locked down -- or at least limited to a few major milestones.

One result of this thread has been to get me to edit my own "Programs" section of my profile.

If I consider getting 10,000 + posts in a single Omni game as a fake way to earn FT status, then I really should not be showing unearned status in other progams.

I had listed myself as "DL FO" -- and in the past I had always earned my status (either Silver or Gold) by butt in seat miles. Last year, I did not. DL extended my Silver status as a favor -- so I just removed the "FO".

I was shown as AirTran Elite, which is true. The fact, however, is that I have only made one AirTran r/t in my entire life. I was given lifetime Elite status based on my Delta status a few years ago. My profile now shows only "AirTran".

I am Sixt Platinum, but have never once rented from Sixt. I was given the Platinum status (again, lifetime) when I was a Delta GM. I removed "Platinum" from my profile.

I am HHonors Silver only because I have an HHonors Amex. That, too, reads only "HHonors" now.

There really is no point in announcing status which was not really earned but just gotten through the back door.

Why would total OMNI posts go UP?
:confused:

I can imagine things would stay about the same (the most likely) or even drop slightly if some folks posting 2000 times in a week slowed down. Not sure why it would go UP if this motion passes?