sandi

Does anyone find it tiresome to have folks reiterate their entire travel experience, blow by blow, with installments yet, 1,2,3 and 4 (or more) chapters. Are we supposed to limit this forum to travel questions, advice, etc. Just wondering. I think this forum is seriously abused, with endless threads on the subject of "fat people" diverging into all the whys and wherefores of how come we are all to fat. Lots of profanity too, which is, thankfully, now being deleted, almost immediately by Fodors editors. Still think their ought to be some guidelines for this forum. NOW: you can all pounce on me...knowing that you love it so much, but that is my opinion.

nickie

I like to see postings upon people's return, to see what they did and didn't enjoy - often informative in itself. I also like to see if a suggestion of mine was followed, and what their opinion of the place was - sometimes things change, and might make me think twice about suggesting the same advice.

dan woodlief

I think trip reports are one of the beset things here. I would love to see Fodors create a separate section for them and have people post their whole travelogues by country or region.

Thyra

I am with Nikki I like seeing if people actually used the information they collected here. I genuinely enjoy reading someone elses experiences and opinions. Since sometimes I feel that information I may have provided directly impacted someones trip, it's comforting to know whether or not they had a positive experience. Usually people specify that it is, in fact, a trip report in the header, so I imagine it is easy to avoid reading them if they don't interest you.

Lesli

I also enjoy the trip reports. Based on what someone says they saw and did, others can ask specific questions which are helpful both to them and to those reading with similar travel plans. It would be great, however, if those with multi-part installments were added as "replies" to the initial posting. That way, all the parts would be on a single thread. They wouldn't get separated, and there would be fewer headings "cluttering up" the forum. <BR> <BR>Most headings describe the content as a trip report, "just back," etc. Seems to me that it's easy enough to simply skip these if they don't interest you.

martha python

For, for, a thousand times for! I don't think this is a sign of blind loyalty to fellow Fodorites, as Sandi implies, but merely evidence that I'm willing to use to headers to follow the threads that interest me, as Lesli suggests.

kam

Absolutely in favor of trip reports! They are posted while the information is free in people's minds and are invaluable in planning future trips. Of course, one must take everything for an opinion, but that's one of the highlights of Fodor's for me.

lent

I'm very for the trip reports. They take me places I haven't been, and I learn do's and don'ts from them.

Robin

Yep, definitely in favor. Just like people you meet in the real world, some travelers' tales will appeal to each of us more than others. Get to know your favorites and live vicariously! And if you find someone's particular experience long-winded and/or boring, in this realm you don't even have to make a polite excuse to leave!

Sheila

Me too. And not just because I submit them. Actually I find that quite hard, but consider it an obligation given the help that other people give to me/us. <BR> <BR>It's what makes this site human and a joy to aprticipate in

ilisa

I am absolutely for the trip reports! They are clearly the best way to gather information about a particular location. For me, they are also great motivation when planning a trip. Sandi, you ask "Are we supposed to limit this forum to travel questions, advice, etc." Well, can't the information in a trip report be taken as advice? I have found the most valuable advice - restaurants, hotels, etc. buried in many a report. Really, if you don't want to read them, just skip over.

Jeff

Sandi: I think you make a point, but I enjoy some trip reports. And we can skip over those we don't want to read. Personally, I wish people would hit the highlights, lowlights and unique aspects of their trip. Some of the trip reports are a little self indulgent (I don't think we need to hear about each cup of gelati (sp?) someone had). Of course, when I posted a very short summary of my most recent trip, no one responded to it. I think it was just too short (or too boring). If you write a novel, then at least you get a "way to go" or something along those lines. Still, I would vote in favor of trip reports, but would urge people to remember their audience.

Lori

Definitely for trip reports. I find them informative and sometimes amusing. They allow me to relive places I have been, and to imagine those I have not. Also, prove time and time again to be a great help in my own planning. BTW, Sandi you are certainly entitled to your opinion, but we do not have to agree.

tiredofadolescents

Sandi always starts a post, displaying his/her negative opinion about something everyone else seems to enjoy. I read this forum regularly, and other than rude remarks or negative comments, Sandi doesn't seem to post anything else. <BR> <BR>Since basically everything on this forum annoys you, why do you read it, Sandi? Or are you, as I suspect, a 15 year old boy who thinks that it's just so cool to post stuff like this? Do you call all your friends and tell them to logon to this site to see your most recent inanity? <BR> <BR>

Santa Chiara

Although this is obviously a troll, and not a tremendously creative one at that, I must say that I agree completely with Sandi in principle. In fact I am appalled at the insensitivity and selfishness displayed by people who post these reports, people who obviously give no thought to how their seemingly innocent scribblings may affect the reader. A recent example is Ben’s report on Krakow and other points in Poland. It sent me scrambling for my atlas, searching on the internet and ordering Lonely Planet Poland from Amazon.com. That was just this evening. Need I mention the other culprits? Bob the Navigator and Russ have already forced me to plan a trip to Sicily. A recent post on Paris reminded me of my own romantic time in that city, which in turn made me snarl to a meek, mild-mannered travel agent, "I want a trip to Paris, and I want it now." <BR> <BR>And then there is Sheila and her evocative descriptions of Scotland, which manage to bring my Scottish grandmother back to life. <BR> <BR>If it weren’t for these evil posters, who have the nerve to make a trip report on a forum that is cleverly disguised with the name Travel Lounge and specifically marked European (Coincidence? I think not), my life would be so much easier. My money would be in the bank, my credit cards paid off and my marriage saved. Okay, well maybe not the last, since that was 20 years and a lifetime ago, but maybe the dog wouldn’t have died.

lisa

Trip reports are my favorite aspect of this forum and I can't imagine finding them "tiresome." Through them I have found out about some wonderful restaurants, hotels, sights, etc. I like to hear the most detailed accounts possible -- yes, including gelati flavors! If someone tells me a particular dish was especially fantastic at a certain restaurant (or that some dish is to be avoided), I appreciate knowing that! I also appreciate it when people get into details like what hotel room number they stayed in and what kind of a view it had and whether the bed was soft or hard. It may seem irrelevant to some people, but if you're planning a trip to that place and want it to be as perfect as possible, it's the details that make the difference sometimes (also things like proximity to public transportation, price, etc.). If people don't want to wade through all that, they don't have to read it -- it's as simple as that. By the way, the reason people are sometimes forced to post in installments is because for some reason the new "improved" forum does not seem to be accepting longer posts, so one long post sometimes has to be divided up into 4 shorter chapters. I don't see how that inconveniences anyone but the writer (but I hope Fodor's fixes it).

kk

Well said, Santa Chiara! Well said. And I enjoyed every witty word. <BR>Obviously, I too am in favor of trip reports. A few I find a little tedious when they get into too much detail over things _I_ find not so important. But, you know what? I just skip right through those. What a novel concept, huh?

Anothervote

I like 'em! For all the reasons mentioned. As for the multiple installment thing, I also hope Fodor's fixes the glitch. Meanwhile, a previous poster had a good suggestion: <BR> <BR>"It would be great...if those [postings] with multi-part installments were added as "replies" to the initial posting. That way, all the parts would be on a single thread. They wouldn't get separated, and there would be fewer headings "cluttering up" the forum."

Lori

If you are not interested in a trip report then don't read it .. very simple. It appears most people, including myself, enjoy reading them so let them continue. It's always great to hear specifics of a hotel, etc. because descriptions and pictures on the web never really tell it all! <BR> <BR>I really like it when someone has asked for specific info and gets a lot of responses and then when they return they actually tell about it (and thank those who responded too). I honestly wish more people would say something about how the trip went. I often find myself wondering how X, Y or Z enjoyed such and such particularly if I responded!!

Donna

I, too, think that trip reports are the best thing about this forum. Much better, too, than "Just Got Back - Any Questions?". Tiresome? Hardly. Immeasurably useful - Yes!