What is this? I see it popped up by another message I posted.

Sarah,

The Fodorite lounge is a place that threads can get out of hand and sometimes VERY VERY NASTY AND PERSONAL!!

Some of the threads are fun to read and see some of the regulars go at each other. Allot of the nastiness is of a polictical bent!!

Tom

But I asked about sunscreen and my thread ended up there? I did not send it there?

Most threads in the Lounge were posted there in the first place. But when the editors see a thread they don't think is all that travel-related -- they move it to the Lounge.

That is what happened to your thread . . . .

Thanks Janisj

It's a place where other areas, some somewhat related to travel, some not, are discussed. And yes, sometimes it gets nasty and political--I just ignore the political nasties--what's the point, this website is supposed to be people helping each other, not putting each other down. But sometimes the discussions there are heartfelt and interesting.

The threads on the Forum are dominated by American politics and mind-numbing domestic trivia ("Do you own a stinky front-load?", "My cat just died&quot. There seems little interest in non-American topics, which suggests that many regulars have no interest in travel per se.

Some right-wing posters succeed in sabotaging otherwise good discussions by goading the others into an exchange of insults until the editors shut down the thread. I think this is a deliberate tactic, although the editors seem to be ruling with a lighter touch lately.

Neil, I am certain your own initiated posts would be more than welcome in the lounge.

You cannot possibly tell me that cats never get lost in Australia!

I've noticed that many of the more reactionary/insulting responders haven't even been to Europe, which I guess figures, which is why I think it's much more interesting to "hang out" here.

It can be fun - but it is VERY American.

So expect a lot of God bothering and prattling about cats.

Actually, one of the most frequent political posters in the lounge has been to Europe, and more than once.

auder est facere - what a silly and stereotyping post.
I am american and neither "God bother" nor "prattle about cats".

The lounge can be fun, just -as with any other forum - skim over the threads to see if you find something that interests you.

auder est facere - what a silly and stereotyping post.
I am american and neither "God bother" nor "prattle about cats>>>>>

Don't tell the other yanks - you'll end up in Guantanemo.

Sarah,
The tone of this thread about the Lounge sort of describes the Lounge itself, and the good thing is it allows the travel-related forums, like this one, to be freer of non-travel topics.

So your post about sunscreens may well have been moved there, but may have stayed here in the Europe forum if you attach a travel, Europe-related theme to the post! (Just a survival technique). It can be hard to wade through all the rantings on the Lounge to find your lost thread!

But since this is a lounge related thread, I can't resist reminding audere that one of the big recent cat threads on the Lounge recently was opened by a Brit (and debated hotly by another Brit!)

Oh yes, how could I forget? One tip for the lounge - never ever use the phrase "it's just a bloody cat".

There are times when the obviously exclusionary discussions about European sports teams complete with smug posters thinking how much fun it is to converse in jargon nobody else can (or really cares to waste time trying to) understand as well as the threads which amount to little more than private e-mail exchanges could be moved to the Lounge.

IMO it isn't any worse than this forum in some respects.

The Lounge is just a chatty forum on a wide variety of topics and yes, it does get a little heated occasionally but often it's very helpful and lots of fun.

To say that the people who post on the lounge don't travel or have no interest in traveling is just silly -- you'll find their posts all over the travel boards. As well, many posters offer excellent information about their own cities and countries.

It's possible, I find, for one to travel and also to participate in non-travel discussions. We do it every day of our lives.

Not to mention the complete isolationist attitude of many American posters who really aren't interested in anything other than NASCAR and men in tights.

They prattle on about things that no one in the rest of the world understands - whilst belittling the most popular sport on the planet.

Then they go and polish their guns and count their bibles.

Put it this way if you though that American Idiot was just the title of a Green Day album - spend some time in the lounge.

audere, you need to be quiet now. You are giving yourself a very bad name.