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I'm a Newbie
I heard you are a rough crowd so may I please ask these questions?
What is the correct way to head a post? What is the correct way to word a post? Must I read several quide books and do research online before asking questions? Thank you |
Welcome to Fodor's, travelaway! Where on earth did you hear that we're a rough crowd? Actually we're as soft as butter and very willing to answer your travel questions, well most of us fit that description. For tips on posting, read the FAQ at:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/faqs.cfm |
No, it is not a rough crowd. There are just a few rough people in it. :)
The correct way to head a post is to be as specific as possible. Example of a bad heading: "HELP!" Example of a good heading: "Looking for a good Paris hotel under 150 Euros" (after which, you explain in your message that you have already researched previous threads on this subject.) You do not have to read several guides and do research online before asking questions, but there is not a lot of patience for people who prefer to do NOTHING except ask questions without looking at even the most basic information that is available. You're welcome. :) |
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It is not so much that Fodorites are a rough crowd as it is a large crowd so there is a rough minority, but most of us are marshmallows, really, and we all were newbies at one time. So ultimately, like your favorite college prof. would say, "the only dumb question is the one you don't ask."
Head a post - boil your question down to 4 or 5 words Word a post - be specific and give us as much info about where you are at with your decision making as you can. On-line research - by all means - just like anything else on the Internet - anything you read on this thread is subject to all the frailties of humankind - so you should try to verify any info you see here with other sources, if possible. SEveral guide books? Well, no, but the guide books will help you focus on areas you find you need extra info on, and that is where this thread can really help. The only time I've seen things get rough here is when somebody asks a qustion that is answered in a lot of places.. Example: I just traveled for the first itme to Paris. Every guide book, every chat room, every web site, plus anyone who has ever travelled to Paris all unanimously state that the Metro system is easy. But every once in a while, someone will post a question: "I've heard the Metro is impossible, and my husband just won the lottery and wants to take me there and stay in a five-star hotel, but I'm scared, so what should I do." Fodorites answer: Use a portion of the lottery money, dose yourself with a bunch of Quaaludes, and stop being such a moron." OK? That's about as rough as it gets. I'm sure your question is not that dumb, so just ask it. :) |
I've seen some posters that we are soft as butter. Then I heard we are marshmallows. But, if the posts are checked, we spend a lot of discussion about peanut butter.
Blackduff |
I try to not respond to posts that make me cranky, but occasionally, I run afoul of one of my pet peeves on this board. To me, they are fairly simple rules of board ettiquette. So, for whatever help it might be to you in avoiding cranky posters, here are my pet peeves on this board:
<b>Titles not specific enough:</b> On a bad day, I may be put off by a title like: HELP! when I open the post to find the subject is Dubrovnic, which I know nothing about. <b>Questions Already Recently Answered in Multiple Other Threads:</b> Learn to use the search feature. Save other posters the trouble of reinventing the wheel. <b>Lazy Planners:</b> I am put off by requests for help by people who obviously haven't made even a minimal effort to educate themselves before asking for advice here. Buy a guidebook and do some reading. People on this site love travel and will turn themselves inside out to help you, but it's kind of silly for them to do that when you've done nothing to acquaint yourself about the basics of a country or city you'll be visiting. <b>Vague Requests:</b> Requests for help with an itinerary in a city, for example, that tell nothing about the poster's interests. Tell us something about your interests, for example, when asking for advice about "What to do in Vienna." Similarly, while I don't think you need to go further than "Dubrovnic Hotels" in your title, I appreciate it when the body of the message inside provides an idea of your budget requirements. Are you looking for a budget hotel? Mid-range? Luxury? <b>Dabblers:</b> Requests for help that make me believe that the person asking for help is not serious. If you are just daydreaming and really don't have a trip in the works, it's only fair to make that clear, so people can decide how much energy to invest in a reply. |
well said, all of you.
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Funny, how you, being a "newbie" seem to already know a lot of regulars' hot button issues. Hmmmm
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As you can see. there are a few cynics in the crowd, too, who enjoy that as opposed to answering questions.
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And which question did you answer, Dukey?
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It may be a rough crowd but it is definitely an insular crowd as well. There seem to be many who are here more for each other and feel (due to longevity) that the board is their home on the internet more so than a place for travel planning and advice.
As a result there seem to be all these unwritten rules. This makes it hard for people who come here seeking advice from a respected name - Fodor's. Read the FAQ's - that's the only advice you need. That, and to try to ignore the inevitable negativity you will get from some. |
Well said Mary Fran !
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amaclise-
If you want advice from Fodor's you can find it in their guidebooks or on the Destinations part of this website. The kind posters who reply to questions on this Forum are not Fodor's... we are individual people sharing first-hand travel information with others who ask questions in areas we know about. |
Sure, ask away.
A title with specifics such as the city name or subject of your inquiry, will likely, but not necessarily, get you the most pertinent replies. Word your post however you like. No you don't have to do any research before starting a thread. But, as with the title, the more specific question you ask, including details (how long? what budget? age? interests?) the more likely you will get useful replies. |
<< Head a post - boil your question down to 4 or 5 words >>
I know of no advice to do this, from fodor's - - nor any advantage of a 5 word message header over 10, 20 words or more... See http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34821852 ;) |
This is the best place to be, rough crowd or not, if you're a travel fanatic. Without my daily, (and sometimes all day) dose of this forum, I would drive my family and friends nuts. The information is good, the posters sincere, knowledgable people and many are very clever and entertaining. Don't worry about a few tough guys.
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Don't take too much offense suze, I am merely stating the facts. You know I mean the reason people come to the site in the first place is because of the Fodor's name.
And it IS Fodor's who owns the boards. You are posting under their name. zwho - I agree. |
A rough, ugly crowd?
This mild mannered group is a bunch of cuddly teddy bears compared to the wild mob in my hometown when the ice cream machine at Sizzler Steakhouse breaks down! |
As soon as I finished my post and went to bed last night, I thought of a couple of other things newbies sometimes run afoul of, so here are a couple of other of my pet peeves:
<b>People who start multiple threads asking the same question:</b> Not infrequently, I'll find myself starting a reply to a request for advice, when I suddenly realize, "Hey! Wait a minute! This all sounds very familiar! So, I'll click on the original poster's name and find the same person has asked the question previously, perhaps with some variations. A number of people may have offered advice, but their responses have not been acknowledged by the original poster, so there is no way if the original poster has even seen them. It's frustrating for those who took the time to respond. After you've posted a request for advice, come in at least once a day to check for responses to your request.. If you don't find it easily in scrolling down the left column, type a word from your post in the search box (i.e., "Krakow") to bring up a list of posts containing that word and you should quickly find your post in the list. If you find that your question has not been answered to your satisfaction, add a reply to your original thread to clarify what you need, instead of starting a new thread. For example, if there are few or no responses to your question, you might post a reply that says something like, "Any other ideas?" <b>The Disappearing Original Poster:</b> In the same vein, all too frequently, I'll post a response to a request for advice, only to find that the Original Poster is never heard from again. There's no way to know if he or she has even bothered to read the suggestions that thoughtful Fodorites have taken the time to post. As suggested above, check in frequently to check for responses to your request, and be sure to acknowledge the suggestions made. Personally, I like to acknowledge and thank each poster who has taken time to respond, but a group acknowledgment will suffice. I have learned from recent experience that each time I thanked someone, the post came back up to the top and I got more great suggestions from other posters! I suspect that the fact that the OP thanks posters for suggestions encourages others that their contributions will be appreciated, so you'll get lots more responses. <i>Note: As I write this, the OP is no where in sight, an example of what I'm talking about with the disappearing poster. Oh, well, maybe what we write here will help (or aggravate) another newbie.</i> <b>Insular crowd:</b> This is just bunk. I'm certainly not part of any kind of in-crowd, and I have never had the sense that I'm on the outside looking in. But I don't come here for a sense of belonging. I come here for travel advice, and I get it in spades. I could not begin to list even half of the gems I've picked up here. There are some great posters here, who invest considerable time and energy to help other posters. We come to know their names over time and become fond of some of them. Some are very funny, some are warm and caring, some are simply a wealth of knowledge. So, maybe that's th "in-crowd." But the reason they're part of the in-crowd isn't because their Daddy buys them cool clothes, or because they're pretty or handsome, or drive hot cars. (How could they be? They spend all their disposable incom on travel!) <b>Thin Skins:</b> We have had some posters on this board (ThinGorjus comes to mind), who occasionally lob a harpoon into the boat of a newbie. Learn to shrug it off. You need not respond to posters who seem not to have your best interests at heart - not that I think of ThinGorjus that way. He's a brilliant, witty poster with a sharp tongue. Everybody has a right to be an ass from time to time. Don't take it personally. Be the first to laugh at yourself. If you can craft an equally witty acerbic response, great! But in most cases, it's best to just blow it off, assuming the nasty poster was PWD (Posting While Drunk). |
amaclise I'm pretty sure that your blanket statement is untrue; I personally was looking for a travel discussion board and the "respected name of Fodor's" was just one of many that came up on Google; they are lucky to have us. And I've never read any of their travel "guides" or booked at their recommended hotels, etc. Come on, this is the internet not sacred ground.
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Would not classify this as a rough crowd at all. The only few times I have seen it get ugly (not counting trolls) is
One or two posters who refused to accept the answers they were given by (very) experienced travellers and kept asking the same questions again and again A couple of people who were extremely rude to people answering thier posts - again because the answers were not what they wanted - or they felt the responder was "rude" to them - apparently not sufficiently charming/subservient/congratulatory (I think they felt posters on the board were travel agents they had hired - not busy people giving up their free time) As with any group of people who spend time together there may be someone having a bad day - or someone who teases a little bit - but by and large this group tries their best to be helpful to legitimate posters. |
Amaclise, the sword cuts both ways. The "insular," longtime posters are the ones who give the best travel advice. If it weren't for the "devoted," there would be no Travel Talk.
I come here for sage advice. I know that if cigalechanta, ira, or Scarlett offer me the name of some good restaurants in Paris, I will heed their advice. If you offered me the same advice I probably wouldn't use it because I don't know you or your reputation. Handmaiden |
amaclise- I'm not taking offense, I just don't think what you said is true for most people.
I know the difference from a company (i.e., Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Frommers) and the guidebooks they publish vs. what you find on internet forums or bulletin boards... which is from individual PEOPLE and has nothing to do with the company other then they host a website, which we contribute to building a real time and imo priceless body of information. |
At some point, the OP will determine for himself/herself that it is definitely NOT the case that longtime posters or those with the most posts are the ones with the most useful travel advice and which will suit one's travel needs or style.
Some longtime posters here, as well some who incessantly post like there's nothing else happening in their lives, tend to lean their advices on the most tourist-friendly suggestions or the cheapest ways to travel, eat or sleep... and to some of us, this is not the preferred way to travel. Other's just seem to post for the heck of it - i.e. no substance, mostly un-related anecdotes and sometimes obsolete information. There are a lot of posters occasionaly dart in and out with the most accurate information that I find most useful to one's particular travel style and needs. |
At the risk of being called a "rough crowd" please understand it ain't paid Fodor's editors sitting 24/7 answering 100's of new posts every day. We are all volunteers here!!
:-) |
Good point suze! I never thought of it as volunteer work. I guess we can all feel good today.
M_F, that wasn't quite what I meant by insular but let's forget it. It was not my intention to provoke. |
One thing I have learned is that you really need to thank people and let them know if you followed their amazing advice. I have not always been good in that department~ I am ashamed to say. Thanking in advance may be the best way to go...The people who post here are phenomenally knowlegeable...better than any guide book ever printed!
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just don't ask about the best way to draw foreign currency in Europe! [it's ATMs in case you want in know].
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And I, for one, appreciate you all!
IMO the advice offered by Mary_Fran is very good and will generally keep anyone from appearing to be a "rough crowd" in their responses. And don't be too thin-skinned. We who are "newbies" both to this forum and to travel in general can learn so much if we just do our own homework and post questions for specific issues. And then we may find that we actually have something valuable to offer in return! Linda |
Hi T,
>I heard you are a rough crowd... Nah, we are a bunch of pussycats. >What is the correct way to head a post? Well, certainly not, "I'm a Newbie". What is that supposed to mean? How is anyone supposed to know what you are interested in? >What is the correct way to word a post? In general, in the correct grammar, syntax and punctuation of the language in which you are posting. Look up <style manual> at www.google.com >Must I read several quide books and do research online before asking questions? < Nah. We really like the sorts of posts that say, "I'm leaving for Rome tomorrow; where should I stay, what should I do, where should I eat"? Which bridge do you live under? ((I)) |
hi Linda, I'm sure you can find ways to contribute. It's easy. People use this forum in different ways.
Since I've been an active poster it changes the way I look at some things. Not in a major way, but say I find a great hotel, restaurant, or even an interesting shop somewhere... I make sure to grab a business card. Because sure as shootin' someone will ask a question about it, that now I can answer for them. It took years before I ever even read the US board, then I realized I have lots of answers for the city I live in. Again interesting because it makes me pay attention to things in my own hometown, that would be helpful for tourists, that I would not have noticed before. |
billy_boy has a point about budget travel advice. Sometimes a person wants to travel with less worry about how much they are spending and Fodors is one of the few Travel Forums where one might be able to get ideas at the higher end of the hotel/restaurant spectrum as well as budget.
But I do not agree in any way with his remarks <i>Some longtime posters here, as well some who incessantly post like there's nothing else happening in their lives, </i> Since I have no idea what other Fodorites are doing with their time when not on Fodors, since I know nothing about their lives/health/circumstances, I would not agree that this is why they post on Fodors. And <i>Other's just seem to post for the heck of it - i.e. no substance, mostly un-related anecdotes and sometimes obsolete information. </i> Maybe to billy_boy but there is a huge audience out there reading and someone might just gain some information or enjoy reading everything that is posted on these forums. Who are we, to judge what is relevant and what is posted "just for the heck of it" ? And then really, it is called <b>Travel Talk</b> for a reason. And some posters just post ( not to give information or help) but to critisize or slam other posters for what they post. Fodors has a little bit of everything. My best advice is try to keep a sense of humour and don't post when in a pissy mood..or when pissed which I guess goes under DWP ((D)) handmaiden, ((F)) |
Wise words... I never EVER post after drinking wine!
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I am also slightly new to this site. I have found people very nice and helpful. My first trip to London and Paris isn't until next April, but I'm a big planner, so I've done a lot of research and asked a lot of questions that probably sounded dumb to some.
Good advice on not having a thin skin. I am still smarting a bit about being told I shouldn't be eating in public if I ask for a doggie bag. I was simply asking if it was done in Europe, but I'm over it, almost! Anyway, you'll learn more than you ever could imagine or even wanted to know (see thread on bidets)! |
:) suze, I have but ordinarily, when I have a glass of wine, I am affectionate/silly so rarely do I regret posting the next morning lol...
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"I am affectionate/silly so rarely do I regret.... ."
Boy, I just love that kind of talk from a pretty babe! |
Hey, Scarlt and Degas! Get a room! Not near the train station, though. That's a terrible neighborhood in Rome. Let me know if you need recommendations for some cheapies. You want expensive? Too bad. Cheap is what I know and cheap is what you're going to get.
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I never open the headers that say something like :
"Really Dumb/stupid question about..." If it's dumb why ask it? And why would I want to read it? |
"Cheap is what I know and cheap is what you're going to get."
Sounds like something some of my old "girlfriends" told me before one of our "dates". |
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