Kudos, Zeus. You hit the nail on the head.

And while I'm at it, how 'bout that Fodor "regular" who regularly touts a particular $150+ 6e Paris hotel even when someone has asked for a budget recommendation?

geez, gametogo, it seems pretty simple to me:

1. If you don't like the 'tone' of a particular website, choose another.
2. If you'd prefer to glean information about your upcoming trip by just 'searching' information, you can easily do that and skip over any posts you find uninformative or offensive.
3. If you'd prefer to ask a specific question, you can certainly do so. Others have given helpful advice about this: try to make your headline specific and it helps if you've done a little research beforehand, either here or elsewhere, so we're not starting from scratch.

Yes, some people are regulars here and they've earned the right to be called that after years of offering helpful advice and going out of their way for people in difficulty. For example, I remember a time when a poster was in France (I believe) with her mother who had suddenly taken ill. Her friends at Fodors were among the first she contacted and someone on this board arranged for immediate medical care for her mom. That's the kind of thing that makes you a regular here.

Finally, yes, it does get a little annoying to see the same question asked a billion times when there's been no obvious effort at research. For example, I've posted responses about 'best hotels in Venice' with my personal choice. Others have done so as well. A good start for a new poster would be to search 'hotels in Venice', look up their websites for current rates, etc., and then come here with a specific question like "X,Y & Z in Venice have been recommended here. All are in my price range. Which one would you say would be most romantic, since this will be our honeymoon?" Trust me -- a question like that will get 50 positive, helpful and congratulatory responses.

My suggestion is that you either find a website that has a personality more to your liking, or you change your screen name and try again.

I snap at jerks. Read it or ignore it.

Don't forget that there are a lot of different nationalities here; all with a different sense of humour too. People sometimes are very thin-skinned, and what someone else finds rude, is often just funny to me.

KISS MY GUIDEBOOK!!

A new person might not realize that some of us take our participation here rather seriously.

When I travel I collect information that I know will be able to answer a question that will be asked here in the future. I just got a lovely call from a dear friend in Switzerland and spent part of it picking her brain for some insider information to pass on to a couple people planning trips to that area who I've been helping this week.

There is much behind the scenes effort by hundreds or participants here that may not be immediately evident to a new-comer.

That is the heart and soul of this forum imo, the collective body of information we have to share.

If someone wants to focus on a few snarty-pants replies, cannot see the humor, or ignore a rude remark... it is their loss.

Oh Suze, you're such a snarty-pants! )

Enough is enough!!! I think the OP got the message.

if he is even still reading the thread

I would like to start out by saying that I am very new around here as well...however, all the advice I have gotten has been very helpful. Sure, you can tell who the experienced Fodorites are but isn't that who you want to reply to your questions? Surely you want suggestions and advice from people who actually know what they are talking about?!?! I have taken the time to search for similar threads to my questions and appreciate all of the responses people have taken the time to type for me.

Gametogo, I think a sense of humor and a little patience would help you out a bit here. (Although, you probably won't read this because you seem to have left your accusing post and run for the hills.)