IT's Time For TEXAS
 

Dear Members of TalkBoard,
I believe it is time for Texas to have it's own Forum under Travel and Dining/United States.
So many questions which pop up on FT relate to DFW, HOU, AUS, SAT, that I believe that many queries can be asked and answered in a dedicated Texas Forum. As a TravelBuzz Moderator, I am always wary of moving a Texas query to the "South." (which is where Texas enquiries now go).
Thank you for your consideration...
Obscure2k

Would this new forum carry the same provision as the state of Texas? That is, by the Annexation Resolution, Texas can unilaterally decide at any point to divide into up to five states.

;)

Seriously, as a native son of the Great State of Texas (proudest and grandest, withstanding every test), and a senior mod who has oversight of "The South" forum, I'd support this proposal. ^

Why are you wary of sending Texas queries to "South"? Has there been a problem with those queries not receiving an answer? Are Texas threads overwhelming the "South" forum? (Serious questions - not just playing devils advocate.)

At first glance, I wondered "why not just make a subforum under South?" but after looking at the Destination fora, it makes as much sense as Florida having its own forum.

While not a Travel Buzz mod, I can answer that one: it's because questions about a particular place are to go in the appropriate geographic forum.

Otherwise Travel Buzz becomes one big mess and the information one is looking for isn't in the logical place you expect to find it.

I understand they need to go to the appropriate geographic forum. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with sending them to "South"?

Here is an example of a thread which would be well-served by a dedicated Texas Forum: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=842280

I didn't realise TX was a hot travel destination. :p
Airport is probably a different story.

The airline forms, notably AA, probably have a lot of TX-centric discussion, too.

It looks like TB might soon be 2/2! ^

Perhaps O/T, but I would never thought of Texas as being in the South.

Yes, I know it was part of the Confederacy, but it seems to me to be a completely different world than Mississippi, Alabama or Georgia. When I think of Texas, I conjure up a mental picture of the West.

In fact, I sometimes think that Texas is not only a part of the West, but the entire West. Cowboys, ranches, trail drives, shoot outs -- the works.

Nevada? Casinos.

Utah? The Mormon Tabernacle.

Colorado? One heck of a lot of snow.

California? Almost as many nutcases as Colorado has snowflakes.

But Texas -- ah, there is the real thing. How about if we move Texas to the "West" and throw out all the other states? Nobody will miss Nebraska or Montana anyhow.

6 threads in the past month (3 active in the past 10 days) don't really strike me as a major demand for a new forum.

I tend to troll (not, not that trolling ;)) the West & South fora once every couple weeks or so to see if there are any TX questions I could possibly answer. I really don't recall encountering an overwhelming # of threads.

Did numbers start counting, pardon the pun, relative to forum creation? I understood there was no firm "metrics" used as a threshold for creating a forum so would these number mean anything to anyone?

FWIW it would seem a popular enough destination IMHO to warrant a more dedicated forum or sub-forrum.

My personal criteria for new forums remains unchanged:

1) Is there a core group of FTers anxious to take 'ownership' of the forum/topic/program?
2) Is there a good possibility that an active community will develop around the forum?

Having poked around a bit, I have yet to see either of those criteria met for a Texas forum. But my mind is certainly open to it if y'all can make a case/point me to evidence that I may have missed. :)

Agreed: while Texas may or may not fit in the South culturally, it certainly does geographically.

I use the number of threads within a known time period as a measure of 'business' so they mean something to me. I've got no thresholds which a suggested topic must meet (there are other criteria I can use in making my decision), but I know 6 threads in a month is not anywhere near the point at which I would consider a new forum required.

Even though about half the threads in the South forum seem to be related to Texas, I don't see the critical mass for splitting it. The total post count just ain't there.

I suspect that pretty much all the Texans who'd answer questions about their state know where those posts are, so having them as part of the South (U.S.) forum isn't a problem.

(The New England forum is more active than the South forum, and about half its posts relate to Massachusetts, but I don't see any need for a separate Massachusetts forum either.)

By that logic, New Mexico and Arizona belong in the "South" forum as well, since they are geographically as far south as current "South" forum states such as Oklahoma and Kentucky.

That being said, I think Texas is more "South" culturally than people realize, especially when you consider the parts with the majority of population. Personally, I don't see the need for a separate forum.