Travelermebe

I'm one of those people who frequent this travel talk site because I travel a lot and I'm always picking up useful travel tips. Its great to be able to get some very specific information on various subjects. At the same time, I'll admit I don't generally post a lot because I only do so when I think I have something specific to add to a thread.

Sometimes I find the discussions on here amusing, such as when people discuss packing and luggage. You have anything from people who can travel for three weeks in Europe with a backpack, to those who bring wardrobe trunks and everything in between.

Some posters are really fantastic. Ben Haines on anything London related, Janis for England, Ira and GAC regarding Italy. There are others, but these people generally provide great information, on topic, and don't get involved in some of silly tit for tat arguments (often not even travel related) that often erupt, which is one of the things I really don't like.

I'm not just talking about the trolls here. There are some long time posters that really shouldn't get into these personal, name calling threads that bore the rest of us. I'm mean come on folks, do you really need to defend your honor when someone says something stupid about you. If you just ignore them, they would go away.

Another problem area is posters who respond to specific questions, such as when a poster wants to know about a specific hotel, and someone responds that they don't know anything about the place, but talks about some other hotel they have stayed at. If the OP had wanted to know about other hotels, he or she would have asked.

I also don't like the nastiness that some new posters encounter, even from regulars. Certainly, we all see the same questions all the time from newbies, but while it is reasonable to point out to a new poster that there is a search feature, people don't have to be nasty about it.

Notwithstanding any complaints I have, overall I still think this is the best travel web site I have found.

m_kingdom2

Thank you for the opinion, one from above.

Marilyn

"If you just ignore them, they would go away."
Ah, if only that were true.

IMHO this is not only the best travel website, I think it's about the best travel resource I've ever found.

lincasanova

well said, travelermebe.

suze

<...name calling threads that bore the rest of us.> The beauty of this bulletin board, as with any internet resource, if you are bored, you don't have to read the thread or reply to it... you don't even have to open it (well not more than once anyway, if the title didn't clue you in to the fact it was one of those types).

suze

Or *continue* to read it I should say, if it is one that started normal and later went down hill fast.

Jack

Travelermebe

Thanks. You've said something I always wanted to say myself.

francophile03

Travelermebe thanks also. In fact, it's not new members only who are targets of nastiness by long-time members.

henneth

There is so much more backbiting, bitchiness and spiteful comments on Fodor's Talk than on any other travel forum site I've come across. That's why I visit every day, to see which poster is to be crucified next!! I love it!!

DonnieD

For trolls .... I just ignore, ignore, ignore. It's not like they're calling you at home.

For the scolders, I like to give them the benefit of the doubt. They're trying to help, and sometimes you can't always tell a person's attitude, just reqading their words.

Bottom line, Fodors Talk is the best travel resource there is.

francophile03

The wealth of info. here is tremendous and great. But the nastiness comes in large doses too. I found another travel site that's got cliques, but on the whole the nastiness is not as much as here.

Scarlett

Being a longtime poster, I would like to apologise for being sucked into the sort of foodfight that you are talking about. I know better and will do my best to not be dragged down to their level or to bore anyone.
Perhaps a vacation is what I need

NYCFoodSnob

Oh, puhleeeze, not another me, me, me, I thread! My goodness, I counted eight I's in the first paragraph alone. How (self) absorbing. What's so different about this thread as compared to all the other opinionated posters who post, writing stuff that many would consider "indulgent," the outer edges of "travel" talk?

What's really GREAT about this board is ANYBODY can speak their mind on the very generous and broad topic of travel and do so with as much flair, compassion, anger, jealousy, personality and gusto as they feel like putting into words. And do it without the threat of a heavy-handed editorial board bent on testing the limits of censorship and the patience of veteran or "loyal" registrants.

Fodor's Travel Talk reminds me of my days in corporate, eating lunch in the cafeteria with a diverse group of people I would see and talk to on a daily basis. Some I would like, admire, and befriend. Others would be tolerated and worth a good tease. And the rest: those sour, negative folk that, eventually, creep up everywhere - I'd pray for their termination. There wouldn't be many I'd ask to dinner, let alone invite into my home.

In contrast to my tendency to create a small circle, I do appreciate diversity of opinion and I enjoy the frail, faultfull, imperfections of being "human." It's all on display here and, oftentimes, it's very revealing and entertaining and much of it makes me laugh. Oh, how I love to laugh!

Outside of charging a fee to register to keep the (obnoxious) trolling at bay, I wouldn't change a thing. (Except, I'd bring back the original color scheme.)

makemyday

I'm not going to bite, as it is very obvious that some long time posters simply would not quit with the back-biting. Perhaps, they just neglected to take their required medication and afternoon nap.

I like this board for the travel information that it provides.

suze

I'll drink to that, Scarlett! Clearly I am in need of a vacation (or at least a trip in the planning stages) to avoid getting sucked into the silly or worthless threads as I have recently. I should take my own advice above and just scroll on by.

ira

>There is so much more backbiting, bitchiness and spiteful comments on Fodor's Talk than on any other travel forum site I've come across.<

You have led a very sheltered life.

artlover

I'm an addict, so it's hard to be objective, but I think Fodor's is great. So many generous, helpful people here who take the time to help others. Overall, I LOVE it.

I think it's important to always keep in mind that the views expressed are subjective, though the practical information offered is incredible. But not everyone would agree about the quality of food, lodgings, etc., and it probably would be a pretty boring world if they did (and it's anything but boring).

Sometimes I get a bit "miffed" at people who post and obviously haven't done any research at all on their own. In those cases, I usually just ignore the poster or suggest they go to a bookstore or library and check out travel books and suggest several websites as well. But most posters seem to have good, well-thought out questions and since registration is required, it seems the real nasty people have "gone away" and most Fodorites are terrific.

NotMe

Absolutely agree with the OP. However, unlikely it will change.

rbrazill

Let's just congratulate ourselves on how witty, urbane, and above all, well-traveled we are. No matter that we tend to give absolute advice on places that we've never actually been (but we're planning a trip there) and lessons on language that we don't actually speak (but are hoping to become fluent.) There are certainly notable exceptions of people who talk of whence they know, but there are too many others who treat their three days in a particular area as the wisdom of a long-term resident. The trick is to separate the wheat from the chaff.

walkinaround

if backbiting and non-travel related tit-for-tat silly arguing is what you dislike, why did you post something that will obviously attract it. if you were truly above all this as you seem to want to portray yourself, you would not be making posts about who you like and who you don't.