ShelliDawn

Those of us that frequent this forum know that many people will post here when they should post their questions in a geographic specific forum (e.g. Europe or USA). Generally these posts get a reply telling the person to which forum it would be better posted. This is a nice friendly thing to do and I've done it myself many times.

I'm always somewhat dismayed though when the person replying states "no one reads this forum". This is not true. I read this forum and obviously the reply poster does also. This forum may not be as busy as some other forums, but that's a far cry from nobody reading/posting to this forum. I don't see how making these comments helps the OP but may discourage them from posting legitimate travel tips and trip ideas in the future.

evecolorado

I agree. I may not have posted here very often, but read it every day. My routine is to go first to Air Travel, then here, then the Lounge. After that, if I'm planning a trip somewhere, or if time allows, I'll go to some of the other Forums.

suze

If Fodor's got rid of this forum, that almost no one reads (glance down the column, there are at most 4 to 7 replies per DAY here) then people would naturally post their questions elsewhere on the website... in the Europe forum, in the Lounge, Air Travel, etc. which ALL have a greater readership so virtually guarantees the person more replies than they will ever get here.

suze

Even Fodor's Editors post suggesting people post their questions elsewhere (Doug Stallings said exactly what you are complaining about recently I remember). Now how bad is THAT is even they know this is a dead forum.

hlphillips2

What's frustrating though is there isn't any other logical place to post questions about family travel. I've had several questions in years past about car seats, etc before this forum was created and had no idea where to put it. You can't ask for advice about which lightweight car seat to buy to cart through an airport in a location specific forum - I'd be blasted!! Though I don't post here often I too check it every few days... more so than the other boards.

ShelliDawn

Suze,

Why do you bother visiting this forum if you think it's of no use?

ShelliDawn

Perhaps there would be less confusion about the purpose of this forum if the name was changed to something like "General Travel Talk and Tips".

suze

Why? I try to help keep it alive & not become a dead zone. More importantly to welcome the people who are new to Fodor's by helping them get to a forum where their questions will actually be answered.

I understand the car seat example but if someone's asking about a hotel in Venice or Paris, they will receive perhaps 2 or 3 answers here, where if they post on the Europe forum they'll receive dozens & dozens of suggestions.

ShelliDawn~ This branch DID used to be called "Other Topics" Fodor's recently changed the name to "Travel Tips".

suze

Here's a pefect example of my point. The new queestion about *honeymoon registries* has received 4 replies here in an 8 hour period on "Travel Tips". Same question over in the "Lounge" forum has 26 replies in just over 1 hour.

suze

now her question has 44 answers in the Lounge

ShelliDawn

Suze,

I'm not surprised that the thread on the lounge has more hits; it is a much busier forum. That's okay. Not all forums need to be uber-busy. One of the reasons I frequent this forum is because it isn't as busy and it's easier to track the posts. I also find that, generally, threads with many posts often repeat each other or have branched conversations within the same thread. I don't know if this is the case for the honeymoon one as I haven't read it.

Your comment about visiting/posting to this forum to "keep it alive" is in contradiction to your comments in posts that "No one much reads this" forum. All I was commenting on is that comments like yours do nothing to encourage people to post (appropriate) topics here and may discourage them.

suze

I don't think I discourage anyone from posting. I think it is OK to direct people to where their questions will receive more replies, as I've mentioned the Fodor's editors themselves do that too.

I will kindly suggest though, if your intension was to encourage participation on this forum, you might rethink the title of this very post you started? YOU posted "No One Reads This Forum" and if people don't open this thread and read the discussion, you've contributed to what you're complaining about.

LSky

I read this forum, so here's another hit on this backstreet.

LSky

That was a lazy reply from me. There are topics on this forum that are better answered in other places. Best Romantic Rest in Venice for example. Questions about travel insurance, solo trips and on line booking companies would get lost on the Lounge and wouldn't always fit in a specific forum like Europe or Asia. Maybe the answers to travel insurance vary depending upon what part of the world one is going to. But if the OP posts them on the Asia forum, those people who only go to the US and Europe for example might miss some vaulable information.
Unlike the Lounge, this is about travel and it doesn't have to be specific. That's what I like about this one.

Now, it's just getting people to post here.

jojo46

I joined Fodor's Travel Talk because I LOVE travel..... researching, discovering and sharing. Have really enjoyed the Trip reports, received lots of helpful advice and I've provided some in places where I travel. I went to this Forum for Road Trip packing advice last year, was given great suggestions! Funnily enough Hlphilips, I visited this Forum today for infant travel and car seat advice! Our first grandchild is joining us for Christmas in Hawaii and I was looking for travel hints with a 3 1/2 month old.

But I've only been a Fodor's member since Jan 08 and I sometimes feel like I've entered a very private sometimes vicious club. The Lounge terrifies me...talk about people biting your head off. Most topics have nothing to do with travel!

So I am happy there is a Travel Tips and Ideas Forum but as LSky says "it's just getting people to post here."

LSky

Hey jojo, "The Lounge terrifies me...talk about people biting your head off."

Don't worry about that, they aren't all that tough. I suppose when I get my ego fired up I can be one of those biters too.
But I was reading something the other day about this, the author Eckhart Tolle compared it to ducks. They squabble and it's loud, then they seperate shake their feathers and pretty soon are floating down the river together again.

Have fun in Hawaii, which island are you going to?

jojo46

Thanks LSky. I realize Fodorites are generally clever and witty whereas I feel I 'sound' pedantic in print so I can be oversensitive! There are many who have been helpful, some who can be actually sweet, (Scarlet comes to mind) so I'll hang in there.. maybe only as a Lurker in the Lounge!?!
We're off to Kauai, an island we love and know well. But this trip will be especially celebratory, DH newly recovered from major illness, it'll be our 40th anniversary and first Christmas with our new grandson!

suze

jojo~ Fodor's specifically created the Lounge branch to accomodate non-travel posts and keep the other forums focused. That's the whole idea of it (when you say "most posts have nothing to do with travel"... that's absolutely correct!). It's OK to stay out of the Lounge and use only the other branches, lots of people don't care for it there. Have a great trip to Hawaii, I'm going there myself later this week, aloha!

LSky

jojo, Congrats X 3.

I wonder how many people feel that they "'sound' pedantic in print"? That probably goes for a lot of us, which is why it takes me so long to post a trip report.

Have fun in Hawaii. And you too suze!

suze

Thanks muchly LSky, I'm sure I will (lol). I think the title of this thread could be "see some people do read this forum" seems more appropriate to the subject at hand