Okay boys and girls....

[maciec]

So would it be ok for me everytime someone asks "Tell me about Airtran" or "Should I pay for my seats on Airtran" to USE THE SEARCH feature we have hear on the DIS? or maybe look through the first 5 pages for their information. Is that acceptable or would that be "rude"?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Interesting question. Done politely, I would say there's no problem. On the other hand, soooooo many posters claim the Search feature doesn't work... it does, but, well, you know

 

[HappyHappy]

All of my trips have been greatly enhanced and/or I have avoided many a travel disaster because of all the information I have learned on this board. I don't think I have thanked you all. Thank you ( and my family thanks you). Please don't go...

 

[airhead]

I only visit this board when I'm planning a trip. Great place to ask questions and get quick info. Love that. There are always going to be people asking silly questions and looking for validation.
I only hope that all those with the travel knowledge don't leave this board.
Who will be left???

 

[goofy4tink]

So would it be ok for me everytime someone asks "Tell me about Airtran" or "Should I pay for my seats on Airtran" to USE THE SEARCH feature we have hear on the DIS? or maybe look through the first 5 pages for their information. Is that acceptable or would that be "rude"?

No, it wouldn't be rude. Now, having said that, if you stated 'What kind of an idiot are you?? Can't you use the search function??'...well, that is rude . But just nicely suggesting, 'Have you tried the search function? There have been a ton of posts about just that subject' would be fine. Only one problem..sometimes the search function isn't all it should be.

I only visit this board when I'm planning a trip. Great place to ask questions and get quick info. Love that. There are always going to be people asking silly questions and looking for validation.
I only hope that all those with the travel knowledge don't leave this board.
Who will be left???

Hey..haven't seen you around for quite awhile. Good to see you.

Thanks to all of you for all the nice words and support.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

So would it be ok for me everytime someone asks "Tell me about Airtran" or "Should I pay for my seats on Airtran" to USE THE SEARCH feature we have hear on the DIS? or maybe look through the first 5 pages for their information. Is that acceptable or would that be "rude"?

I think it's rude in most cases.

The obvious problem is that the search function on the DIS doesn't work well. Second, it misunderstands the purpose of a message board. A message board isn't meant to be a provider of "just the facts." If that was the case, it should just be replaced by a wiki.

Message boards are about communication and interaction. Let's face it, if all people want are answers, 95% of the time they would be better off googling rather than posting here. If you are going to tell people to "do a search", you should do it on almost every question. Is that what we want?

People don't just want answers. They want to "talk" with others... get a more personal level of interaction. So with one exception, I wouldn't tell people to do a search.

The one exception is when there have been good threads on a topic lately. So if somebody asks for ideas on good snacks to bring on a plane I think it fine to answer, "we had some threads with great ideas last week; one of them had a great recipe for snicker doodles. You may want to do a search to find it." Even better, point them to the specific thread.

EDIT - Above is why I think it a bad idea to tell people to do a search. Forgot to add why I think it borders on "rude." It presupposes that the poster is an idiot and couldn't think of doing a search themselves. I'm pretty sure that almost every posters knows they could do a search. They have chosen to ask the question anyway.

 

[dburg30]

Or they are just lazy. There have been many times that you will have the same question, asked multiple times, almost word for word, with similar titles ON THE FIRST PAGE!!

I gave up a LONG time ago with the 'use the search' or 'did you look at ANY of the threads before you posted'. There are some folks, that bottom line, dont want to be bothered with taking the time to really research things themselves. They will come, expect answers, and pretty much never even come back and say thanks or add any more to the conversation.

 

[Disneyfanatic108]

I would just like to say that this board is great. We started flying in '06, and out of my 500+ post I would bet 400 of them are from this board. I have recieved some excellent advise and have got some incredible deals for airline tickets and rental cars. with out this board we would not be flying in November, but driving the whole trip. At times the answers given seem harsh but they are the truth. As an example we are flying airtran for the first time. I read all the post on "how is airtran?". there was good reports and their were bad reports. We decided to use the $25 voucher they were emailing and bought our flight for $498 for a family of 5. Three weeks later they changer our departing flight from 2:00 to 5:00. I was expecting some changes, but not 3 hours. I then started a thread on if I would be able to get a refund. I recieved answers stating I could. I called made all the changes and for $100 more we now leave at 10:00 am on a different airline. I made sure to post my results so all could read the results. At some time we have to be very aware of the warnings that are posted, and just because we do not like them, go off on a tantrum. I would like to thank everyone that has posted on this board for the good advice and the warnings that they give out do to personal experiences.

 

[goofy4tink]

Or they are just lazy. There have been many times that you will have the same question, asked multiple times, almost word for word, with similar titles ON THE FIRST PAGE!!

I gave up a LONG time ago with the 'use the search' or 'did you look at ANY of the threads before you posted'. There are some folks, that bottom line, dont want to be bothered with taking the time to really research things themselves. They will come, expect answers, and pretty much never even come back and say thanks or add any more to the conversation.

See, now...there are going to be some that take that statement to be rude. I doubt you mean it to be rude, but perception is reality for most.

My take is this...most people want to be heard. They like to 'own' their thread. They like to feel that others are responding to their special concerns. Come on...everyone likes to feel a bit special. Everyone.
I realize that there are many duplicate type threads. The most common ones have been made into stickies...but that isn't going to happen for every subject.
If someone is going to be offended, or annoyed, that a poster comes along and doesn't do a search, or scroll through a few pages to get an answer..but posts their own thread, well just don't open it. There is no need to make someone feel stupid or lazy. The search function doesn't always work terrifically well..we all realize that.
Or sometimes, a new poster may not realize there is a search function. Do you really want to welcome a new poster by telling them to use search, rather than start a new thread about something that was posted about last week?? I don't think so.

 

[bavaria]

Here is another example of how DISworld could cause some real heartache in RealWorld....

'Direct' vs 'Non-stop'. Most people seem to think here that 'direct' means a non-stop flight, and don't understand the real meaning. They talk about calling the airline to book a 'direct' flight, or that they want the only 'direct' flight of the day, when they really mean 'non-stop'. If they ask the airline for 'direct' they may well have at least one stop during their flight, which is most likely exactly what they didn't want. (And in DISworld, stopping seems to be a crisis situation, when in reality thousands of people every day in the world make connections, and most people don't live in airline hub cities)

But when a poster tries to explain that in reality they want a 'non-stop' flight, not a 'direct' flight, often they are rudely smacked into silence. This happened last year to DebbieB, I believe (and I don't think that Debbie has any reputation for being a poopyhead - sorry Debbie). People were discussing flights, and she simply gave a brief explanation of the difference, and she was told quite firmly what people thought of her and her 'information'.

There is no call for that. If I don't know something, I use Google, or I look in a book, or I ask someone. I am humble enough to realise that I don't know everything about everything, and I am no subject matter expert on a variety of topics. Why not take the advice graciously, instead of spitting on the person who offered it, even if it was unsolicited?

In this example it could have a major impact on the flights which were booked. On page one alone here there are a number of people talking about their 'direct' flights, but I certainly don't bother to correct or advise them anymore, based on the reactions I have seen here.

 

[ironz]

See, now...there are going to be some that take that statement to be rude. I doubt you mean it to be rude, but perception is reality for most.

My take is this...most people want to be heard. They like to 'own' their thread. They like to feel that others are responding to their special concerns. Come on...everyone likes to feel a bit special. Everyone.
I realize that there are many duplicate type threads. The most common ones have been made into stickies...but that isn't going to happen for every subject.
If someone is going to be offended, or annoyed, that a poster comes along and doesn't do a search, or scroll through a few pages to get an answer..but posts their own thread, well just don't open it. There is no need to make someone feel stupid or lazy. The search function doesn't always work terrifically well..we all realize that.
Or sometimes, a new poster may not realize there is a search function. Do you really want to welcome a new poster by telling them to use search, rather than start a new thread about something that was posted about last week?? I don't think so.

I agree that directing people to use the search function may not work. But it would really be nice if people would take a little time to read through the list of threads for a page or three because we do have an inordinate amount of basically duplicate threads. I see your point about people wanting to "own" their thread, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I do like on Flyertalk that when people do ask something that another thread is covering almost exactly, the threads are merged and the rest of the conversation/discussion continues just fine on the one thread. Might save some bandwidth, too.

I totally agree with bavaria's thoughts. I like to think that I am one of the semi-regular poopyheads, since a) I travel on at least 2-3 business/pleasure trips a month (some of those are up to 3 flights each way since there are often no nonstop choices to where I go, and b) I was called 'rude' here just last week! One might think that those of us who fly a lot have much to add to this board, just to get the people who fly once or twice a year, or on their first flight in 10 years through the process.

To Goofy4Tink and all the mods....thank you very much.

 

[locolala]

Thank you mods, and thank you Bavaria! I don't post here much, but I do read the boards quite often. I used to work for a major international airline, so fortunately I understand most of the airline side of things. I'm not as familiar with MCO as most of you are, nor do I know everything about ME and transportation around the resort. Like most people, I spend a lot of time looking for good prices on airfare, and yes, I read the fine print. I was able to get us tickets for 59 bucks each way, down from 109, because I played with the dates a little bit. Hint.. travelling in the middle of the week is much, much cheaper than on weekends or Monday! Anyhow, sorry for the randomness there. What I'm trying to say is I think you run this board very well, and don't step in unless people are behaving like toddlers. I appreciate that!

 

[LilyWDW]

Here is another example of how DISworld could cause some real heartache in RealWorld....

'Direct' vs 'Non-stop'. Most people seem to think here that 'direct' means a non-stop flight, and don't understand the real meaning. They talk about calling the airline to book a 'direct' flight, or that they want the only 'direct' flight of the day, when they really mean 'non-stop'. If they ask the airline for 'direct' they may well have at least one stop during their flight, which is most likely exactly what they didn't want. (And in DISworld, stopping seems to be a crisis situation, when in reality thousands of people every day in the world make connections, and most people don't live in airline hub cities)

But when a poster tries to explain that in reality they want a 'non-stop' flight, not a 'direct' flight, often they are rudely smacked into silence. This happened last year to DebbieB, I believe (and I don't think that Debbie has any reputation for being a poopyhead - sorry Debbie). People were discussing flights, and she simply gave a brief explanation of the difference, and she was told quite firmly what people thought of her and her 'information'.

And see... this is the information that this board is about. I personally did not know the difference until I was reading a thread here that mentioned it. While I never had an issue due to being uneducated about the terms of airline travel, learning this bit of information will most likely help me in the future.

I think with a lot of the threads that go into the "people were rude" realm are due to people wanting to be in the right... even if they are not. They feel it is an insult to their knowledge and intelligence to find out they have been using the incorrect term or that they didn't understand TSA rules. When this is the case, any constructive criticism or advice will be taken as being mean. Even if the advice is given in a kind and matter of fact way... you will still be the mean person who told them they were wrong.

While I don't post much on this board, I do enjoy it. I like to keep informed on the current rules and regs of the airlines. I like to know what is going on in the travel industry. This way I will be better prepared...

Hopefully people will understand that no one is being "mean" but are just trying to help people out. If they don't... well, not much can be done about that sadly.

 

[dudspizza]

What I find interesting is that Bavaria named some folks that have departed these boards...... yet, all that she has mentioned have posted on this thread...... my question is, did everyone else see the Bat Signal too? Wow did it light up the sky tonight!

Have a nice day........

Has anyone seen the commercial where a man is at a "stuff a pal" store because they have free wireless...... the girl working there tells him (quietly) to get his wireless elsewhere, then (loudly) states AND MAY YOUR DAY BE FILLED WITH CUPCAKES! It always reminds me of how some people tell it as it is here quietly, but then someone always tosses out a huggie!

Duds

 

[crashbb]

What I find interesting is that Bavaria named some folks that have departed these boards...... yet, all that she has mentioned have posted on this thread...... my question is, did everyone else see the Bat Signal too? Wow did it light up the sky tonight!

I smelled chocolate.

 

[dudspizza]

I will say that one of the major issues that seems to come up is when people come here to post a thread where they "just want to vent" but they ask questions about what they did. Again, they just wanted to blow off some steam and when they get answers to the questions they pose, they get offended. Many times, a poster or two will come on and defend the OP, but if you look closely at the OP's original post, the answers were warranted.

For a while, I ended all of my threads with "have a nice day" because I wanted to end on a positive note as so many people were looking right past the advice because it wasn't what they wanted to hear......

Have a nice day!

Duds

 

[dis-happy]

Here is another example of how DISworld could cause some real heartache in RealWorld....

'Direct' vs 'Non-stop'. Most people seem to think here that 'direct' means a non-stop flight, and don't understand the real meaning. They talk about calling the airline to book a 'direct' flight, or that they want the only 'direct' flight of the day, when they really mean 'non-stop'. If they ask the airline for 'direct' they may well have at least one stop during their flight, which is most likely exactly what they didn't want. (And in DISworld, stopping seems to be a crisis situation, when in reality thousands of people every day in the world make connections, and most people don't live in airline hub cities)

But when a poster tries to explain that in reality they want a 'non-stop' flight, not a 'direct' flight, often they are rudely smacked into silence. This happened last year to DebbieB, I believe (and I don't think that Debbie has any reputation for being a poopyhead - sorry Debbie). People were discussing flights, and she simply gave a brief explanation of the difference, and she was told quite firmly what people thought of her and her 'information'.

There is no call for that. If I don't know something, I use Google, or I look in a book, or I ask someone. I am humble enough to realise that I don't know everything about everything, and I am no subject matter expert on a variety of topics. Why not take the advice graciously, instead of spitting on the person who offered it, even if it was unsolicited?

In this example it could have a major impact on the flights which were booked. On page one alone here there are a number of people talking about their 'direct' flights, but I certainly don't bother to correct or advise them anymore, based on the reactions I have seen here.

Those are the same people who end up booked in adjoining rooms when the meant to request connecting.

 

[dburg30]

See, now...there are going to be some that take that statement to be rude. I doubt you mean it to be rude, but perception is reality for most.

Of course I dont mean it to be rude. And I'm sure some folks will think it's 'rude', but in MY opinion, those that find it rude, could be those that are 'guilty' of the exact thing

 

[Brian Noble]

For a while, I ended all of my threads with "have a nice day"

OT, but if a Cast Member ever tells you to "Have a Disney Day", chances are you've just pulled a Stupid Guest Trick.

 

[dudspizza]

OT, but if a Cast Member ever tells you to "Have a Disney Day", chances are you've just pulled a Stupid Guest Trick.

Have a Disney Day!