Am I the Only One??

[dawgsgirl]

Am I the only one who hates trying to read the trip reports??? Someone will start a report, and not post again for a while and I forget what was going on. Or, someone will start a report, and I end up scrolling through pages and pages of comments trying to find the rest of the story!! I love trip reports and am finding it has become a chore to actually find out what anyone did on their trip!! I am one that did like the old way better(Part 1,2, etc.). Then I could just click on the user's name and find all their posts. I have always written my reports on word, copied and pasted onto the DIS, and posted the entire report at one time. The trip reports forum used to be my fav, but now it has become a mess! Well, just my opinion--no flames please--not trying to stir the pot!

 

[dmthoma76]

Am I the only one who hates trying to read the trip reports??? Someone will start a report, and not post again for a while and I forget what was going on. Or, someone will start a report, and I end up scrolling through pages and pages of comments trying to find the rest of the story!! I love trip reports and am finding it has become a chore to actually find out what anyone did on their trip!! I am one that did like the old way better(Part 1,2, etc.). Then I could just click on the user's name and find all their posts. I have always written my reports on word, copied and pasted onto the DIS, and posted the entire report at one time. The trip reports forum used to be my fav, but now it has become a mess! Well, just my opinion--no flames please--not trying to stir the pot!

I agree and my report will be put on here all at once, I hate scrolling thru all the comments only to figure out they have not wrote the next installment yet. Should be just the trip report, hold the applause til over.

~Donna

 

[pumba]

Thanks for the info. I know it is hard to get the reports all together. I think I prefer the ones that are part 1. part 2, part on and on........so Yes we all have our likes and dislikes.

One year everyone wanted them all on one post. But I thought that people would tire of looking and reading it all and not reply to their reports.

ANY other ideas?

 

[LegoMom3]

Thanks for the info. I know it is hard to get the reports all together. I think I prefer the ones that are part 1. part 2, part on and on........so Yes we all have our likes and dislikes.

One year everyone wanted them all on one post. But I thought that people would tire of looking and reading it all and not reply to their reports.

ANY other ideas?

I'm not Web-saavy enough to know if this is possible here on the DIS, but I keep a Blog and on that site, comments are placed on a separate page, and anyone reading your Blog has to click a link to read the comments. The main page shows the number of comments, but otherwise the reader only sees the pages of the Blog, in sequence as the owner has written them.

 

[cynderella]

I know what you're saying about trying to sift through comments to get to the actual trip report installments, but I have a couple of perspectives on this. The trip report I'm writing right now is being written mostly for a specific audience of people I made friends with before I went to WDW. They have a lot of background info on me and my time leading up to the trip; they knew beforehand my excitement and worries and fears, my mishaps (I broke my toe right before the trip). So, in a lot of ways, my TR is like a conversation with them and I really enjoy that. This is a place to tell them about my trip where it would not be appropriate to post those long messages to our regular thread. I feel like they know me and, because so many of us have gone around the same time or are getting ready to go, I'm telling the story for them as though we were sitting on a porch together trading notes.

On the other hand, I have been extremely flattered to have other DISers I didn't know previously reading my TR, too, and have thought it must be both difficult to sift through all the replies and also somewhat annoying to read a conversation full of references to insider information and inside jokes. I know I have felt mildly alienated and intimidated by that sort of thing in other people's TRs before, so I do think about it.

So, it's really hard to make a call on this, for me. One thing I like (and I have so far neglected to do, but WILL do when I get the chance) is when a TR writer will provide links to all real TR posts in post #1 so anyone who doesn't want to read the comments can skip them. I think there are ways to make TRs readable for everyone while still keeping them fun among friends.

 

[c4alymom]

I agree with Cyn. I have been reading the Crossfamily report and I love how she has links on her first post to each additional posting. I must admit, I do like to read some comments, but to have to go through three pages of them in between OP posts, it can get kind of overwhelming.

I understand that you all make friends when you join these boards, but it almost makes you feel left out while weeding through the inside jokes and such. I have caught myself NOT posting on TR's because I don't want to make people have to read it.

Here's an idea:If you want to post a comment do so, but do you have to post comments after EACH posting on the TR? And if you are doing it just to subscribe (which I have seen) you can do so WITHOUT posting a comment.

Please don't flame me for my comments!!!!!

 

[Anc96]

I liked the way crossfamily had linked her updates too... How do you do that?

I've just started editing my title to put the "updated date" in it. And, on my first post in the TR I also put the page and post number of my updates.

I'm not sure I like the whole report posted idea. I was very unsure whether to post a TR. I almost didn't. But reading others' I decided to try it. Without the encouragement from other Dis'ers I probably wouldn't have continued.

I've also realized that to write down my memories now (and keep a copy), I have something to add to my picture book that I always have made for our vacations. It'll be a wonderful addition! There's so much I would have forgotten otherwise!

 

[KittyKitty]

I am one of those ppl who have been reading Cynderalla's report without knowing any of the pre trip info.

Thank you for putting on your 1st page where each segment is. I did get lost looking for them.

This sounds like a great compromise between posting and reading.

And for everyone who is writing reports, thank you very much!

 

[HMHunters]

I love the way crossfamily's is done. You can find every post from the first one; that's the only place you'd need to check to see if a new post has been put up.

I personally enjoy the suspense in waiting to read more on the TR's - it's like the old fashioned serials! Tune in next week...

 

[sammielynn]

I really like the TR's that let you know where to look for the new installment. But sometimes I wonder how come so many people with these huge signatures and pictures have to comment after each installment and to top it off they have to quote the entire thing. Just makes it hard for us voyeurs to look at other peoples lives.
When I am bored I read trip reports to pass the time. They really are funny and it brings back my own memories.
But what really makes me crazy is when someone starts a report and waits months to finish.

 

[Disney=Love]

I usually try to read ones that are already finished. I can read them at my own pace and don't have to worry about people taking months to finish. I like when people make their posts 'different' in some way. Whether it's a big title or different font, just something so I can quickly scroll down and say "Here it is!" instead of reading each post.

 

[stacy347]

I agree with a couple of the above posters in that it is much easier when the OP tells you where the next installments are.

I know on mine I will be keeping track on page 1 and say (for instance): Day 2 is located on page 3 ~ that makes things pretty simple to follow, IMO.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I agree with Cyn. I have been reading the Crossfamily report and I love how she has links on her first post to each additional posting. I must admit, I do like to read some comments, but to have to go through three pages of them in between OP posts, it can get kind of overwhelming.

That's a great idea I hadn't thought of doing. I'll add that to mine.

 

[c4alymom]

That's a great idea I hadn't thought of doing. I'll add that to mine.

I should mention that I have been enjoying both your TR and Dining Review. Thanks for adding the link!!!!! Keep them coming....By the way, can you tell me how to do that as we are going to WDW in less then two weeks and I would like to do that for my TR and DR.

 

[OhMari]

As a moderator, I was wondering how members liked the new guidelines.

Lots of different suggestions and comments that we didn't hear when changes were made. I

really like the suggestion of posting each link of the Trip report on the first post for people that just want to read the Trip Report. I do know that a lot of our members like responses to their report, so I think it would be a win-win situation for both kind of readers.

 

[mikayla73]

I really love reading the TR's, even the reallllllly loooooong ones! I think I can also get some good ideas/tips from others trips, maybe even things that I don't think to ask about. There are several people who write theirs like they are telling old friends about their trip and include detailed info about their family, so that it is more like reading a book than a TR. They give the reader the ability to "relive" it with them, I really like reading those.

One thing I thought that could help with people who just wanted to read the report and not go though all the posts is put the link to the next installment or the page and post # of where the next installment is, at the bottom of the previous one and have a "table of contents" on the 1st page. That way you wouldn't have to keep going back to page one to get to the next post. I am not sure how easy that would be as I am a TR newbie, just a thought

I haven't had a chance to write a TR for WDW, but will after I go next year. I can only hope that mine is as entertaining

 

[JPN4265]

On starting a trip report and not finishing it in a timly manner or at all, well all I can say is.....

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I also don't like when a TR is not finished. I realize that life comes up, but I hate to be left hanging. There are several that I have subscribed to and I am hoping that one day the writers finish.

I like when the thread title has the new update listed (and what page it can be found on). That way I don't even have to open the thread to see what has been written.

 

[Linzybrooke]

I agree, it can be annoying when an update hasn't been posted in weeks and you have no way of knowing other than to sift through the pages and pages of comments...but often its worth it!

I'm trying to write mine in under a week, but love the comments as they encourage me, as a new trip reporter, to continue. So, as mine gets longer I will post the page numbers in my intro to make it easier to sort. Right now its basically all trip report, so have a looksee!

 

[liznboys]

Here's my wish, that there was some sort of icon or whatever that shows a TR is complete. So you could glance through the titles and easily see which ones are done.