Hi everyone,

About half a year ago I started a thread called <b><i>Suggested generic query</i></b>:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34920582

The purpose of that thread was to let new and inexperienced forum members know some ways in which they could make it easier for other posters to answer their questions. There are some ways of expressing an enquiry that make it challenging for someone else to answer the question.

Now I thought I would turn the tables, and invite everyone to contribute to a list of respondents' habits that drive you bonkers when you are the one making the enquiry.

On this forum, I answer questions far more often than I ask them. Because I rarely ask questions and usually answer them, it's difficult for me to see myself as others see me. Perhaps I annoy other people without knowing it.

By the way, I probably should include one caveat here. The people who answer questions on this forum are <b><i>volunteers</i></b>. They are not <b><i>paid</i></b> to answer questions. Therefore I think there are limits to the quality control measures one could hope to introduce here. Yes, the unpaid volunteers around here sometimes do slip up. But hey, the price of their advice is right, so deal with it.

But, supposing those of us who provide advice around here were amenable to continual improvement, what would you want to tell us if you had the chance?

Judy - my advice would be to go back and review the response postings of a Forodrite called Judy_in_Calgary and use those as a model. The only real problem with that is that most of us could never hope to match the knowledge level she obviously has.

Seriously, I think there are three basic guidelines for a good response:

1. Try to be factual
2. Try not to be critical
3. Try to answer the question the OP asked

Good idea Judy, and great suggestion dwooddon....

No one wants to feel they've asked a &quot;stupid&quot; question so if I'm asking for advice I hope someone gives me the benefit of the doubt, and assumes a tone that is kind, patient and clear when they respond.

PLEASE read the additional info, which hopefully will be in the poster's question. It drives me crazy when someone replying asks for info that's already there eg: time of trip, kids or not, activities desired, etc. Perhaps some of us get use to reading posts that don't include details that we overlook them when included.

Be a little careful when you critique a previous poster's information. Unless you believe that the respondent's information will actually cause trouble for the OP, keep in mind that it is your opinion versus that of another in most cases. Don't jump in just to be critical.

I am always wary of the poster who says &quot;I have to disagree with...&quot; Why do you? Is it clearly wrong inormation or simply a difference of opinion?

There are better ways of providing an alternative POV e.g. phrases like: &quot;In my experience (IME), the weather in June is...&quot;, In my humble opinion, (IMHO) __________ gave good value for money.&quot;

It does seem sometimes, that folks who KNOW a place are a little too quick to provide the definitive answer even to questions that are not finite. This happens way more often on the Canada and US Forums than on most others, for obvious reasons.

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This happens way more often on the Canada and US Forums than on most others, for obvious reasons.
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The reasons are not obvious to me. What are they?

My tip would be to not respond at all if you don't like the question because

a. you think the question is silly
b. been asked too many times
c. not titled/phrased the way you want
d. etc.

I've seen some very abrupt responses which are highly critcal of the poster, mainly on the Europe forum. There's even been huge threads on the issue defending/debating these responses on that forum.

ShelliDawn: Sorry, you are quite correct I should have finished the thought.

I THINK that in Canada and the US Forums (because that is where the majority of Fodorites live) there tends to be an air of the superiority of proprietary knowledge, sometimes. This happens less in Europe and Asia et al, simply because fewer Fodorites actually reside there.

I know, for example, that I have to check myself when I see travelers who have been to MY city (or one of the far-too-many in which I have lived...sigh...) commenting on something that they have experienced and I feel differently about, I have a tendency to feel that MY knowledge trumps theirs.

But that should not be the case. First, their experience may be more up-to-date than mine. Second, mine is that of a resident and not of a tourist. These can be two very different things and we are writing here for travelers.

I know this is not expressed as well as it might be, but I hope you see what I mean.(And I thought your subsequent point well put-I WANT the Cananda Forum to be as welcoming as I perceive my country to be! Don't answer JUST to carp!)

Wow. How thoughtful, in every sense of the word! I wish I had read your &quot;suggested generic query&quot; before posting my question about rail travel next summer. I did okay, but could have done much better with your advice. I'm going to print it out and keep it in my travel file for the next time I have a Fodorite question. It's great!