Please do not delete your thread!

Lola,

I agree with your sentiments completely! I also find it annoying when I take the time and trouble to post a detailed reply, only to find it deleted shortly thereafter. When I encounter forum members like that, I'm less inclined to answer any other questions they post.

I agree completely. I understand the OP may have gotten her or his answer but if I’ve taken the time to write multiple paragraphs, then perhaps that will be helpful to others.

There’s very few original questions and having older responses can be useful to those in the planning stage. I rarely respond to threads for someone planning a trip more than more than 9 months out as so much can change, but I always suggest for basic research to look at similar threads from the past.

I agree totally!

It would be nice if we could turn off notifications for individual posts without turning off notifications on all of them. I understand when someone keeps getting answers to a posted question, sometimes even after the referenced trip is over. It can be an annoyance. But you may post another question and want to receive notifications when someone answers. It's a dilemma. Otherwise I agree with you Lola.

Webmaster? Something to think about when making updates to the program.

I totally agree.

@Jómsvíkingr, AFAIK bookmarking the post does not solve the problem. I have seen many cases where there are posts showing in my history, but when I click on then I get the "Cannot be found" error. Very annoying.

I think total deletion of a complete thread should not be allowed. Perhaps deletion of an individual reply should be allowed, but deleting everybody else's replies is uncivilised (choose your own description).

There is also the opposite problem, ambiguous questions, including miss-spelt place names. The poster should then correct the question to whatever they actually meant to ask, but often do not.

Thanks for posting this. I wonder if posting this under General Europe will get more views. Not everyone chooses to look at All Topics.

Not sure why this is in technology tips. I think that the big issue or perhaps a misunderstanding is that this is a public forum, discussion and not a specific question and answer. Sometimes I think the new posters believes that this is a private site for the Rick Steves' folks to respond to specific questions and move on but are surprise by who is responding. While this many makes us happy to vent a little, next week will be the same.

I put it in Technology Tips because it is not specific to any country, or even to General Europe, as there are many other topics here, such as Transportation, Packing, Tours, etc. And since it has to do with my views on proper use of the forum, Tech Tips seems the best fit.

Also, topics in Tips and Trip Reports area stay on the front page longer than posts in the Destinations section, so more people will view it. They was my nefarious intent.

One time I started a thread with a link to a product that would divide the space on a plane's armrest. The responses were so snarky and humorless (I thought the product was kind of funny, but also slightly legit) that I ended up deleting the thread. Someone actually commented that s/he hoped s/he never sat next to me on a plane.

Thanks for your post, Lola. I use the forum a lot for researching upcoming trips. In doing so, I utilize the search function, which often brings up older posts which often contain exactly the information I was seeking. I would be very disappointed if posters chose to delete their posts once their questions had been answered. .

Patricia, you are a good example of the people I was thinking of when I wrote this. Thank you for weighing in.

Lola,
Thank you for this helpful thread. I can't tell you how valuable older posts have made a difference in my trip planning. As an obsessive planner, finding older posts have helped me make the final decision in my planning.