While we will not force posters to select a tag for their post, I do think that the new format makes it easier to realize the benefit of doing so. We've also redesigned the "Post a new message" page so that it's easier to actually select a tag (right now the menu is really short and it's hard to find/select the countries).

These tags are displayed prominently on the thread level. They also appear with the topics in the column on the left-hand side, which will feature a limited view of the most recent activity (topped threads/new threads) in that forum. We've also made it clearer that you can view a forum by tags (currently this function is hidden in our search field). I think all together, people will really "get" the advantages to tagging a post. We did not go the route of completely dividing the forums into smaller country forums because we all agreed that the top level view was part of what made our forums so unique and great.

I'm really hopeful that you will all like the "new" forums. They haven't changed an iota really since they started back in 1996 so I have a fair amount of nervous enthusiasm as the project reaches its final stages.

What is particularly great about our new setup is the degree of flexibility that it gives us moving forward. The site was built/written in a very "old-school" way and it tied our hands quite a bit when it came time to try to implement new features/improvements.

Looking forward to your feedback--

Thanks, Katie. I'm sure that there will be no lack of feedback on the changes!

I look forward to them when I return from Costa Rica.

Yep, I like the idea of the split. About time. I just waited 2 months to pile on!!

Also like the idea of requiring that they have to select a tag that segments the country and attaches an identifier so we don't have to waste time reading through "Need information" without a country name or more defined info. I don't even open those.

The above should help you with "search". These days its all about "search". Seriously.

Also-what about a feature that sends us an e-mail when someone posts in a thread we are involved in as the author or otherwise? Or was that covered somewhere in the other 121 posts?

On the new forum top-level pages, "United States" for instance, the tags do display in the lefthand column showing most recent activity.

The email alerts are on our to-do list; we should have the capability to do these in our new system(we definitely don't under our current system). However, they will not make the "cut" for this first round of changes. I would like to add them sometime in '09.

From what I can tell of the topics that we've loaded on our development site, the search is much improved.

We will also be adding RSS feeds for every forum and its tags. I don't know how many of you use RSS feeds but they will be pretty handy if you do and you want to follow a particular country's new topics.

I think the way you have it now, just clicking on your own name, makes it easy to see if others have posted. I don't particularly like TA's set up for this.

MY

I like it now too; it's easy enough to see if things are posted.

well, my point is, I am not on here everyday. But, if I were alerted that someone had a questiion or posted a response to something I authored then I would return immediately and respond if needed.

E-mail alerts are stictly optional. If you don't want them, you can come back to the site and click on your name to check responses.

Quicker response=the site being more populated=higher search results.

Katie-is there going to be an edit feature where we can edit our original post? Or maybe there is one on here now that I have missed?

As long as it's optional, that sounds great.

yes, definately would have to be optional. That is the way it is on some other boards that I have seen.

Alerts would definitely be optional when/if we do add them.

There is not an official way to edit a post now though I have seen some posts where members have said that they can edit their post by clicking "back" on their browser. One will be able to do that in our new format.

There is not an edit function in the first roll out; though adding one is something that we can potentially do in the future with the platform that we've chosen. I realize this is high on many members' lists of "things I'd like to see here" and I agree that it would be a useful feature.

We just returned from SA and wanted to see what everyone was saying about it. I was surprised that by typing South America in the search bar I didn't get much. I only happened to find Latin America by accident. Good thing- lots of info for our next trip to SA. Please list SA as its only search choice for people like me who think of LA as Mexico and Central America.

Katie-

Is there a mobile solution on the list for the future?

There are plans for one in the future. Do you mean a solution specific to the Forums?

Katie-yes, I suppose that is what I wish I had access to most from a smartphone. That is what I use Fodors for mostly, but would not want to exclude the needs of other people. There are certainly times I wish I had access to the forums when I am on the "fly". My guess is that some other people might feel the whole site should be mobile. Are we talking about "the forum site may be doable, but to put the whole site up is a monumental task"? I wouldn't think you would want to piecemeal it. AA.com does a good job with their mobile site.

There is a Fodors mobile site currently but the content is pretty limited and it doesn't have the forums.

It is a tough site to access through Windows Mobile. May be better through Iphone app. I run 6.1 and can't get a good screen. May be "operator error":)

I would love an easy way to post pictures, like you can do on tripadvisor. I know it's not in this round, but maybe in the future...

Do it!!

Nearly three months ago, I said one of the problems I found was that when you open this page "you have to hit 'refresh', to get the latest threads."

Unfortunately, that is still the case.