Travel??or:BabyNames,PuppyNames,Recipes, BirdsInMyYard,BirdMovies&generalB.S.?
 

Been really wondering about the direction this message board seems to be taken. While nice that people can be friendly to each other, seems like just a little too many "shoot the sh--" threads going on. It *IS* supposed to be TRAVEL TALK, isn't it?

One Fodorite tried to dismiss this trend as "sometimes we just like to color outside the lines" as a reason to go against the forums' rules .... I never did get a response to my question that did s/he also think OTHER rules don't apply either, such as "No swimming after 10PM".

There ARE other message boards available for chummy coffee klatch conversation. Am I wrong to think treads like those in my subject line belong there, not here at Fodors' "Travel Talk"? Can't the very interesting "Friday Rant & Raves" be enough for off-topic discussion?

This thread will probably be (rightfully) deleted, and maybe the other non-travel ones too, but I'll enjoy reading the replies in the meantime.

rb, if you read my bird documentary post, you will find out it is as much a travel documentary as much as a bird one.

Aren't you breaking your own rules by starting this thread?

Is it too early in the day for a beer?

...or a mood-altering drug of some kind?

99% of the talk on the board is about travel, and it's Friday, sunny, 90+ degrees outside, and people are happy.

If a few want to cut loose and chat, what's the problem?

I've posted 1000's of (hopefully helpful) travel hints since I've been on fodors.com (3 yrs +).

If I wanna cut loose and talk about birds for one Friday, I will! :)

oh my goodness,rb. Pick and choose your threads..it's relatively easy to do.
If you'd like a travel tip,close your eyes, go to the place where all the "BS" posts bother you and breathe there, breathe again and again.

ugh. let me guess--you are president of a co-op board or a hall monitor too? just don't reply if the thread doesn't suit you, and let Fodor's worry about what belongs here and what doesn't. And by the way, I had to TRAVEL from my lounge chair to my desk to type this.

And next time please leave some spaces between the words on your topic title - it goofs up the left hand frame. Thanks.

<And next time please leave some spaces between the words on your topic title - it goofs up the left hand frame. Thanks.>

I'll drink to that. ((b))

Now that everybody will be topping this, I can only hope that someone would curse so it will go away sooner rather than later!! ((b))

Do you get kicked off it you curse?

I would think so. Be a martyr for us all. ((a)) ((b))

#$%&*%$^%#@!!!!!

And I mean that.

No, just the title of this post reminded me of something. You should have seen the huge blue heron in my tree this morning (or was that a hummingbird?) Damn he was big!
We thought about naming him Henry the Heron, but was curious and thought I'd ask. What do you all name your herons?

rb_traveler, I am one Fodorite who doesn't answer your questions because they are out-of-line! One last thing on this subject..... your constant sniping at others about the suitability of their posts is far more disruptive to this Board than any so-called off-topic posting that someone might occasionally do.

rb, have you ever given a party and nobody came?

Isn't a bit hypocritical for you to be critical of non-travel related posts in your own non-travel related post.

Isn't this a case of "do what I say, not what I do."

rb, I hate to be the one to break it to you... but you just got voted off this island....the reason this board is so great is b/c sometimes we stray from "travel" topics. It's what gives this board personality! So you have 3 choices:
1. Stop whining about us,
2. Learn to live with us, or
3. Don't visit us anymore
And, by the way....I think Henry the Heron is a very fine name!! :)
Happy Friday everyone!

rb: I do understand your frustration with some of the subject matter on this forum. BUT I must admit that I am guilty of replying to non-travel related subjects. When a topic really bothers me badly, I express my disdain for it and move on.

Just let it go, worry about the big stuff. When a loved one becomes ill or there is some other tragedy in your life, the topics on Fodors will be trivial to you, I promise.

rb, Old Santa is concerned you are being naughty and not so nice. Once you have traveled all over the world like old Santa has, you will agree that the nicest people are the ones on the world wide web. The internet is bigger than all of us, and there is plenty of room for all the girls and boys. Even that naughty GoTravel.

I have two big lumps of coal waiting for you unless you mend your ways. Now let me get back to my sun-bathing before Mrs. Claus catches me without my boots on (or anything else). And if you can't see the good in what's going on here, then go take a trip. I recommend Tahiti.

Amen, santa! Will adopt me? I can be very very good! ;)

rb, here's a travel tip for you. Why don't you go take a flying .... oh, never mind. I'm in too good a mood. Have a great weekend. :)

You can usually tell what the thread is about by the title. If you don't want to participate, don't read it....but don't be a wet blanket for those of us who do want to participate!!!

rb, in all seriousness, FlyerTalk.com has some serious travel talk going on.

Hi Santa! Thanks for noticing all my hard work!

Do the Underpants Gnomes work for you?

Wow, I think somebody took a dump in RB's Wheaties this morning! Ewwwwww!

BTW, How 'bout HARRY THE HERON? I like that!

I like Hermione the Heron......... (are you sure it wasn't a Great Blue Egret?:-d )

hi rb_travelerx. I thought your post was interesting, so I took a quick look back at your old posts, wondering if I would find that you had never broken the rule of talking about anything not travel related (except on Freaky Friday posts, which I saw that you do enjoy posting on sometimes). I found some that weren't travel related though.
8/17/03: in a thread on car alarms you posted how they really bother you, and what you'd like to do to people whose car alarms go off for no reason.
11/15/03: you posted on a thread on "award winning posts", and the ones you posted on were not travel-related.
9/29/03: in a thread on manners, you posted on how it bothered you that
directory assistance has dropped "please" from "what city, please?"
8/19/03: in another post on manners, you posted that you had a problem with servers who say "no problem" when you order, as you don't expect to have any problems when you order
12/18/03: you posted on the lack of use of helmets for sports activites and some rants about that
11/26/03: in a post on "sayings from up nawth" you described how in the Adirondacks you have two kinds of "cricks"- creeks that you fish in and the kind that is a muscle pain.
4/16/04: in a post on bug repellents, you posted on how you hate the odor and greasy feeling, and how you find it helpful to bathe in a diluted bleach solution to help repel bugs.
In a post very recently on "What is everyone doing Memorial Day Weekend?", you said it so nicely" "Whatz it tu ya? u do ur thing, i'll do mine. stop being nosy" (please, watch those manners, rb_traveler)
I noticed you have enjoyed posting some friendly comments on Freaky Friday also, for example the one on 2/23/04 you said your real rave was friendly freaky friday threads. But on that day you broke the freaky friday rule and posted on a Monday.

I think you have a kind heart in there. I noticed that for Christmas this year you bought your neices and nephews who have small children some tickets to visit you by train so you could take them to a museum and have them enjoy the train trip. I thought that was lovely.
But even you enjoy getting off the travel topic on here sometimes, rb. So try not to be so quick to throw stones, and give others a break. And please, sir, watch those manners.

Mea Culpa - I'm the guilty party that started the Puppy name thread. But ya know what... I've contributed to this forum for a while now. I try to share what I've learned while traveling and I ask for advise when I'm planning a trip. I like and respect most of the regulars here because they are very clever and witty. And I wanted to hear from these same people about what to name my dog. I got some great suggestions as I expected and those that participated had a little fun.

Lets try to look at the positive aspects of the off topic posts. It takes effort to respond to "what restaurants in the North End are good" or "what hotel Manhattan should I stay in" or the other repetitive questions that are posted on a near daily basis. There are so many Fodorites who generously and courteously give of themselves by responding time and time again. And often the posters asking these questions never say thank you or acknowledge receipt of the information shared.

Should those same generous Fodorites wish to get a little back by going off topic, then why not? A little "play" along with the "work" is good for an organization. Its called bonding or team building and every community in the world does it in some way, shape or form and needs it to survive.

This forum would die if the regular contributors went away. And if the regulars stay because they can "chat" every now and then, then the forum benefits in the long run.

By the way bennnie, what did you end up naming the dog? Seriously.

In the "Egret" thread, we all discuss the geography of where we live.

Funny, many of those areas in which some of us fodorites live are vacation destinations for others.

On the southern food thread, we discuss food that has come out of the south.

If I'm not mistaken, foodies will travel to eat and eating is a popular attraction on vacations.

Well said Bennie! :)
(in case Bennie does not get back here today...I think they named the pup Fiona...is that right??)

bjboothman - Are you trying to get me in trouble? ;-)

Seriously, my daughters named the puppy Fiona. Her mom is Princess. Its a Shrek thing.

I was seriously hoping for "Travel Related" - a name suggested on the thread - but that fell on deaf ears. Tralee came in a very close second.

I started a thread asking you guys to help me name my baby. Actually, I asked for submissions of names unique/uncommon names that people have run across in their travels. Can't help it if people replied with names that they happen to like & thought might go well with my last name. I even made an attempt to steer the subject back to names found while traveling. Out of 41 posts I received only one person stating that it was not appropriate & 40 very enjoyable replies then BAM!! My entire thread was gone taking all of your great submissions with it. Makes me reconsider coming back here you know? I am still pondering that one.

Hey wow - good memory!!!