There are so many posts each day on this Europe forum, but WHY don't people take the time to look further back than the first fifty messages? There are so many repeat posts and you miss out as many cannot be bothered to reply again to a question they answered two days before.

I don't understand the second sentence. <BR> <BR>The purpose of this post is not clear.

Katie is saying that people post questions without doing a search or looking at anything beyond the first screen of posts, and many posts don't get replies because folks weary of posting the same info again and again.

Dave, <BR> <BR>I THINK what Katie meant to say was that people often ask questions on this forum that have already been answered - that if they were to look at previous posts (or search) they might find that someone else has already asked the same question. <BR> <BR>Apparently, Katie was too "lazy" to look further back than the current fifty posts; if she had, she would've seen that she is not the first to complain about oft-repeated questions!! <BR> <BR>

Katie, <BR> <BR>Sorry if my previous post sounded a bit harsh. I'm at work, so by definition I'm also in a bad mood. <BR> <BR>If you want to enjoy this forum and avoid undo frustration, you need to accept the fact that this is not just a repository of information. It is also an online-community, where the asking and answering is sometimes as important as the actual information that is exchanged. <BR> <BR>I've noticed lots of repeated questions too, and I've come to the tentative conclusion that one thing that many people want from this forum is not just the answer to a question, but an answer to THEIR question. Maybe there's an element of reassurance involved, in having someone tell you PERSONALLY that "yes, your ATM card will work in Europe", or that there really are pickpockets in Rome. Or maybe asking trivial questions is a way of working through the excitement and anticipation of a long-awaited first trip. Or yes, maybe someone is just too lazy to search. <BR> <BR>Periodically someone will post a list of suggestions to new users, including use of the search feature. And it never really seems to change the fact that the same questions get asked over and over. And surprisingly, get answered more often than not. Occasionally I will get a little frustrated with this, but then I recall how excited, nervous, and obsessive I was when planning my first trip to Europe, and think that maybe I wasn't so much different.

Katie, I agree with you. I've been here less than two weeks and I'm having the time of my life with the search feature. Hey, dumb question brigade - there is a wealth of info in here, duh. Try scratching the surface. (Watch me ask a dumb question next week)

I totally agree with Katie. People are just lazy. (Hey, I'm lazy too, in my own way.) They don't read the previous posts for the same reason they don't read a travel guidebook. It's easier to be spoonfed. And on this site, there's always someone willing to do the feeding!

well, to a certain extent - I think there are limitations to the format of this forum, too. <BR> <BR>I think it is wonderful, don't get me wrong - I am an addict in only three (four? time flies when you are having fun!) short weeks - but the search function only seems to search the titles (if I am doing this wrong, please let me know!) <BR> <BR>For instance, I did a search on "Elvira" as she always has great advice - but only 12 strings came up, all with her name in the title - and I KNOW she has responded to more than 12 posts! (if there is a way to read all her stuff, let me know! I feel as if there is a huge joke I am not "in on" - the loons? is this her family? friends?) <BR> <BR>so, in order to chance upon those really nifty posts - you may have to hit "next fifty" - 999 times! or whatever. <BR> <BR>Some way cool posts magically appeared at the top even though the initial post was 12 months old - I can only think someone is very patient out there!! (or they hit the magic word in their search) <BR> <BR> I myself have put a bunch of Normandy advice (I am a WWII buff) under the "hotels in Bayeux" post - which, who would necessarily know to look there - would they not look for a title which said "Normandy"? (I was responding, I did not title it). <BR> <BR>heavy sigh. anyway. thoughts? <BR> <BR>Beth

Beth- <BR> <BR>The search function will search the message as well as the title. However, it will not search the name of the person who posted.

Hey Beth, I'm a WWII nut too and have been to Normandy several times while living in England. what the site really needs is some topical pages where info can be posted on fairly specific subjects.

I may be wrong, but from my experience, the search function seems to only pick up words (and like works) in the title.

Brian is right. As much as I like the forum, the search function isn't so hot. In fact, I've found it pretty erratic. I've tried to use the search function to find specific words in the text, and sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. (These are posts that I know exist because I've seen them previously.) Now, this is to Katie: I am one of the people who DOES go back beyond the first 50 posts. But do you feel better now that you've called a bunch of perfect strangers lazy? I've noticed that the people such as yourself who have unkind things to say on this forum hardly ever have the courage to use their real e-mail addresses. <BR>

Well, I'm guessing most of the complainers are new to messageboards in general. <BR> <BR>It never ceases to amaze me when I see a post like this; some poster comes on a messageboard, and proceeds to tell an international multitude of posters and potential posters that they must post in only a certain way. Katie, Girlfriend, do you realize how ridiculous you sound? <BR> <BR>This is a PUBLIC board. It serves EVERYONE. Last I checked it wasn't the KATIE board. Or did I miss something in the guidelines that specifys that certain posters have higher status, and are thus in a position to dictate the posting styles of the perhaps thousands of posters or potential posters that stop by here daily. <BR> <BR>I think most of us are sick to death of dillusionally megalomanical posters telling the rest of us how to post. <BR> <BR>If you can't deal with the realities of a free and democratic site on the internet, that is open to all, such as this one---I suggest you start your own site. You're not in charge here.

Brian is right, and I was wrong. However, this seems to have changed at some point. I just ran a search that I ran about a year ago, and only found one response instead of several that I found before. I'm glad it wasn't this way then, I never would have found my hotel in Florence!

I agree that people should read previous posts before asking their questions to at least try to avoid redundancy (and personally, I've been very happy with the results I've gotten using the search function), but I don't think that re-asking a question is necessarily a sign of laziness. One of the great things about this forum is that it's possible to get up-to-date information and opinions. Reading a post from two years ago saying that such and such is a great restaurant just isn't the same as hearing from someone who ate there last month. Granted, some things like "what are the key sites in Rome" don't need to be asked over and over, but other topics do benefit by being updated.

The majority of people these days seem to simply be lazy, at least when it comes to seeking out information. If it's any effort why do it? It takes time/energy to do a search - it's easier to ask. I work in the education field and this is something I have noticed a great deal with students. They stand in front of signs that clearly give the information they are seeking and turn and ask "is such and such being held today?" In many cases it appears to me that it is too much effort to look up the answer/person/whatever piece of info they seek so they ask instead. I've told many students "that info is available on line" - they stand there and say "yeah I know, but I don't want to look it up". I think it is the same with this Forum, many people just don't want to bother looking it up..there is always someone who will give them the answer - just like in my business! <BR> <BR>I don't mind the same old questions (usually) on the Forum but I do wish people would be a little more specific with their questions. Please don't say HELP I'm going on a trip. I do love it when folks say "I need some info on Hotel Wonderful in Wonderland, can you help? That's specific. I just wish people would do a bit more homework on their own, there are great travel guides out there, great tapes, books you can borrow from the library. They make for great planning, then you can get into the specifics. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Cheryl, I think you're right, I think it has changed recently. Probably due to all the complaints about the search function being too slow! It's pretty fast now, but if it's not in the title, you're out of luck.

Accept it as a fact of live, Katie. <BR> <BR>Ignore all the excuses ... people are lazy. It has nothing to do with slow this or that. <BR> <BR>It has nothing to do with asking for 'updated' information ... saw two postings with identical questions about a dozen items apart the other day. <BR> <BR>Our website is pretty well indexed and linked throughout. It has an excellent, very fast, search function. It has a topical index (table of contents) and an alphabetical index. <BR> <BR>Still, we get asked over and over for information that's easily found on the site. <BR> <BR>It's human nature. And, yes, such folks miss out on much. <BR> <BR>Ed

Nobody's right, if everybody's wrong (quick from whence that quote?)... <BR> <BR>A post like "Recommend a good hotel in London" gets no response; the poster brings it to the top "hey, can't somebody answer this??" I do get a chuckle outta that. <BR> <BR>And the admonitions/recommendations about posting are a lot about helping (granted, some are just misplaced aggression), because too-broad questions may not get a response at all (see "hotel in London" example above) or only one or two that might not be all that helpful by themselves. <BR> <BR>It's a public, free forum, so ask away. Just don't get upset if your question isn't answered. And if, as a responder, you critique because you want to be helpful, you might try the positive approach (who HASN'T been to one of those touchy-feely management seminars?) "you know, that's a great question, but you know what would be even better?" Oy, I can't believe I just typed that.

Elvira- <BR> <BR>Buffalo Springfield - For What it's Worth, right?