Serious

[David Watkins]

Hi every body,I hate to put a little damper on the site,however I do think when some visitor asks a quite genuine question that the end result should not end up as an "insiders"blog(see what currency to take as an example).
We all love 'Bago but we must not exclude by using private anecdotes.
Sorry to be a pain.It's just how I feel
David

[Alan Cb]

I rarely make posts to the MyTobago forum, which I enjoy, but I have to say I totally agree with your comment. About time it was said. Long overdue. Many threads are being spoilt by off-topic comments and diversions. There should be one waffle thread in the General Questions & Comments forum that wafflers should stick to.

Alan CB

[Phil Bondie]

I have to agree with you David. I think that threads started with serious questions or topics about Tobago should stay on subject. If I was a new visitor and asked a question I would be a little upset if I got a couple of answers and then the thread went completely off topic. And on the same hand if I was a new visitor just looking for information I would probably become quite frustrated with the turn some threads have taken. Good example David. I come to this site becaue I am interested in things about Tobago and hope I can help people through sharing my experiences. If it is not about Tobago then it should stay in the Waffle thread. I hardly ever even look at that thread anymore.
I too am sorry to be a pain. David thanks for bringing it up. Phil

[Steve Wooler]

Thank you David - and my apologies that it was left to you. I should have intervened earlier. You won't believe this, but I started to do so yesterday and then ducked out feeling that perhaps I was being a kill-joy.

This site and forum are a travel resource. Every day more than a thousand guests visit the forum, looking for travel information. Regular registered members may enjoy the banter and diversions, but think how frustrating and time wasting it must seem to them.

Let me be quite clear. I have worked very hard creating and maintain a high quality discussion forum. This is NOT a chat room and I will close the forum before allowing it to become one.

Can I please ask those responsible not to cross the line and to show respect for the visiting non-registered readers, who represent 90%+ of our readership, and who are simply interested in finding infortmation about Tobago. Holidays - and by extension, holiday research - should be fun and it is certainly my hope and wish to ensure that the forum remains lighthearted and that the old banter continues - but NOT at the cost of litering serious posts with inane one-liners. A specific topic has been granted - largely against my better judgement - for the purpose of chit-chat, so please stick to it.

[Carol Townsend]

I have taken the criticisms on board and admit that I have used this forum as a chat room and an easy outlet for my love of writing. It started out with my writing reports about my holiday and has got completely out of hand.
My apologies to Steve and everyone else.
Best wishes to you all,
Good bye
Carol Townsend

[Steve Pitts]

I take your point David - but I don't entirely agree with a 'rule' that questions are to be answered only in a succinct manner.

Here's my take ~

Most questions posed by new visitors to myTobago have either been asked many times before e.g. What currency do I take? What's the weather like in May? Does it rain in June?, What time do PennySavers shut? or the subject / answer can be found with a little effort in any of the topic headings ..... if people take the time to look and familiarise themselves with the lay-out of the site, which many newbies do not.

In the main, the answers to most questions get answered quickly, patiently and factually by the Tobagophiles who hang around here just waiting to gas on about the island.
Usually, the answer will be supplemented with additional information by one or more regulars. I've learned a lot that way

Often the advice / answers provoke a little banter from the regulars (something we've all been guilty of ) and I liken this to an on-line lime.

Yep - we all get carried away from time to time and the threads end up pages long with all sorts of twists and turns, but I for one enjoy the lime with fellow forumers.

As long as the question gets answered and the banter is civil and courteous then no worries eh?
Life's too short to be serious about a bit of idle chat .

Cheers
Steve

PS I hope that Carol comes back

[GillMathews]

Hi everyone,
Yes I agree that the 'topic' threads should be left uncluttered to enable information to be found easily.Some anecdotal comment however is obiously beneficial to readers seeking answers or reassurence from people who have "been there, done that".I have also benefited greatly from my contact with this site through other peoples experiences
I put my hands up to being party to a bit of straying off topic as well . I enjoy the lime too as Steve Pitts said. I hope we all carry on waffling in the appropriate place.After all we have a union to organise and I always look foreward to being cheered up at the end of a hard days night.
Gill x x

[SandraK]

Of course this is an information site, of course questions should be answered honestly and be of genuine help to those who inquire - but I have to agree with Steve P - I learned so much from simply following the banter. So many sites are so boring - this one is surely not. Let's face it you don't have to be a brain surgeon to find what you require,it's extremely well formated. And isn't it strange that invariably "the regulars" are the people that respond quickly and with infinite patience, not to say civility.
Just like to add when I read the SOS was straight on to my contact in Tobago, received the good news just after Phil had posted so no need to iterate. That says it all I feel.

[Alan Cb]

Steve Pitts:
David never said anything about, quote - "a 'rule' that questions are to be answered only in a succinct manner" - end quote, ...or ..., that regulars should not supplement answers with additional information, but rather that quote -"the end result should not end up as an "insiders"blog (see what currency to take as an example)" - end quote, which often results from the off-topic/diversionary "little banter from the regulars", which the "What currency to take" thread is a perfect example of.

SandraK :
You seem to be suggesting that because, quote- "Let's face it you don't have to be a brain surgeon to find what you require,it's extremely well formated" - end quote, that it's acceptable to turns visitors' question threads into the sort of trivial off-topic banter exemplified by the "What currency to take" thread.

Steve Wooler has clearly expressed his view that, quote - " holiday research - should be fun and it is certainly my hope and wish to ensure that the forum remains lighthearted and that the old banter continues - but NOT at the cost of litering serious posts with inane one-liners" - end quote.

AlanCB

[Linda P]

Well done David, I am guilty as charged for taking threads off topic! I do however totally agree with you, which makes me sound a complete hypocrite! The holiday money thread is a great example, I understand how frustrating this could be for someone wanting to find out information about Tobago - I am largely responsible for this and apologise. Yes threads can drift off topic, but should stay informative and related to the original question. I know that there are answers to thousand of questions contained in these pages, if the reader took time to look for them, however I for one would rather sometimes ask the same questions again, things change - even in Tobago just because information given is correct at the time, it may not be two years on, when someone asks again, that is the beauty of my Tobago over a off the shelf guide book, the ability to give totally up to date information.
We should keep waffling to the waffle thread, I enjoy the thread as do many others, hence the 1000+ postings, even though we talk about a variety of things, far removed from Tobago, our love of the island unifies us and in a way makes me feel closer to Tobago.
Carol, you are not the only one who loves to waffle, I am sure that Davids comments were not aimed solely at you, David is a regular Waffler himself! No one was saying the waffle should stop altogether, we all just need to remember that this site is a travel information site first and foremost.

Linda

[Jack Hargreaves]

Hello folks, I agree with the Boss and David. Even though I was guilty of offending, My mitigating circumstances were that I just clicked on a familiar name at the bottom of the main menu and did'nt even realise that I was'nt in the "waffle department".
I wonder how many other "inane" people got fooled the same way?.

It seems to Me that the waffling can lead to friendships between Tobago fans. Example:- Bill's invitation to Carol.

Steve, you have constructed the most amazing tourist sight on the Web. Without it I would not have found Castara, or Alibaba's, or recognised David's name when he introduced himself in the Boat House restaraunt.
I think the nonsense talk and idle chitchat should be contained within the waffle fence, and leave the rest of the sight to function as it was designed to do.

Carol, we've all stood in the corner facing the wall for five minutes. Please turn arround and rejoin your classmates.

I've said My bit, regards to you all, Jack

[SandraK]

Alan
Where you go from my comment to assuming I endorse topics becoming totally unrelated I really have no idea. A leap to far I feel - but hey, we can all sound a tad sanctimonious now and then, Be good if it didn't become a habit though.

[Paul Tallet]

Oh come on ladies and gentlemen.

This site is full of really useful information about Tobago ... it would be a pleasure for any prospective visitor to Tobago to surf this site ... there are few like it ... rather than to ask questions on the forum, it should be a joy to find things out for yourself and if you get stuck then I am sure someone can direct you to the relevant page ... I found Tobago without myTobago but latched on to this site because it really does have all the information and I felt I could contribute.

The forum, on the other hand, is what I would describe as a kind of family ... there is a hard core group here that can relate to each other only through their love of Tobago ... all year round ... even if that means going off topic that's fine with me and that is typical of Noe's waffle ... it's lovely ... keep it up my dear and don't let anyone get you down.

Other than that, there are occasional visitors that ask questions in the lead up to their holiday and some have the kindness to make informative contributions on their experiences after their holiday and this only goes to enrich this site with more and more quality.

I have more time for people on this forum that regularly contribute, I am guilty of having the occasional off-period myself but everyone needs to realise that this is actually a pretty good quality site ... as independent as they can possibly come ... that many tourist resorts would die for, regardless of the nonsense that we sometimes gab on about.

So ... I guess the point I am getting at is (in the most diplomatic manner possible, of course) ... find a better site before you start slagging this one off.

Kind regards

[Sue Noble]

I agree, please could we put the WAFFLE on a seperate page, I'm sure we miss some interesting information.

Dave (Mr Sue).

[Gisela Grell]

Hi all Tobagophiles and to those who become ones

as I am also guilty for bringing threads off topic (for what I apologise) I would like to agree to everything, Paul wrote.
How about mytobago.info without the mossi & panty thread (you remember, Paul?). I could read it again and again and still

As far as I can assess there are more serious information on this site than on every other "holiday-site" on the whole wide web. And the little sidewalks we do makes this site so special.
I do understand you, David and I think for some people, the site is not serious enough but - to be honest - do we like visitors on Tobago without humor?

Hope not to upset nobody
Cheers
Gisela

[Paul Tallet]

I don't think the pants were ever found Gisela.

Regards

[Paul Tallet]

Oooops !!

Best be careful what I say

Regards

[Glen O]

Hi. I am an occasional visitor to the forum as we are travelling to Castara in Feb. '09. I have found the forum to be both informational and entertaining. When I have a question it is usually answered fairly promptly and succinctly. Following that, if the thread takes a few different turns I enjoy reading that as well. I enjoy the fact that there are a number of regulars who have developed a relationship and carry that on in the forum. It is the same on a number of other forums that I frequent. However I do believe that visitors questions are answered. At least mine have been and I am grateful for the responses I have received and expect to continue to receive as my trip draws nearer. We newbies have a lot of seemingly trivial questions that seem easier to ask on this forum that ransacking around trying to find the answers on our own and I for one appreciate the patience shown when the same question seems to come up again and again. Thanks to all and keep on waffling. I do enjoy it.

Glen O

[Marcus Hartnell]

David do we detect a little bit of Jealousy. We should be pleased so many people want to have a waffle with Carol.

[Sue Noble]

Marcus, do you wish to expand/
we should be pleased that so many people wish to waffle with Carol.........and?