fehgeddaboudit

cd, I'm not going to belabor the point, but I will go ahead and disagree with this statement you made:

"...if you're new to Fodors, you have no idea how to look up the weather or if the ballpark is 40degrees or 60 degrees."

I'm not going to research your posts to see if you have asked a question of a similar characteristic ('tho I have a sneaking feeling this is the reason). Let's just end it here.

AAFrequentFlyer

cd,

so how is it that somehow the poster found Fodor's, was able to register and post the weather question, but yet had no idea how to find www.weather.com? Little difficult to believe, don't you think?

socialworker

Hi 2tired--I am sorry if my post misled you in some way. My original point was not that some questions are "worthy" and some are not...it was that some people write in having made zero effort on behalf of their own trip and rather than seeking advice, they seem to want someone else to do all the work for them.

2tired2night

okay, I see how you'd feel annoyed, but there are many people on this board who seem to want to jump in and tell all, a to zed. You don't even need to post. I've seen many vague questions go unanswered, and for every haven't a clue questioner there is an opposite but equally eager tell-all. They'll find each other.

Your post did not make fun of them, but a few replies did. I say we only make fun of the long-standing posters and leave the poor chicks alone. (I count myself as neither, but doff my hat as a target)

karens

socialworker, I understand what you are saying, but I do think we need to realize that a lot of people don't come here as often as some of us do (myself included). I agree it can be silly to ask strangers for recommendations when you give no background info. But I'll bet most people have more of a 'clue' than some of you are giving them credit for. I think it's pushing it to say that someone came here with no information and is just going to blindly follow whatever advice they receive here. And I agree with 2tired - don't just respond to the questions that drive you crazy - that'll teach 'em

And I don't think anyone is asking people to predict weather. But I can be pretty accurate in telling someone that July in Moab is probably gonna be really, really HOT. If you visit the Olympic Pennisula in the winter, expect rain. Etc.

There seems to be an undercurrent here that believes criticism of a place is bad, but it's OK to poke fun (both gently, and not so-kindly) at someone who asks a question deemed "unproper". I've been here long enough to predict some of the replies people are most likely to receive based on how they word their question. Sometimes I try to give a lot of info when I post a question in anticipation of the "post police", but then that sometimes creates another problem, and sometimes I feel like I just can't win! But, thankfully, it's the minority. I've received great advice here and enjoy reading other's thoughts on their travels.

mikemo

Just tried the 330 day upgrade game on DAL. Say when?
M

Judy24

The posts that I find most perplexing are those that raise questions of pure fact. If you need to know passport or visa requirements, or are unsure of regulations for traveling with minor children, or need to know the price of a hotel parking garage, why would you ask anonymous people on an internet forum? Wouldn't you want to go directly to the source? I really get concerned when people take the word of strangers who may be mistaken (or even deliberately misleading) on these matters.

And let's face it, anyone who can find his way to fodors.com can also google. I'm guessing that these days anyone capable of turning on a computer knows how to google.

fehgeddaboudit

Completely agreed, Judy24. Why ask strangers for something that can be found directly. It's baffling.

The other day, somebody asked something about a hotel, but... didn't want to call the 800# for the hotel...d-i-r-e-c-t-l-y???

These are the people who throw litter out their car windows. These are the people who wait until the grocery store checker announces their purchase total to find their checkbook, CC, ATM card, whatever. These are the people who sling across 4 lanes on a packed freeway to exit in 100 feet at 60 mph. These are the C students in school who copied my homework, or peeked at my exam forms.

Patrick

While we're on that subject, what about the people who ask the really involved legal questions, like what happens if you leave the country with a wrong name in your passport? Or the medical questions like what activities to do when 8 months pregnant or allergic to certain medications? There are some questions that are really left to the experts -- like the passport office or a doctor for example.

CheBird

I think it's desheartening to read these comments about some posters who are new to this forum. Fodorites complain about trolls, but they also complain about people who don't ask questions properly or do enough research first, apparently. There's a thread where a Fodor's ee is asking for input on how to change the talk forum. Perhaps the most experienced Fodorites could create an FAQ about how to post questions so nobody has to waste their valuable time with people who genuinely have vague questions.

cigalechanta

CheBird, all of us are not impatient and remember when we were first here and didn't know for an example, I asked what does LOL mean.
There are no dumb questions if asked in good faith, only nasty responses that drive newcomers away.
This is not a school, a club, or run by antone except fodors.
peace, kindness and hope for less trolls.
mimi

cd

Feh and AAFrequent Flyer:
Yes, I was new to this forum about 5 yrs ago and asked a question about weather. It was someone on this board that directed me to http://www.worldweather.org/ Which is a wonderful site as it gives weather all over the world,in any city,for any month of the year. I have never minded sharing that with someone as it has been so helpful to me.
I agree, some questions are just lazy, and I hope I always have the discernment to tell.

PaulS

These are the threads I love on this site because thay make me laugh and nod in agreement .You all get 10 out of 10 for this . In my view there ought to be a ground rule which stipulates that in asking for advice about cities / hotels you must set out in 25 words or less - AT THE START - what is important to you when travelling ,your likes ,dislikes and budget so like minded people can respond with pertinent advice .

artman

also whats up with the plethora of questions about Hawai?

Incognito

How about this post?

<Where did they go?? Where did they go??

The bugs went away!

Hey! They went away!!

Now it is "Come to a place with a Low-fare Promise"

Looks like flatland with some mountains in the background.

Wyoming? Idaho? Definitely mountains out west.

Yes, definitely out west as I see no bugs.>

Huh?

wliwl

Ya' know...it's not like THIS is such an uncommon discussion on Fodor's either!

Cassandra

I think "regulars" need to be careful about scorn for those who post questions that you think the OP should go elsewhere for. There's a repeated type of response, reflecting the attitudes of a number of people above, that says "what are you asking us that for, when you should a)do some homework first, b) ask an expert, or c) answer it yourself."

As a frequent lurker and poster, I've often thought that a given question is lazy or dumb. But let me remind you of the comment of a friend who waited tables for quite a long time: "Remember that this isn't the same people who have eaten the same food over and over for weeks and months; this is a new customer who's never eaten here before."

I think a gentle explanation that, for example, we can't help you because your question is a little too broad or vague may be justified. But the rebuking responses telling off people, say, for not asking an airline or a doctor or the INS directly is unnecessarily hostile and off-putting -- why would the newbie ever come back?

So often, the collective mixed message is: "we're the experts and this question is a waste of our time, but we're not the experts so you shouldn't be asking us that."

Give a few newbies credit for knowing other ways to get answers to their questions but wanting what is available here -- some relevant personal experiences, some suggestions, and sometimes homework here before they even start the more detailed work to deal with their question. It's happened to me that I post a question having taken my own research as far as I could only to have several condescending responses with the first-line links to the obvious places I've already checked.

For many, we/you are like their neighbors, and they're saying, "what's your take on..." or "do you know whether..." or "do you happen to have any idea how I would..."

If a neighbor said, "find it yourself, that's a dumb question," we wouldn't probably have much to do with that neighbor again.

Anonymous

Incognito: That mysterious "bugs" post was a followup to one about a Fodors popup and that featured flying birds that looked like bugs to the original poster.

artman: Hawaii seems to be a popular destination for folks who otherwise don't travel a lot or are going on a Very Important Trip (honeymoon etc.) so they're more concerned than usual with working out every little detail perfectly.

Cassandra: I agree that we all should be polite and patient, but really there's no reason to post questions like "Should I fly when I'm 8 months pregnant" or "What time does the Holocaust museum close?" There are obviously better sources for this information.

One other highly-criticized habit that I haven't noticed on this thread is the "Worth it" question: Is a side trip to Niagara Falls worth it? Is the London Pass worth it?

Cassandra

Anonymous: you kind of make my point -- I can easily imagine someone asking a neighbor "do they let people 8 months pregnant fly?" or a friend just back from DC, "do you know when the Holocaust Museum closes?" The neighbor might say, "I don't know but I don't think you can fly at 8 months -- what did the doctor say?" or the
neighbor might say, "I think they kicked us out at 5, but you'd better check, that was in the winter."

Still seems to me that posting disapproval of the question does no one much good.

bronxzilla

Mimi: Amen.

Peter