Perspectives
 

In the grand scheme of all things travel related how would you rank the following, from most important > diminishing importance?

<b>a.</b> knowing best price of airfare to destination

<b>b.</b> dining establishment that serves good meals

<b>c.</b> desirable lodging in area where you wih to stay

<b>d.</b> philosophy and inner-workings of an internet travel website

<b>e.</b> at destination, how to get from Point A to Point B

<b>f.</b> what to wear, considering local customs and weather

<b>g.</b> undue concern for one person not being able to post to your favorite travel website for a brief period

<b>h.</b> the exchange rate, and how best to obtain local currency before getting to/ or at destination(s)

<b>i.</b> best map and guide book to take

<b>j.</b> threat for civil unrest/ terrorist activity

--

Me? Something like...

a.

e.

c.

i.

b.

h.

f.

j.

d.

g.

-------

Has this site gone through a meltdown or something since last I posted? It sure seems like (whatever happened -- I don't really care to tell you the truth) things have been blown WAY, WAY out of proportion.

I'm talking of &quot;<i>The Banishment</i>&quot;, of course.

I really am dumbfounded that this could become such a gargantuan issue.

The question is: why HAS it drawn so many people in? - - with such impassioned opinions (even those like yourself who have impassioned opinions about the gargantuan scale of other's impassioned opinions!)

This appears to be the first message you have posted in at least three weeks - - does that mean that you can't find any new questions here worthy of answering - - with actual travel content?

I'm all for turning the tables: everyone pledge... I will ask an actual travel question, or answer one.

Will that put the forum back into the perspectives you think more suitable?

What percentage of the posts on the Europe forum right this minute are about actual travel content? I count 378 posts on 43 threads (excluding threads that were started more than 3 days ago) with actual travel content... and 71 posts on two threads focused on &quot;the banishment&quot; (this is one of those two).

That's about 84% (of the posts) with actual travel content (96% of the threads) - - tomorrow it will surely be 90% of the posts - - will you post a rant about this daily until it gets back to 99%?

Protests... then counter-protest... then counter-counter-protest...

Fox will be providing some &quot;fair and balanced&quot; coverage on this before long...

Best wishes,

Rex

&lt;&lt;This appears to be the first message you have posted in at least three weeks - - does that mean that you can't find any new questions here worthy of answering - - with actual travel content?&gt;&gt;

It may not be apparent to all (obviously) but just maybe:


- Not all posters here feel the need to visit daily, or weekly even.

- Some posters may have more important things to attend to like family or work matters. Websites, travel relatated or not, may take the backseat at times.

- There are those individuals who travel for extended periods, reappear periodically, and feel no pressing desire to broadcast all the details in trip report. For them, giving the off-handed suggestion or advice is enough.

- Could it possibly be that little-known contibutors are also stifled for periods, usually unbeknown to others.

-


&lt;&lt;Will that put the forum back into the perspectives you think more suitable?&gt;&gt;

Wasn't asking how this board could appease my desires -- I was just saying my personal observation is that it is totally out of whack. Too weird, in other words.

That's all. Nothing more, nothing less.

In the grand scheme of things, none of the mentioned factors come into play except for the 'civil unrest / violence' one. They are all heavily out-weighed by wanting to go to a destination. All else can be overcome.

Good to hear from you Nimrod - welcome back. It did get a little crazy the last few days.

AH HA! DEGAS! At long last I have found you. Where have you been and what in the heck is this post about. I have been away,,,apparently nobody even noticed, but anyway it sounds like I missed something big. Glad I scrolled down and found you. Any trip reports I must read? Hope you can make us all laugh again. The world needs it.

Hi Calamari, you too have been away. Doing something wild and exotic I hope. Sad to say, I have no trip reports as I've been in Asia and the Middle East the past year.

Phew - thank you Nimrod! What a relief to get this out! I admit I, too, added my 2cents worth to one of the &quot;banishment&quot; threads when I first noticed the &quot;controversy&quot; appear, but enough is enough already!

Nimrod, my list line-up would be
b, c, e, f, h, i, j, a, d, g.

I once had a different experience than one of the pros here who promptly suggested to the original poster to check my previous posts (trying to make me out to be a troll, no doubt.) When someone else came along &amp; agreed with my experience there was sudden silence.

There is a ton of good information here on these boards from some very nice people but it shouldn't be only restricted to coming from those with seniority. They aren't the only ones with experiences to share.

&lt;&lt;This appears to be the first message you have posted in at least three weeks - - does that mean that you can't find any new questions here worthy of answering - - with actual travel content?&gt;&gt;

I completely support Nimrod's reply to this question and totally disagree with the implication that frequency of posting might somehow equate to quality of advice.

For my own part, I've been reading and posting to this forum for around 5 years now, but as I've never been to Italy or Ireland and my last visit to Paris was over 15 years ago, the proportion of questions that I can answer on this forum are somewhat limited. However, if I happen to spot a question that I feel I can help with, then I'm happy to chip in.

Far from finding questions &quot;worthy of answering&quot; it's a case of finding questions to which I feel I can contribute something helpful and if those questions have already been answered in great detail, then adding a &quot;me too&quot; type post doesn't seem particularly helpful, unless it is apparent that the OP is asking for reassurance on particular issues.

Sorry if this makes me a less than worthy poster.

Calamari,

I did notice your absence - and thought it was a pity.

Good you're back!

Thanks, nimrod and xenos, I'm with you!

Kum-ba-ya...

Robespierre, thanks for the laugh! It is getting stranger and stranger around these parts.

Hi Calamari,

&gt;I have been away,,,apparently nobody even noticed,...&lt;

I noticed. Just yesterday I was saying to myself, &quot;I would like some calamari&quot;. :)

((I))

ira, would that be <i>saucy</i> calamari ? :D

Degas, Scarlet, Ira &amp; hsv? Good to be back. Sadly, no trip reports from me either. Hopefully next year though! As for Ira and his Calamari, why he like it &quot;al diavolo&quot;.

Having been away from the board for three years - I was rather amazed when I returned and . . . . There seemed to still be threads bantering back and forth about Patrick! Couldn't believe it had gone on that long one way or another.

Nimrod summed up better than I the point I was trying to get across in the Riots/Marketing thread - let's come back to adding valuable info regarding travel and away from squabbling.

I hope to have more info to contribute in the future and appreciate old and new those of you that have helped me (and others) out!

Since this thread discusses neither a,b,c,e, f, g, h, i, or j, that leaves this thread in the category of 'd' - Philosophy and Inner Workings of a Travel Site.

I love Philosophy (gotta love that Sophy!) Especially the 'grand scheme of all things.' Glad you started the thread, Nimrod!

I don't know about the grand scheme of all things, but everything on that list has interested me at some point. It depends what's going on. If what's going on is the disintegration of a community in which I have participated for years, then that becomes pretty interesting to talk about at that point.