happy new year to you.
i like the idea of 1 and 2 above.
i am not sure that 3 will be the answer but is worth trying if it helps get people to come back to the site. will we be able to stop or opt out of this feature
i get very wary when i see references to "social media" as i dont particularly want to use or be associated with these sites. in the current age employers are checking on peoples social media usage and i get concerned that my reputation could be compromised by other users posts where i have been linked to them in some way.
i do have a facebook page but it is set up with a different e-mail address and username and is used primarily to get freebies. it is not used generally for much else as i do not want my log-in name for here and other sites to be splashed all over facebook etc
so if i post something on here will others be able to share my posts on facebook either deliberately or by accident?

Morning Jimd

The idea is to bridge any gap and reach the wider audience on social media. We have scoured other very prominent forums who are trialling the same.

Unless it is you sharing it there is no connection between your account on here and your Facebook page so identity etc never compromised.

Lets see how it goes. Obviously you are correct we want to grow with HT as just HT etc

We are also adding images/videos to reviews and forum posts, as well as changing forum layout and inserting a media gallery which we are just bottoming out on the design front..

Alot more to follow..

l

Some positive improvemnents at last. It did ecorage me to take a look in the review section where i thought there were some positives but everything i looked at was well out of date.

Hi Nick

There are more on the way - they will bring things up to date in no time. Videos will be added to reviews and also videos and images will be allowed to be implemented into forum posts.

We are also developing others things such as a media gallery for people to share travels etc..

Stay tuned.

L

Hi Lance. I just tried to revisit one of my hotel reviews, to check/add some photos (Smartline Ellia, Lardos, on Rhodes), but when I click on the hotel name, the page just reloads; the other 7 hotels are accessible, just not this one. Glitch, perhaps?
Cheers

Hi Doonhamer - sent you a DM, but yes was a broken link..

L

I have to admit I never look at this forum anymore and neither do a lot of people it seems. I used to be active in the Goa forum a fair bit and so were many others. It's now deserted.
Just copying Trip Advisor will get you nowhere as they are too far ahead now.
What doesn't TA offer, well when you read the reports you have to read into the needs and expectations of the author and they are not always the same as mine it seems.Some give hotels a bad report because the weather was bad or they had a bad journey to get there. Irrelevant. I once stayed at a dreadful hotel that got good rating because of the stunning view from the garden but most reviewers had only stopped for a drink. The rooms were disgusting!
Maybe a simple tick box against a longer list of expected and delivered with no need for too much comment might be better.Theses scores could be then cumulated to give an overall view.
Score on things like bedrooms, public rooms, bar prices, food quality, food price, entertainment,proximity to local amenities, weather,peace and quiet, swimming pool, other guests, star rating match, etc.

Dave

Thanks for taking the time to leave some feedback. All noted.

Happy new year to you and yours

Lance

I would like to encourage reviewers to add a few words about their flights and airports. It is useful to hear about the service, levels of comfort etc on-board and also helpful snippets about airports eg beware buying food/drink at Dalaman airport because it is extortionately priced or if transiting at Changi, try and give yourself a few hours to take in a free bus tour etc.

Regarding forum navigation, I did bring this up with the previous owners, who did not appear interested in implementing or perhaps didn't have the capability of implementing my suggestion. When I visit the forum I only want to see the new posts that have appeared since my last visit, then it is easy for me navigate and read the forum. The previous owners seemed to think that the link "latest posts " was sufficient, but that is not the same thing at all. The latest posts link actually shows ALL posts going back to 2004, including everything one has already read. If I leave the forum and come back tomorrow and there have been 25 posts since then, then that is all I need to be shown by clicking on a suitable link. So what do you think ? Can you do this ? I'm sure others would appreciate such a link which is common on many older forums.
Thak you.

Hi Frank

Leave with me and let me talk to my developers - I understand your point.

L

Thank you Lance, I hope it's possible.

surely even going "back" to having destinations in line like before, in boxes style,scroll down to whatever, click and your onto whatever your looking fore, plus with FRANKS suggestion life would be a lot easier.

I have already requested a face lift of forum but sad to find that design change is still pending. Sad to say these changes has killed the old glory of this lovely forum.

Globetracker

Many thanks for the feedback good or bad it is all valuable as it is the members that are the most important thing. We have features that are being developed as we speak and also we will address the forum layout.

It would help with specifics around the things you would like - as opposed to just revert to the old style.

Thanks again

Lance

the old style was so easy and friendly that's why people say go back to it, but since it all changed nobody seems to get it. !!!

Firstly I will say I more than anyone find it rather surprising to be once again posting back on HT.

Good to see new owners to are hopefully willing to act on constructive advice and take it at face value as advice and not criticism.

Having read through some of the proposals I am rather optimistic abut the future of HT, particularly the introduction of photos which was a major drawback of the old site, I am also very pleased to see and fully endorse the social media linking if posters wishes, in this age of everything being tweeted or put on FB I like that and it can only be a good thing for the future of HT.

Having left HT for a while the new layout is rather alien at the moment however it might soon become second nature to navigate but I do agree that it is not just as user friendly as the old board and perhaps some tweaks (not sure why my spell check wanted to TWERK) might make it flow easier although as I said once I use the sight more it will become easier.

Kiltman
"Having left HT for a while the new layout is rather alien at the moment however it might soon become second nature to navigate"
something I've not found after looking and trying...nobody had a complaint when we had the original site !!!
the only thing was they wanted add-ons like pictures ,videos, which should've been added then it would be the perfect site.
Lance
if you or anyone else has a picture of the first site it would be worth looking at .

I'm struggling too I'm afraid but in fairness it's still all alien to me too & maybe I'd get used to it. Lance has said they are working on it so perhaps wait & see what changes are made