How do i find my messages sown the side once sent?

Click on your name at the top of the left column or in any message.

Rich

Once you have logged in...

Good catch!

Rich

Well, you learn something new every day. I always knew you could find all your posts by clicking on your name at the top of any of your posts, but never realized that you could get them just by clicking on your name way up at the top where it says: "welcome". In fact it took me a few minutes to figure out just where Rich meant by "top of the left column". He meant -- way at the top.

This cannot go to the top too often...

I wish fodor's could pin posts like this . . .

I have made a suggestion on several other threads, and wonder if a writing campaign would make a difference. They can and should send this as part of the "welcome" to every new registrant. And then monitor the first post made by any new registrant, and send it as a reminder again, at the time of the first post. And maybe even again at the time of a reply to that person's first post.

While they are at it, they could provide some gentle education/feedback, when a new registrant makes a first post with a message header like "Help!"

Rex - I'm all for an email campaign to change what "newbies" are given when they register.

Unfortunately, I think most people would not read any info beyond a few lines of text.

And I'm guessing fodor's would not be willing to police subject lines, though one can dream . . .

Anyway, topping for marlow!

I don't know - - the URL of a new registrant's first-ever post could be virtually the first line. And even if they didn't read it... they might think to go back and look at the e-mail again at some point in time - - especially if it had a subject line something like:

"Thanks for posting on Fodors.com; here's how to find your post again"

The "Post a New Message" page desperately needs to at least tell them that picking a search topic does not send the message to JUST THAT COUNTRY and to tell them something about picking a subject line.

It should boldly say that PLEASE HELP ME and RESTAURANTS are among the least useful subject lines and hurt their chance of getting good results. Then it should give an example of a good subject line.

I don't blame new people for messing that up, Fodors is at fault.

If a few of the Fodor's employees actually used these Forums, they would quickly see easy changes that would make it much more functional and friendly.

Keith

Actually, that's a great idea Keith! Putting the help in big letters right where it would be used might get the point across.

I'll email fodors today - anybody else?

I have campaigned in the past; just cite the URL to THIS thread in your e-mail. The opinions of "fresher" contributors will matter (perhaps); the additional two cents of others added to this thread will get noticed if it is cited in your e-mail to them.

The question will always boil down to how does spending money on this website help their (Fodors; RandomHouse) bottom line? Have you bought a travel guide book lately?

It's a tough business to be in; it's surely not cheap to produce (and keep up-to-date) a high quality book, and since 9-11, how many fewer buyers are there? Especially when the competition is the (free) internet.

Success in making this a better forum will be bittersweet; 250 active threads each 24 hours is the norm, and has not changed all that much in several years (it's actually down somewhat in the 13 months since registration started).

How would _you_ gauge "success" here if you had the job of "managing" this web site? (other advertising revenue, I guess; viewership that they can deliver to other advertisers); if you _could_ ratchet it up to 500 active threads active in a given 24 hour period, it would be a different place. Could you then set a new target of 800? 1000?

Not too fast, you couldn't...

Has anyone ever seen Fodors.com advertised on anybody ELSE's website? to get other newbies to come here?

I still have no idea how people find their way here. Just from Fodors books?

I found my way here by personal referral/invitation from Ben Haines (because I was modestly active on lonelyplanet.com ThornTree; I found that, in turn by reading about it in USA today one random day).

>The question will always boil down to how does spending money on this website help their (Fodors; RandomHouse) bottom line? Have you bought a travel guide book lately?


#1 It is a good source of info for Fodors to use in the guides.

#2 The quality of this site suggests the quality of the guides and sells (or doesn't) sell them.

#3 It shouldn't be costing very much.

Keith

Clicking on the name at top left only seems to bring up a selection of the messages you have sent; and there is complete memory loss after you go back more than nine months.

Strangely, for me the request for all messages posted on the Asia Forum brought up the listing for Europe.

You can also try putting your name in the SEARCH window.

Well, it's 13 months, and a half, to be precise, harzer. That is when registration started.

Searching a name works for old posts if your name is unique.

I can find all of my posts by searching "rbmd" though some of the most recent ones do not show up, anytime there is an indexing lag.

I do not believe that clicking on your name can miss anything that you have posted since registration began. And yes, it combines all of your posts regardless of the forum.

to the top, for dean...

sometimes I feel this thread should be topped daily...

are you my brother??

toping . .