i think it went quieter,when the chat side,of the forum,got closed down.it was a place,you could come & visit & it felt you could socialise,if you know,what i mean!
you got to know,other members better & on the whole,it was very friendly.
i must admit,i visit every day,but hardly ever post these days.i agree,it has gone quiet.
tracy

I am on facebook..I am also a member here. I visit both sites every day. I post on facebook everyday as it covers a wide range of subjects that covers almost every aspect of my interests. On here, I am confined to talk about holidays and related topics/issues.
I post on here if I have something I want to say that is relevant to a topic being discussed and that may help someone else.
I admit I post less on here than I used to...it is not that I am losing interest or owt like that..but alot of the stuff I could talk about has been covered time and time again in various threads..and often if people ask a question I can answer, someone else has already kindly offered an answer or advice that I would have said..especially if it is somewhere I have been a few times...and there is no point in repeating what someone else has said just for the sake of racking up another posting.

Also, people's lifestyles change over the years...they maybe take less holidays, take different holidays, lose interest in a particular forum, join a different one..

we do seem to have lost a few who were regular posters during the time i've been a member.
some have probably just naturally found other interests, moved to different forums, or not got any holidays in the pipeline.
i tend to check in both here and on TA every day, but i don't normally look on destination topics other than costa brava on either site because that is where i spend most of my time.
if i am going somewhere else i will look on that forum, and do a search (see i know you need to do that before asking questions that have been done many times before ).
i think we get a lot of people visiting, normally posting on the complaints forum, and then we don't hear from them again, or they ask a question on a destination forum and see the replies and just "forget" to say thanks.
i don't tend to criticise the MODs because i think they do a great job, and i can see that there is a lot of tolerance shown on the destination forums, and on this one, and that is as it should be. the complaints forum should be more controlled because of the rather serious nature of that forum -if something is going to, or has, lost you a dream holiday or lots of money then it is only right that we should be providing (accurate) information and not general chit chat.
i see nothing wrong with having a sticky on all the destination forums where people can chat about that particular destination; it will be used far more in some destinations than others, but it could be a nice dumping ground for the MODS for posts that they currently may delete when a thread goes off topic.
i was one opposed to the removal of general chat when this was done, and am still not convinced it was the best solution, but i do think that MOD Mark's current job is a lot easier than if we had general chat back.
maybe all that is required is to be nicer to newbies to get them to continue using the site.
is it possible that the MODS could e-mail any poster with under say 10 posts on a 6 monthly basis to remind them about this site. this would surely be relatively easy to exteact from the database.

In many businesses August is a quiet month. In travel most people have already done their research by August, which is then a peak time to travel and not a time to be on the internet, especially because of the school holidays. I expect it will get busier in September again, as people start to think about next year then next holiday and next year. I agree that FB is becoming more popular, I read it has even more visitors than google's search engine daily.

There is a new generation of web users, that will use FB and twitter to chat on and would not even consider using a forum. You have to change with the times.

Decide what it is that HT's want to offer members. Look at other chat forums, like some of the parenting sites to see what they offer. Online, discounts, competitions, live chats with guest celebs, MPs ect ... see where their going and see if HT's wants the same things.

I know this is a non profitable web site and it's great when like likes of TR (steve) can pop on and help, but why not charge TOps a fee to use your site as a channel to promote their business and contact their clients. After all, you are doing TR a favour, not the other way round.

Why not do a survey? I'm sure someone on here with some Tech knowledge could help you.

but why not charge TOs a fee to use your site as a channel to promote their business and contact their clients. After all, you are doing TR a favour, not the other way round.

A whole new topic and, in my opinion at least, we would become no better, and probably worse than all the other commercial sites that abound on the internet.

I am sure we can find faults with HT if we look for them but the "independence" we enjoy is what makes it unique. reviews, help and unbiased advice given by people who are more interested in being of help to others rather than using it as a platform for private agendas. The fact that someone like TR see value in joining is a compliment to our members in my opinion. Do I want the site plastered with ads? No thank you!

fwh

I like HT becuase the postings are made by genuine people who have had the experiences they write about. As mentioned previously by other posters, there are many sites where there are hidden agenda's and there are "fake" postings made by people connected to companies/hotels etc in an attempt to slag off the opposition so to speak. I am not saying that this has never happened on here because there have been instances where people with hidden agenda's hide behind thier computer screens and create agro or cause conflict for the sake of it. There have also been instances of people that have provided many posts to help people in forums suddenly seem to think they "own" the forum and generally become obnoxious to new posters or anyone that dares venture an opinion that may be different to thiers. They form thier own little clique and will attempt to ride roughshod over the moderators who do a fine job. Ultimately, this has led to them being banned..and the forum..whilst getting rid of the unpleasantness, has lost someone who made valuable contributions. (but the Mods decision to ban them is right and never taken lightly).

We then have other people who come on here who may not actually be used to the etiquette and rules that we try and abide by and hopefully try and police ourselves without the intervention of the mods..again, they have different agenda's carried on from elsewhere and attempt to cause conflic whilst appearing the picture of innocence. These people need weeding out or advising on how it is done here.

Thankfully, both the above examples are only a tiny tiny percentage of the posters/members we have on here. Whether this is becuase the "chat" is disabled I don't know. Wherever there is free reign to talk about any subject under the sun, there is always an increased risk of conflict...so perhaps it is better without the chat.

With regards adverts...I do not wish to be spammed, bombarded with adverts or hassled by anyone who may wish to advertise on here. I like holidays and travel and I spend time researching thoroughly...being bombarded with an advert will not make me pick a company to deal with..if anything I would purposefully ignore them on principal. I like HT without adverts!

Also as we all know, adverts are not always the truth and would not fit in with Holiday Truths!

The problem I see is that a lot of the merged posts won't be seen by the actual people that can help! Not unless they visit each post each day which I bet most do not!

hi all....the fact we are so independant is a big bonus....and the fact our readers and members , especially new members who have joined for advice , know we are independant is a bigger one......we are all free to give our opinions and advice....and we are all so different and our veiws have many facets....that when someone needs advice or help there is probably not only good advice to be had, but advice from someone similar to ourselves , who has a similar understanding and veiw of the situation .... so the advise given is relavant for the person needing it.....

We have a human face....we are a living , breathing forum....not a sterile drop in where subject matter can be dictated by fee paying advertisers or sponsors..

I believe yes we should court the attensions of the travel companies ect.....but as guests....they should apreciate the fact we are independant, and use the fact to improve thier services ect, as they are reading first hand the truth as to what is happening beyond thier offices ect.....they can see where things are going well too , not just the negative side of things......I was thinking of this myself the other day....and posted a new topic " Reps roll of honour "......when things go wrong and the reps dont do their job or just arent interested in making your holiday a good one, we soon hear about it.....so thought it a good idea to give credit where due.....we could give an award to most outstanding rep of the year.....contact thier company advising them that one of thier reps have been given this award....the otherside is people will join to say thank you to a good rep.....creating a balance with people joining to complain.........you will be able to name your rep on that topic....naming a bad one could cause legal messes but naming a good one is OK.....so Ive stated the topic is only to give recognision to a rep who deserves praise......not for complaints .....tweetie

We have a human face....we are a living , breathing forum....not a sterile drop in where subject matter can be dictated by fee paying advertisers or sponsors.

Excellent words..I totally agree with that.

hi justival.....agree with you about adverts....I dont really bother with other holiday forums unless directed to them from here because there is some extra information to be had.....also think when things start going unpleasant on a topic.... and there develops a situation where posters have split loyalties between certain prominent posters....it puts others off who would like to comment....or even possible new members who will decide not to join.....have noticed these topics then seem to go very quiet or fade away....tweetie

have noticed these topics then seem to go very quiet or fade away

But on the whole topics will go quiet because the OP's original question has been answered as fully as it possibly can and especially if the OP never comes back to let us know what they've decided or whether they feel their query has been answered. sometimes everything that can be said has been said and a thread will slowly drift down the board and out of sight. For example, I noticed on the 'Cruise' forum the other day that the Daily Express Offer thread had suddenly re-surfaced - one that had been extremely active in the past, had probably been assumed to have run its course by most of us but floated up up to the top again because as it turned out the issue is still 'live' for a few people who are still pursuing claims and/or interested in how others got on with their claim. It will probably sink into obscurity again now that it's nearly a week since the last post into it. This is always going to be something that will happen on the board - there's a flurry of interest in something and then it's moment passes.

But something this thread has made me think about is that threads which start with someone asking us for our opinion on something develop a very different dynamic to those which ask for information or 'facts'. Those which are concerned about 'facts' seem far less likely to generate conflict or 'flaming' PMs. I do still venture to put my head up over the parapet on some of the 'opinion' threads or those which invite stories about our personal experiences but much less than I used to and I say that as someone who is relatively thickskinned and know from my time on this board over the years that a lot of others on the board do value the information I can provide on particualr topics. Whether I would feel the same if I was still a newbie to HT or not I don't know.

I log on to HT every day but I only follow a very small number of forums and in approximately a third of those I really only lurk rather than participate. For example, a friend and I keep returning to the idea of going on a cruise - we've never got around to actually doing something about it but I regularly browse the 'cruise' forum because I think that the things I pick up on there that will help us make informed decisions if we ever get our act together. Similarly, friends keep enthusing about Goa and encouraging me to give it a go, absolutely convinced that I'll love it. So I did regularly visit the Goa forum for quite some time and I'm glad I did because it helped me decide that even though I do have so much in common with these friends, a longterm love affair with Goa was unlikely to ever be one of them. So now I pop in occasionally just in case there's something there that might give me reason to re-consider.

I used to regularly contribute to the 'Tunisia' forum but now whilst I browse it and enjoy reading up about eg Aslemma's and Kevin's trips I rarely contribute now because though I used to go to Tunisia on a regular basis I haven't been for over 6 years now. A great deal can change in that time and I think that whatever knowledge and information I have is now going to be out of date and almost certainly of little value. But I enjoy reading others' posts for old times sake and the happy memories they evoke of past holidays.

The Caribbean forum, latterly the new Cuban one, however, is very different. I not only browse it every day but contribute frequently because I think that as a regular visitor to Cuba who also has a particular interest in Cuban life and culture I have a lot that I can offer there. Similarly, I have probably contributed to every single thread on La Gomera that has emerged on the 'Canary Islands - other islands' forum for the same reasons.

I guess that whether we think the board is quiet or busy really does depend a lot on which forums we regularly look at. For me, I've not noticed an appreciably change on those I regularly follow. The Goa one seems to me to always be very busy and as busy as it ever was, the 'other Canary Island one only gets a new post once every few months if that and is quite possibly the quietest one on the whole board!

SM

PS Please Mods and Admin don't go down the route of adverts and/or loads of pop-ups - the absence of them is why I've stayed so loyal to HT and have lost patience with some of the others.

Another good post...one which gave me food for thought as well and is quite similar to my own experiences.

I used to post on the Canary Island thread all the time as we used to holiday to one island 2 or 3 times a year when the kids were younger, so I felt I had much to contribute to others. Habits changed and we discovered diving..so since then, the majority of our holidays have been taken in Egypt or Malta...so I posted more on there. They Egypt thread is relatively busy and people like Michelle (Derwentrocker), and Lynwestie contribute quite alot to them. Malta is relatively quiet in comparison, more so since Sliema2 departed and a few others followed him.

I have viewed the Thailand thread and contributed as I visited last year, I have been in the France thread looking for advice and now I am in the New Zealand bit quite alot as I am looking for as much info as possible before I go relative visiting. There are other threads I have never set foot in nor would I even look in for a nosy as I have no interest so they hold no relevance (thats not to say things may not change in the future)

I like the "opinion" threads as there is always a different point of view to consider rather than cold hard facts..and it gives a great insight into other members of this forum.

your right SMa about the reasons threads ect seem to fade away....most are just like you say...I was just pointing out how petty bickering and side taking can damage an otherwise good topic.....its good when a thread fades away because its all discussed out or problem solved for some one....means a good job done and we are funtioning as we were meant to do.....wish people would come back and tell us the outcomes as that is also good information on file for others who have similar problems or questions...when they dont it feels like unfinnished business if Ive been following the thread or given advice.....tweetie

ps....maybe we should have a sticky topic where people can come back to even months later and drop a note giving thread name and how things worked out....maybe people have a problem finding thier thread again so long after ...especially if they have got rid of thier emails with the link to it

It is always nice when you are thanked for your help..politeness costs nowt..

I remember a person who I haven't seen post for yonks but they followed some advice from me regarding a hotel about 2 or 3 years ago..they pm'd me after they got back off holiday thanking me for all the advice I had given them and saying what an ace holiday they had had and how they had picked that hotel becuase of the advice I had given (chuff, I would have hated it if they had had an awful time!)..they asked me for more advice about a different destination in the same country they knew I had been to. they then proceeded to go to that place too..and once again I had a PM thanking me for that holiday too! Lovely touch and things like that make it all so worthwhile. Sometimes I have sepnt quite some considerable time making sure that the detail I provide in my answers of advice to people is factual and as thorough as possible so as people can make an informed choice based on all evidence available. It can be disheartening when sometimes people never even bother to acknowledge the assistance they have recieved..not specifically from me but from others too.

I think it might be a good idea for an "update" sticky that people can re-visit.

fwh
Personally I think newbies get scared off when members use the QUOTE facility. I don't care though, quote away.

No ads wanted her, but if Travel Companies use the site to assist rather than setting up something on their own sites, they could pay an annual fee - it could go towards HT domain, server fees. It's a suggestion and not a business plan.

On the other topic of chat, I never noticed the chat facility. Wouldn't use a forum for chat, therefore not missed by me.

Carry on....

Maybe its just a natural progression? But do agree with the quote below.

Justval wrote:

There have also been instances of people that have provided many posts to help people in forums suddenly seem to think they "own" the forum and generally become obnoxious to new posters or anyone that dares venture an opinion that may be different to thiers. They form thier own little clique and will attempt to ride roughshod over the moderators who do a fine job.

MilleMiglia - I agree.
You actually know which posters follow that path .. I do try to avoid them.
I agree the mods do a great job on HT.
I'm off now to FB, I might see some ads, but I care not.

Like a few of you I do pop in most days, and I like to look at the new posts and offer my opinion where I have thoughts on certain matters, and of course I have certain threads that I might veer to - dependant on my interest at the time, i.e. Caribbean thread if that has been a recent thread, cruise and so on, and where I can offer help on something that I may know something about, lets face it thats how this forum survives on each others experiences and true experiences at that, not forums that are lead by major sponsers and not independant as HT is.

I do think that it is a little annoying (as some of you have mentioned) when you get posters that come on with particular problems and lots of people give lots of help and it's a very interesting problem, and then you hear nothing from the original poster, so we have no idea whether it worked out or not, and sort of treat it like a drop in holiday help. It's lovely to be able to offer help and advice to folks but its so good to hear back from them to see the end result, and I am sure that we all feel the same there.

I also agree that there are posters that come on here and can be so rude, and think it's acceptable to talk to other members in such a fashion, now whilst Mods adn Admin staff do their level best to Police untoward behaviour to be honest this kind of think should not need Policing. Goodness me the folks on here are Adults it's not Kindergarden and should not need telling that what they are written is rude. Treat people and speak to people as you want to be treated and spoken to and you can't go far wrong.

I like it here I like what the Mods and Admin do and long may it continue.

I admit to being quite obsessed with HT - not sure if that's a bad thing? I have to look in daily and normally do a few posts as well. If I'm researching a holiday I'll look for advice and ask questions on that forum. I also use the 'view new posts' thread regularly so I don't miss out on anything of interest. This way, I will also stumble across posts that I can offer advice on e.g. if I've been somewhere recently and can offer facts or an opinion.

I like the forum just as it is and wouldn't like to alter it as I think it's moderated fairly and the mods do a very good job.