Oh, right! How to increase clicks AND how to increase participation, and those may be separate issues.

Hi all,

Just to comment on some of this:

• The Fodorite Lounge isn't going anywhere. It's very popular with those who use it, and we worked to figure out new guidelines for entry, which we implemented early this year. The off-topic area of the site will be accessible to all, after they become Fodorites, i.e. core travel posters. We have no plans to create a new "lounge" just for new users who don't want to talk travel; there are plenty of places outside Fodor's for that.
• New posts and new user registrations are rock steady since the debut of the new forums. We definitely lost some people who either did not keep their logins handy, or who simply decided they didn't want to bother to learn the new layout; but since early 2018? Very steady participation.

Thanks all!

Paul

I would, for one. And I definitely don't think 51 is "old". Older than 16 or 26, but I was far more active with long distance/strenuous hikes at 50 than many people half my age.

If you want to get jumped on, try posting that you like cruising. I'm about to head out on a cruise with a 30-something friend in a few weeks, we will share independent guides in all but one of our ports. I will only report back on Acapulco, since it's the only port stop I asked about. It was subbed out for Costa Rica at the last minute. Turns out there is a ship's tour that does what we had planned on, anyways. Many people are planning to stay on the ship but I think we're sneaking off (my travel partner might be breaking some kind of rule for federal employees since there is a Level 4 warning for all of Guerrero.)

@ ibobi: Many thanks for that information! :star:

I'll wish you a most sincere bon voyage, and will otherwise not touch the topic of cruises. ;)

LOL...thank you.

suze, your full response in post #122 of the conversation is (emphasis mine):

"unless you think 51 is old

Yes I do think 51 is "old". You think that's "young"?"

Indeed, it is not really very nice to misrepresent things.

:lol:

Anyone can go read the entire thread for themselves (Greta Thurnberg Sweden is the title) you don't need to disrupt this one further.

Geez, I went and read that thread. That is exactly why I left the lounge last year! Never again will I venture into that forum.

mlgb--Try posting that you like to backpack, as in climbing a mountain and sleeping there;) People with absolutely no experience in that will comment, negatively.

Miss Donkey
I enjoy the conversations and sometimes come across a trip report that is well written and interesting, but I get really bored with the same posters banging on endlessly about the same thing, like the poster who ALWAYS goes on about driving after a long flight, or the constant advice about jet lag...really enough.[/QUOTE]

I agree, we get it but I am flying from east coast not West coast. My nieces are the same. They do trips everywhere and never go to a trave site like Fodors or TA.

OK. I've been on the road for a number days, often w/o good internet in Northern Mexico. First off, I apologize for some repetion and disorder in my response and will try to "tread lightly" and not get deleted. Here goes.
I agree with #38: " I think Fodors is getting full participation from its members, unless they want to change their profile."
I don't agree that Googled and 2nd or 3rd hand information or uninformed opinions have much value to making the forum a better place. Consider that Fodor's itself boasts "​​​​We hire local writers who know their destinations better than anyone else, allowing us to provide the best travel recommendations for all tastes and budget in over 7,500 worldwide destinations." Over 700 writers in all. Should not Forum participants adhere to the same criteria? Can you imagine their (Fodor's) credibility if they'd boasted: "We get our information from our crack team of Googler's so you don't have to." The problem with passing on Googled information, as one's own or otherwise, is that it's often: a) wrong b) biased c) out of date d) incomplete e) fake f) self-promotion. Geez, anyone that found Fodor's can surely manage a search on their own, can't they? I'd be insulted if I was the recipient of such simulated "expertise" and I think legitimate Fodorite's deserve no less. I'm of the opinion, from my experience here, that a question posted to Fodor's comes after some earnest searching, not before.
A couple of recent questions on the Mexico forum indicate that people very much value first-hand information over Google regurgitation. (Speaking of, I like this definition of regurgitation: {repeating (information) without analyzing or comprehending it.}
Here's one, (Zihuatanejo, Mexico) :
"Would appreciate your thoughts and comments ( from people who have actually been) on the Xtapa/Zihuatanejo area"
Here's another (Acapulco, Mexico):
"For anyone who has actually traveled in Guerrero or follows the news (not people who just go to Puerto Vallarta, for example)"
I recall a question where a poster was trying to decide between I think Panamá, some other place, and San Miguel De Allende México, where I live. The forum response was from an individual who had never been to any of the places asked about by the OP, nor was the responder transparent about having never been to any of the places in question. I suspect this goes on in other forums. Even if a poster is transparent, in many cases their input is not useful when compared to boots on the ground experience. It just isn't. As a PS, I don't care if people visit or even like Panama or San Miguel. Just be honest. So the dilemma is how can a newbie poster know if a response is transparent or not? Is not some self-policing on the part of other "regulars" in order? Yo, bro, just keepin it real.
I think Fodor's is a quality travel forum, and has found a good niche probably in 3rd place behind TA and Thorn Tree. That's not necessarily a bad place. It could be better, for many of the reasons I've highlighted.
Of the 3 travel sites I mentioned, this is what I use and look for when I'm planning/searching:
TA: General information, and for some hotel quotes/reviews and mostly restaurant recs, though I'll go elsewhere to book a hotel. Even then, it's well known that there are fake hotel/restaurant reviews and fake posts. Google, Booking or Hotels.com I think has better/more valid hotel reviews than TA. All the more important that Fodorites be honest. And the "roll calls" and "only 'x' more sleeps" are particularly wearisome. Likewise multiple DE input.
Thorn Tree: More hostel/budgety stuff than I do these days, but good info on off the beaten path of places in Mexico I don't already know. Which are few. But there are some pretty sharp contributors there that can sniff out fakes a mile away.
Fodor's: Country specific info, plus more intimate, first-hand responses from posters such as mmeperdu's, crellston, Daniel Williams, and mlgb, all of whom I'd trust for planning a trip. (I'm leaving out some; apologies). I really enjoy the Mexico trip reports (my travel realm these days, though Ecuador is on the BL) from those that make the effort, particularly because they made the effort, and I try to acknowledge said effort.
Google: Reviews of hotels, restaurants & sites in the local language. I like it a lot to supplement the above.
Speaking of participating more fully. #40 mentioned "I would be happy to share my trips and tips, but I don't travel in a noteworthy way by Fodor's standards, like what people would photograph and blog about." I disagree. I for one would like to see some posts w/pictures of PV, a place I've not been able to return to for some time. I've never seen a pic of PV here, even for all the hype. I say let the person reading decide whether it's in a noteworthy way or not. Is that not the essence of participating more fully?
Crellston suggested a couple of improvements. Mine are: 1) Let us be able to see the original question and previous responses (if any) when we attempt to answer. I'm unable to scroll back, but rather have to open a new tab to see the original thread. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? 2) Give us an opt out in settings that allow us to get notified or not on threads we've participated in/on. Rather than unsubscribe after the fact. Sometimes I'm one and done. If I wanna come back, I don't need to be nagged. 3) The Lounge. It isn't travel related. It's social media frivolity and nonsense. Just keep it off the travel page. Is MySpace still a thing? Funny, I've seen in other travel forums (TA) how some are loathe to be on Facebook. Is the Lounge any different.
My final take: I'm not convinced the forums need more participation simply for the sake of it. I do think it's imperative that Fodor's posters should strive to only speak from 1st hand experience and not dilute the content with 2nd & 3rd hand info which is, by its nature, of dubious origin and motive. I like that about Fodor's, and it should remain that way. That's what separates it from the other forums. At least from TA. I've been to every Spanish speaking country in North, Central and South America, save just a few (excluding islands in the Caribbean). I could spend all the live-long day posting in those forums, but I don't see the need. Or the point. I have plenty of first-hand experiences, but none as current as those of others, thus not terribly relevant. So I refrain from posting just to make myself be heard. Or to add to my post count.
It's a stretch, but to quote from "Field of Dreams", "if you build it, they will come". Keep content honest, first-hand and relevant, and posters will come. Otherwise you don't need them.
It wasn't a great movie, so maybe a not-so-good analogy?
Apologies for the long-winded response.

kja, but it is like beating a dead horse. You should see all the people flying into Orlando after drinking their weight in G&Ts on the plane and then head to the rental cars. I get it but we have worked shift work our entire life and know if we can or can't drive. We are huge advocates of public transportation and do that when possible.

I still think the one post a day kills off newbies. We still have spam in the am.

Your #1 -- you mean after you click REPLY you want to be able to scroll back up through the thread? Just use Quick Reply instead, and you can!

For your #2, go to My Settings, Edit Options, Messaging & Notification, Default Thread Subscription Mode. If you make a change, be sure to SAVE your choice at the bottom of the page.

Search is tricky, because Google literally spends billions of dollars to do what they do, and people are used to the most accurate and complete results in the world, in 1/10 of a second. We unfortunately don't have billions of dollars, lol! But we will keep iterating and making search better. It's a constant battle.

I'd love to do an app -- maybe someday! For now, we have a mobile-optimized skin that works great for reading and posting, which is mostly what people do on their phones.

The Suggested Topics feature is about to get a major machine-learning-assited update!

Funny you should say that about photos. We have a photo gallery feature we'll be adding to the forums soon!

New users can actually make up to 5 posts/day initially, and that number goes up quickly. There will always be some spam on a forum, but man, it's a LOT less than it used to be -- and this throttle control, plus the moderator team, is why.

Ibobi, I seem to recall that there is a way to harness Google's search function to consider only the content of a single website. Is there a way to use this ability in such a way that it becomes the search function for this site?

If you do a google search and add

+fodors

it will do that for you.

But you'll have to search on google/Chrome itself.

What I was thinking was can this function be incorporated directly on this site as this site's search function. Could Google sell this function to IB? Or a link on this site under search that would open this type of Google search?

I continue to be intrigued by the responses to this thread! It's funny -- many people's pet peeves are things about which I have no strong opinion, or in some cases, see as a strength of Fodor's; some things that I find anathema are on other people's most-liked lists. I return to a point I made early on, and still believe: Fodor's is, IMO, a stronger and more valuable place in part because we are all free to provide the advice or comments that we think best. I also remain convinced that we are at are best when we are kind to one another, even when we disagree. JMO.

I'm also delighted that ibobi continues to chime in -- thanks so much!