I noticed a message today called "what did you not "get" until you got there?" by David West dated 7/13/2001. Is this the longest running message on the European board? Mike

The <i>oldest</i> thread goes back to 1996, I think. But a far more difficult question to answer would be what thread has had posts added in every calendar year? I bet there could be one from 1999, but I have no idea (nor suggestions for a way) how to find it.

Best wishes,

Rex

OK, who has a whole lot of time on their hands? Any volunteers?

The old classic &quot;should I tip the pilot?&quot; has to be one of the record breakers. I also seem to remember Rick Steves being called a &quot;geezer&quot; generated an overwhelming response.

Unfortunately the very uninspired &quot;Where do you live?&quot; usually gets a high response

I think the winner has to be one on the Asia board. Somebody offered a trip report on Thailand <i>years</i> ago, and people still top it and request one, even though the woman hasn't answered back after the first few days. It's hilarious. Half the people who ask for one to be mailed don't even list their email address.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...&amp;tid=56165

That's my candidate entry!

There is also one on the Latin America board about &quot;Living and Guiding in Costa Rica for over a year&quot; by Scott somebody or other (or something like that) that has hundreds of responses and has been around for years. I always see it on there with recent postings asking Scott questions, and he always answers!

As we are about to sit down for our California Thanksgiving meal, the leader seems to officially be 7/08/98!! Any other replies? Mike

Here is the oldest, loneliset message - - never got a reply.

Hot Spots in Northern Italy

Author: Tanya Shamson
Date: 12/09/1996, 05:14 pm

Message: It will be too cool for the beach. You can go to Liguria Levante, which starts around Geneva (less then one hour by from Milan). There are a number of beautiful places. Start with Camogli, then drive down the coast to Santa Margharita Ligure, visit Portofino and Cinque Terre - translated as five lands.

==========================

Reluctant to give its URL. It ought to be left untouched, at this point.

Good Morning from California!!! My daughter just left to catch the EARLY store openings. She's a real TROOPER !!! Rex, how did you find this thread? As usual, I'm really impressed. Mike

Mike,

Is it okay to just give you a hint?

Here is how a person would find YOUR earliest post:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgUser....&amp;start=100

Rex. believe it or not, I do understand this &quot;system&quot;, but how did you know this particular author, Tanya Shamson ? Mike

It's always a source of amazement to me how the dullest posts seem to get the most responses....

Hmmm... mike, you did not get the hint... maybe write me. I did not know the person who wrote this post.

But moreover, I thought that it did not seem &quot;old enough&quot;. I'm not sure why it was the &quot;oldest&quot; one the search engine would retrieve last night.

Today, the result is this one several months older.

==========================

Joel Robuchon

Author: Carol Barraco
Date: 07/22/1996, 09:48 pm

Message: I was under the impression that he had closed his ***
and it was to be taken over by Alain Ducasse (Monte Carol's Hotel de Paris) *** chef.
Maybe you have a reservation at the new restaurant located in
a hotel. We did eat there last year and it was spectacular. He had
just moved in. He also had a send resaturant there at the time.
Either way - the food will be outstanding. Alain Ducasse was quotes as saying
he will have 2 *** restaurants within the year.

===============================

It got two responses - - on July 25 and on August 2 (both in 1996), which I have omitted.

Well, presuming that those &quot;tid&quot;'s are sequences, wouldn't you just start from

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...id=2&amp;tid=1

till you found the first working one?

Yes, Bozo, that would work also.

Diocletian started a thread in XXC that continues to this day. He is looking for a splendid, inexpensive, centrally- located trattoria to which he can wear jeans and use his blackberry despite others trying to find peace and escape from the techies that now flood the known world. Last entry from a &quot;Cicero&quot; a few days ago.

Antonio

Wow... This is weird...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...=2&amp;tid=101

is the earliest &quot;tid&quot;... But,

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...=2&amp;tid=108

is the earliest date... weird!

And if you use the &quot;start=&quot; method, then number 109 is the &quot;oldest&quot;, since it has no reply newer than August 2, 1996.

And number 101 does not show up using the &quot;start=&quot; method. Presumably it was not really on the Europe forum, since it concerns Vietnam.