Do you have to be an expert to post here?
 

I am relatively new here, as I have readily admitted many times. I am retired, I have traveled with my family throughout my adulthood, but I don't pretend to be an expert on, well, anywhere. I have enjoyed the comraderie here very much, and I have posted on places I know a little something about, but I have never stated that I am an expert. Thursday night and Friday I did have some free time, plus with the things going on around the world, I stayed on here on and off all day.

Today I read a post that said suddenly I had become an expert and spend too much time here. It was in reference to a couple the age of my wife and I who just started here, so I tried to explain searching and reading past threads - something I had to learn the hard way on my own. They were starting from scratch and I didn't want to send them in a wrong direction about their travels, so I didn't offer specific travel advice, for which I was lambasted.

Needless to say, I am very confused. I thought everyone here was posting travel advice based on their own experiences - whether limited or vast. Most people have been extremely kind in giving me hints and pointing me in the right direction, and I have been trying to do the same - just like the thread I mentioned above. If this is something only long time users are supposed to be doing, please let me know. Thank you!

Ignore em. there's some "Expert" gritchers
round these parts.

Hi Speedbuggy

I try to tell people about places I have visited, hotels, restaurants etc and give my opinion of them.

It cracks me up when people post and tell others not to stay here, don't see that, don't go there. And it turns out they have never even been there!

I like to read posts about places to gather information then research my own and make my own decisions.

The most useless posts I have read are then ones where people tell you not to visit a place because it is too touristy.

Keep on posting Speedbuggy.

Ignore 'em, SB.

As far as I know, you don't have to be one to post here.

Just don't take it personally if your information are refuted and those who challenge them happen to be right. To every rational message board posters, that is a fact of life in an internet message board. Unfortunately, you will encounter some narrow-minded posters here who consider being challenged/refuted as personal attacks or slamming. Ignore them and don't let them get to you.

This is a good board with good travel information.

Ignore them, Speedbuggy. (Or bunny! Ha!) Your posts are fine, and there are no experts here. Yes, some people get attitudes now and then. But as I was mentioning yesterday in relation to another young, college-aged poster, I think the anonymity gives people the feeling it's ok to be rude. It's not. So, just ignore the comments. (Oh, and it helps to be a little thick-skinned to post here too!)

Have a wonderful weekend!

SpeedBuggy:
Sometime people hit the &quot;post my reply&quot; button without stopping to re-read and think about the content of what they are posting. It <b>may</b> have been an attempt at humor - which sometimes does not come across well in these posts. <b>DO</b> continue to post, and don't let an anonymous comment hurt your feelings - life's too short! ((R))

<font color="green">Cyn</font>

I for one, would like to see more trip reports here. Matter of fact I should get off my butt and post trip reports when I go someplace.

Trip repots that include the transportation and hotels and restaurants too.

You need to learn to be not so sensitive here. t

I love this forum; however, some of the people who post here are cyberbullies--the crowd that used to steal lunch money from little kids on their grade school play grounds.

The annoying remarks they make reveal them for the angry, bitter people they are. We can't avoid them, but we can recognize them for who they are and not give them the satisfactions of letting them know that that have succeeded in their goal of hurting us.

Hi Speedbuggy

I've been enjoying your posts here; you have been noticed (at least by me) and I appreciate your presence.

I've been around for a couple of years or so, and I do agree with those who say one needs a thick skin to hang out here. Not as thick as on some public forums, though!

I find folks here to be generally nice, and very very helpful on all travel subjects. Since this is the US board, I will mention that I planned my trip to AZ last year, using Fodors recommendations as well as some others, and it was a huge success.

Of course, all internet forums will have posters that love to correct, chastise and criticize. It is the nature of the beast. However, I have such a good time with Fodors, that the positives far outweigh the negatives. I drop in nearly every day!

Please do stick around. I've made friends here, and find that some of my established travel buddies hang out here, too. Keep posting, please.

&quot;I think the anonymity gives people the feeling it's ok to be rude.&quot;

Hardly. Most posters here are mature and thoughtful and give solid advice.

Hello Speedbuggy. No, you certainly don't have to be an &quot;expert&quot; to post here. Although I did wonder, with five children, how you had time to post, lol. But now I understand - enjoy your retirement! :)

However, when people start posting on every single thread, clearly not knowing anything about the location, it's problematic. The attitude that this is a &quot;free world and I'll post whatever I want because I feel like it&quot; only adds junk to otherwise good information and becomes frustrating. Moosely is a good example of that. Perhaps I was the most vocal about her behavior (trying to be subtle at first) but certainly many others agreed. This is not a playground for the bored...well maybe I take that back...it's a playground for the bored who like to and have traveled.

My 2cents.

I have enjoyed reading your posts as well.
i think it is fair to say that we share our personal experiences at Hotels, destinations, travel companies, etc.. to help those not in the know of that particular place/thing. i have been coming here for many years and have gotten a lot of help as well as share my knowledge.

No expertise needed!1!

Look forward to your posts!

Happytrails -- Wrong to steal lunch money you have to go face to face. To hide behind a cyber screen is being a jerk.

SpeedBuggy, to answer your question, no you don't have to be an expert to post here. I just proved that by answering your question.

But, I really think you're being over sensitive about z's comment on the Alaska thread. You had no trouble chiming in on the Moosely thread yesterday and it wasn't exactly cordial.

Relax and keep enjoying this forum but remember that everyone is entitled to his/her opinion.

STW - In regards to your comment, &quot;Most posters here are mature and thoughtful and give solid advice.&quot; I would definitely agree, but there are also some people who can't help themselves from being downright rude at times. Thankfully, they are in the minority. Everyone else here is usually very nice, very funny, and eager to help. It truly is a great forum - glad I found it. (Speedbuggy - I'm fairly new too!)

Thank you all so much the kind responses. As a senior, I am very inexperienced with &quot;cyberspace&quot; as compared to all of you, and I was ready and willing to accept the &quot;leave it the long time posters.&quot; I really don't think sensitivity had much to do with my question, and as some of you on threads with me yesterday saw, I can be pretty cantankerous myself at times. :) Thanks again. I hope newbies in the future will find this thread hopeful for their beginnings! :)

Austin, I wasn't mentioning names, and I wish you hadn't. I was not here for reassurance, at my age you give up a lot of that. But I wanted direction, which I got along with a lot of kindness. The thread you mention was about airport security and traveling with today's threats, for which none of us are experts in this day and age, obviously. Thanks, again.

Trust me Speedy, I'm not the only person who clicked on your name to find out which post you were referring to.

welcome SpeedBuggy, I'd noticed your name recently but didn't realize you were new here. I think you would be surprised about the age of many of the posters... cyberspace is new to lots of us. But travel information and the internet are a match made in heaven!

We all know what we know, &quot;expert&quot; is a funny word. For instance, I'd been posting here for years before I even thought to read the United States forums (I read and post about Europe and Mexico where I travel)... and that I know things to contribute about my own home city (Seattle)!

Also I read several travel magazines every month so now and then I can point someone in the direction of an article I saw on the subject they are asking about.

There's all kinds of ways to contribute. And I think any long-time poster will agree with me, if you stick around and post frequently sometimes, someone's going to pick on you or say something rude. That's life on the forum.

kindly, Suze

Yep, I clicked! Now I'm going to look for &quot;Moosley&quot; :D

<font color="green">Cyn</font>

Correction: spelled as &quot;Moosely&quot;.

Yep, I clicked too! :-) but CYN, did you find Moosely?

Okay, I've learned something new again today. Name clicking. I hadn't realized you could get to all the posts that way. Thanks, and suze, I'm going to catch on to this - I am determined! ;-) So if you have all read all my first posts, then you can see I have come a long way, huh? :)

hmmmm I was going to refer you to the &quot;how many fodorites does it take to change a light bulb&quot; post, because it summed up quite nicely the culture on this forum, but I can't find it... i think its been removed!! somebody must'v said something bad :&quot;&gt;

...which sums up the culture and management here.

Speedbuggy you sound like you might be just a little too sensitive a person to be banging around a public message board. You are gonna be called a lot worse names than &quot;expert&quot; so you better toughen' up!

LOL, I like you Joesorce! Thanks.

I've got to go put the brushhog on the tractor and do a little work today. I hope you all have a great weekend!:)

Darn, I thought &quot;expert&quot; was flattery! LOL!

Hi SpeedBuggy,
The truth is,<u> We are All Experts</u> here (<i>in our minds at least</i> :D
I am agreeing with everyone this morning , not because I am such an agreeable sort, but because those who have been here for some time, learn this lesson..As in Real Life, some people have manners and some don't. Some people are kind and some are not. You get all sorts on boards like this, from all over the world. Enjoy the Good Stuff, Ignore the Bad. (A lesson I am still trying to learn too)...Have fun posting, <font color="red">Welcome to Fodorville!! ((F))</font>

What's wrong with Mooseley? She seems like a nice person.

Scarlett, I guess that's really the truth of the matter. We come on here and see how you real experts do it, and we all want to be just like you.

Moosleyville seems to be a fine kid that needed some extra attention yesterday, and we were all too preoccupied with our fears and thoughts to give her much extra time. But, I have also seen many times when Fodorites have been very kind and understanding to her. As you have all told me, and rightly, we all have our moments.

Good day all!:)

Speedbuggy- Clicking on your own name is a great way to revisit the threads you have been on. My Fodor's day... first I read the top 50, then next 50 to see what's new on a forum. Then I click my own name to catch up on the discussions I've taken part in previously, see what's developed.

Hey Speedbuggy! I started here roughly a year ago (I think) and STILL considr myself a newbie. I can't readily stick emoticons on the reply screen, for example. I too have been astounded by the rudeness of a few posters and then there are the trolls but as everyone said so far, it's your intent to help that people will remember in the end. Fodors forum is actually better than most internet forums. You'll learn to get to know the names of the kind ones and learn to trust and listen to them and ignore the ones who will come and go (trust me, the not so nice ones don't stay around for a long time).

Welcome and looking forward to seeing your name more often in the future.

BTW, I process is clicking on my name first when I log in and follow up on posts I've been involved with then go to the main forums (mostly just US) and go from there!

Happy posting and Happy travels!

I love everybodys advise including yours speedbuggy. I am new here too and most the folks are really nice and helpful. Austintravler was right Mooselywild did get an ear full yesterday.

Then you have - on the Canada board which I have given up on certain people who hog the board. Every response is pages long (usually does it in 3 posts consecutively) and is the EXPERT giving day by day schedules. It is nice to get info but I for one have given up reading through her looonnnnng posts so that I don't duplicate something. She is now taken over giving advice on the area she doesn't really know that much about but just traveled there (BC) this summer. So - I will now enjoy the US board as I spend half my life in the US and love every minute of it.

lol, worldtrvlr05, I saw that, I agree, a bit excessive..but there are other posters on those boards who post long and extremely interesting and helpful posts..don't give up~ :D

Hi SpeedBuggy,

Welcome and keep posting! Although I think the post from X went overboard, I do understand why he/she may he been annoyed. I am currently researching a trip to Alaska for summer 2007. I'm not sure if it is going to happen, but I'm trying to gather bits and pieces of information. Yesterday, when I saw the Alaska thread, I clicked on it hoping to gain a few insights from fellow Fodorites. Your post was the only reply at that point and to be honest I was slightly annoyed by the answer - especially since the poster was a newbie. I do use the search function, but a lot of great tips come from the current threads. If you have been lucky enough to have traveled to Alaska, I think it would have been nice and helpful to answer the question and also suggest the search function as another tool. Just my two cents.

Everyone's opinions are valuable, whether or not they are a self-proclaimed &quot;expert.&quot; Everyone's travel habits, budgets, goal are different, and therefore the information they share will vary.

If I find a post to be not particularly helpful, I ignore it. Not much sense in pointing that out to the poster, since someone else may find it valuable.