Posters who never circle back to say whether advice was useful

Some that aren't forum regulars don't seem to recognise the difference between a travel advice helpline and a place where people meet to talk about travel. Many people struggle with making it a conversation in their new threads.

Yeah, I appreciate acknowledgment.
I often check a poster's history before answering, and sometimes it leads me to not bother.

I don't do nearly the amount of detailed responses anymore, mostly because I've responded to a few posts that later got deleted. That's what irks me. I try not to get to bent out shape about stuff. I was a little miffed recently when a few of us responded to a post but only one person was thanked, when we all basically said the same thing.

For me, I believe I provide folks with useful information, but I'm also on the forum to seek information. I've realized that often when I respond to the folks that have provided info it bumps the thread up and frequently I'll get more information.

I appreciate the forum so much. Every once and a while when we encounter a difficulty, my husband will say, "you need to ask your people about this" of "see what your friends" say.

If I post to the forum an answer, I don’t usually mind if I don’t hear back from the original poster as I know that others review the posts and find value. I certainly do. Many times I don’t even need to post my question as it has been answered in someone else’s post.

I am however, more mindful of private messages where I am asked specific questions, recommendations, or even itineraries and spend a lot of time pulling those answers together and then never hear back. I never thought of looking at the posters history, but perhaps it is a good idea in the future.

Or at least say "TIA" at the end of the post!

TIA at the end of a post would definitely keep me from answering. I really dislike that.

Two different people in the last year have sent me private messages that could easily have been asked on the thread they were referring to. I didn't answer them because they had NO history of posts. Why would you do that?

Im not that irked if posters dont have the common courtesy of thanking the posters who have taken the time to reply to their post. Do i judge? You bet. But i dont let it bother me. But I truly appreciate those posters who come back after their trip to relay their experiences and if the info given was helpful.

But what really annoys me are those posters who ask something absolutely vague and uninformative; and when asked to provide additional info to help us form a useful reply..... crickets.

What CJean said.

What CJean said. And Skyegirl too. And all of you! I have begun looking at a poster's history (often there is none) to see if they have any engagement with the forum. Often the questions are so vague I wonder if they are AI generated. E.g. "Vancouver. Advice for first time visitor. Four days" Is someone trying to add info to their blog or the AI response?
Responders asked some questions to know how to help the OP (time of year, interests, etc.), but the OP never comes back. They often don't seem real. Or the OP thinks they are "googling" for info, not realizing we are real people on the forum.
I hope I am not misjudging someone who simply doesn't understand forum etiquette. I don't require a thank you, but am put off by OPs who never come back and respond to forum members who ask questions as a means to better help them. Are they mining info for a travel blog or column?
This seems to becoming more common in the last few months.

I admit that sometimes I ask for more details because the question is too vague to give helpful advice, and I may not always circle back to see if they’ve provided it.

Otherwise, I don’t expect an acknowledgment thank you from people asking questions. If they happen to give one, that’s an extra bit of kindness. I’ve had people send me a PM before or after their trip telling me about how I really helped them, and that’s the ultimate to know someone’s trip is going to be more fun for them.

I'm sure that some new posters do not notice this box to check when they set up their account --- I know I didn't for a while.

- Email me when a user replies to my topics?

And then, they forget they even asked a question here.

That's one of my theories, anyway.

I hear your point and I feel similar too. But I always feel guilty in some capacity.
My very first post in this Forum was about 2 years ago when I was planning my Scandinavian trip. I engaged in replies on my post, so there was some back-and-forth on my end, but I never returned to it after my trip. And when I did, the topic was closed because of no activity.
But I recently gave advice to someone going to South America, and again, crickets. It would be nice to know if what I said was helpful or not, but I also know that people are wired differently. Once they got what they need, they go on their way. I try not to be too upset about it.

I have been more active because now I feel I understand how this group works. Most of my travels are "Beyond Europe" but I am planning another European trip later this year, reason I returned here. But now I linger more and hope to be helpful in other areas.

I do the same as Liz; I check the posting history and if I see the member only posts questions and no replies, I’ll give the question a pass. I know others don’t mind, but I at the very least like to know that the poster read my answer. And on this forum, the only way to know if someone read your answer is when they reply.

If I receive a question asked by private message, it’s usually a question that could have been asked on the forum. I then suggest them to post the question on the forum and I explain that I ask this so that others can chime in and also that others can benefit from the answers. 9 out of 10 time I hear nothing back and no question is posted on the forum….

I feel it’s rude not to even give a general “Thanks for the responses. I’ll take a look”. I can ignore it for someone’s early posts but there are some who do this serially. Every year…lots of questions about specific places and rarely a response. Nope, won’t respond to those people again.

Phew. I’m glad I’m not alone in this.

Joy- interesting point about giving an update after a trip has taken place. A good idea and something that is definitely likely to help future travellers.

Also interesting to hear that others get private message from people who’ve never posted on the forum. I’ve had a few and have replied, but I like the advice to suggest they ask their question on the forum to help them get wider responses.

I am with nancys8 for some situations as described. But that said, I have noticed a few serial non-responders. For some reason, a few months go I noticed a question that made me check posting history (to see if I thought it was a real person). What I found was - absolutely real, with a series of questions going back years and only ever 1 response on at least 15 questions. A bit astonishing. But mostly I figure it’s someone flitting in and out.

Skyegirl, I also get PMs that sometimes don't feel quite right. No posts and somewhat generic questions on a place I wrote a trip report on. I try to be polite and answer, but if it feels “off” I generally refer them back to my trip report or answer very simply with the offer to answer more questions if they have them. And of course, never a response. I can’t figure out what someone/something would gain from having done that, though.

It would help to have an upvote icon along with "reply" to a specific post. On other sites you can then see who upvoted the post and that would also serve as a small "thank you" for the advice.

At the risk of being contrary. I do not have the expectation that everyone shares my social mores and I have no expectation of profuse pleasantries or thank yous. It's an internet forum and I'll take a query for what it is and answer to the best of my ability if I choose to respond. I also do not have the expectation that the original poster will come back to their post. They maybe overwhelmed by and wading through so many different opinions, found their answer elsewhere, or unable to find their way back to their thread. Life goes on.