feel free to follow my own quest--in progress!

I'll pass.

Thanks Tracy! And Norma, my mama always said if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all, I think that applies quite well to your snarky comment!

Yes, but my mama didn't bring me up right, so it's not my fault. You shouldn't criticize the under privileged.

Another vote for the "if you can't say anything useful" side.

Norma, what value was the use of ethernet to tell us that you were NOT going to look at the web site? Totally useless, and indeed, snarky.

Well, one value was that it gave two people the opportunity to feel superior and until I "passed" no one had expressed any interest at all in the OP's blog. So I have, in my snarky way, served a purpose, which is my only mission.

Elaine's mama might have said 'if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all', but who's ever heard of her. Harry Truman (I have heard of him) said, 'If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.'

Tracy,

Thanks for the link.

Norma, ENOUGH ALREADY!

wow. i'm sorry i posted my link. i was just trying to be helpful to anyone interested. jeeze. sorry.

Tracy....I think what you are doing is a great idea. I bounced around doing something like that before my trip, but just didn't get around to it. Keep it up!

Tracy it is a great idea. We did the same thing and our families, friends and others loved it. Don't let Norma get you down.

Cheer up Norma. If you don't have anything positive to add to a thread, don't add anything at all. You are making us other Canadians look bad.

Tracy, Great blog! Your planning process seems to mirror my own experience when i begin to envision and then plan a trip...especially our current plan to travel Israel/Egypt independently. Planning is exciting, fun, and frustrating. But the process always ends up being one of best aspects of traveling because it's a great extension of the travel experience. I tried to keep a journal when I began planning my first European trip but didn't keep up with it and I really wish that I had captured those emotions of anticipation, and even disappointment, when plans had to be re-thought or re-arranged. Your blog is going to end up being a priceless souvenir of this particular trip. Keep blogging!

Keep blogging Tracy!

-Kim

Remember when someone asked why the posts were down from last year? I voted for mean hearted answers. Some people are internet bullies.

Tracy have fun on your trip. I keep hand written journals and sometimes have no time to log in my days adventures (by the end of my day, I am wasted tired) so good luck with your internet journal!

Thanks for the blog address! I prefer to read other people's blogs over guidebooks as I love the unbiased reviews and stories of each place. Guidebooks have a bad habit of saying that every place is "wonderful" and skip out on the small stuff.

Tracy,

Thanks for posting the link to your Blog. It's interesting to watch the process you're using as you plan your trip. Hopefully it will all come together for you! One of these days I might give Blogging a try?

I also felt the first reply was unnecessary and a bit hurtful. I'm sure Tracy would have preferred to receive no response rather than one unpleasant reply. I'm sure the helpful group here would have answered eventually, so it wasn't necessary to post something (for want of a better term) "snarky".

Cheers!

I have to agree with Kelly in Gulfport. Anymore, I hesitate to ask many questions or add comments because of the unfortunate amount of hostility on this site. There are some sad, angry people out there. I just wish this Helpline was only used in a peaceful, supportive, positive manner. Nothing can be gained by by mean spirited remarks. The whole idea is to share knowlege with one another to enable people to fulfill their travel dreams, not engage in one upmanship and rude remarks. The "No Grumps" RS tour policy should apply here as well. No one wants to be around negative, mean people and they should not feel welcome online, either. Sadly, in order to benefit from the expertise of so many amazing, fabulous people on this site, you have to subject yourself to the few who try to bring others down. It's too bad some try to ruin things for others. I am truly thankful that the majority of people on this site offer kindness and friendship with their travel advice.

Hi Tracy

Keep it up! Don't let other people stop you from doing something really cool.I always feel sorry for people like her. she didn't get enough hugs growing up!

All the best, Monte

Well, I ignited a firestorm but look how beneficial it has been for Tracy. It is an ill wind (me) that blows no good, the "good" being all of you and your kind remarks to and about Tracy and her blog. As for me, I am going to have a heart-to-heart talk with my mother about the hugs I apparently didn't get as a child. Much chastened, I retire from the fray.

I actually thought Norma's response was funny. Must be something wrong with me too!

This is part of the reason why people (who could otherwise provide valuable information) are reluctant to post to this forum. There are a few folks who view it as their personal fiefdom and delight in making snarky comments to newcomers.

Tracy, good luck with your blog. I wanted to do one last summer but never got it together. Well there's always this year...

thanks everyone--for all comments (ALL of them). i enjoy writing it, though to be fair, i'm kind of a nerd! i hope it is amusing and/or helpful to someone else. happy travels.

Awhile back I expressed the thought that rather than post a nasty comment if a question or post for some reason irritated or annoyed, the poster should just pass without commenting at all. I was pm'd that the board was for differing opinions and that's what was being expressed. I let the matter drop at the time but have to express my opinion now. There's a huge difference between expressing the difference in say preferring Rome versus Paris and trying to make a poster feel like an idiot for asking a question to begin with. I just wonder why some of the posters feel the need to be unpleasant just for the sake of unpleasantness. Tracy, if I'm not interested in your blog, my assumption is that you are equally uninterested in a response from me and I would feel no need to post anything. I think I will start a site called "Travel Cranks". Nobody will be allowed to post anything positive or helpful. Only the mean-spirited need sign up. I miss the days when this message board was a place where you could ask your "stupid" question and get lots of helpful questions. And by the way, Tracy. I would never take the time to do what your doing but more of us probably should. To me, planning the trip is a huge part of the experience and I imagine it will be interesting as well as informative to see how others go about the process.

Norma, you seem to go out of your way at times to make comments that could turn into something negative.

I saw this posted on the first day and did not have an opportunity to check it out, so I refrained from commenting.

Teena wrote "I miss the days when this message board was a place where you could ask your "stupid" question and get lots of helpful questions."

"Stupid" is your word, not mine, but this message board is still the place you say you miss. There are a lot of wonderful, patient people here that continually answer the same questions over and over in a very kind way. You're being unfair to all of them when you say that doesn't happen anymore.

And Norma, I've always liked you and still do!!

Agree with Brad!

Tracy, I read your travel blog. Nicely done. Thanks for sharing :-)

Norma has consistantly give great help here, so how about we forgive this incident and move along.

Excellent idea, Bob. Tracy, I too have enjoyed your blog. Your great and fun personality shines through!

OMG why would someone be so mean spirited as to make a comment like that and then continue to make sarcastic remarks to irritate people even more? For the life of me, I don't understand why someone might need to do such a negative thing on a travel helpline?

For one to be forgiven, one should apologize!
This is such an informative helpline, unfortunately, some people forget their manners!

Great blog Tracy and thanks for sharing!
Happy Travels!

I agree with you Debi! Regardless of how helpful a person has been in the past, one should not automatically forgive and forget their rudeness.

Sometimes it's a good idea to take a "break" from an online community if you are getting tired of reading member's posts and questions. That would be much nicer than continue with the rude remarks.

And I also agree that there was no apology made, just the continued rudeness once called out on it, and not a word of "I'm sorry for being so rude."

The only way we can keep this board clean of such rudeness is to call the posters on it.

Tracy! OMG I have spent the past 20 minutes or so reading your blog! How the heck did you get inside my head???? I have been planning a 16 day trip for my family and one other family for the past few months and I swear i could have wrote some of those daily comments!

Keep it up - what a great treasure to have once you come home and can re-live the whole process

For the record...we're doing Chicago-London-Paris-Toulouse (this was the MUST part of the trip, skating competition), Cinque Terre-Pisa-Rome-Chicago.

i LOVE your trip!!!

Chris