Prospero

I think this is a great idea in principle and is deserving of detailed consideration.

It is possible to list the individual airlines of each respective alliance in the blue forum group headline per the current Special Interest Travel headline.

nsx

Since it's only a list of hyperlinks to forums, why can't we have forums appear in both places? In the current alphabetical list and under an Alliance category if applicable?

Same for the Forum Jump list: show each forum in both places, unless the vBulletin software has a problem doing this.

There are plenty of functions on FT that can be accessed more than one way...

NickB

You are, of course, right that this is the downside. Others have made some suggestions. I particularly like the one from prospero about having the names of the relevant airlines in the heading (although admittedly it would result in a rather longer heading for *A given the large, and growing, number of airlines belonging to it).

If there was no satisfactory solution for this, it would mean that you would have to scan up to 4 (shorter) lists rather than one (albeit lengthy). Even taking that into account, though, I still think that the benefits outweigh this disadvantage. The words "tail wagging the dog" come to mind here: how often do FTers look for info on/discuss an airline they know little about as compared to the number of times they look for info/discuss airlines in an alliance they are familiar with? Crucially, the regrouping of smaller intra-alliance FFPs would alleviate problems for medium TB-traffic airlines, in relation to which there always are difficult discussions in TB topics (and, presumably, in TB itself) as to whether they should have their own forum. And that regrouping is only sensible if the overall organisation is allianced-based.

Some FTers have pointed out that an alliance-based organisational system is used on some other boards and seem to work well there.

But yes, if a satisfactory solution for this issue can be found, so much the better.

skywalkerLAX

Can you or someone else provide a link ?

I would be interested to see an example how it works live !

Thanks,
S

graraps

I fully subscribe to NickB's proposal.

IMHO, the concern about people not knowing under which alliance to put things is a bit of a red herring. Moderators all over FT move misposted threads every day, so, if somebody can't figure out where to post (and I can't see hundreds of people facing that problem), the result wouldn't be any different...

lin821

(Bolding mine)

Since this is about the logical and organizational restructure of FT, I would like to pitch in the previously raised feature one more time. I don't know IT enough to comment on how technically challenging cross-posting fora/threads will be for vBulletin softwares. thadocta suggested the thread cross-posting capacity back in April 2008 but IB (or Randy) hasn't chimed in at all to address or consider the possibilities.

From a user's perspective, cross-posting capacity from the software end will make things a lot easier. It shouldn't matter how a user locates a specific airline, let it be the current alphabetical hyperlink or the proposed alliance-based indexed link, it's simply a sorting criterion. Each airline/hotel supposedly has a designated spot on the database/server, which is of no concern to users (giving the users don't work behind the scene). My logical understanding of cross-posted fora should have something to do with search/index functions. I guess any good program/software should be able to handle it. (Yes, I know there's still ongoing problems with IB Beta Search )

As for cross-posting threads/posts, I have no idea if a completely new facelift is needed for FT to achieve the goal. But if fora cross-posting needs the same work as threads/posts cross-posting as far as IT architecture is concerned, TB will need the tech input from IB and HOM. Maybe our resident expert FTers can enlighten us as well.

If FT becomes cross-posting "capable", I am sure users will be less confused. Our mods will be less busy closing as many cross-posting threads (or moving misplaced ones).

lin821

Didn't Prospero provide the link/example in another discussion thread already?

tcook052

I like things the way they are.

holtju2

Anyone can test drive the proposed Alliance based groups on TravelingBetter.

OP must have got his/her idea from there. Proper credit should have been given, IMHO.

N830MH

I will completely agree with you. This is very good idea where OW, Skyteam & Star Alliance will be split different thread. This is best options where Alliance will get together with DL, KE, CO, NW, AM, AF, KL, OK, CZ, SU and non-skyteam associate is UX, CM and KQ, too. I will guarantee that mean will be separately from airlines forums. I will have to trust for Spiff will put Skyteam together along with another airlines.

NickB

Oh, has he now? You must know the OP very well to be able to read his mind.

FYI, no, the OP did not get his idea from there but simply from using his brain. Let's face it. It is hardly rocket science to think in terms of alliances on a bb dedicated to miles earning when the FFP landscape is dominated by alliances. The fact that others on other bbs had the same idea just reflect the mundane nature of the idea.

FWIW, I already suggested thinking in terms of alliance a year ago in that thread (see post #5) although it was not picked up at the time. I have no idea whether there were bbs already organised on that basis at the time, although I would not be surprised if there were.

My proposal is in the first place prompted by the problems posed by smaller FFPs within alliances, which are lost in the middle of generic geographical catch-all fora and yet may struggle as independent fora. Hence why I raised it again in the context of the OK+ discussion. Prompted by graraps, I then put it up as a self-standing proposal.

It is dangerous to try to mind-read other people...

Gnopps

Good proposal NickB! I believe we will see a lot more relevant activity in the forums with this structure.

Cholula

I agree.

I'm very much onboard with this thus far. May need a little tweaking but I think it's a unique direction for us to consider going forward.

Thanks to NickB and other thus far for the input. I'll be interested to follow the discussion.

Dovster

I would like to remind TalkBoard that in its last term it approved forums for Qatar and Turkish Airlines.

Among the reasons given (indeed, as I recall it was the main reason) was that people did not know that Qatar was in the Middle East and that Turkey is in Europe. Hence, they did not know where to post about these airlines.

I would give odds that more travelers know what section of the world they are flying to than what alliance a particular airline is a member of.

NickB

I guess the issue is also coloured by one's perception of flyertalk as being in the first place a general travel ibb or a "points and miles" ibb. If the latter, the alliance-based approach makes more sense.

Having got round to looking at travellingbetter.com, I am even more convinced by prospero's suggestion as to the answer to this problem.