How should AFF receive new poster "rants"......

[juddles]

What I’ve seen is that no matter what the person has posted - if they’re ranting about a certain airline then a pack does rush in to defend said airline at all costs. Regardless of the issue.

I’ve never quite understood why people are so defensive of a corporation like that. It’s not a personal attack but some treat it like it is.

But Milboo, regarding the thread in question, who "rushed in" to protect the airline? No-one!! A couple of posters asked for more info from the OP. That was it!!! I have asked in several ways for anyone to answer this - who was promoting the airline?

 

[Pushka]

Should AFF members agree with whatever a new member rants about? Just so they are not offended, or feel attacked? I have seen exceptionally reserved and calm, gentle contradictions, of what a ranter posts, and these are perceived as attacks.

Of course not. Other than the use of the word Stole (although I didn’t read that until it was pointed out to me) I felt his post was perfectly fine. I got his concerns.

I didn’t read of any tirade. Just discussion. Some queried strongly the OP not showing a particular paragraph. The use of the word Stole was later redacted. I had a to and fro with one poster that I decided in the end to no longer respond to. The OP was good enough to come back and clarify.

 

[juddles]

...... Some queried strongly the OP not showing a particular paragraph. .....

Yes, that was special.

In a situation where the allegation was that VA had "admitted" to over charging, and were "refusing" to refund, that redacted paragraph was the crucial one where they explained that they thought that there was no over-charge. It was their assesment of the overall situation, but the OP decided to redact this.

This is really simple. The OP got charged more than he thought he would be (offerring an amazingly cheap upgrade himself). He got charged more, he lied in his initial rant, and then lied again in the first clarification. Kudos to him, but he came clean eventually when he admitted the content of the emails was completely against what he was saying - VA thought they were right. And off course he subsequently disappeared.

 

[Milboo]

But Milboo, regarding the thread in question, who "rushed in" to protect the airline? No-one!! A couple of posters asked for more info from the OP. That was it!!! I have asked in several ways for anyone to answer this - who was promoting the airline?

Wrong airline

 

[RooFlyer]

Suggest this thread simply be merged with the other one ...

 

[samh004]

Should AFF members agree with whatever a new member rants about? Just so they are not offended, or feel attacked?

You can agree or disagree, but remember that we were all young and naive on this forum (or even the internet) at one stage. It is easy for us esteemed members with thousands of posts to judge those with 2 posts for not following 'protocol' but I would imagine 9 times out of 10 the new member isn't purposefully doing the wrong thing – in our rule books at least – but simply new to the processes we follow.

This is why I posted this thread - it is my fear that when new posters chuck a rant, if you do not blindly agree with them, you are your self attacked.

I think the reason this thread exists is more to justify certain behaviours to new members of the community. Let's not forget, it is a community, and these are community forums (as it says at the top). We have something in common. Better that we help each other out than needlessly attack because the new kid on the block didn't read the previous 1.7 million posts and catch up with what they can and can't say.

 

[ermen]

if they are liars, they should be called out for what they are - untruthful liars

 

[samh004]

if they are liars, they should be called out for what they are - untruthful liars

I rarely quote the bible, but this comes to mind – “he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone".

I think there's a big difference between calling someone on a mis-truth and berating them for it so much that they don't come back, and you potentially scare off any other members from contributing to the community. That's the real problem here.

 

[Mr_Tee]

Top quality forums like AFF have a natural tendency to operate as a natural bs filter.

Long shall it continue.

AFF would become a lot worse if it was full of bs merchants who were allowed and encouraged to get away with it.

 

[ermen]

i actually havent followed developments in the VA refund thread but following it now.

i think the issue that people have is one / two time posters come to the forum, have a rant, but 90pc of the time, its a highly biased, redacted point of view. and what is worst, some facts are concealed that materially changes the analysis (reminds me of another thread about some guy denied boarding at the SIN lounge). Seasoned members know this and call them out. If someone told the truth, and nothing but the whole truth, don't thhink such episodes won't happen (then again, you probably do get those one time rant on how XYZ didnt exercise flexibility for me to change a non-changable ticket eor denied boarding because of late arrival... etc and people will still criticise...)

still, in the world of fake news and new age "strawberry offensivism", this is refreshing.

put another way, if a new member came and asked about some airport or came with a lounge review, people are not going to chase them away...

 

[RooFlyer]

I think there's a big difference between calling someone on a mis-truth and berating them for it so much that they don't come back, and you potentially scare off any other members from contributing to the community. That's the real problem here.

.... and keep on berating them even when they corrected what they've said!! And then keep on berating them in a new thread ....

By God, they've been taught a lesson, eh? No porkies on AFF, thank you.

Right?

 

[RooFlyer]

put another way, if a new member came and asked about some airport or came with a lounge review, people are not going to chase them away...

But otherwise they are fair game to be chased away?

Really?

 

[ermen]

But otherwise they are fair game to be chased away?

Really?

no. im saying if someone comes to the forum and present a material "half truth" , and gets found out, its only natural that others will call them out.. and that naturally would be uncomfortable...

 

[kermatu]

I tend to view people and posts positively and give them the benefit of the doubt. But I will judge each such post on a case-by-case basis and probably steer clear if it feels a bit fishy, or raises issues that I can't knowledgeably contribute to.

I don't think it unusual to find someone's first foray into the forum will be of a negative or desperate nature. Unless you are one of "our ilk" that's got to be a key reason people come here.

I always remember a few years ago, I was a relatively light / junior poster after maybe 2 years on the forum, when I posted a troubling experience with a QF booking (J to F upgrade from London but with my flight changed to the next day, with no warning or communication, which I spotted, had to call to get fixed - which it eventually was). After the event I posted about the experience. The first handful of responses were: "A non-story". "Another rant". "What's the problem". Pretty off-putting. Until a couple of mods and other regular AFF'ers jumped in and stated it was not a rant, but a balanced account, pointing out not only the negatives but also what went right, informative and to the point, and exactly why the forum is useful - to share experiences and forewarn others of potential problems.

Sure, I'm sceptical of a lot of stuff. But my above experience showed me the value of an open mind and positive, supportive responses. Even if it takes a bit of coaxing to get the full story.

 

[RooFlyer]

no. im saying if someone comes to the forum and present a material "half truth" , and gets found out, its only natural that others will call them out.. and that naturally would be uncomfortable...

Yes, I have called out a couple of people a couple of times. But it's just silly, bordering on a pack mentality, when the vilification continued after the Mia culpa and even into a new thread!!

At some stage people gotta give it away. If the OP in question comes back on another thread, I dare say they will be 'fair game' for being stuck into again by some. Woulf anyone be surprised if they left the forum for good?

BTW, I wonder if it's appreciated that that OP didn't have to correct their own record. Could have left it hanging and been entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

But no, that correction only compounded the sin.

 

[JohnK]

AFF as a group are not welcoming at all. Attack first is a common theme in most threads. No one needs to agree with or believe any story but there is no need to be rude. What's important to some people is not important to others.

I couldn't care less about priority boarding but do care when I encounter poor service including checking in as a Platinum and being asked to pay excess baggage charges when I'm within my limit and then wasting my time trying to sort out the issue.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I hugely enjoy rants. It's been a long while since I've seen a "Tiger Airlines - never again" thread; I sorely miss such.

Cheers skip.

 

[Deleted member]

I’m guessing a number of you are members of other non travel / aviation style online forms?
The thing I note about AFF and the FB versions is that all too often someone blows in with a gripe, a question or a problem and is often left disappointed when they discover that what they really needed to be doing was to get ahead of the wave. The reason I ended up here wasn’t due to any “issue” with travel or an airline (I loved a wonderfully ignorant existence where air travel was concerned up to that Point) but rather whether or not I should accept the offer of a centurion Amex card. The advice received from other AFF’s was invaluable, and I subsequently decided against taking up the offer of a black Amex (twice I might add ) .
I suspect that the reason and demeanour of someone in a first post world, will most likely have a profound affect on their longer term membership of AFF.
I mentioned above membership of other forums, I am a small time poster in two other forums, one is a BBQ / smoking cooking group, and the other a watch collector ‘ enthusiast group. The BBQ group isn’t anywhere as engaging as AFF. And the watch guys and gals are mostly hard core collectors. They tend to talk as though you already know a lot , which can be a bit overwhelming, but are generally helpful and polite.
I suspect a large number of newbies on AFF are not hard core lounge and status runners, and just want pointers around a first time major trip or similar.
I suppose my point is, in the end it is the manner of your entry to this site that will dictate how you’re received and how you choose to contribute and participate.

 

[davidj]

The dynamic in this thread was scary for me.

Relax, its just the internet

 

[Quickstatus]

Relax, its just the internet

Yes yes yes!!!