"PS - I was pondering on another post about the irony of rude Europeans and their feelings towards "ugly Americans"."

You could do, but it has been done several times before. It normally starts off with an informed debate about customs, expectations and cultural differences but almost enivitability decends into name calling, bannings and closure of the thread.

There are lots of reasons why people might be put off by Fodors "regulars" and their "rude" replies. Some are because of the nature of the questions (the very vague "is ?? worth it). Sometimes you feel that a poster just want's approval, and then gets annoyed when people point out any issues.

I think the thing to remember is that nobody on here is paid to give advice - everybody is here because they want to be, and in replying most are trying to be helpful. I don't think people have the right to demand a certain level of service because they don't like the answers or tone of the replies.

I had a little chuckle at this http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...h-visiting.cfm

It's an old thread that somebody has topped. It pushes all the buttons. It is entitled "Is Geneva worth visiting" and it is all in capitals so that the poster appears to be SHOUTING

We are a diverse planet and as such the Fodor's community is also diverse .... it's what makes it work!

Some other forums have sticky topics at the beginning, questions that have been asked and answered ad infinitum.

Technically, this isn't a very sophisticated board (no offense, moderators) but we might have a sticky topic at the top of every forum that would be something like: "New users, before you post." It could explain things like the responsibility of posters to do their own research before asking a question (look at a guidebook); could explain functions like search buttons (and their limitations); rules and customs (no commercial postings, no SCREAMING IN ALL CAPS); and the kinds of questions that are most likely to be answered well and badly (hostel issues might better go to Thorntree, but this board is superb on the mechanics of getting from A to B).

Personally, if I were planning to go to Scotland in January, I would want to know about the severely limited amount of daylight. If I were going in August, I would want to know it is the rainiest month; if I were going in early summer, I would want to know about midges; if I were going at Christmas, I would want to know that the trains pretty much don't run. I could then choose or not choose to go at any of those times, and some of them might be the only times I could go. But I would not consider my parade rained on if I asked a question and my assumptions were questioned because of information I have not got. If you can only go to Croatia in August, go, but go in the knowledge that some places will be packed with cruise ship passengers.

I disagree that there is a responsibility for posters to look at a guidebook before posting a question here. Many people, especially at the younger end of the scale, do most of their research on line, and might see this message board as an initial research stop.

There is no rule against this, no matter how many people wish it were otherwise. And for those posters who are annoyed by questions that appear vague or that appear to ask for free research from volunteers, the easy solution is to ignore such questions. Nobody is asking them personally to do anything at all. There are people who do not mind such questions who might step up and answer, and some of the answers might include suggestions about where to find more information.

I think it's lazy to expect someone else to do very basic research that's easily accessible elsewhere on the net for you. Tube and Metro networks can be easily looked up on line in about the same timeframe as it takes to type a question on here. Most hotel websites state the nearest tube or metro stop and have maps showing where they are located in the city. As do major attractions. It's no wonder people get a bit irate if newbies haven't made any effort whatsover to find the releveant info before posting.

Asking for clarification of research you've already done tends to get more helpful answers. For example if you've looked up that London to City X Y or Z is 200 miles, but are unsure of how heavy the traffic is on a particular route and how long it'll take, you'd be less likely to get people jumping down your throat when you ask for guidance.

Likewise, if you've narrowed down your options to a subset of hotels, galleries etc and want the subjective opinions of people who've already visited them, that usually results in a lot of useful info too.

So yes, sometimes people are a bit abrupt when responding to queries, but I think it's important to qualify the difference between unprovoked inexcusable rudeness, and an exasperated response to what was quite a lazy and rude question in itself.

PS And generalisations like:-

'I was pondering on another post about the irony of rude Europeans and their feelings towards "ugly Americans" but perhaps I will save that for a column and get paid for my thoughts!'

probably aren't going to win you many friends. I'd not be likely to go out of my way to help someone who'd posted something like that, particularly on a thread supposedly hilighting inappropriate rudeness!

I agree that one should have some basic knowledge before asking questions here about specifics.

The questions like "how far is it from here to there" never cease to amaze me as tools such as Google Maps, ViaMichelin etc can answer such questions faster than the question can be typed here! ;^)

1) yes there are some difficult people on this site
2) yes there are people who know nothing and are more than happy to let everyone know about it
3) yes people make mistakes in their typing and their reading
4) yes we all speak english but there are a fair number of versions of english

"keep your pecker up" is completley innocent in Britsih English and a little odd in American English for example

So as a result you get great facts (if confirmed by a second person), interesting opinion (if confirmed by about 10 people) and wierdness.

The worry I have is newbies get little time to catch up.

I love that this post generates more activity than posts actually asking a travel question! :-)

Travel questions are relatively easy to answer (if the OP provides enough info).

@Nikki, thank you for speaking up for the young and, yes, uninformed in Fodor's etiquette.
@kappa1, I did not know I was supposed to thank people for advice I did not find useful.

You might not feel that you need to thank people when you do not like, agree with, or find useful their advice, but you would certainly be less likely to be helped the next time you ask something.

Ackislander,

There IS a Fodor's list of tips for new users. It appears as a link of the Forums opening page.

http://www.fodors.com/faq/tips.cfm

The first tip is to do a search before posting your question.

Just reviewed the tips, and most of them came from Fodorites and cover the issues discussed in this thread. Perhaps when a new person posts a vague thread, we should all practice writing, "Welcme to Fodor's. Now read this list of tips to get a better response."

and you should all type Welcome correctly . . .

Old folks can be grumpy...

Anyway, Fodor's is a much more tolerant site than Trip Advisor, where whenever a debate starts and anything gets heated, everything is deleted.

"Safe suburbs" are a fantasy/

A friend of mine had her purse stolen out of the shopping cart in a supermarket parking lot in an upscale Long island town.

And I saw a woman's purse pulled off the chair next to her in an outdoor cafe in incredibly upscale Greenwich.

You may feel "safe" in the suburbs - but it's not necessarily true. (ANd don;t start on those serial killers lurking in national parks.)

My grandmother was a true city person - and felt that anyplace without sidewalks and street lights was unsafe - due to wild animals and uncivilized humans. I've gone beyond there - but feel much safer in a big city than a tiny, deserted town.

You are correct, kappa1, this is the likely outcome of speaking out against the bullying is that I will be black listed by the fodors mafia. Your threat is well-taken and I will go back and express my gratitude, as well as write trip report.
The dilemma with asking precise questions is that people in early stages of planning a trip and without previous extensive experience of traveling might not know the right questions to ask and when they ask basic questions just to get started or to decide where to travel and whether to even take the trip, they get mocked. It is a fine balance because to ask precise questions, you have to have the basic understanding of the itinerary and where you are planning to stay and what you planning to see. It is natural to want to ask some general basic questions first to get an idea of what the destination have to offer.