Mary_Fran

FromAtlanta,

No need to apologize. Those inadequate titles drive us all crazy.

My personal pet peeve is the number of posters who headline their post, "Cheap hotel in Rome," when a simple search would have brought up a hundred recent posts on the same subject.

What really annoys me, however, is that I have to discipline myself to not reply with the same suggestion I've already posted to ten other nearly identical inquiries.

My annoyance tells me that I'm just expecting too much entertainment from this forum and need to take a break from it to get some perspective.

FromAtlanta

LOL

This thread didn't help one bit!! Oh well. From now on I suffer in silence

janeg

My favorite non-info subject title is "Help"
8-X
o-)

socialworker

To Mary Fran--when I see a request that I want to reply to but it is for something that I know I have already written about, I just "cut and paste" my old post. That way I can offer info to the new query w/o boring myself silly by typing in the same answer multiple times.

I have tried to (kindly) point out to some that they will get more responses if they make their request more specific, but I seem to have noticed that some appear to be new at this whereas others appear to want maximum return w/minimun effort. I grant you that I have no real way of determining who falls into which category but I ignore the latter and try to assist the former....

mr_go

My favorite topic line:
"I have a question about travel"

My second favorite:
"What do you think, is this a good idea?"

FainaAgain

Mr GO, what about "where in Europe can I go"?

bardo

mr go,
LOL - now you had to have made those up, right?

janis

If it is an obvious newbie I try to give them advice on how to make a better title -- but them some "helpful" person answers and the whole lesson goes right down the tubes.

I just loved the sweet (not) lady who argued with everyone who tried to explain how to get better results with better titles -- that we were only trying to stifle her creativity! What a nit wit . . . . . .

jsmith

It would also be helpful if Fodors would add the country (assuming the OP used a specific country) to the title:i.e., EUROPE - PLEASE BE KIND: etc. or SPAIN - Water

mr_go

<b>bardo:</b>
I am quoting/paraphrasing from memory, but yes, they are for real. Posts like those sink like a stone off the board, so they are not likely to be remembered. But they actually did happen.

Another recent favorite wanted to know where to stay in &quot;the lakes.&quot; No further information was given in the text as to which country/region the poster was referring. I <i>almost</i> answered with The Best Western in Green Bay.

FromAtlanta

It took me awhile before I wanted to look at this thread again

Mr Go: That is SO FUNNY!!

Well, I knew if I waited long enough I would have a NEW COMPLAINT for this forum. I noticed a few threads with people asking us to do the research for them! (when a quick Google search was all that was required.) Now I firmly believe that if you are bright enough to use this forum, you should know how to use &quot;Google&quot;! ...

Ah, but this time I PROMISED to keep my mouth shut!!

socialworker

To FromAtlanta--you read my mind!! I have always wondered how some could have the ability to navigate this site w/o the ability to do a simple search!! It is one thing to ask for opinions and quite another to ask someone else to do all the legwork (or should I say fingerwork??) for you. One explanation may be that some may just feel so overwhelmed with the task, or so uncertain about their own abilities that they start here instead of doing a little &quot;homework&quot; first....

rex

&lt;&lt;some may just feel so overwhelmed with the task, or so uncertain about their own abilities that they start here instead&gt;&gt;

It remans a mystery to me how the &quot;average&quot; newbie finds the path to this forum. I suspect that a significnat fraction are not accustomed to searching for anything, but find their way by one means or another. Others may not merely lack confidence, but it never occurs to them that there is information ready to be found from - - and about - - the &quot;old world&quot;.

And some may have had one or more bad experience(s) of finding outdated or misleading information, or simply don't trust info that they don't feel like there is a personal &quot;source&quot; behind it.

In fact, there are doubtless times that the information that &quot;we&quot; dole out here is too quickly trusted.

socialworker

Hey rex--I will tell you how I found this site as the most newbie of newbies and maybe others have done the same. I was spending whole days at a time (after just being laid off, thus time was wide open) researching--or better said obssessing--about where we should go on an upcoming trip to France. It occurred to me, virtually out of the blue, that we had always used Fodor guides and that maybe they had a website that could be useful. When I opened it, I found they had a &quot;talk&quot; forum. I had never tried such a thing before but I was desperate after all my book and web research was making me feel dizzy--not to mention the shoulder pain of hunching over all my books spread out in front of the computer. Maybe someone else would have just thought to look on travel guide websites w/o all the previous multiple hours of research!!

annieladd

OK, I have a question about the &quot;different forums&quot;. A few days ago, I posted a question about France. But, I had not clicked on France. So, I went back and wrote the question again and clicked on France. The reason I did this is because, since I'm going to France, I like to see other questions about France, so I pull up talk, Europe, then click on France. And, then I only get the questions from people who also clicked on France, right? So, the reason I posted my question twice was because if someone else is only looking at France posts, then they wouldn't have seen my original post (where I didn't click on France). Does that make any sense? Someone chastised me for posting it twice, and when I tried to explain why I did it, someone else, I think Underhill, said there aren't different forums. So, I'm completely confused.

FromAtlanta

No.

You used a search engine within this forum.

It searches all the posts that mention France ... all the posts. - Keep looking down the list. You will start to see threads with titles that say things like &quot;2 weeks in the UK&quot; - Somewhere on the thread if someone mentions something like &quot;hey, you could tthe Eurostar to Paris for a daytrip&quot; - the searc engine is going to pick it up as a thread about France.

Does that make more sence now.

Ok, try this: Do a search for France. See the list of threads at the left hand side? (of course you do) Look at the very top. See what it says: &quot;Europe Forum&quot; Then right under that it says &quot;Post a reply&quot;

Right now as I write this, the original thread is to my left and right on top it says Europe.

I hope it is not sounding like I am talking to you like you are stupid! I am just really trying to explain in a way everyone can understand. I hope this helps

FromAtlanta

By the way, your post is probably on here twice. (Unless Fodors deleted one which I doubt)

FromAtlanta

UGGH! Sorry. I really should check these more carefully before I submit!! (I am sorry) I meant to say it says &quot;Post a new message&quot; under where it says Europe ... but you probably understood what I meant.

Ok, sorry. This is my last post to this question! Forgive the typos and mistakes

annieladd

I see, kinda. It does make sense to click on France when I'm looking for questions on France, though, doesn't it? I've at least taken out the questions that don't have France anywhere in the post?

sheila

Actually I think FromAtlanta is slightly wrong. You don't get posts that mention France when you search using only the right hand box; you get posts that put &quot;France&quot; in teh search topics box, when it was first made.

So if I post &quot;where should I go in France&quot; and do NOT pick one or more search topic but omit anything in the first box under &quot;Post a New Message&quot;, when I search for France later, my post will not appear.

There is only one Forum.

However, it would be wrong to assume that it will appear if I have put &quot;France&quot; in that box- because the search function is not very reliable.

Got it?

Now, see that funny white jacket with te sleeves that tie behind your back? Just put in on and come away into this comfy room with the hessian walls