Welcome back to Thorn Tree
Replies: 1,407 - Last Post: Mar 22, 2013 7:37 AM Last Post By: Zabba
jump to
270
I'd like to suggest Travelfish...I just signed up yesterday and had my question about Laos answered in a timely fashion...it even gave me the option of sending a reminder to my e-mail when someone responded (which is a cool feature)...I was really botheredbut now I can see that LP has no interest in my complaints
271
I have been buying lonely planet guides and phrasebooks since the late '70s, and have enjoyed visiting various branches of thorntree over the years.As with other posters, I am extremely disappointed at the unilateral, unannounced decision that was made to close this forum. The loyalty I have felt towards Lonely Planet over its rivals has been severely compromised, and this will be reflected in my future consumer decisions.
272
That's the nicest thing about this re-launch. As all the posts are checked, the nasty ones are zapped. It makes for a better and much friendlier Thorn Tree all roundI'll take a real conversation (warts and all) over a censored "nice" conversation any day. And I suspect the vast majority of forum users feel the same. You sir are in a very tiny minority.
274
Interesting that several of the big supporters on here of WT and YC being removed, were prolific posters of the 'personal chat type' stuff that they are now being hugely offended by. Bad case of two-faced-and-forgetful disease.Moderation is now too inconsistent. I'm not sure how the new T&Cs will actually work in practice - who is to judge what is and isn't 'chat' or 'irrelevant'? Any post about moving to a country isn't about travel, it's about immigration. Any posts about WHVs isn't travel, it's about working. Volunteering isn't travel. How will people be able to ask opinion on which country to go to? I mean, that's travel, but it doesn't fit in any of the current forum titles. Where is the line actually going to be drawn? And where is the consistent approach going to come from?
And is anyone going to tell us what this is actually about? Rather than us reading rumours, or reading the nonsense spouted by some posters who seem to think they are in the know.
276
The other thing that is so uncomfortable is that the only place that we seem able to complain is this single thread. We are totally walled in and contained and even here we are being super moderated. There are already nearly 300 heartfelt complaints here (minus mickyfinn obviously) and it would be many times that if other users had found their way here and not already been banned or moderated!If you wanted to complain about a BBC broadcast there are any number of ways of doing it and half a dozen complaints normally justifies an investigation. Here we all seem to have been condemned for a crime and we are not even sure what we've done!. I want to face my accuser!!...
277
yes, jjack, there does seem to be a tiny rose-tinted world in which a few feeble voices exclaim gleefully about how sweet the new lollipops are. And I heartily agree with you about what type of conversation that I as an adult should be allowed to have. It's a shame that the feeble whining is what is winning the day here.At #254
there seems to be a sharp split between members who love(ed) the TT for its virtual friendship factor while others use(d) it to get or give travel information about county X. "Weather and visas" as you call it sarcastically but fittingly, in a no-nonsense, fast and factual manner
well, so much for the fast, and most people who have been using the site are not going to be satisfied with the abrupt, plummeting drop in the volume and quality of the information received. I suppose if you don't travel very much then it doesn't matter, so maybe this doesn't affect you, but it does affect the rest of us.
I don't understand why anyone would support a transition to less and of lesser value. To me it's like going from and HDTV to a black and white, rabbit ears tv. Is having a real conversation so scary?
279
I would figure throwing a travel guide at me would have been the very, very least they could have offered to appease my very visceral anger over how they have violated my membership and damaged my travel plans...LOL...why would they care about my 20 years of loyalty? ...They don't...I got offered a response from their online editor who then in return, just failed to follow up on my issues.If this was a normal business,which I'm pretty sure it is.I can't understand the operating platform...My issues stem from the closure of the TT but the matter is that the TT is a supplement to their product.
So acting like sorry sorry and hey will be back when we feel we are ready...is addressing the issues...this is the worst customer service I have encountered in my life.If you went to a restaurant and were treated this poorly ...I'm pretty sure the manager would be buying your meal for you...at this point we are all left staring at the waiter doing their side work...
280
This forum is considered an essential tool for travellers. If it's not reliable, then there's no point in using it. I have both received and shared a lot of advice and facts here; and if that's not dependable, then people will simply go away and information will not be available anymore to those looking for it. Even Tony Wheeler was surprised the fact that the forum was closed for so long.What about my messages? I'm in the middle of a trip and need to contact someone about meeting up in 2 days at my next destination.
I'm sorry, but I'm done with TT and LP. I have no choice to accept your decision to kill it.
284
Long Live Tomy Wheeler! I started a new thread in the UK btanch about suggestions for Manchester but it was not approved. " I will be in Machester 3 days in late march and need some suggestions, I am not willing to buy a guide book and I already plan to drink a lot of beer". This kind of honest language does not seem to meet the standards and the criteria of the new TT. It will be a cementery that way
