That would be me. I did not change a word but just broke it up into paragraphs so it would be easier to read. I got slammed quite hard by certain Fodorites for doing so.

The OP came back and had no problems with the efforts for making it easier to read.

Note - there was no retyping. I cut and pasted the OP's version on the same thread and just added paragraph breaks in what was one long trip report that covered several Hawaiian islands in one long paragraph. The intent was to make it easier on the eyes to read. Any reader could choose to read the original version or the version in paragraphs.

I guess there's a fine line between helpful and heavy-handed.

In your opinion, which version as easier to read?

I went on two trips with fodor's forum help and didn't write trip reports (despite best intentions). For my most recent trip (Greece) I was determined to write a trip report. I wrote a very comprehensive trip report with special chapters on hotels, eating, language, etc. I posted it to my blog (with pictures embedded to make it more interesting visually) and as it is quite long rather than post all the text to Fodors I did a summary post with links to each entry explaining what each entry was, so if somebody was going to, say, Thessaloniki they could easily just read about Thessaloniki.

I got zero responses. I gotta say, after all that work I was a little sad. I know at least one person looked at it because she left me a comment on my blog, so that was some consolation.

Just because no one posts a reply to your trip report, doesn't mean it's not being read.

I read lots of trip reports but I probably comment on very few. The purpose of writing a trip report, or even just coming back to say how things went, is to add information to the Fodors "library" that will at some point help other travelers.

When I'm planning a trip I always do a search and see what information is out there and I've gotten plenty of ideas/answers from trip reports.

I understand it's nice to get comments when you write a report or start a post, but the purpose of this forum is information sharing, not validation.

I wrote trip reports for my own sake. That way, I have a written record of my travel; and I also pay more attention to details when I'm traveling. I really don't care if anybody reads them.

I never expect anybody to write TRs, but I <b>do expect and wish</b> those who have asked questions on the board tell us in the original thread how things turned out.

This makes those who care to answer the questions feel appreciated. And, also to update information so others (including those who answer the questions) realize what may be the most current situation.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34881909

Here's the Hawaii TR that was mentioned. The OP has been back on the boards as recently as a week ago.

Here are some!
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35084942

Actually, this is a link to the list of links of my solo trip reports. I, too, like writing the reports for my own benefit (and as soon as possible after I return to keep the flavor) but it is nice to know someone else has read them.

Happy trails!

I don't post trip reports myself. But I do try to contribute in other ways.

As a long-time poster on Fodor's, any time I travel I now take extra good notes, collect business cards, etc. so I am able to answer individual threads as they come up later on. I think this is just as helpful (possibly more so) than writing up every detail of your trip once you get home in one official &quot;trip report&quot;.

Besides which I don't do the usual activities when I travel so mine would be particularly boring for others to read (...now I have coffee in a cafe near my hotel and read a book, now I walk around and sit on a park bench, now I take a break from all that walking and have wine and some lunch in a different cafe, on and on I go...).

Ahhh!!! Some insight into our report writing styles.

It normally takes me less than a week to complete a detailed (very) trip report.

However, I won't post it until photos have been selected (from all), resized and placed on my web site. Then I place the link in my report.

Myer, just curious. What's your take on the &quot;editing crime&quot;?

I hope this works I am a computer ignoramous. Here is a trip report from one leg of a journey earlier this year.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35008136

Here's my trip report on AZ and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I agree with wyatt and I wanted it to be on the boards for reference later. It does get a bit lonely when you are writing (what feels like volumes) and no one comments, but as I wrote at the time, I hoped it would helpful to someone later. And, as it turns out, it has -
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34849602

Like rkkwan, I think the most important reason for writing trip reports is to have the record of the trip. I've been doing them for a few years now, but wish I had been doing them 20 and 30 years ago.

That said, after posting one here, I am looking to see if there are responses over the next couple of days.

Most of the reports that I have posted here, also go on my website along with photos: http://sff.net/people/sfreader/stokes_travel.htm

I get occasional emails from people that were just surfing the net and came across the reports. It makes me feel warm inside when someone says I made them homesick for somewhere (as a young woman wrote about my New Mexico weekend last year).

Keith

I do try to keep mine as short as possible, especially to places that many have visited.

But here's mine last year to some remote part of Yunnan Province in China that I doubt any of us here have been there. So, I wrote a massive multi-dozen page report for just a 6-day trip:

fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=27&amp;tid=34900413

I invite everybody here to read the whole thing! And make some fresh comments! :D

Starrsville, I understand why you broke that trip report into paragraphs, as one l-o-n-g paragraph is so hard to read! I will click right off and not read them as soon as I see that format ... it makes me dizzy!

On the other hand, I can understand that the OP could find that annoying. Would depend on the person, I'm sure.

I don't always do trip reports but make a point of answering questions about destinations I've been to. The short report I did last year, for a trip to California, got no responses that I recall (???) so I never came back to finish it. I wondered if I'd been too negative about some things, and upon re-reading it, thought I COULD have done a better job. :) Oh, well, I tried ...

Thanks elsiemoo. Evidently, the OP didn't have a problem with it. Got a &quot;mahalo&quot; from one Fodorite and a couple of slams too. Such is life.

starrsville,

You're probably asking the wrong person for an opinion on the &quot;editing crime&quot;.

First yours.
You didn't change anything other than break the report into paragraphs.
You didn't take credit for writing the report.
You left the originator's name at the beginning of the report.
You made it more readable just by breaking it into paragraphs.

I think anybody who was interested in reading the report should thank you.

Now mine.
I'm the person who edited a few of Carrie's photos to make them look more like what she saw. I actually modified the photos somewhat!!!

She must have liked what I did as she mailed me a CD containing all of the photos of her trip to &quot;enhance&quot;.

I never finished my Europe trip report. We take a lot of short trips but often do not post a trip report on them - but will always try to give advice based on that experience. I think that helps as well as a trip report.

We just got back from our wedding/weekend in NYC and I was going to write a short one because I felt like there were a few things I noticed worth commenting on.

&quot;The OP came back and had no problems with the efforts for making it easier to read.&quot;

The editors must have deleted that part of the thread.

starrsville,

Someone &quot;georgiegirl&quot; posted a report on her train trip in Europe.

Her first installment was one long paragraph.

The first commenter requested that she divide the next segment into paragraphs for ease of reading.

i'm with you on this.

Ms Myer,

I applaud your supporting a new friend.

However, there is quite a difference between offering constructive criticism and ignoring completely the OP while editing their post.

Look closer into the looking glass and you will see....

Mzville never offered a modicum of decorum in her editing. Any good host would at least acknowledge the guest before correcting them on the fork they are using.

Mad manners are bad manners, no matter how you spin it.

I believe everyone has made their point on both sides. Saying the same things again is likely to change anyone's mind.

Keith

Oh yes.

It's not Ms Myer but Mr.

My sincerest apologies to you Mr Myer!

How do you say tou chee? or spell like a literate?!

LOL!!!

kealalani,

Obviously there are different ways of approaching this issue.

I guess to be totally correct somebody should have asked the originator if they could break the post into paragraph.

Then they could have offered to do it.

The end result was that the trip report was made to be much more readable.

Maybe it's a gender thing. Some people look at the result while others look at the process.

It took me almost three months, but I finally finished my WI/MN trip report a few days ago. Hooray! It's a relief to have it done!

For whatever it is worth...I posted something of the Europe board once when I was planning a trip to Italy. It was lengthy and I did not break it into paragraphs. A very nice man known for his helpfulness over there replied he would love to help me, but I would have to retype it so he could read it. I retyped it and I got valuable advice. No problem for me.

THAT was the appropriate and truly helpful way to handle it. I am actually glad that he mentioned it. I was much less put out than I would have been if he had annointed himself my editor of my post and altered it in ANY way. :-d

Good grief! Let it be on the official record that iamq and kealalani think I committed a true Fodorville crime by adding paragraph breaks to a post in October 2006.

Is that ENOUGH attention paid to this issue?

If not, do you have any idea how many times you will need to bring it up again and comment on it? Just curious.

Sadly, you seem to miss the point and continue to avoid the issue at hand.

Let the record state, that you have misrepresented yourself and what happened. Iamq and I have no issue with anything other than you claiminf falsley your actions.

This surely isn't our first disagreement, but that fact that you are INCAPABLE of taking any responsibility for any thoughts and comments that you share with us....

Can you not see that to acknowledge a poster before editing them is simple random good will??????

My you are mad to think to attack us.

Here's the &quot;pretty heavy handed&quot; situation that iamq brought up yesterday.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34881909

The above link takes you to the original post, my &quot;crime&quot; in adding paragraph breaks, a mahalo from another Fodorite and two offended/outraged slams from two other Fodorites as well as my apology to the OP.

I don't see any merit in additional discussion on this post from 1996, but that is just one opinion.

Kealalani obviously does not agree.

Answer my previous question in which you CLAIM the OP bestows you best wishes, and I will send all my best wishes.

You have twisted your words, but they have captured you in lies.

Simple

Why you continue to attack poeple that have you number is certifiable.

kealalani, keep on keeping on.

Well I never read the offending trip report that had to be broken into paragraphs but one long paragraph drives me mad. If I click on a trip report or a post like this I never read it.

There's a poster who I think gives wonderful advice, but they always write one long paragraph with no breaks. I think it's so difficult to read and I've thought about mentioning it because they really do have great ideas, but I guess you never know who will be offended.

Oh, and I really don't think trip reports on Fodors should be that serious of a matter. Let's stop fighting over nothing.

Why is it so impossible to say, hello, I'm sorry I edited your thread without acknowledging that you exhist. that was my bad, but my intentions were right....

Better to attack kealalani and iamq rather then fess up that you were rude. and continue to be meanspriited.

As we wait to hear you explain what I refuse to ask for a third time with no courtesy of a reply.............

The BEST (and funniest) trip report I have ever read on this board -

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34596645

Hey!!!

When I started this thread it was to get more info back into the board in the form of trip reports.

Not to fight about whether putting paragraph breaks into somebody else's report is acceptable or not.

I so appreciate the trip reports when they do get posted, but after my trip, I realized how much time they take. But I figure it is the least I can do for receiving all the great advice.