should responses be acknowledged?
 

I am reasonably new at Fodors and whilst most people acknowledge or say thanks to others who have replied to their questions, there seems to be many folk who ask questions then never reappear on their own thread. I find this a little strange, why ask a question if you don't read the answers, surely it is polite to say a quick thanks when someone has bothered to take the time and effort to help you. Is it just me being "old fashioned" or does it "niggle" others?

Actually, I think they probably <b> do </b> read the answers; they simply don't bother to respond or comment further.

Some people are more appreciative than others; some people actually take the time to express that appreciation.

I think sometimes people don't realise how quickly topics disappear &quot;down the list&quot; and they don't see them when they return unless there is a very recent response. Of course you can look under your own log in to see your own posts but I also think many people don't realise that either.

Yes.

Yes - I would always respond to say thanks.

Yes. I think it's very rude -- but I guess we're only here for their convenience.

I'm going to bed now cos it is late is the land of OZ, but thanks to those who responded! Schnau

Well - you certainly don;t have to respond to every answer - sometimes there are many - or some turn up weeks or months later. But good manners require at least one sort of general thank you.

But I agree - if people bother to post they should at least acknowledge that they have read the responses. (Sometimes I think people don;t respond when they don;t like the answers - often people who have asked unreasonable questions - or for comments on plans that seem to most others to be unworkable.)

I'm torn on this issue. There is a part of me that says a &quot;thank you&quot; without further information simply brings the thread to the top for no good reason. I'm wondering if we wouldn't see the top topics always terminating in &quot;thank you's&quot; rather than in new information, which is what I normally expect in the top entries.

On the other hand, I know that it is polite to acknowledge someone's advice and assistance. I have thanked some people for what I considered very good advice, but I must admit that I have allowed many responses to go unacknowledged and &quot;unthanked&quot; after reading them. There are times when I feel a little sad about that.

Hi schnau,

Of course, one should respond with a &quot;thank you&quot;.

However, in the modern world of generally lessened standards and a &quot;me&quot; attitude, where men wear shorts and Tee shirts to dinner and women have to be told to cover up when entering churches and other houses of worship and where children are encouraged to act out, no matter where they are, what can one expect?

((I))

not to mention for selfish reasons, when you answer on your own post you bring it back to no. 1 positions, and possibly get more replies!

i'm with the posters above said: 1) new people may not know how to find their posts to see the answers they got, especially if it's been a couple days since they logged on
2) people who don't like the answers they receive... like the impossible itineraries that everyone unanimously says what are you crazy? no way you can do that! etc.

Frankly I think it's almost silly when someone asks a question and gets maybe ten responses and the original poster posts back after almost every one with another thank you. I think waiting a few days and then responding a general thank you to let people know you've at least looked at the responses is enough.

But more important than thanking people for the responses, I wish more people would return after they have used those responses -- even after several months if that's when they used the information, and report back with the results of how useful that information was or wasn't.

I can't count the number of times I've read &quot;thank you for the information, I'll be sure to report back on that _________&quot;(insert hotel, museum, ticket information, or whatever in the blank). But then we never see such a report.

A blanket thank you is fine.

I'm with Patrick, a check back telling how things turned out is *much* more helpful than a thank you.

I agree wholeheartedly with Patrick's post. Say thanks after a few days/replies and report back later thereby adding to the sum of information on the topic.

This brings to mind a poster that send a constant stream of posts with very specific questions about her trip to France.

Then, dead silence. I even started a thread to the effect of, Are you disappointed when no one reports back with an update or trip report.

THEN, her actual trip report appears - and it was very strange indeed. Read like a work of fiction IMO. Perfect trip to La-La Land. The report NEVER referenced any of her pre-trip concerns or let us know how any of her quandries worked out. It actually sounded like she dumped hubby and kids by the wayside and she had a solo trip to France - but all was perfect, of course. I'm still scratching my head over that one :-)

I think it's nice to post a thank you so that the people who responded know you got the information. I do agree that a thank you after each and every suggestion is overkill; if you get a lot of responses, a few inbetween would be enough. And yes, do report back after the trip.

I think Patrick is correct. People spend so much time trying to help a thank you is not asking for much. Also update your thread when you get back it helps people planning to know your outcome.

Whereas I would agree with Patrick and have often wished that people <b> would/did</b> tell us &quot;what actually happened&quot; I am not convinced that would change anyone's mind.

I say this in light of the recent well-received trip report about Italy in which the person did <b>not</b> stay in the &quot;most favored piazza&quot; in Rome (and got a hotel with bad air conditioning!!) and to make matters Fodorite worse, these people actually wore <b>shorts</b> in Italy.

If anyone really thinks that this &quot;result&quot; or reporting back is going to change a lot of people's minds about &quot;where to stay in Rome&quot; or that it is now OK to wear shorts in Italy, well.......but it is always nice to know what hppened anyway.

My point was lost in my griping. My thoughts during her trip and afterwards were that other Fodorites traveling by train with an infant and wee one would really benefit a lot from her report with her details about her experiences with traveling with kids. The actual trip report barely referenced that anyone was traveling with her - kids included.

Just felt that an inordinate amount of time was spent giving input to someone with no return value to other Fodorites - or a Thank You of any kind.

Oh starrsville - I'm relieved to hear you say that it was someone with an infant on a train. I was worried that your were talking about me! I did ask a LOT of questions about our trip prior to leaving. :)

I think it's nice to hear back from people at least once.

I'm also in total agreement with Patrick. I don't think it's necessary to thank each person, but it would be nice to have a trip report posted and know specifically what advice worked and what didn't.

My pet peeve concerns the people who keep posting the same obsessive question about hotels over and over again, when they've already received a dozen or more very helpful replies.

I remember in the Fall of 2003 telling a poster named marymac about Hotel Hermitage in Florence. She finally booked it after I had been pretty forceful in telling her how much we liked it on our trip.

She posted a lot before her vacation, so I just figured there would be a report. However, she never posted a trip report. Did she hate it? Even worse, did she get killed?

Just so you'll know, if you don't get a trip report from me in October when I return from Italy...I'm dead. Of course, if it's as long as my last one, that might be a relief for you guys.
((H))

No, it wasn't you - and your trip report AND pics were delightful. Even more, you referenced your kids in your trip report! :-)

I still think of Alex at Versailles. That shot is a classic - the caption added to it.

No, the other poster asked question after question - which is fine. But, the trip report did not address any of her experiences with said issues. I even asked - but the trip report continued to unfold without any feedback. Before the trip, the poster would start a new thread a couple of days later when she didn't like the advice and suggestions given to her by Fodorites. My only guess is that the collective wisdom was correct - and she is relunctant to admit that.

If you have a question and get input, PLEASE let us know how things worked out. There are others traveling with kids including infants, friends with mobility issues, etc. Share the wisdom with your experiences. It really will be very much appreciated!

Starrsville – I am not sure you know to what extent the advice shared by you may be of use to people that are thirsty for up-to-date information.

For example, you posted info on Julia Child’s cooking school in Provence. I am just beginning to plan a lengthy solo trip. I was planning to stay in Vence for about ten days. I checked the site you mentioned and was interested in the side trips and other events that went along with the cooking class. I mentioned this to my sister and her interest was peaked. For the time being my plans have changed to include the cooking class. My sister will join me. After the class my sister’s husband will join us, we will rent a car and take a week visiting areas I would not include in my plans as I did not want to drive alone.

Although I am at a beginning stage of my plans, you can see that any tidbit of information that is shared by experienced travelers like you is truly welcomed. So thanks to all of you seasoned travelers

That is so very cool, Simone. Thanks for sharing.

I was just doing paperwork with PBS in the background and there was a special on Julia Child. When I heard she moved to Provence for a while I was intrigued and googled to see if I could find the location. I found the info on the cooking class and have sent off for the brochure. It really looks lovely - and a good mix between a small cooking class and being out and about in Provence. I, too, am thinking about doing it in the next couple of years. Right now, I'm planning (and saving) for a trip to Italy - but I enjoyed Provence so much last year I'm afraid I won't be able to go to Tuscany instead :-)

Again, thanks for sharing. I realized after the fact that I planned a complete trip to Paris and Provence last year WITHOUT POSTING ONE QUESTION! I just took advantage of all the great information on this board from Fodorites - combined with multiple guidebooks of course.

I enjoy the questions. Just feel gypped when there is no reciprocal flow of information.

If you get to the class before I do, be sure to share! :-)

Now I feel guilty!

When I first came across this board it was through some link on a google search, something to do with teens or wheelchairs/mobility issues in Venice as that was an urgent (but thankfully relatively temporary) problem for me and mine at that time. I was enchanted by the board and the posters, and intended to write a brief report afterwards. However the whole week in Venice was so awful - and not just because of wheelchair boy! - I tried to put it behind me and forget about it, even though I had had some useful advice from posters. (Has anyone else had a dreadful week in Venice?) I hadn't really considered that a 'trip report' might help others.

Since then I have often replied to posters (including queries about Venice), and I have posed a few questions about my forthcoming visit to Paris and Normandy. I have used Fodors search engine many times in the last few weeks, thus avoiding asking repetitive questions. And earlier today it did occur to me to post following my return to thank people for advice given, not necessarily in answer to my questions, but in the responses to the queries of others and via trip reports.

So I hope the people who have responded to my posts haven't thought me dreadfully impolite and rude. I shall resolve to behave better in the future!

And please accept my apologies if you did reply to any of my questions, particularly those about Venice.

Julia_1, I am sorry you had a terrible week in Venice. I'd be interested in a trip report about what happened. I do acknowledge you might get some criticism (not from me, though!), as that always seems to happen when people report back with anything negative. Nonetheless, I think it could be very helpful so that other people can judge for themselves and possibly avoid pitfalls.

Starrsville -I’ll be glad to report on my cooking ventures. I am planning to keep my first journal (I am not sure whether it will be on paper, involve my laptop, or I will carry an IPAC – I think I will be researching more of Robespierre’s postings. I am sort of a gadget freak).

There is another, very good reason for reporting back after your trip. How else are we to know whether that wonderful restaurant is still wonderful, or our favorite hotel is still excellent? A year or two can make a big difference.

I gave some advice off the board to a fodorite (concerning a Mexico trip) and she was kind enough to report back to me afterwards. The festival she attended had really gone downhill (overrun with tourists and vendors) since I had been there, so I was grateful to know that for future reference.

I think it is part of the internet culture and email convention that one not make a response unless it adds to the subject.

When we first got email where I worked, the older people always sent and thank you, and a you're welcome, but the younger people with computer experience almost never did, although some would put a thank you in their original question. Since email is often sent to multiple recipients, and postings are often read by many people, the thank yous and you're welcomes that are polite in personal conversation are often a substantial waste of time and resources in electronic communications.

I do wish more of us would take the time to do follow-up reports on issues we have raised. If someone advised you to associate your ATM card with a checking account rather than a savings account, and you forgot to do it and got burned, I think you should swallow your pride and report that, in the interests of informing others.

So when someone doesn't post a thank you, I don't jump to the conclusion that they did not read the responses; I just assume they are observing the electronic culture we have created.

I think there are other ways for regular posters here to contribute besides a specific thank you or trip report in direct return. For example...

I gained info on a great funky affordable hotel in Waikiki that I would have never found on my own and have now stayed at twice.

But am more often able to give back with posts about the Lac Leman/Geneva surrounding area of Switzerland where I visit every-other summer.

Point being, I don't think questions you ask need necessarily be on the same topic as answers you post.

personally I don't think one needs to say thanks for posts that do not address the question,are cutting, or just start their own discussion...
I met another Fodorite on my recent trip at the hotel at which we were both staying .They were wonderful...We discussed if we were going to post trip reports and both of us expressed concern our trip reports would not be well recieved (ie no positive comments).Must you be a 25 year old &quot;writer&quot; with a clever 12 days of pizza report? NO offense to TxA but although that report was entertaining and well written it was hardly the wealth of knowledge for people traveling (which is no big deal just fun). And some of us are just well... not talented writers.
.I appreciate everyone who answers questions here but apparently some do not think that there is room for others who contribute in &quot;that way&quot;. By contributing I mean negative (truthful)as well a positive personal experiences. (not entertainment that feeds fantasy).
Another thing this other person expressed concern about was the privacy issue.Expressing opinions and detailed trip reports just gives some the foder to make assumptions about them and frankly it's nice to come here where we are not judged by sex.age or appearance if we dont want to be..But we are JUDGED here by where we go, what we see,how stupid our questions are, how well we write, how good our answers are or our spelling...and unfortunatly we cannot go back and edit our posts...
.and if you are not flamed here then ignoring will do..so that may be a reason you do not hear trip reports.....
so next time you are wondering just post &quot;so and so&quot; how was your trip and any advice..

When I give thought about whether or not to post a reply, i.e. give advice or answer a question, I consider if what I have to say would be helpful to others and not just to the OP.

Therefore I hope that my answer will find the light of day at some future time when someone is at work doing research on that particular topic.

Oh BTW - I wouldn't mind seeing a response from the OP. It'd be nice!

Just to clarify, when someone asks the best way to get from FCO to Termini, I don't expect them to come back and report that the express train was running on time.

It is when someone raises a more unusual issue or asks for hotel and restaurant suggestions that the advice-givers want to know how it all turned out and did you like the restaurant or hotel?

Personally, I want to hear negative experiences if the information is useful in future planning. I don't know why some people get so bent out of shape if someone hates Paris or London or Venice. I just think, it's too bad the person didn't experience what I did that made me love it, but I don't feel the need to convert everyone to my point of view.

There's always going to be someone snide, rude, disagreeable -- it's the internet. If you're not comfortable doing so, don't post a trip report. But if you got a lot of advice, I think you do owe it to those who helped you to write a couple of sentences about what happened and if you liked the recommendations.

morning in Oz so I thought I would check my question. I didn't mean that there should be a thanks after every post but you see about 15 - 20 really good responses re hotels/restaurants and then nothing from the poster, that is what I thought odd. I guess some people have good intentions about reports but after the excitement of the trip has worn off and they are back at work it gets lost in normality of life, no longer a priority. It is good to think, though, that something you may have said could have helped someone else, so I guess that is what this board is really all about. I agree about losing your posts when you first start on this forum. Maybe it needs someone everyweek to just post the reminder about how to check your own questions - click on your name up at the top left hand side of the screen.Blue writing, underlined. Otherwise you are none the wiser and wonder where everything went to. This could explain a lot, me thinks.

For sure, it's best to acknowledge responses to one's inquiry.

I've noticed many, many who post one inquiry after another, yet never thank, or even acknowledge, anyone or report back afterward. Noteably, those wishing recommendations for marriage proposals...

For sure, it could not be more discouraging to post invaluable insider tips and recommendations, acquired with much research, expense, and personal experience, not found in any tour guides or anywhere on the web.

Over the years, I've &quot;discovered&quot; many, many amazing &quot;finds&quot; - particularly with regard to dining and lodging, which, for obvious reasons, I hesitate to post here. Why, oh why, &quot;give up&quot; such magnificent places to folks who cannot even be bothered to acknowledge (or even consult any tour guide whatsoever or even search the web - or even this website and forum), along with others who lurk and never participate?

Worse, such places are often suddenly deluged with business, whereupon a) you cannot book the place yourself, and b) prices surge while quality dimishes...

For me, anyway, there is absolutely no question that I've learned to selectively participate here. Often I've posted &quot;e-mail me&quot; and I'll check my notes for incredible places, and they can't even be bothered to do that!

Consider this: Why would anyone wish to &quot;give up&quot; extraordinary fabulous &quot;finds&quot; to strangers who not only cannot be bothered to do the least bit of research on their own, but are also, apparently &quot;too busy&quot;, or believe it's just not necessary, to acknowledge your efforts?

For example, I happen to know a positively magnificent place to stay on Cape Cod (in the most desireable town), where the rates are exceptionally reasonable by comparison, and the rooms - all with kitchens (with outposts for magnificent provisions steps away) - are fabulous in every way and could not be more beautiful and comfortable, RIGHT on the ocean with amazing views, and it's within walking distance to town (precluding the need to find, impossible in the nice weather, a parking space). For whatever reason, it's not listed (perhaps you they'd have to pay to be included) in nearly any any of the printed tour guides, and is included in only a very few websites, and without a weblink, even though they do have a website. No way, obviously, I would ever mention the place here. The place is always booked up well ahead, but those &quot;in the know&quot; have no problem planning ahead. They are always fully booked all the time, so just do mind if their multitude of &quot;repeat guests&quot; prefer to keep the place a &quot;secret&quot;.

Some posters on Fodors are remarkably knowledgeable and generous and offer amazingly detailed and thoughtful posts that took time and effort to craft. Those types of posts certainly merit acknowledgment.

But other posts, while helpful, don't seem to me to warrant gushy &quot;thank yous.&quot; I think it's appropriate to be selective in acknowledging posts, commending those that go above and beyond, and tucking the others away in one's mind for future reference.

My own intent in posting responses is to be helpful and to share my experience and revive my memories. I don't expect or look for thanks or even acknowledgments, and I find those who do annoyingly needy. We give sometimes and we take sometimes. It's a marketplace of ideas and experiences.



I never expect a thanks

I suppose one way to look at it would be not to expect a thanks and feel even better when you actually get one.