[Anonymous]

[JonathanCohen09]

Hi my fellow contributors,

I have decided to start this thread as I am interested in finding out what we all really want from this forum?

What I love about it is the ability to come on here and ask fellow travellers for their help, advice and suggestions about any number of issues from airlines and hotels to where to eat out on my first visit to a country. I also like to be able to use my experiences to help others when they ask for or need help and I feel that I have something to contribute.

People can usually get the information they want because we generally want to help our fellow travellers.

What I do not like, and it is becoming ever more frequent, is our forum being used by some contributors to attack others simply because they disagree on a particular topic or say something about their favourite supplier that they do not like. Often the topic is anything to do with BA but not always.

It is very easy to launch a verbal assault on someone when you can hide behind the anonymity that this site offers. I wonder if some of the nasty and mean things that are said would be if our identities were known?

I am not saying for one moment that contributors cannot disagree and have wildly different opinions on a given topic but those disagreements should be restricted to the topic at hand and not become personalised. We are all entitled to our opinions and I would not want that to change as it is what makes this forum interesting and useful.

I would really like to hear the views of as many of you as possible on this as if we can reach some consensus, i would like to go as far as to get BT to kick out those contributors who do not behave in what we would all generally agree to be an appropriate manner. If we do then we can stop the rot and get back to what I started using this forum for in the first place; to help and be helped by fellow travellers or simply exchange information with them!

[travelbugged]

You may regard me an impostor but as a corporate travel consultant, I find the forum really useful. It’s helpful to see the opinions of travellers and helps me to know which products and services to recommend to my clients and which to steer them clear of. I also find out a lot of new information from the forum.

I agree that differing opinions add value to discussions however there is no place for the personal attacks and snide remarks that we sometimes see. I too think these should be stopped.

[Senator]

Hi,

I really find this forum useful and would certainly hope we can keep it civil. There are many people in this forum with excellent knowledge, experience, and insights.

Clearly we all have products and service we like better than others. While we may want to share our dislike using big words, it is perhaps better in the pub or the sauna (yes, I am Nordic!) Perhaps staying with facts and with less personal “feelings”. And of course, respectfully disagree where we have a different view. If we don’t like BA or LH, we simply don’t buy their services.

I read a very good thread in here a while back about behaviour while travelling. My own humble experience is: if I treat you with trust and respect, you will treat me with trust and respect. I have countless travel experiences where “bad” situations have been solved by starting of the conversation with a smile and some empathy.

In the future; let’s respectfully disagree

[Hess963]

I already referred to this topic at my recent comments in different threads. It is much better, if the other users respect and tolerate each other. Yes, often we have different ideas and tastes but that is the meaning of this platform to share our differences. But bare always in mind not to attack and hurt others feelings. Just keep it faire–everyone !!

[PaulJennings]

I agree, Frequenttraveller09. As a new Forum user, I think its value lies in being able to ask fellow travellers for their help, advice and suggestions about travel-related issues.

Perhaps we should sacrifice our annonymity…

[SimonRowberry]

I agree with MichelAngelo – the cloak of anonymity enables people to say things that they would otherwise (probably) not. I speak as someone who does not hide in that way and is therefore accountable publicly for his views and comments.

I also agree fully with Frequenttraveller09. The other thing we need to keep out of this is party politics. This is particularly important as we approach a General Election in the UK. This Forum could deteriorate rapidly if we continue to allow some individuals – and one in particular – to continue to make snide party political comments (or any party political comments, for that matter).

I have had some excellent advice from many postees over the last year. These have genuinely ‘oiled my travels’ and saved me stress, time and money. That’s what we’re here for – to help each other, not to snipe. Other Forums (Fora?) have different purposes, but this is what I (and I think most others) see to be the purpose of this Forum – to share experience and to help each other in a positive manner.

Thanks F09 for starting a thread that is timely; indeed, overdue. Regards to all, Simon

[NTarrant]

I agree with Simon, I enjoy the comments people make on various subjects and the experiences some have had and the advice given. There is no room for politics not matter your colour of politics and equally there is no need for rude words.

We will all have bad experiences at some point and our favorite airlines and hotels may not be up to the mark. We are right to make comments good or bad on these subject based on those recent experiences, not experiences of many years ago.

I think most would agree that comments from disgruntled employees or people who don’t use a particular airline or hotel chain start getting peoples backs up which means a post ends up degenerating into a slagging off of contributers.

[SimonRowberry]

Just had a thought.

Is it not the job of the site administrator to moderate the posts and, as they say, remove ‘inappropriate’ posts?

I’ve seen posts which were blatant advertising removed quite quickly, presumably by the administrator, but does the same happen to abusive posts?

I have to admit to having responded strongly myself to some posts which were, themselves, ‘inappropriate.’ However, I wouldn’t have felt the need to respond like that had the original posts not been made, in the tone/manner they were, in the first place.

It’s a pity there haven’t been more responses to this thread so far, and one or two people are conspicuously absent (for once)……..

[JonathanCohen09]

Simon,

a good point which I did not think about. Perhaps the site administrator might respond to your point and enlighten us as to how they would decide to remove a post or indeed in what circumstances they might block or remove a contributor altogether.

I also agree with you regarding the lack of response so far to this thread and that certain people are very conspicuous by their lack of opinion or comment on this topic.

Perhaps we will hear from them in due course or perhaps for once they actually have nothing useful to contribute.

[OzTraveller]

What! VintageKrug has not put his tuppence worth in yet …?

[Hess963]

I think he is a bit busy reportng live from the inauguration of the BA A318 flight LCY to JFK–and actually “editing” the editor of BT Tom Otley whose is onboard as well. His last words are about having no pudding wine onboard and sipping in his camomile tea and then no more recent updates–run out of food ?? or internet connection ??

[Senator]

Gents,

Let me just gently remind you that this posting was about removing discussions about people and their view’s in this forum. Let us not make this thread about our view and expectation of one individual when this is what we are asking everyone to stop 🙂

Cheers!
LH Senator

[OzTraveller]

Lighten up there, Senator .. most times, the forum topics and subsequent responses are of good intention and helpful, although it’s always a matter of personal experience and objectivity. Sometimes, I do wonder at the questions (What wines do they serve in the Namibia Airlines lounge in Lagos..) and whether anyone except the initiator are really interested, but I have certainly learned a few things that were helpful in (mostly) avoiding airlines that I was not personally familiar with.

All hail hearty and robust discussion in these forums. Except of course for the blatant advertising by the BA stooge.

Happy travels from downunder.

[SimonRowberry]

I tend to agree with Senator on this one.

Only we could have a thread which is aimed at preventing personal sniping, which then turns into just that…….! It is interesting that a couple of people’s views are still absent (no names).

The absence that I’m most concerned about is that of the site administrator, whom I was hoping would answer the questions posed above by F09.

[Author]

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