Actually I%26#39;m only going to make one suggestion--
if you%26#39;re new at posting questions or comments on the forum, one way to get the most out of the forum is:
POST a FOLLOW-UP thank you or follow-up question if someone has responded to your original post (OP).
Responding with a follow-up does several things:
1. Encourages whoever responded (and others) to offer further information for you.
2. Your follow-up may help clarify your original question so other posters can offer more details.
3. Returns your post to THE TOP OF THE LIST where forum members who may have missed it the first time will see it.
4. Helps responders feel appreciated for their efforts
There are a multitude of others members with more experience than I on this forum, so I hope they will also add their ideas.
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My main suggestion to first time posters would be to read the board going back at least 2 weeks, then do a search on the TA board, if you are interested in a shuttle from airport type shutte from CDG and many conmments will pop up. When you have done that part, using the board to your advantage as accurate info (as opposed to guide books that give 2 years ago info) THEN post your question.
I perso, do not believe in chit chatting and thanking etc. on the board, it takes space and time and does not add anything to the info people are looking for.
If your question does not get enough attention, yes bump it up and it will be seen again. I believe most people read only the first page and maybe a second one one TA but few read 10 pages for example.
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Thanks PJ, I hate rejection:-)
Actually, I like feedback if someone found a better idea. Who says you can%26#39;t teach an old dog new tricks?
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OldTraveler--
Yes, I like feedback too, so if I%26#39;ve given someone information or my opinion--I%26#39;m glad to know if I was on target and helpful, or conversely, off target and adding to their confusion :)
La Photographe--
You%26#39;re one of the people who really makes the forum work so I gladly defer to your suggestion.
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My suggestions: before you ask what to do in Paris, buy a guidebook and map and do a little thinking about what interests you. The book will also lay out your options for getting into town from CDG and will tell what the weather averages are in different months. If you want recc%26#39;s for %26quot;budget%26quot; hotels, restaurants, etc, please let us know what your budget is (one man%26#39;s cheap is another%26#39;s extravagant.) We love to help, but need to know more about your needs. So, please be specific when you can.
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I always suggest that you get at least two guide books - no one does it all - and then everyone on the trip has to read them and compile a list of their own must sees. Once all the lists have been collated, you%26#39;ll have the makings of an itinerary, and then you%26#39;ll have some specific questions for the forum.
If you%26#39;re not willing to do some of your own research, go to a travel agency - those are the folks who get paid to arrange your itinerary.
An open ended whine %26quot;where should we go and what should we do%26quot; does not deserve any attention from anyone contributing their time and experience to the forum. That%26#39;s the sort of lazy question that should go to a travel agent. If your trip isn%26#39;t important enough to you to do the research, why should it be important enough to us to give it the time and attention it takes to assist you.
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I think being thanked depends on the circumstances - I don%26#39;t mind if I hear nothing if I%26#39;ve posted a couple of lines with my opinion, but if it%26#39;s been a complicated travel query where I%26#39;ve spent a bit of time digging through options, then it%26#39;s nice to get thanks, or better still, %26#39;Wow, that%26#39;s excellent, you are a wonderful person, thank you so much.%26#39; ;-)
Incidentally, doing some searching for a holiday elsewhere, I was quite frustrated that the %26#39;Search%26#39; function lists by relevance and it took a couple of minutes to realise you can change to %26#39;sort by date%26#39; if you want more up-to-date comments.
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And please put a useful description in the topic line. Avoid one-word, vague headings.
Make a distinction between asking a question or offering a suggestion about a topic. It will save time by not having to open a post expecting to find information and find it is a question for which I do not have an answer.
I agree that it is often a waste of time and disappointing to reopen a thread for more information only to find it is thank-you. This may seem...unfriendly?...but I spend a lot of time reading this forum.
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Paris4ever--
I don%26#39;t mean posting a thank you after each and every response.
What I%26#39;m refering to is a pretty common sight here: Someone (often someone with few prior posts) posts a question, and then received, let%26#39;s say, 5 responses in the course of a day or 2, but the OP never posts any follow-up.
If I%26#39;m reading the thread at that point, I don%26#39;t know if the OP has already gotten all they need or not. If they were simply to reply %26quot;Thanks, more of the same,%26quot; or %26quot;Great, just what I needed,%26quot; or %26quot;Oh, I forgot to say I%26#39;ll be there in December so I can%26#39;t do these things,%26quot; then everyone else reading the thread, including prior respondants, knows whether it%26#39;s worth putting time into posting further responses.
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I think multiple%26quot; Thank yous%26quot; unecessary but a specific reply ie. %26quot;That helped%26quot; ,%26quot; That won%26#39;t work because%26quot;%26quot;please elaborate,%26quot;etc. does make advice flow more freely.
I find the %26quot;search%26quot; somewhat frustrating-hard to narrow done and find specifics,disjointed but agree those who put %26quot;Paris%26quot; or %26quot;what to do %26quot; or %26quot;travel from CDG%26quot; should start there and w/ guides books before posting. But I have found myself asking repetitive questions sometimes not so much out of laziness as enthusiasm for hearing from those %26quot;in the know%26quot;
So thank you ,experts, for your patience
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bmanley, you%26#39;ve brought up a great point in that many times, people do ask repetitive questions because they are simply and truly excited to be going to a particular destination.
Me, I am a thanker. However, I am not put off by anyone who doesn%26#39;t express appreciation or gratitude for any knowledge I may%26#39;ve imparted. I like to share what I know about Paris with others who are going there for the first time and I appreciate being able to pick the brains of those who are far more seasoned than I am.
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