Weed in Albania. Communist party headquarters in Bulgaria. Homeless people in Budapest. My favorite travel blogger. I enjoy every post, they are all unique and original!
How can you describe Twisted Sifter? Eclectic appears to be an understatement. I get this feeling of my life being enhanced with what appears here.
The best miles/points blogger. A natural in this blogging! Original posts almost daily while most other bloggers repeat themselves. And you know your eye sockets will NOT be assaulted by marketing pitches.
Ok, not a blog technically. What they do is find flight deals. I recommend following them on twitter. I get their tweets on my smart phone and I get excited every time. I also wished my home airport was not Detroit!
Notes:
The blogs appearing here is what I love to read myself! It is my own opinion ONLY!
Not in order of importance.
Please keep the comments in this blog post and do NOT post in the permanent page. I want to keep the permanent page without any comments, thank you.
Yes, TBB is very eclectic, what can I say? I better start packing it is 3 am oh no!!!
You’re still up?? Wow, George, not the old man you once were!
I get to be up another 2 hours … yay for American f**king up 2 planes and delaying me 3.5 hours.
I know, I get your tweets on my phone. Sorry about it. It happens. Don’t listen to DP 🙂
“Please keep the comments in this blog post and do NOT post in the permanent page. I want to keep the permanent page without any comments, thank you.”
You can turn comments off on a page by page basis!
Pages – All Pages – Quick Edit on relevant link – Untick ‘Allow Comments’
Thanks again, I will get to it. Have had horrible wifi connection issues at the St Louis Hyatt!
I don’t read the FM daily, I think he is OK, but I also think that the reason many bloggers like yourself call him the best is not because of content, but because of attitude to blogging, and not publishing the affiliate links within post.
To say he produces new and original content almost daily without repeating himself is silly, the most of his content involves shopping portals and plink, with the occasional terms and conditions change, that all repeats itself frequently.
I think if he included affiliate links within post and wrote the same stuff you would either be having a go at him:
Oh another plink post and chance to pitch the Ink Bold; or just say, yeah his content is OK, but too many links.
Starting to get the feeling its about propagating the myth that links are bad here.
And yes, of course I am only saying this because I didn’t make the list!
FM also has a pretty narrow focus, TBB loves that focus. And they’ve become personal friends. Steve’s ‘Bias’ category would ring here if he reviewed TBB!
All of which is to say that FM (the person) is a good blogger, and FM (the blog) is a good blog.
But to think his content isn’t driven by selling Ink cards (his revenue model), and his choice of coverage isn’t affected by a desire to sell Ink cards, is just silly.
He includes links to pages with links, just keeps the links one click removed from his posts. Love him for that, but don’t be naive about it.
I disagree
I don’t “love” that focus (aka, I’m not into spending the time doing all the things he pulls off) and I’ve never met FM…. and I think FM is as unbiased as can be
When I read his posts, I don’t get the sense that CC’s are driving the content (and not vice versa). He actually has innovative posts on the content – not just regurgitated talking points every time (did you know the UR points transfer 1:1 to United and Hyatt?!?!).
I can’t recall any Ink posts that didn’t actually have something useful and informative to say. If he made a post about it, it’s because there was probably something worth mentioning. And when the CIB/CIP had the 60K bonus (probably the single low point in the travel blogospher), I don’t think he made a single post about it
“And when the CIB/CIP had the 60K bonus (probably the single low point in the travel blogospher), I don’t think he made a single post about it”
http://boardingarea.com/frequentmiler/2013/06/17/pondering-limited-time-credit-card-signup-offers/
And he took the opportunity to pimp the Lufthansa and Southwest 50k offers at the same time, albeit again one click away.
I think FM is great. But he’s neither pure nor a saint. He has good content, but I do not believe it is a coincidence that his content aligns itself so well.
I’m just not seeing it
Scrolling through the posts currently on his front page….
– The top post is something that if anything, would discourage CC signups
– The next post is about gift cards and makes no noteworthy references to CC’s (affiliate or otherwise)
– The next is about the Sears Shopping portal
– The next 2 posts are about Plink
– The next 2 posts are about Sears/shopping portals
– The next is changes to VR loading policy
– The next is on the Sears promo
I don’t see a single mention (or even implication) of the CIB/CIP on any post on his front page. So unless I’m missing something, he’s given more coverage over the past 10 days or so to the Discover card than the CIP/CIB
I’m just not seeing this “nudging towards the CIB” that you speak of.
Matt: This is MY list. Everything I do adheres to the mission. One of the things I want to do is inspire other bloggers to follow good blogging practices. Based on the Lufthansa cc explosion of posts today I am not succeeding. But the fight is worth it 🙂
Angry: I agree with Steve,..again.
Yeah, but how many people read those blogs?
The quality of the blog is based on how many reads it gets. Mosquito-man told me so
Some day, I hope you will wise up, but losing hope. What I suggested is that your formula for good or bad is missing an important element. Readership equals popularity and you ain’t gonna change.
If Georgie Boy gets 500 readers and Brian’s gets 15,000, who has more influence in the marketplace? Who has more people like the material presented? Be as angry and negative as you continue to be for as long as you want, but the facts don’t lie.
More people would rather read TPG than the Tabloid Blogger Buzz. History proves it.
I love my 800 readers. I don’t give a flying &^%$ for TPG’s readers and how many they are.
Thank you for taking the time to post comments and be a loyal reader. I appreciate your support 🙂
Huh? I thought we were talking about the components of a fair rating system? Guess that is not necessary in the “Angries Rating System”
You win Georgie Boy, the number of people that support a blog has no relevance in the “Angries Rating System”
He’s rating quality, not popularity
Try again
I give readers credit for reading what they like, NOT what you guys think they should like. Big Difference
You are confusing quality and quantity. Loads of people eat at McDonald’s—doesn’t mean they have the best burgers. TBB is deciding what the criteria for “best” is here: if you or I don’t like it, make a better argument for changing it.
FM is a great guy, I just wish he would write more articles. I’m glad Plink finally added Staples. I was getting kind of sick of all the Sears/Kmart Plink deals. He is in the process of moving/unpacking so he doesn’t have a ton of free time right now, but you can always count on quality, in-depth posts from him. #mancrush
Once a day is enough I think. More than that serious risk of burn out & then need to hire staff and then…
I don’t even get the need for one a day. Do you remember the pre-credit-card era? I can remember going a whole week without a VFTW post. It was something I would look forward too. Now you can’t got 1 hour without one. I remember someone complaining about my blog that I just don’t post enough. If I don’t have shit to say, why say anything? (other than cc traffic)
Should be the motto for many blogs “Dont’t waste your readers’ time”
PS, the flight deal is indeed awesome. Subscribe to their daily email (comes out at noon PST everyday) if you aren’t on Twitter 24/7. I took advantage of their MIA to GPS 2 weeks ago for $380 RT.
Question MV has at the top of his post:
“Can I really save up to 70,000 Dividend Miles per person by taking advantage?”
Let see if I can field this one….
No
Still think you need to add one or two blogs for what to recommend to the newbie. These days, I have friends asking me where to go to learn about my crazy hobby and I can’t really tell them the best one. (“Best” means clear info and no pumping cards insanely)
I have a lot of step by step guides for beginners on my blog and don’t post CC links in posts/pages #selfpromote
Grant: Hey, your blog is pretty good! I think I almost remember going to it once in the past to read about your ebay selling, and then it just got lost in the blur of too many blogs out there. (Are you the guy that once offered free award booking and then got inundated?)
But I see it definitely deserves a closer look. Good material and well organized.
Yeah & he proved to be different than most carpet baggers MMS Friday interview blogger wannabes. Good to see that happening.
you refer to Jeff the Canadiankilometers guy about the award booking
Thanks TBB, I appreciate the compliment. Random question, I read Money Magazine and Kiplingers Magazine. What other personal finance magazine do you recommend?
I need to think about that, there are so many out there. Listen to Steve below, he is usually right on.
No love for me??
You are a legend! A legend in your own mind!
TBB your home airport is Detroit? For some reason I thought you were from out west or something…
He lives on PST time but lives around Ann Harbor, Michigan.
Eastern European time zone. Your biological clock never change from where you are born.
i could never live out west, too expensive lol
I just wanted to remind everybody that the title of this post is “Blogs I Love”, not “Best Blogs”. So if your blog doesn’t show up here, it doesn’t mean that you’re not totally awesome, merely that you’re unloved.
Ditto! I was thinking that exactly!
And we’ve still got “Blogs I Like” and “Blogs I Avoid” to go. Maybe TTB will at some point add a category like “Good Blogs for Newbies” but that isn’t the task he set out for himself.
Gary’s blog is the best blog for newbies
If anyone needs a basic primer on credit card strategies with just the right amount of detail, Gary’s filler CC posts are better than any others (even without red arrows!)
Now don’t get me wrong, I hate those posts….. but that’s because I’ve seen them repeated over a million times verbatim and know he’s just pumping them out for the affiliate money
But if I was trying to educate a newbie who has never read the blogs before? I would have them read a few of those filler posts
Deep down I love everybody…Deep deep way deep down lol
You left FTG off the list. I’m sure it was an oversight. 😉
I am sorry to inform you it was not 🙂
How about a list of blogs that are MEH?
That should be out shortly
I have little doubt DWL will make his Most Excruciatingly Horrid list of blogs
Having too slow connection at the Hyatt to catch up on things and much action here with so many bloggers looking to get rich. I feel so weird. I am a financial planner in a finance blogging conference who blogs about travel/miles/points
Met conference organizer; I should introduce you to Noob Traveler. Me: I am not sure he would like that 🙂
Yes or a “Blogs where I get my memes” list.
Because I love the memes
Confirmed: purchase of Amazon Gift Cards gets 5% back for online shopping category for Discover It. Still better than a swift kick to the head.
On FM: I find his posts slightly less useful now that I’m not looking to buy points/manufacture spending (or lie about having a business). But I admire that he puts his own money on the line when looking for creative tricks/bonuses. His ratio of filler to content is probably 2nd lowest on BArea after WA, which is nice. (I don’t read much of BArea, so this could be wrong.)
Sounds like you are staying downtown, the place will be hoping tom. night with baseball fans. Check out Charlie Gitto’s if you are in the mood for Italian food. There weren’t many good dining options there in my TWA days. Also be sure to visit (just kidding) the Edward Jones Investment campus. It’s out by the airport near the 2 Airport Sheratons. IT is huge, the place is not only as big as Vegas, but like Vegas it was built with gamblers money. ….Be sure to bring Buzz Jr. home some Cardinal playoff gear. Caio. ps I almost forgot, say “whatup” to Noobtraveler.
My favorite Italian place in STL is Trattoria Marcella. Slightly better than Charlie Gitto’s imho, but that’s not to say that Charlie Gitto’s is bad in any way.
If you’re looking for something off the wall (and hole in the wall) that you can’t get anywhere else, try Thai Pizza. It’s literally a crust with Thai food on top and then covered with cheese and baked. And somehow it tastes really good. I used to eat there in college.
And it’s hard to beat the fresh, hot donuts at Donut Drive-in around 9:00 – 10:00 pm. Ted Drewes is right down the road too.
Man I’m feeling nostalgic about my STL days now…
Thanks for all the comments. I am having a great time here in the conference meeting people and learning. I had never heard over 90% of the personal finance blogs nominated for awards! This area reminds me the vast travel blog area. It has been an eye opener….Another two full days
Sorry, but FM has gone way downhill in past months. Lots of regurgitated content masquerading as “updates”. How many Sears or Kohl’s deals can we take?