Lily

Are there fewer posters on this board lately or are posters busy with Thanksgiving and shopping? It's snowing and cold here so seems I have more time to browse this site.

LCBoniti

I agree this weekend is slow. But I have noticed fewer posts and posters since I joined Fodors just a couple of years ago. Fortunately, there is still a wealth of information to research and, when a question is asked, someone usually comes through.

If you are having trouble getting a response, top your question.

Lily

no, no trouble getting a response - just seems to be fewer posts in general. Still a great bunch though and as you say LCBoniti still a great wealth of information.

janisj

a majority of posters on here are Americans. This Wed and Sun are the two biggest travel days all year in the US. Yesterday was Thanksgiving and today is the biggest shopping day of the year. Any wonder things are quiet?

As for traffic in general - it does seem to be down just a little - but that happens every year over the Nov/Dec holidays.

alya

It does depend which boards you read - it's heating up on the Carribean forum just in time for winter. Don't get excited though it's generally a slow board.

Is it just me or have posts slowed on the individual boards since Fodors introduced the 'Lounge'? I think that's where the action is

Carrybean

To me it has slowed down considerably in the past year or so.

hetismij

Maybe people are choosing not to visit Europe because of the dollar rates? Are the other boards - apart from the lounge - as slow?

bookchick

The folks I met at the last Fodors GTG in Boston last month mostly frequent the Asia Board. They say it is slower-paced than the European Board, and claim it's easier to find their posts that way.

BC

CRAZY4TRAVEL

It seems to me that there are fewer posts on both Fodor's and Slow Travel. Could be the weak dollar..not sure.

suze

It's a little slower over all lately imo, all forums I read. But it's WAY slower this Thanksgiving U.S. holiday weekend.

julies

For me, it is the state of the dollar. I used to post a lot and read a lot on this board picking up tips for future trips. I hadn't been here for months. Now, I am back again because my Russian speaking daughter-in-law has proposed a trip to Russia (a place we have always wanted to visit) in the spring.

LoveItaly

I have noticed it is slower also. I think it is a combinantion of reasons such as the weak US dollar, the holiday weekend..a great majority of Fodorites are in the US..and also many Fodorites do tend to spend lot of time in the Lounge.

I would have gone to Italy this year but due to an expected move late spring I felt it best to put it off as I spent some of my travel money on the move. Combined with the weak US dollar and the higher prices in Italy I just felt I shouldn't take the trip. A good decision financially but I sure miss Italy and my Italian friends.

tomassocroccante

Love, I confess that most of my visiting here is for vicarious travel - and refreshing my memories of my own trips.

Maybe we're enjoying visitors who READ before they ask quesionS! No need to constantly keep going over the same territory, when the answers are already available. (Though I know this is unlikely - the norm being to ask "Please tell me hotels for my Italy trip" rather than search out the good advice already here. The crowd is so generous with help (or criticism!) that every new query gets its answers.

On the latter note, maybe if we can be gentler with new "faces" who ask old questions (What shall I wear?!!!) we can keep them around long enough to become valued members!

Colduphere

"On the latter note, maybe if we can be gentler with new "faces" who ask old questions (What shall I wear?!!!) we can keep them around long enough to become valued members!"

Thank you so much for saying that tomassocrocante. I am going to Europe and Asia next year and I was wondering what I should wear.

LoveItaly

Hi Tomasso, yes I come onto the Europe Board to dream I am the one taking the trip and to read the trip reports, sigh. Well maybe next year hopefully I will be giving the trip report. I hope you will be doing so also.

I do understand when new Fodorite's ask questions that have been asked so many times in the past (how to get from the airport into Rome and how to get from the airport into Venice comes to mind) but Tomasso since I never seem to have much luck with the Search feature it doesn't bother or surprise me. And since I actually heard the bank manager of the bank I had to visit this week tell a customer to get all their euro's at the SF airport as she always does before flying to Europe..well let me tell you it was all I could do from butting into the conversation, lol. So when I see posters asking about the best way to get Euro's perhaps they have gotten ignorant advice from their bank and want a second opinion or two. Really Tomasso..can you imagine a bank manager giving out that type of advice?

Wishing you a trip in the near future!!

tomassocroccante

<<I actually heard the bank manager of the bank I had to visit this week tell a customer to get all their euro's at the SF airport as she always does before flying to Europe..well let me tell you it was all I could do from butting into the conversation, lol. >>

Ain't it the truth! Well, bankers are notorious for peculiar advice about money!

Trolls ... yes, a couple of recent posters - whether they were trolls or just obtuse and irritating - certainly kept the boards busy.

I've tried to make myself shut up and move on when I come across a post I think is, to put a word on it, stupid. Which brings me back to the Lounge - I only get there by accident. Too many opportunities to get sucked into an argument on any and every subject - especially in this political year.

carolyn

A woman at my branch bank told me to get plenty of traveller's checks!

LoveItaly

Hi Carolyn, I know a woman here in my small city who is from Spain. She goes back home about once every two or so years. She works for a local bank. She brought nothing but Traveler Checks with them two years ago when she went back home. She was outraged that she had such a difficult time due to the TC's as the bank she works for had told her that is what she should bring. Also, her one and only ATM card did not work at all at the ATM's in Spain. Her saving grace was that they stayed with family and borrowed money from relatives. Inspite of being Spanish she was mad at Spain rather then at her bank/employer because she had done exactly as her bank manager had told her do and she knew, really knew understand, that the bank manager was right and Spain was "wrong".


To say I did not understand her "thinking" is the understatement of the century, lol.

I had a hard time keeping a straight face.

lvillinois

My DH thought I was crazy for bringing a few traveler's checks to France, that was until our CC was stopped(due to overseas purchases, which I had told them would be happening)and the ATM also refused to go through...at least we had enough cash for the day it took to straighten things out