How many times before you stop recommending?

If you copy and paste the previous posts to the new query, that provides OP with your information as well as the reply of others. Also, it does plant the idea with the OP that some searches of previous posts can be helpful.

I stopped recommending Spanish Trails for day trips from Barcelona when someone mentioned that Spanish Trails had a lot of recommendations, but they were all from the same person - me!

With me, it's about how much time has passed when it comes to guides, hotels, and restaurants. I try to make a point of saying when I actually gave something or somebody my business.

I never use the "search" function, and don't expect it of others.

I usually do one Search and copy it into the Reply section, trying to encourage the poster to look on their own.
I also am tired of talking about the congestion in the Amalfi Coast area , yet questions about getting around the area come up 2-3 times a week now.
Why is it so hard to just look away and ignore the question???

I only recommend something if it seems to fit a specific question, not so much for "Where should I eat in Italy?", or even in "Rome" but if they are looking for a specific food or neighborhood. Similar with Hotels, Museums, etc. I will however give some general advice on what to eat and good neighborhoods that have a selection of restaurants.

Also, as time goes by, I hesitate to recommend anything, especially restaurants, not because I am repeating myself, but things can change. If I have not been there in the last year, I usually just let it slide, or at least hedge my recommendation, noting when I was there. Recommending a restaurant from 5 years ago, even a hotel, really provides no value.

Hotels I simply no longer recommend, with one or two exceptions. People expectations as to a hotel are just so diverse. I tend to view a room as a place to sleep, clean, quiet and cheap rules, many want an "experience" and staff to dote on them.

I'm partly conscious I'm not just writing for a new poster but to a community that has probably read my previous replies. I cringe at the thought that to regular contributors it might seem like I keep parroting the same thing rather than contributing something new.

Oh my, not a problem. Anyone who posts regularly doesn't bother reading responses from what I can see, LOL. Anyway if they do, I am sure they just skim over if no interest.

We should be careful that our answers do not become mechanical and rote without rechecking our sources. We should be keeping up with changes and not just repeating the same increasingly inaccurate information, especially as time moves away from our own first hand experience.

As long as the information is accurate, it does not really matter how many times one may make a recommendation. It may be your 500th time answering someone's question, but for the person that asked the question, it's their first time hearing the answer.

History Traveler, oh, I definitely relate to your question! I have responded with a reply and added a link to one of my trip reports many times because I don’t want to copy a large section of it that bogs down the reply string. I feel like sometimes some of our regulars are probably tired of repeated replies that look similar. But, then I receive some private messages from some of the newer posters telling me that the trip report was very helpful for planning their trip. So, I guess it continues to fill the need of the poster who is asking which is the reason to reply.

I stop recommending a hotel after five years unless it was a very special or very unique one. I rarely recommend restaurants because it’s such a personal choice (to me). Now gelato that is outstanding, yes, I will recommended those!

Museums, churches and scenery destinations seem timeless, so I won’t hesitate to share one of those if they specifically fit into their request.

A big Thank You to all the people who are willing to share their experiences. I can imagine that it is sometimes gratifying and sometimes frustrating. I don’t think the search function is that good, and that probably does result in some people asking questions that have been answered. And of course some people seem to go from “Let’s go to Europe!” right to asking Forum questions without any research, which I’m sure is frustrating for those of you who take great care to respond. I’m glad people are willing to give new answers, however, because a lot can change, even in a short while, so updates on hotels, restaurants, train travel routes/instructions, etc can be a trip-saver to the less experienced.

Thanks again to those with deep experience who keep answering questions. :)

For me, I just wish people would provide substance when they are either recommending or dissing a city, accommodation, or restaurant. When someone says they didn't like an accommodation with no reason, I'm left wondering if that meant something like "decaf coffee was unavailable" or something like "there was a layer of black mold on a wall".

I keep a library of thread Bookmarks, so that I can repeat other people's recommendationa as well as my own. But I just post the link, which saves space. Sometimes it inspires readers to use the Search box, without my snarkily asking, "Did you try a search for that?"

Do you ever feel like you could just copy and paste what your wrote last month or the month before?

I do that sometimes. If I’ve spent 10 to 20 minutes composing a reply that is pretty detailed about a town I visited, a place or even a restaurant, it’s easier for me to copy and paste it into a new response. But only if it’s relevant! And I may wind up revising it a little bit, depending on the question.

With hotels, however, I generally post a new response each time, again, depending on the question. Hotels can change and I want to make sure that my response is up-to-date.

Regardless, I don’t normally post links to my responses, unless I think that the entire thread will be valuable to the OP.

I agree that the search function is not great, and I don’t think that’s going to change in the near future, so I will keep doing what I’m doing. 😊

Depends on a few things--how charitable I am feeling, the tone of the OP's request, how recently I have been to whatever thing it is, has anyone else mentioned the thing and can I just happily chime in with a seconding post, etc. I also realize that some things appeal to some peculiar quirk of mine and might not be what the OP wants.

I won’t recommend a hotel or restaurant pre-pandemic unless I’ve checked recent reviews to see if they confirm my experience. So much changed during that period that I’m cautious about advice from pre-2019 trips. Museum and other sites don’t change in the same way, but hopefully people are checking the website to stay current on prices,etc..

I use the “search” feature regularly and it makes me crazy, especially if I missed bookmarking something as I scrolled by. I hate to bother someone with a PM if I know they wrote a response with information that is suddenly relevant. I think I spent close to an hour last week trying to find a trip report from 2022, whose clever title kept if from turning up in the “search” feature. It makes me forgiving of new posters.

I also don’t mind repeating my advice.

I know I’ve been guilty of it, like asking about how best to pay for riding the London tube or my latest being the Swiss Travel Pass (I’m still grappling with that). But the search function on here really is lousy. In fact, I have found just using google gives better results. Therefore, I don’t mind paying it forward if someone expresses that they really need help trying to figure something out even if it’s been asked a dozen times before and it’s something I have had some experience with. I do tend to get snarky when someone asks a question that’s easily googled, common sense or wants you to provide all the information without attempting first to try and figure it out themselves. And I’ll only recommend a restaurant or hotel when I’ve been there recently and then always with the idea that it’s “in my opinion” which may not be yours……

I usually link to my previous post (or trip report), and also try to add something a bit more personalized.

I’m pretty much there, at least for popular destinations. What’s worse are those who ask for recommendations, a lengthy response is provided, and then nothing. The OP never comes back.

I hear you, but just today I answered someone seeking info for base cities and day trips for Portugal. I mentioned Rome2rio.com. At first I was hesitant because i thought everyone knows about this sight. Well, the poster specifically said thank you for the Rome2rio sight.
So, even though we mention the same websites, etc. Over and over, there is always someone who is learning about it for the first time.

It's even worse on FaceBook. On some of the travel pages, at least once a day someone asks a question that was just answered the day before. Sometimes I take the time to tell them how to use the search function (which works a bit better on FB), and sometimes I'll tell them to spend some quality time reading the many threads answering their question, but more and more I just scroll on by. It does get old if you are on a particular page long enough.

I cringe at the thought that to regular contributors it might seem
like I keep parroting the same thing rather than contributing
something new.

Exactly. But you only know what you know, and it is likely very helpful to the person who asked the question.

But yeah, eventually you feel like a one trick pony in public perception.

In my humble opinion, if something is a diamond, it really is worth recommending over and over again. The pension in Berlin where I've spent 54 nights over the last several years that's run by a lovely ex-Munich stage actress... the Berlin guide who is a native of Berlin, grew up on the DDR side of Berlin as the son of a high-ranking DDR bureaucrat, was 15 when the Berlin Wall fell at a time when he was descending (at least from the DDR perspective) into the East German teen/young adult punk rock scene, is married to a former Bundestag member, and has a PhD with a thesis involving concentration camps.

The people who frequent the Germany space of the website are sick of hearing about these 🙂, but I've gotten feedback from newbies that they were good recommendations.

Don’t over value yourself or experience…..

🫤🫤🫤 Well, alright then!

I'm just kidding. I read your whole post and take your meaning in the larger context. I was just laughing because those first words were all that appeared on my notification. And my first thought was: "🫤🫤🫤 Well, alright then! "

And, a big thank you for all the responses. It has been a useful, interesting, and fruitful conversation, which is the whole point, correct?

Thanks again.

In my humble opinion, if something is a diamond, it really is worth recommending over and over again.

Words of wisdom. I make recommendations assuming that not all the posters on this site are the same as they were a year, or two years of even five years ago.

My only cause for posting here is to assist others. Yes, some have likely already read my earlier posts, no harm done there.

Many of the posts that we make are buried in masses of old posts after just a couple of weeks. Also, I only post a recommendation if it was top of the line.

Please keep posting as long as you feel the information is relevant.

I'm partly conscious I'm not just writing for a new poster but to a
community that has probably read my previous replies. I cringe at the
thought that to regular contributors it might seem like I keep
parroting the same thing rather than contributing something new.

It is my opinion that you are writing for the new OP first and foremost.

Not sure if it's against Community Guidelines, but I wonder if some of you long time posters could regularly post a topic (or repost after a few years) a summary for a location or topic?

The search IS terrible and the one thing that I always do is narrow the forum to 2 years or newer. So I'm not seeing great advice older than 2 years, even if it's great, because I am also worried about how valid it may be. RS articles are grossly outdated I've found.

As long as you caveat your post - indicating, for instance why you like a hotel, or when it was you last stayed. Or what your travel personality is that recommends the top 5 things in this place or that, it's all good information.

And I love the links to other related threads or posts. I can sift through information and usually find great stuff I wasn't even looking for!

Thanks History Traveler!

PS - I have seen members post the exact same response (or very similar) on multiple threads and I don't think badly of them at all! I think, hey, they are consistent, efficient and gosh darn it they are trying very hard to be helpful!

As long as it is relevant I'm good with that. I do like current information, and get annoyed when people recommend places they have not stayed in 10+ years without disclosure. With disclosure, I am good. Otherwise I do not think it is fair to the person looking for advice.

And some of us need to see the same information many times before it registers (I may even write it down several times) or before it becomes relevant to us.

If you look at my USER page, you can see I've been a few places, but I only try to help in a few places. Having been some place once or twice five years ago means I will probably get more wrong than right in my attempts to help. A disservice that I see often.

Answering direct questions is great. But if someone is here asking how to buy train tickets I assume that it is possible that they don't know enough to ask more questions. You don't know what you don't know. So I answer direct questions and then throw out other scenarios as well. I cant see how it hurts and might give some ideas they haven't thought of.

Then there is the simple question that only requires a one sylable repsonse, but instead the OP gets multiple post telling him to do his own research or use the foum search engine (which sucks by the way) before he asks a question. "That question has been asked a hundred times, use the Forum Search" is not a welcoming response. "Its called BKK and there is a lot more that has been written on it which you can find with the forum search" sounds nicer. If nothing else, things change and sometimes rapidly. So never hurts to ask the question fresh. For those members bothered by this, there is no requirement to respond.

We ask the OP to provide all sorts of infomration to make answering the question accurate and easy. How about requiring those answering to provide some information so we can judge if they know what they are talking about or just republishing "conventional wisdom" (usually wrong) or caughing up 10 year old knowledge (which is also usually wrong).

OP: I am going to Paris, where should I stay?
Expert: How long is your stay, what time of year, what are you interested in?
OP: Provides detailed answers
Expert: You should stay here ______________.
OP: Why did you recommend that? Have you stayed there? When? What time of year? For how long? What are your interests? Have you stayed anyplace else in Paris to compare it to?

I'm partly conscious I'm not just writing for a new poster but to a community that has probably read my previous replies. I cringe at the thought that to regular contributors it might seem like I keep parroting the same thing rather than contributing something new.

I just don't think this matters at all. As others have said upthread, the new poster, or the poster in general, is the one seeking/needing the information. With the poor search functionality and the fact you can't expect people to trawl through thousands of posts, I don't think it matters how many times you post something (as long as it is authentic and responds to a need).

Everyone should quit trying to make rules, relax, enjoy when you can, move on when you can't.

For one week each year, since 2005, I've worked at an Info Desk as part of my year-round volunteer job for a gigantic plant sale. We display large maps, give out a free 60-page catalog and have a website with maps and various how-to tips, and there are signs and labels and roaming helpful volunteers everywhere. And yet, as you'll see if you watch this youtube video we made (years ago and with only one quick rehearsal!), people ask us the same questions over and over and over again.

I think "Well, of course they do --- it's a different person every time, not the same person asking the same question a thousand times." I also do think the brilliant thought that there are different kinds of people in the world, some who research and read maps and read instructions and enjoy figuring out for themselves how to do something new, and some who like to just simply ask someone else. You can guess which type I am.

So, I have pretty much trained myself to accept it that other people don't do things the way I do or think about things the way I do, but their way is as legitimate as mine. It helps when I am, for example, watching someone else load the dishwasher.

However, while at the Info Desk I answer every question as if I have never heard it before, here I can pick and choose, so I do. I can't really help someone who wants to go to Italy but says they don't like art and don't care about food, or who loves summer heat and going to the beach, or who wants to efficiently "hit" only the famous stuff. I answer people's questions here for fun and because I like to help people (if it's not too much trouble!) I do copy and paste some of my previous answers. And I do like to repeat often that a Google search is the way to search these forums, not the Rick Steves search --- it does seem to be news to people.

Here's our Info Desk video: https://youtu.be/wev2XxP3t_M?si=m6B78giie76RjnVQ

I thought about this a while. I decided I generally quit because I am bored with the question. My interest has moved on.

Sometimes I am tired of the same question and repetition but not bored with the topic/place. Or it is about somewhere or something that not a lot of people are replying to. So I keep answering.

I have cut down answering about eSims because more people are now using them. I never answer questions about Italy, although I have been several times, because there are people with more experience who are still ok to answer. I love answering questions about Ireland and Scotland, so am happy to repeat myself - but I don’t usually see a need to repeat someone else unless just reinforcing.

But with most destinations asked about here, there are new people who come along with new experience and new enthusiasm. I need to remind myself more to leave space for them, as well as to include information on when my experience dates from, so the OP can decide whether or not it is relevant. .

I have no problems " making the same recommendations over and over" as long as that particular recommendation is relevant and worthy of one's time and energy to go there., above all, fitting into one's interest.