Where have the "core" Paris Fodorites gone?

Oh, please..the "core"?????

I think they're hanging out in the lounge more. But I agree, the Europe forum has slowed down significantly over the last year.

I think that all travel forums have slowed down over the past year. Travelchat, if you click on my name I think you will see that I have been posting. However, I will confess that I am suffering burnout from the classic posts about areas, hotels, restaurants, tipping, etc., and don't bother to read a lot of those now. Parisians know hardly anything about hotels in Paris anyway, other than the address.

I do have a pet peeve about people who continue to think that Europe is just one uniform entity and that if they saw it or did it that way in London, it must be pretty much the same in Paris.

They have ALL posted several times in the last few days and even started new threads.

But cum'on . . . . Core?

If you want to see their posts -- go to their profiles (click on their screen names)

There have been more than 20 active threads just this AM about France and the vast majority are about Paris.

oh - was posting the same time as kerouac -- so you've already found one of them . . . .

Core? Pffff....

They're all here. Maybe not posting as much as in previous years, for example, as fewer people are traveling, but still very much here.

Why is this even remotely important?

Core?

travelchat, I think you've really bruised the feelings and damaged the psyches of those individuals who thought they qualified as "core" and weren't mentioned in your list of major-league posters. (Granted, you were bound to leave somebody out.)

Sorry that you'll have to make do with the rest of us — inarticulate slackers who only infrequently provide a scrap of new and useful travel advice.

Your post has given me the idea that we should formulate a Hall of Fame of Fodor's Posters. The initial order of business would be to choose administrators, work out an acceptable voting system, and then select the first round of honorees. I'd mention some names but I'm sure I'd forget some worthy soul.

not core, but a Parislophile.

Last 5 years have been to Ghana, Lyon, Paris, Turkey and London. Turkey and Ghana were life altering, in some ways..Paris is life affirming.

Mix in trips within North America to above.

Paris is my comfort food (desert?)..I need variety, but I will always have special place for Paris.

This year there are talks of Yemen and Jordan. I also, by chance, received a flyer from someone I did business with in France. She is renting out what looks to be part of a old chateau, real cheap, near Reims. So...maybe a trip combo of Reims and area (driving) and Paris (walking and eating).

One of my to-do's this year is a bit more research on Paris. I am weak in many areas.

Well, sweetie darling, I will email my dear friend, Mimi (cigalechanta), and let her know that you are interested in her daily schedule.

She will probably be elated that one of the Great Unwashed sits on pins and needles waiting for her to post.

Thin, a simple Quaker

This is a hoot. LOL

the unwashed...or...non-lavées?

Jeez, Travelchat, now you've gone and done it. You insulted some eperts and anooters. Anyone who trolled the old AOL boards knows what I am talking about.

Michel_Paris,

Isn't the word you are looking for 'poilu'?

:^)

Well, I am so terribly upset by not being included in the "core" that I shall probably never post again.

Your post has given me the idea that we should formulate a Hall of Fame of Fodor's Posters.>

or a Hall of Shame and numero uno for that - Budman and all his aliases

"eperts and anooters"

Oh, Lord, the memories!

I am torn...to aspire to be a core, with the champagne brunches at the Ritz with Carla...her singing sweet nothings into my ear, while Shorty glares at me from the shrimp pile...or back to being a poilu.

Quelle dilemne.

What's an anooter?

I hadn't realized that Fodor's travel discussion forum become a branch of Facebook. What's the next topic? Whose got a crush on whom?

I believe that poilu refers specifically to the French W.W. I soldier. Perhaps the term should be la canaille.

I kind of enjoy not being told how uncultured I am. I wear my white sneakers with pride and dine at McDonald's on occassion.

Certainly not core here, but I do agree with kerouac's assessment of many posters. I've refrained from posting and likewise even reading to some extent because I'm befuddled by so many who seem almost anal about getting as much information as possible. Crickey! Half the fun of traveling is from exploring/experiencing things completely on your own. Personally I can't imagine anything more boring than arriving in Europe with lists from the fodor's 'experts' regarding every detail of my trip.

Okay,rant for today,I'm finished.

historytraveler, it's interesting you mention that. I've noticed loads of "anal," as you put it, postings lately. And minute-by-minute itineraries that are truly stupefying to read, never mind imagine in real life. Maybe when the weather gets better, people will relax a bit.

Poilu...unshaven?

I think once you've done a trip or two to Europe, you get a better appreciation of planning and overplanning. If people looked at my last Paris trip, they would think I was wasting my time over there. Get up, go to cafe, read paper, around 10ish get going. Long lunch with wine and desert. Evenings.. dinner and a wander..perhaps a movie.

I can't even plan my life at home on a schedule, what would happen if I tried to fit some other country into a template?
And those moments where instead of rushing around...letting something random happen.

I do like to go with a list of restaurants though. Call me a control freak

I must have been under the wrong impression about the purpose for this forum....thinking it was very useful to ask a specific travel questions hoping, those who might be in a position to answer with helpful information would.

I wonder if travelchat and some others are here just to drool over trip reports and travel vicariously reading them? Seems if one wants recommendations about food, hotels and apartments you could be reading all day long from all the previous posts and have lots of "entertainment" and a lot of "fodder" for another trip. Maybe it's just a long winter thing....

I'm still around and read what's going on nearly daily even if I don't always post. I do check my Paris hotel threads and try to keep them updated. I have been in the Lounge quite a bit lately and have been spending time on another dot com travel forum more lately.

I just need a change sometimes. I was a regular on the Asia forum for many years and then needed a change and was also on the Africa forum when I went off to Ghana, two years in a row. And on the Argentina forum when I went to Buenos Aires in Dec 2008. So, I migrate a bit. Smiles. Happy Travels!

Lowcountrycarol: I seldom read trip reports as that's not really my thing. But, there are folks who like to do so, which is fine. I'm on the forums to basically answer people's questions if I can. And I don't mind helping a poster plan his/her trip in detail if I have the time to help out. Everyone doesn't plan in the same fashion. Some posters only need a list of helpful ideas to go on and then will take things from there, while others need more help and details. Happy Travels!

"Is it an economic thing, fewer of you able to travel? How am I supposed to gather fodder for my next trip? Help!"

Hi travelchat,
The only sensible thing to do at this point is to offer them free airfare!

Well, this is turning into quite a discussion. Glad to see you all coming out of the woodwork. Yes, the grumpies, too. Apologies to Ira, lowcountrycarol (drooling is rather a harsh word, n'est pas?), St.Cirq and, of course, ThingorJus, the simper quacker, uh, I mean simple Quaker, for leaving you out of the hastily assembled list of what I think of as prominent contributors to the Europe Forum, "core" being a word used in haste, perhaps?

I'm not as adept at using all the different search tabs on the site as I could be, slightly computer disabled, I'm afraid. I'll try harder now, though.

I find merit in each trip report I read, from the painfully detailed to the brief overview, and appreciate the authors taking the time to submit. Having been to Paris several times, I'm open for others view points and look forward to suggestions of destinations as an excuse to stroll parts of Paris not known to me, but worthy of exploration.

Thank you, Kerouvac for being kind enough to say that things have quieted down on the Europe Forum this past year. I read your contributions and enjoy them so much.

Not to play the pity card, but this year I've undergone one minor and three major surgeries. Reading trip reports and threads, have gotten me through some rough days. I'm not drooling, I'm dreaming and planning my own future trip!

Some good points have been made here and I take all replies with a compliment knowing that there are a multitude of you out there with strong opinions, who care passionately and very individually about travel, as do I.

I have never once seen a thread go very well, that starts out by naming names. Doesn't matter whether you are complimenting, insulting, or just wondering where various individual posters are. This one is tame considering your OP!

Historytraveler and St. Cirq, I agree about the phenomenon you're referring to as "anal"; comes across as very needy to me, and it is tiresome reading those posts asking for yet more and more info about trivia.
Used to be that people wanted the "perfect village in Provence", and that's now become a quest for the perfect hotel, room in the hotel, restaurant, train trip, shoe, etc. How bad could a good hotel, etc., be, even if not the most perfect?

Glad it's just not me. If I never read another 100-post thread about sandal straps, it will be a good day.

I love answering posts and have for years, but lately, not so much.

And to the OP, I love writing trip reports, as evidenced by my many, many reports over many years. But I haven't been anywhere in an age, so don't have much to write about (well, I always have lots to write about, but not for Fodor's).

Ira,

I "core" you!

In defense of the anal, I have a friend who has not been able to travel for several years due to some lean times. He is now planning a very ambitious, detailed itinerary to Paris and Brussels. I think this is because he is so excited to be traveling again--and he is taking his elderly mother, this is her first trip abroad, the whole shebang. While he probably won't end up doing all the things he is planning for, I think imagining his vacation is giving him a great deal of pleasure. And I don't see anything wrong with that.

Leely, I don't see anything wrong with that, either. That's not the type of posts I or others (I think) are referring to. It's the incessant posts about what sandals to wear or the posts with itineraries that read "12:15-2:00 - Marais; 2:30 - 4:00 Ile St.Louis" that are suddenly appearing, and they're impossible to answer, among other things. Just truly obsessive planning and not normal. I understand that people have unusual circumstances that make them come on this board and ask for help - no problem there, and we are always willing to help - but lately there seem to have been a host of posts from people wanting truly stupidly detailed info about everything they should do on their trips. Doesn't anyone just figure some of it out for themselves anymore?

Not a big deal in the long run. I just ignore them for the most part and answer the people who want to know about canoeing on the Dordogne or whatever.

Some of the planning goes beyond overboard. I've gotten to the point where I'm expecting some of the people to ask what color the doorknobs of their hotel room will be and which way they turn.

Travelchat: As for whether it's an economic thing and fewer of us are traveling, well, for me, its always an economic thing to some point. But, I'm still traveling. I was in Paris and Italy in April 2009, Copenhagen and Paris in August 2009, and Bangkok in November 2009, and am on my way back to Paris very soon. I just travel differently due to the down economy. Depending on where I'm going, I might cut the vacation down in how many days I'll be away in order to save money and be able to take more vacations. Smiles. Happy Travels!

Yeh, I also hate to see the over-planners. I remember my old dad using a library of guidebooks, planning our European trips from our home in Saudi Arabia.

I think of some of these over-planners as black holes of need; no matter how much we tell them, they always come back with further questions. No matter how many websites and helpful resources we provide, they come back with a question that the sites would have answered.

I've also found that my response is cyclical. I lay off for a week or so, or longer, then get re-energized to reply more. But there is a definite decrease in my overall posting.

Of course -- there are also lots more folks replying now than there was when I started here, I think around about 1999. So back then, there was more work for me to do!!

s

travelchat - I have noticed not so much 'core' Fodorites(and I understand you to mean 'regulars' so don't have to pfffff...) but a lot of posters that were appearing often have virtually vanished altogether.
Names that come to mind are. Kybourbon -cherrybomb - hpeabody - basingstoke2 - Aduchamp1 - amwosu - yk - crefloors - LoveItaly - Scarlett - FainaAgain -CAPH52 - and AnselmAdorne, to name but a few.
I know travgina is peeping in now and again but wondered what happened to ggnga ?

Makes you wonder if they have drifted to other sites, are just not travelling, or like our dear Robespierre - have simply passed away.

Thank you for the topic - it makes a nice change from the same ol' things!

I believe that they are all fully occupied, tirelessly working on your behalf.

They have been attending the European fashion shows and are now researching flip flops, white sneakers, jeans, boob tubes, and the availability of coca cola light in Michelin *** restaurants. Some have set out on an expedition to find the end of the bridge from NY to Paris that some believe exists.

Peter

Actually, some of the people do not live here vicariously full time but only come back when they are planning a new trip.

...that would be someone like me. If we are lucky we get one trip per year. I wish I had more vacation and money....

I think the other big change is that there are some alternative/better sites for travel information. Who of us would not look to Tripadvisor for a quick check on a hotel and restaurant.

Who would not use Google Maps to see how close things are. FOr instance how often do we get "how long will it take to drive from a to b" and the answer will normally be Google +20% for being foreign.

I could be classified as one of those "I want all the information I can get" travelers. I refuse to call myself anal or overplanned b/c I'm not either of those.

I think for different trips and groups there are different needs. I'd love to sit in a cafe and people watch... however, my 6yo, 8yo and 9yo wouldn't be so happy at the time.

Thinking about recent questions: asking if Buren's columns in Palais Royal were open yet? Well, my 6yo has heard his sisters talk about them for 2 years and if they can't play on them, then I'll have a disappointed little guy. Which would mean that I'd start telling him now so he would expect it.

I do agree that some of the minute by minute itinerary planning is a bit much... but I understand why people are doing it...

>>>rbnwdlr on Mar 10, 10 at 3:36pm
Jeez, Travelchat, now you've gone and done it. You insulted some eperts and anooters. Anyone who trolled the old AOL boards knows what I am talking about.<<<

The old AOL boards? Now your talking "hard-core".

I do not post on any question regarding hotels and restaurants after a year. Yes, I understand the chef could leave the next day, or there could be infestation of bed bugs or Germans at any hotel but I thought I should have some set of capricious criteria.

Second as a regular on the NY and Spain board, but one does get a bit bored of answering the same questions.

"I am visiting NY, Barcelona, or Paris for the first time. What should I do? What should I see? My mother is 173 and my son is six months old, what can we do together?"

After a while, you let the polite people answer.

Bilboburgler: I agree that there are some better sites these days and there's much more access to travel information by internet than there was many years ago.

I like tripadvisor.com for the "Message" section that they have where a poster can contact another poster privately. I get a lot of messages from other posters through the "Message" section. By using it, one doesn't have to end up in the middle of all of the possible snarkiness. One can just ask a question to someone under the "Message" section and get an answer without possibly being attacked.

I had a poster who sent me a message just a few days ago about him/her not posting very much anymore because of just being tired of basically being attacked by others when asking a question instead of just having the question answered. The poster had read what I had written in defense of someone who had been attacked and sent a message to me to compliment me on jumping in in defense of the poster who had been attacked. Happy Travels!

I have been stalked by PM more than once on TA, though, as though I had been chosen to be a personal travel agent with each and every question by PM.

tod- At least 6 of those you asked about, I've read them in the Lounge recently. FainaAgain is around but has a new screen name.

Ok, what is this "Lounge" of which you speak?? Sorry if it is a stupid question. I'm on the Forum semi-regularly but am unfamiliar with it. Thanks!

It's one of the Fodor's travel forums. It's where people talk about things unrelated to travel.

Ronda, do you see on top blue letters "change forum"? Click on it for drop-down menu - the lounge is at the bottom.

Hi, Tod, hi, Suze! Never been to Paris, how did I get here?

I had to change my nick-name as Faina is my real name, I post mainly from work, and a co-worker got curious what is that site I'm always on. I announced in the Lounge about my name-change, so not to disappear. But I haven't posted on this forum for a while as I knew I won't be going to Europe any time soon.

Is "core" the new "inner circle?" I think we all have our favorite posters but many of us know how to find them without creating a new thread.

"I'm befuddled by so many who seem almost anal about getting as much information as possible."

There is nothing worse than a traveler who possesses no sense of adventure. "Anal" is the wrong word to describe overly needy people who lack confidence and possess a fear of taking chances.

"If I never read another 100-post thread about sandal straps, it will be a good day."

Walking shoes are not an item one should take a chance on. Shoe choice is a singularly important aspect of travel that one needs experience in order to determine the best course of action. A wrong pair of shoes can RUIN a trip.

Personally, I had to learn the shoe lesson the hard way because I love a great looking shoe with a heel. I feel frumpy and fat in flats even though I'm never frumpy and fat.

Many years ago, a world traveling fashion doyenne with sensitive feet like mine told me her secret: wear three different pair of shoes throughout a long day. This isn't a practical choice for anyone who wishes to travel with one bag.

I will never forget the agony of my early blisters. I really got sick and tired of painful, bleeding feet in Rome working to ruin my trip (and my shoes). I understand first-timer shoe concerns. Women who like to dress well and look a certain way in public need as much help as they can get, until they learn how do it right.

"I wonder if...others are here just to drool over trip reports and travel vicariously reading them?"

I see nothing unhealthy in living vicariously through someone else's travel experiences. I rarely read trip reports (I have plenty of my own) but I understand why some people enjoy reading them, regardless how badly they are written.

If you plan to travel over and over again, there's always a tidbit or two that can help bring you up to date. So reading the board often can better prepare you for future trips.

Answering the same questions over and over again does get dull and boring. Whether self-imposed or via the exquisite distinction of joining the exclusive Ban Club, taking a break from posting and cleansing oneself of some of the extreme negativity and ugliness one can find on this board (stay clear of the Lounge) is a good thing.

Dayenu -- THANK YOU. I thought I checked all the drop down menus before I asked the question, but obviously missed that one. -Ronda

Very interesting thread. I am not nearly as well traveled as some posters are, so I usually just take a peep here now and then.
Sometimes I chime in, sometimes I don't.
BTW, I aften go to Tripadvisor (Paris) and see Kerouac, djkbooks and a few others there.

"black holes of need"

I love it! perfect description

Not the enthusiastic posters who just want a lot of information . . . But the ones who start 30 threads all along the lines of "How to get from CDG to hotel abc", "How to get from hotel abc to xyz museum", "How to get from hotel abc to Versailles/Tower of London/whatever, "How to get from Versailles/Tower of London/whatever to museum jkl" -- couldn't they be in one or two threads asking about transport in London or Paris instead of all these one sentence questions?

Or - the ones who start 60+ threads -- all about the same trip? How do they even keep track of all that info overload???

Leely and Surfmom, your posts (and similar ones by others) are not the ones I was referring to.

Oh wow, no the "core" is not the inner circle. Just about everybody here hated me when I first started posting on Fodor's because I contradicted too many of the 'experts'. I remember some of the debates that got entire threads locked.

Now I am more or less tolerated.

janisj, they DON'T keep track of all those threads.. they disappear into another black hole!

I think Foders needs to upgrade it's site to include a more visible SEARCH function WITH a explanation on how it works.
A Foders for Dummies clickable link would suffice.


If posters would use the search function to research their trips and try Google then there would be fewer questions to complain about.. ?

kerouac, how modest! You are considered an absolute star by many.

kerouac - I can't believe you think you're only tolerated. Your posts inform and entertain - who could ask for more?

Mille mercis for your enthusiastic threads!

I like tripadvisor.com for the "Message" section that they have where a poster can contact another poster privately. I get a lot of messages from other posters through the "Message" section.

Fodor's has an equivalent. One can choose to post an e-mail address which used to be visible under the poster's name, and I do not understand why Fodor's decided to hide it when it upgraded the system; if an e-mail is included, the person is presumably willing to have anyone write to that address.

Sandals

The question is valid. As someone who accidentally stepped on the heel of a woman's thin-strap sandal while exiting the métro and thus destroying it, I would warn against any footwear that could easily suffer such a fate.

"Oh wow, no the "core" is not the inner circle."

Members of the Inner Circle knew the question was a joke and did not require an answer. One would think a would make that obvious.

"Just about everybody here hated me when I first started posting on Fodor's because I contradicted too many of the 'experts'."

Sounds like de rigueur behavior around here, where everybody on Fodor's pretends to be an expert and hates to be challenged. Give Jill another month and she'll be answering everyone's questions with tart replies: "No straps of any kind, ya newbie idiot!"

"I remember some of the debates that got entire threads locked."

I remember losing a few usernames by giving the bullies with big bullocks a taste of their own medicine. Now I just click the ignore button. I'm sure Fodor's appreciates that.

Kerouac, you bring some common sense to discussions. For example, you don't have to stay only in the 5/6/7th. And some neat picture projects on another site.

I would hope that we encourage people who live there to contribute, because it is the freshest information.

I still think there is a need for a Paris (and other locations) FAQ. I know that Robespierre used to have something like this. How do I get to XXX from the airport? What are my options for currency? Activities for children? Recommended appartment agencies...etc.

<< I still think there is a need for a Paris (and other locations) FAQ >>

Good idea but newbies won't read any FAQs, just as they don't read the Destinations section or search for prior posts on the same subject. It also seems that people read guide books any more. There are so many threads asking questions that are in almost every guide book.

"I am going to Paris for 24 hours. What should I see?"

I think people view the Internet as being more up to date or detailed than a guidebook, but as someone on another thread said, it's like trying to drink water out of a fire hose. There's nothing like a good guide book and a pad of sticky notes for planning a vacation.

I also don't understand the "this may be the only time we can do this so we have to see everything" mindset. I've been to Paris quite often over the past 10 years, but my best memories don't involve places on those checklists. As Anselm says, "Slow down, see less, feel more."

>>>I like tripadvisor.com for the "Message" section that they have where a poster can contact another poster privately.<<<

That's one of the negatives IMHO. When you answer a question on the board, it benefits thousands of readers for years. When you answer a private question, you benefit one person. If everyone used the message section, the forum would cease to exist.

NYCFoodSnob,

While I agree that 'anal' is not an appropriate term for

"overly needy people who lack confidence and possess a fear of taking chances"

The word can be applied to those that are so obsessed with details and nit-picking that they are annoying to others, and that descripition validates its use.

A just to assure everyone that I'm taking all of this with a grain of salt. I,also, like "black holes of need." Perhaps it's even a better description.

kybourbon~ The Private Mail offered thru Trip Advisor is a HUGE benefit. It does not take away from the forums, in my experience anyway. Rather give people a way to contact each other with details that aren't of use to the general forum, or are... well... private.

A few personal examples~~ I was able to get an address to mail a $100 contribution to a group of TA regulars who collect and donate food bags to the poorer colonies outside Cabo San Lucas.

Another time I met up with & gave a brand new pup tent that I didn't need to a couple visiting Seattle from the UK, so they didn't have to purchase one like they'd planned.

Also if I had a mildly negative experience with a business or condo owner but not bad enough that I want to "trash" them publicly on the internet, I can give my opinion privately to the person asking a question.

>>>Rather give people a way to contact each other with details that aren't of use to the general forum, or are... well... private.<<<

If it has nothing to do with the forums, fine. But guenmai and kerouac both implied they are using it to answer travel posts. Rex used to harp about this all the time and I didn't quite get it at first either, but if everyone just e-mails behind the scenes, then we are losing potentially valuable posts/info. I think he got a lot of off-board requests because he always posted his e-mail. He would either respond on the thread pertaining to the request or start a new thread to address the off-board request. This has come up before on Fodor's when there is talk of adding PM.

I'm not "core"-more "corpse" than "core". As "interesting " as this thread is it is a lot better than the freakin flip-flop thread.

Y'all are about the nasiest bunch of people I have ever encountered, nasty, rude, condesending, holier than thou, and all arond nasty. How Fodor's allows you to post is beyond comprehension.
janisj and kybourbon, especially the two of you!
Do you wait to see an opportunity and pounce? You are so both predictable and pathethic at the same time.

Off topic, but related: I bought a travel guide today, "Fodor's was a choice, but, I thought, no, those people are nasty, look again.

email me at cindyldoe@yahoo.com if you'd like to really hear from me.

I'm one of the anal ones. I've (unfortunately) planned three trips to Paris/France in the last three years, each of which were cancelled due a series of unfortunate health events in our lives. I'm now preparing for one next year. Given my recent history, I'm beginning to truly fear the thought I had leaving Paris 4 years ago that I doubted that I would ever get back.

I hope to eventually make it back again, and again, and again, so that I can eventually not have to plan. But realizing that there is an extremely large amount of Paris that I wasn't aware was literally around the corner from where I stayed makes me actually crave more information. For some reason, I have always found that having more information (whether or not I ever need to use it) is always better than plodding around ignorant.

Kybourbon: Everyone isn't going to only post messages in the "Message" section. However, it's an option if one feels more comfortable to ask a question there. I answer questions quite regularly on the forum. But, there are also many who post to me in the "Message" section and some of those have also posted in the forum.

I'm just there to answer the questions. Period. And I figure if someone wants to stay in a certain area or hotel and do X,Y,Z, then it's their vacation and prerogative to do so. Happy Travels!

Tarheel, TA only looks nicer because the mods have deletion mania there.

Kerouac's posts, and his photos in particular, are definitely hard "core". In a good way, not in a porno way.

Suze: I agree that the "Message" section can be a huge benefit. A poster posted a private message to me when I was answering someone's question about handbag buying in Paris. I was asked if I was coming to the monthly luncheon of the handbag club in my city. I didn't even know that there was one.

I was then given the e-mail address of the organizer and was invited to join them and have thus been to 4 months of lunch get togethers and have met some really great women of all ages and backgrounds and have had a blast. There are over 350 members and E-vites go out to us all before the monthly lunch meet. So, something really fun grew out of answering a question about handbag buying in Paris. Happy Travels!

"I was asked if I was coming to the monthly luncheon of the handbag club in my city. I didn't even know that there was one."

......... and you see this as a huge benefit ?

in jest

Peter

Definitely as the people that I've met have been so upbeat and downright fun....which is sometimes hard to come by in these cynical days. LOL! Happy Travels!

>Y'all are about the nasiest bunch of people I have ever encountered, nasty, rude, condesending, holier than thou, and all arond nasty.<

It is a great pleasure to know that all my hard work of being Satan's evil lapdog has not gone unnoticed!

I will truly try to exceed your expectations in the future.

From the bottom of the iceberg that sits in the middle of my chest, thank you so much!

Thin

"There are so many threads asking questions that are in almost every guide book."

If I may ask, what is the purpose of this site then. As I've become more acclimated to the features here, I try to use them. Unfortunately, many of the functions are not the best for searching. If you get too specific in your search, you get nothing. Too general, you get 150 threads to try to cull through, over half of which will likely have one post remotely similar to what you want in thirty. Extrapolate that out 4500 posts to review to find potentially ONE helpful comment. Or post your own question on a new thread and just simply deal with (or ignore) the elitist comments of the experienced posters and hopefully get some good information. An example, I searched for a specific apartment review on the Paris apartment thread and found nothing. Did a general search of the number here and on TA and found nothing, so I posted here. So far, no posts on the thread. I assume it must be rather new to the market, or it could mean that it violated some unwritten protocol here. I guess I'll never know.

Don't worry, if you had violated some unwritten protocol there would have been plenty of people to tell you about it.

Maybe no one has stayed there. I did see that thread but have not stayed there. And that was the question, not 'what is your opinion of this.' Maybe you should top it.

Nikki,

<< as "interesting" as this thread is it is a lot better than the freakin flip-flop thread.>.

A perfect example -- 100 plus posts and the OP will probably wear them anyway.

"tarheeltravler on Mar 11, 10 at 8:51pm
Y'all are about the nasiest bunch of people I have ever encountered, nasty, rude, condesending, holier than thou, and all arond nasty."

No, we are honest, direct, creative, witty and helpful. If you stay around long enough to know us, that is.

And doesn't matter how much you love your daughter, it's not Expedia's fault she over-slept her flight.

Nikki wrote: "Don't worry, if you had violated some unwritten protocol there would have been plenty of people to tell you about it."

And then it would no longer be an unwritten protocol.

I love it when threads collide! The entertainment value certainly increases ...

Those who are polite, who do some homework, and are reasonable are very rarely treated poorly.

The ones who encounter the most resistance are the ones who have not done an ounce of research and expect strangers to provide answers. And also those who have not even read the boards from that day or a previous day and ask the same questions.

This is a volunteer avocation and there are those who expect quick and complete answers, as if we were paid staff.

Unfortunately tarheel, there are nasty posters all over the internet. Your best bet is to ignore them. It will make you feel better, I guarantee it. I used to respond but now I don't.
I really can not fathom the reasoning behind nasty posters.
Life is way too short for such crapola.

Swimming in a pool of wannabe critics, control-freak advisors, and smart, well-heeled travelers can be treacherous. A key to survival, tolerance, and acceptance is a smart, clear thread title, a well-worded question, and just the right dose of gratitude. If you leave important details out, assume everyone is a mindreader, and/or show the slightest hint that you're too greedy, too cheap, too haughty, too opinionated, too tasteful, too educated, etc., you will feel someone's wrath. The thick-skinned are definitely more fun than the delicate types.

Well you can't have it both ways. People on this site encourage people to travel on their own, even first time travelers. I think there is a certain anxiety level for first time travelers, not knowing where anything is, not speaking the language, not knowing the transportation system, never eaten in a restaurant outside their native country, so they have a lot of questions. Some answers may not be clear to them so they come back to ask again.

Those who know London, Paris, Rome, etc., like the back of your hand because you have been lucky enough to have traveled those places many times over the years, need to realize that some are taking their first trip, and if the questions annoy, don't respond, or tell them to take a tour and not worry about it.

Having said that, I realize that some questions DO seem ridiculous, like "I'm going to Paris and what should I see?".

Perhaps we need a thread called "todays dumbest post" that we can discuss and maybe even vote on ?

!!!

Peter

Can you drink the water in USA ?

I have an old travel book that says only drink bottled water in USA.

Anyone have recommendations for the best travel water bottle ?

I am a red head- so it mustn't clash too much.

I suppose that as a hard core poster, I should warn you ahead of time that I have heard that the other place where my photo posts can be found is about to be completely reorganized, and I think that all of the links are going to break.

If so, I'll try to update pertinent links whenever I can, but you'll just have to put up with clicking on certain of my links and being sent to a bad place.

< Y'all are about the nasiest bunch of people I have ever encountered, nasty, rude, condesending, holier than thou, and all arond nasty. >

Then why do you post on this forum? I truly don't understand. If I felt that way about the people here I sure wouldn't hang around.

crefloors, you're right about that anxiety level. But to my mind, that's the good part of travel, you make decisions and you learn from the results. It takes you away from the comfort of familiar surroundings and you emerge a little bit different from your previous self, the whole point of the exercise really.

When it's obvious that posters haven't read even the most basic info before posting questions, it does look like laziness or feebleness. I have to say I enjoy an occasional note of asperity.

In the past seven years I have found this board to have terrific information that in many ways is far superior to any guidebook, so I am appreciative to those who respond. In my own way, I try to help on areas that I have visited, too, and for the most part, I think the questions posed on this board are valid and I'm happy to offer suggestions when I can.

This weekend I will wade through Stu Dudley's info on his 1,784 days in the Dordogne, Languedoc and Provence for our next trip (War And Peace looks like a short story in comparison). By the time I'm done, I should only have about 100 questions or so for the board.

I do have two posting rules for myself. I never post after a second martini and I'll never post about my cat dying again (well, it wouldn't be the same cat, of course).

All my fault, tom.

do you post about miracles and found cameras ? : )

thanks grandmere : )

oh, I once asked a somewhat obscure post about how to get to the Rose Bowl the 'back way' without all the traffic. The advice (may have been mtt. may not have been mtt.) was spot on and was great!

I have a few pet peeves:
1) the people that never post anything after the fact about recommendations (ooh, altho I'm somewhat guilty since I have a trip report started and not much more).

2) the people who ask a question and then argue about the responses. (what do you mean I can't do the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay, and Versailles in one day ? You don't understand my travel style).

3) the people who turn innocuous (sp?) threads into political rants. (ie. will I need a fleece in the Arctic Ocean in July? response: only if you are a <insert name calling political oriented post here.

oh yeah, one more: people who can't spell itinerary. it is phonetic. try it.

"All my fault, tom."

No problem Kerouac. Looking forward to visiting some different areas in Paris next time thanks to your website.

"do you post about miracles and found cameras ? : )"

Absolutely! The mysteries of travel and the predicaments we seem to find ourselves in on every trip is what makes traveling so fun and each trip unique.

Tarheel honey bun . . . . OK - you hate me -- fine. But why? Honestly - curious. Is it your tragic thread over on the air travel forum?? I was one of the LEAST ornery ones posting on that one. Every single other poster agreed that your daughter and you were wrong and that Expedia did nothing wrong. They tried to explain the reason to you and you'd have none of it. You were "RIGHT" and everyone else was wrong. So several did slap you around pretty good (sort of deserved because of some of your responses IMHO). I didn't. You were entirely out of line and really lucked out because your SIL had pull.

So hate me if you want -- but don't make a fool of yourself w/ these rants. And kybourbon??? What has she ever done to you?????

I think sometimes for newer posters people can seem to be "mean" here at first. I made the mistake of mentioning specific names of posters I particularly like in an early thread of mine, and was chastised mightily for doing so. The thread was even locked out. Not knowing all the history of the Lounge area at the time (I still don't, but am not sure I care), I had a hard time understanding that, as my intentions were not nefarious. But I can see where others would not know that when seeing someone new post all of a sudden.

Overall though I have found people on Fodors to be very helpful in many areas, even when I ask "dumb" questions.

I don't post a lot (certainly wouldn't qualify for the "Core" group, but then I got cut from my high school basketball team and that didn't feel so bad either). But to the point -- my family and I made a 4 week trip to France last summer and many many of the places we went or the B&B's where we stayed were recommended by people on this forum -- and every single last one of the recommendations turned out fabulously. We had been to France before but having so many people point us to places we would not have known about -- well, it was a fantastic trip and I am forever grateful to all those who answered my questions and to those who unknowingly aided my trip. When I returned I wrote a long trip report about all that we did and thanking those who had helped (not by name but in general). Just my 2 cents here but I do appreciate all who post. Hey if it bores you, ignore it, there are plenty of posts with information you can use.

Crefloors: I agree with your comment. Many of them just do have a certain, first time anxiety level, and also just a level of high excitement which can lead to them going overboard with the questions.

Last week, a regular poster on tripadvisor recommended that a newbie contact me in the "Message" section. I was contacted and the poster asked about apartments in Paris as she/he will be taking her/his first overseas trip next fall and will be staying only in Paris. I could tell by the questions that were asked that there was a lot of anxiety and excitement going on.

I was asked about a few apartments,throughout the day, and I looked them up and commented, and then by the end of the evening there was a list of about 10 that I was being asked about. I knew I didn't have time to look up each one, so I just mentioned that to the poster that I always say to newbies that I feel that too much time and concern is placed on what the apartment looks like, as one will probably not be in it that long anyhow since one will be out exploring Paris. I didn't get angry or anything. For what?

The poster came back and agreed with me and admitted that she/he had had some free time that day and just kind of spent it on the computer looking at the different apartments. It was the excitement of planning for that person. I then added that if there were any other Paris questions, in the future, to feel free to ask. And all ended on a good note. Happy Travels!

I'm back

Kerouac manages to offend just about everybody as he preens with Katie Holmes, accompanied by the Fodor's chorus dancers.

http://tinyurl.com/yl5vt4o

LOl, thanks for bringing back that site. We had such fun the last time you posted it and we made a film for you.

I've been reading and posting on here since 2000 or before. I think back when you could post with a different name each time people could be nastier.

I hope this thread hasn't driven away some of the most helpful posters. I've only made 5 overseas trips so am by no means an expert, but even I skip over the tiresome questions that start about February every year for spring in Paris. I also only skim the trip reports that tell me what seat someone was in flying out of Boston, and what their salad was made from in Sarlat.

However, I have noticed also, a lessening in posts by the names I was most familiar with. It's also been happening on the few stock chat boards I used to read. Maybe we're all just getting older.

May I reiterate my note from a few years ago that without the info provided by Stu, Underhill, St.Cirq, Cigalechanta, Ira, and a few others, my trips to France would not have been nearly so wonderful.

Janisj, I've read your every post on Scotland, in hopes I can return there in a couple years.

Maybe the Fodors site does need to provide a 'newbies' intro that shows how to use the Search feature. Those Left Bank hotel questions are an example.

Yes, there can be a lot of Left Bank hotel questions, which is why I started both the Left Bank and Right Bank hotel threads and try to read the forum almost daily to see if newbies have popped up asking about hotels. Then I can mention the thread to them if they need more hotel ideas. Happy Travels!

I noticed that you mentioned my name in a post, tod. I have never been able to give any advice regarding Paris or any other part of France as I have never visited France. I do enjoy reading about Paris and all of France however.

I use to post more regarding Italy but I have rather lost interest due to a "I have lived in Italy for three years" poster that jumps in to argue and really insults so many long time posters that have travelled throughout Italy many times including StCirq, Bobthenavigator, StuDudley, me and others. I have even sent a few threads to friends in Italy that speak and read fluent English and they have laughed about some of her comments. Said poster even commented on one thread that she has changed her name 5 times on Fodor's and 3 times on the SlowTrav website. So she has taken over and destroys so many lovely threads about Italy, sadly.

LoveItaly ........

I share your feelings.

Giving advice as a resident is a bit of a dilemma ?

I lived in UK for 30+ years and have now lived for 20+ years in other countries, whilst visiting 40+ countries along the way.

I don't feel that I should comment on UK, although I used to know it well (drove 80,000 km each year for business).

Similarly, I drove 15,000 miles in US including the 66 and PCH 20 years ago - but is it relevant today ?

I was then based in Europe visiting 2 or more countries each week, but it was a while ago. Similarly for the Far East in the 1990's.

I've been resident in Languedoc for the last 10 years. I have frequent visitors and know the area quite well, but I haven't stayed in a local hotel for over 10 years. I can give 3rd party info, and tell people where to look for more info. I know how long it takes to drive from Nimes to Marseille. I keep up with local air routes. I have rather (too) accurate info about local speed cameras !

So - is my advice better than that of someone who toured Languedoc for 3 weeks last year ?

There are people who post here often about Languedoc, and I'm not sure they've ever left their home state in US.



A dilemma !

Peter

Travelchat, I agree, it does seem as if there are fewer of the "meatier" postings lately. I couldn't even begin to guess why, except that I have also noticed more of what in libraryland is termed as "ready reference".

Who knows whether it's the lack of an advanced search feature, or something else? In any case, to name just a few, I can honestly say that without this board we wouldn't have visited many backroad places if we hadn't read Rickmav's report on Italy, seen Croatia in the off-season without Tracy's or Sessa's encouraging posts, experienced 10 days in the Dordogne without StCirq's accurate advice, or decided to attack Normandy (and several other places) on our own without the support of Stu's detailed driving directions.

I am forever grateful and eternally hopeful that the tenor of this board stays the same so that all here have a similar opportunity to enrich their travels in such a positive, uplifing, and supportive way.

As for those who depend on this board to score points, bicker, and cause trouble in general, well, I'm guessing they just don't understand the theory of bad karma.

--Annie

"There are people who post here often about Languedoc, and I'm not sure they've ever left their home state in US".

Exactly how I feel. And they are usually very assertive !

Well, travelchat, you no doubt did not get any new info for your next travel destination but replies to your post did turn into an interesting read. Cannot compare as I chose to skip the strap/no strap debate but I can only guess this turned out to be much more interesting.

I do sincerely hope that you will be back to your travels and forgive me if I was a bit harsh in my response to your post....do not know what came over me....can I blame seasonal affective disorder?

LoveItaly, I always thought that tart-lipped, greasy, stale fritter was a guy, a Mussolini-loving closeted GAY guy, a braggadocio misogynista who especially didn't like women who traveled with more than one bag to comfortably fit all her fashion extravaganzas. I'm shocked, absolutely shocked: that garrulous sfinge may actually be a woman. (I'll bet she looks like a man and has a mustache.)

Honestly, after reading this:

"Most of the men I know don't do any of those things (I'm probably unusual in the kind of men I know.)...Almost all my male friends are artists of one sort or another: paint, sculpt, musicians. None play sports other than fitness activity. None drink beer. All drink wine."

Doesn't get much gayer than that. But what do I know about gay? Fodor's. A great place to learn new things.

LOL, NYC.

At some point the subject poster mentioned a husband so I assumed that the poster was a woman..but you may well be correct. And yes, I do know what "they" say about assuming. In any case I find the poster to be a PITA.

Funny, NYCFS.

Nope, the critter from Camogli is definitely female.

I aspire to become a core Paris fodorite.

Me too ncounty. No traveling for me lately, last trip was Paris in Nov. 2006, but hopefully I can work on my core designation before too much time passes.

So what you are going for is to be a member of the core corps.

"Most of the men I know don't do any of those things (I'm probably unusual in the kind of men I know.)...Almost all my male friends are artists of one sort or another: paint, sculpt, musicians. None play sports other than fitness activity. None drink beer. All drink wine
________________________________

The artists, musicians, and writers I know drink whatever some else brings. And they eat stale impaled cheese at openings because it is free. And I guess I qualify as an artist and writer and I love playing competitive sports including hockey.

I am only here because someone mentioned my name and I visit Paris once a decade whether I want to or not.

And I am not sure what any of this has to do with the price of tomatoes.

P.S. I always thought the name Stu Dudley was really a Chevy Chase character from one of his dreadful movies.

NYC said:
NYCFoodSnob on Mar 13, 10 at 2:24pm
"LoveItaly, I always thought that tart-lipped, greasy, stale fritter was a guy, a Mussolini-loving closeted GAY guy, a braggadocio misogynista who especially didn't like women who traveled with more than one bag to comfortably fit all her fashion extravaganzas. I'm shocked, absolutely shocked: that garrulous sfinge may actually be a woman. (I'll bet she looks like a man and has a mustache.)"

Next time you do a post like that, do preface the post with a pre-post notice not to be drinking anything when reading your post. Bubbles from the soda coming out of my nose hurts.

You never know who people are, simply because someone (the person to whom you refer) did mention in one of the aliases that she had a husband in NYC (and I'm sure he remains there for good reason) and an 81 y.o. mother in Portland, who I guess decided that she wanted to stay in Portland rather than travel with daughter to Italy. Smart choice.

"Bubbles from the soda coming out of my nose hurts."

That's interesting. Personally, I thought my funniest line was "But what do I know about gay?"

"You never know who people are"

That's true, which is why I don't care what the sfinge and other bloggers think of me. I have many, many years of actual travel experience, from convent-staying-cheap to five-star luxury, and I love telling my veteran show business truth on the internet in a way I wouldn't do in real life. It took a minute or so to get used to the doubting Thomases but now I think of them like I think of my cousins back in Ohio. What do they know?

I spend limited time here on Fodor's so most usernames and threads escape my attention. I learned to ignore the hypocrites and the two-faced bullies who pretend to be sweet, I don't waste my time on the hyper partisans, the heavy drinkers tend to make me laugh, and I accept the fact that travelers come in all colors, shapes and sizes. There's something for everyone here and that's a good thing.

In all fairness, most of the raging hemorrhoids on this board do, occasionally, offer useful advice. I've been on this board since 2003 and I NEVER tell someone how to travel. I simply tell them how I travel. Readers can take it or leave it.

Fodor's is very lucky to attract such generous people and provide the "core" and the rest of us with some well-designed bandwidth. Happy sharing, everyone!

Kerouac, may I just say that your video was one of the funniest things that I have seen in a long time. I am in awe of your intelligence and humor - I enjoy both Indian musicals and the Fodor's board but I would never have thought to connect the two.

I found travelchat's post interesting because while I am not a core poster, I was a core lurker. I used the board to get my "Paris fixes" in between my annual visits. But now that I have gone back to college full-time (to study le francais, bien sur) I rarely visit. But I am still grateful for all of the Fodor-ites (inner-core and outer-core) who made my early Paris trips so much easier.

Off to finish my essay on L'enfant noir.

Lol, thanks for the laugh kerouac!

Actually, I thought I was one of Fodor's important posters until this event happened last night. Heartbreaking and humbling!!!

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/movie-uk-5a19606ae978c952bb29f1705ebb847d.html

maitaitom,

I am kind of late to the party but will say in defense of at least a few of the needy, first trips or trips you know won't be repeated can make one very nervous. While I will spare you here in the European forum, I am about the worst sucking black hole regarding information about Japan. I've never been, given my age and health and preference for European travel, I doubt I will be back and I don't want to miss anything I can help missing. I think the language thing gets to me as well. Unlike German and French, where I at least feel comfy with the letters, they use Kanji and Hiragana. I'll never learn Kanji, but I have been taking classes online in Hiragana. While I do read English is widely available in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, I plan to spend a bit of time in the Kiso Valley, a place I would never have heard of had not someone been a black sucking hole for information and dragged the info out of a frequent poster.

Everywhere is like that, full of interesting places just round the corner or a short ride away. Residents and regular visitors don't mean to hide them. Probably they just take them for granted because they hear about them and see them so often, but for those of us who must make one trip really count, well...we want to hear about them.

And, unfortunately, with our overall lack of foreign language training in the US, I expect many people feel as nervous about Europe as I do about Japan.

TravelinGert

I've not been to Japan, but I believe they favour flip flops.

Have a great time.

Peter

Kerouac, your film clip is hilarious (LOL)! Leave it to you to come up with something so perfectly apt.

Guenmai, your comments are appreciated, always coming from a sincere wish to be helpful.

lowcountrycarol, appreciate your reply. I know just what you mean, suffering as I do (from SAD) during this very cold Chicago winter, which can't come to an end too soon.

Maitaitom, looking forward to your next marvelous trip report, from wherever you may wander.

To the many of you on this board that so generously share your travel expertise and experience , I thank you.

kerouac and Maitaitom, perfect! Even my husband got a laugh out of the clips, and he has no idea what goes on with Fodor's.

Maitaitom, your acting was outstanding. I felt your pain. Also, I have always wondered what one of "Tracy's looks" was like, and now I know. (retty mild, actually.)

HAHAHA

It was so much fun shooting that film with Kerouac. I'm the third girl from the left, wearing yellow. He wore us out, though, wanting to do take after take.

Peter, I think you were the one who turned us on to Sete a few years ago, and Les Halles. (unless it was someone else) We loved it, anyway.

Thanks, Travelchat. Happy Travels!

Maitaitom: such a tragic little clip, reminding us as it does that most of us will never ever be core.

"Maitaitom: such a tragic little clip, reminding us as it does that most of us will never ever be core."

So near, yet so incredibly far.

stokebailey ........

It would probably have been me.

I had an excellent knowledge of supermarkets, bars and restaurants in coastal towns (limited to 1km from the marinas !).

I used to moor in Sete for the July 14th festival with the nautical jousting, etc.

I've now sold the boat so visit these places by car.

Peter

I wonder if I was a core fodorite for attractions 1km from marinas between Hyeres and Barcelona ?

I think we should all have our core specialities. Mine just happen to be in places hardly anyone wants to visit.

I'd rather get outdated recommendations about less-traveled areas than none at all. It's not helpful to hear raves about a Paris restaurant that went under last year, for instance, but an obscure countryside village isn't likely to have changed much five years later.

I, personally, have considerably "evolved" after many years of contributing on various travel forums, due to the wealth of "insider" tips and recommendations I found, not found anywhere online or in any of the printed tour guides.

Frankly, I no longer "give up" my best recommendations to those who just cannot be bothered to do any research whatsoever on their own (or even search the web, along with the amazing forums), particularly those who claim they have, but obviously have not.

Especially curious is that the OP yearns for contributions but does not contribute...

Thank you travelchat for adding yet another dimension to this forum. The je ne sais quois that is "core" has devolved into yet another round of whining, and aren't you sorry you brought it up?

kerouac and Tom, you are the bombs!

djkbooks:
If you check on my name you will find a Northern European trip report from November 2007 as well as several comments regarding hotel and group travel recommendations. I've been a little timid to submit, since there are so many others with much more experience and better writing skills than I, but I have trie to do my best.

Actually, what I "yearn for" is the opportunity to contribute further. And, as my health and the stock market improve, I will get there, I hope, I hope, I hope!

TDudette:
Whining, schmining - ehh! So what? Those entries I ignore. I have really enjoyed all the positive comments, differing points of view and those hilarious clips from Kerouac and MaiTaiTom. I'm amazed that my query has evoked the response it has.

I can honestly say that I've learned a lot from this forum, particularly better ways to put together a trip report. There are hotels I've earmarked in Rome and Paris for future stays, city walks and destinations I've copied into my trip file. Give and take is not always going to be equal, is it? And, in the long run, does it really matter?

that is...tried to do my best. Oops!

In fact, Kerouac and I are in secret negotiations to make a movie about a little known restaurant in the 20th arrondissement. It revolves around a patron who orders dessert, but it never comes. The working title is "Waiting for Gâteau."

Cool. Will there be a car chase?

Well, Kerouac and I got into an argument about the movie, because I wanted the people in the restaurant to be sent back in time to the French Revolution right after they ordered their dessert. My title was "Waiting for Gâteau: Let Them Eat Cake," but Kerouac said that was going too far. As producer, Kerouac will have to fill you in on the car chases. We have a limited budget as you can see from the acting in the movies we directed above.

Kerouac and Maitaitom decide to "moderate" their behavior.

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/v2/play.php?id=139993

Brilliant! You can see why I defer the final movie decisions to kerouac (man, those moderators are strict).

Kerouac, Maitaitom, and Moderator walked in a bar...

Oh, wait, no, they hit the road!

Ah, never mind, wrong joke!

Stokebailey, apparently yes, there is a car chase.

and anyone who wants information on Languedoc, visit mpprh, Peter's site, he knows where to go and stay
I'd love to hit the bars with Mait and Kerouac but I have a feeling kerouac does not drink much???

Cigale, I just wrote this on that other site where we are anxiously awaiting your return:

[i]Oh, this Skyy vodka on the rocks with a slice of lime must be stopped immediately.[/i]

kerouac, where?