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The site is such a joke. Mixing ratings by 20 year old backpackers, middle class insurance salesmen from Dubuque with sophisticated, wealthy older travelers average out to meaningless numbers.
I just checked their ratings on where I live, which is a 3rd tier tourist destination, and a few paces where I used to live. The ratings were laughable. The top rated restaurants were half places that I never heard of and few if any were places that a local would consider a top restaurant in town. Out of the top 10, maybe 1 or 2 might make some local person's list.
On things to do, it's really laughable. Locals would bother with few if any items. Raters would putting things like those Dinner Theaters in the top 10. dinner theater. Even in big tourist cities, the ratings make no sense. Look at Venice, for example. Something called Interpreti Veneziani ranks #1. Huh? St Mark's is #10? Any rational individual would have it as #1. Meanwhile Musica A Palazzo is #3?
In sum, Tripadvisor just doesn't work. Numbers can't capture a placeThe whole thing is based on self selection. A small group with a special interest rate something high so it comes out on top. Or 20 years old think its just great and make it tops. Everyone else would find it dull.
Still, there are people who love to count and think that a the #4 place in Rome must be better than the #8 place. The numbers make life simple because now there is no need to think. Just follow the rail of breadcrumbs. I'd rather just read the free flowing type of discussion on Fodors. It's not as simple as counting numbers, but then planning a trip isn't simple
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The site is such a joke. Mixing ratings by 20 year old backpackers, middle class insurance salesmen from Dubuque with sophisticated, wealthy older travelers average out to meaningless numbers.
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I use tripadvisor almost exclusively for hotels. And I don't just use the numbers. I start by discarding anywhere with multiple "one-post" raters. Then I actually READ the reviews. It is easy enough to discard those whose tastes don't match mine. I also take into account the location - you need to be a lot more cautious looking for a hotel in Morocco than for one in Paris. Then I cross-reference with sites like booking.com and venere.com.
I have had a few misses with TA, but also quite a few hits. If I want a restaurant I consult yelp, chowhound and guidebooks. And look around on the ground.
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You missed out the vast number of fake reviews, good and bad!
I tend to agree with you on the statistical methodologies TA employ, they could hardly be more basic and, as a result the Rankings do little to reflect the reality. like Thursdaysd, I discount all the one post wonders and read the reviews from more regular contributors. Even then, some tend to post the same stuff time and time again. The forums tend to be a better place to gain information and are similar in a number of respects to Fodors forums
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Trip Advisor amuses me because of the reasons people will give something a poor rating. For example, someone gave a castle a low rating because it rained that day.
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There was a person on TA that complained that the portions were too small at a tapas bar. Besides, the misleading reviews, 60% of the crowd there find Rick Steves too complicated.
For reviews of hotels, I take a look at both Expedia and Booking and then read between the lines.
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I ***LOVE*** Trip Advisor, but I only use the Destination Forums section. It is a completely different part of the website than what people here are complaining about.
There is typically much more specific information posted once you get to the forum for where you are headed. Plus there is a PM feature so you can write other posters off-line for further details, clarification, or to chat.
I never/rarely bother with "reviews" (except to post one myself now and then).
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I agree with Suze. I find the destination forums to be VERY helpful on TA. I never look at the rating numbers, I just read the information people post.
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I like that you can ask questions (even in the reviews section). You can PM any poster and chat more about what they have posted. I often get PM's even from reviews I put up years ago for hotels I like/stayed at.
If you ask a question here (on Fodor's) I'll use Puerto Vallarta Mexico as my example, there are maybe 6 people total who will reply. Over on TA there's probably 100 active participants on that forum discussing various hotels, restaurants, activities, cultural perspectives.
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I use TA as thursdaysd describes. It's one source of information, not my only one, and yes, the numerical ratings tend to be useless.
The question of how to get to the places locals frequent is an interesting one. For one thing, locals don't usually know much about hotels beyond their location and, maybe, their bar or restaurant. OTOH, locals' input on activities/attractions/restaurants, that kind of thing, would be very useful indeed--which is what FourSquare aims to collect.
Locals also tend to avoid "touristy" areas where they live, like Times Square, or Clearwater Beach during Spring Break, and may not know the ins and outs of things like where to stage your possessions when taking a White House tour. The subtleties of this kind of thing can never be captured with a numeric rating.
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Yes, there are a lot of fake reviews too.
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And they are very easy to spot.
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I've been banned from TA 3 times (LancasterLad).
I always posted first hand detailed,honest stuff, and believe firmly in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Unfortunately there are some folk on TA who won't have a bad word said about their little piece of Utopia.
There are many excellent Destination Experts, but there's a fair few who are pretty much clueless, yet high and mighty. And in any case I'd prefer to see the title to be Destination Enthusiast.
And with some DE's, I wish they'd realise that there are many, many TA members who've been asked to be a DE, but have turned down the position.
Cliques and Bullies also abound. Take them on, and you won't last long on TA.
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When looking for rooms, I'll use other sights like Booking.com. And then I'll look at TripAdvisor to see what has been said about that specific hotel. It often helps me make a better informed decision.
And I often discount what's been said on the internet on every subject.
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<many TA members who've been asked to be a DE, but have turned down the position.>
That'd be me
I love your idea for "destination enthusiasts"... much more accurate in most cases.
The dynamics of the various forums vary greatly. I'm on some that are friendly, some that are clique-ish, some that are just boring -ha!
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I love the TA forums! People have been very nice and very helpful with some of my trips. Here, there might be one or two posts about Antarctica in a year (if you can even find them as there really is no good place) while on TA there is a specific Antarctica forum that is very popular and extremely helpful.
The hotel reviews are nice. I don't just look at the numbers, but at what people are saying. If many people are complaining about one thing in particular, then that's probably a good indicator that the hotel has a problem with that.
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Reviews on TA can be questionable at best as there are no controls on who can post, nor any checking to see if the review is in fact reality. We recently booked accommodations at a highly rated B&B in Vejer which turned out to be nothing more than renting a room in a family home. None of the services listed on their web page or in TA reviews were offered, including breakfast.
The property had been highly rated several years ago, but had changed dramatically since the crises hit in 2008 and has gone downhill since then. Since TA doesn't do any followup of it's listings, it tends to be worthless.
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I really like TripAdvisor. You'll get plenty of reviews from a breadth of audiences.
I know that my faves are quite different from, say a 20 year old backpacker, but when you dig a bit deeper and actually read the reviews, its not that hard to filter out those that are more suitable for the youngs, oldies, or 40-somethings (like me).
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"The property had been highly rated several years ago, but had changed dramatically since the crises hit in 2008 and has gone downhill since then."
It does help to look at the dates on the reviews.
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<Reviews on TA can be questionable at best as there are no controls on who can post, nor any checking to see if the review is in fact reality.>
Exactly the same as the information you'd get here on the Fodor's forums.
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"The dynamics of the various forums vary greatly. I'm on some that are friendly, some that are clique-ish, some that are just boring" also a lot like the Fodors forums..
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I find that many TA forums are dominated by those with a vested interest in the locale. I don't trust hotel recommendations from someone who may turn out to have a financial interest (or family relationship). I would rather wade through the reviews and as others have said discard the one-ofs, nitpickers, etc.
Especially useful for small hotels or newer ones that haven't bubbled to the top in the forums. In some cases the guide books don't ever cover the places I go to.
Don't think their reviews of restaurants are particularly useful, but then I feel the same way about Fodor's.
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<I find that many TA forums are dominated by those with a vested interest in the locale>
Not true on the 6 different forums I frequent.
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I have mixed feelings about this. Firstly I do use TA and find the reviews give a general idea of what to expect from the hotel or attraction. On the other hand, I used to work in a hotel and realize that there are some unfair reviews that don´t fairly reflect the hotels, often from people who don´t know anything about the place before they booked. I have met people who booked the first hotel on a booking website because it was the cheapest then turned up to our budget hotel expecting hilton! They then are so angry at what is their own fault, they then write a bad review on TA. So yes, TA is great but try to ´read between the lines´when looking at reviews.
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The TA forums are very helpful and I do like to use the hotel reviews also as well as reviews on other sites. As far as the reviews go, I look for general themes and specific information about the hotel. I tend to discount reviews that either seem way too negative amongst generally positive ones or are so overwhelmingly enthusiastic I wonder if they are written by relatives of the owners. If most reviews indicate the hotel is in a noisy location, has lackluster employees or is in sore need of maintenance, I tend to look elsewhere.
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I find the TA forums very helpful too. And I haven't found too many instances of people with vested interests gumming up the works - a few here and there, but not a lot.
I also find the hotel reviews to be helpful too, but you can't just go by ratings - you have to read the reviews. If a place has a lot of reviews and the distribution of reviews is fairly positive, then it looks like a promising place. I read the negative reviews to see what people are complaining about - you can usually tell pretty quickly if there was an actual problem or just a generally unhappy reviewer. And I read the positive reviews to see what people liked. This helps me decide if the place is for me or not. I can say that I have never had a negative experience with a hotel that I chose this way.
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The biggest problem with all sites is a massive overrating of almost overrating of everything. This stems from:
1. self-selection. People rave about a place because it fits their special interest while most people who be bored or hate it and wouldn't bother to go there.
2. Cognitive dissonance. "I'm on vacation so it must be fun." Or, "It's a foreign country so it must be better than back home." (A common version of this is "I wouldn't think of going to an art gallery or museum at home, but I have to see everyone in Florence.") Or, "I'm getting say from my terrible stressful job so anything that means I don't have to into the office is wonderful."
3. I'm a guest. A lot of people just seem to go brain dead when they travel and accept crap from foreigners that they wouldn't tolerate for a second at home. I've never understood that viewpoint. When you travel, you are a customer, not a guest. Guests don't pay, you do.
4. Women just are not as critical. (And Save the hate email. It's true.) I generally ignore opinions that are obviously posted by women. They are easy to spot - just look for words like "fabulous." How many guys every say that "the food was fabulous!!!" I also ignore posts by anyone who uses the word "awesome (must be under 25) or "amazing".
Also, I don't think that Fodors and Tripadvisor discussions are the same quality. Tripadvisor is the big name, so it it the place where the great unwashed post. Fodors is more for people who have a special interest in travel.
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<<I generally ignore opinions that are obviously posted by women. They are easy to spot>>
Then you'll only be able to read about 10% of what's posted here on Fodor's.
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Popov: You do post a lot of stoooopid 'stuff' on the forums (York is a boring tourist trap, The Prado is boring, and other equally inane 'advice')
So I'm not surprised you ignore information posted by women - - -
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But popov uses a lot of big words. He must be really smart.
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I too love TA and usually will look up hotels, and things of interest before I travel somewhere new. No, the reviews do not sway me one way or the other, I do realize it's different strokes for different folks however I do find the site helpful. If I come across multiple bad reviews for a hotel I may look elsewhere but usually the mix of reviews helps me make my decision. I too have contributed to TA, giving what I perceive to be a fair and accurate review, in my opinion. So will agree, some disagree.
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you are showing your age -not amazing but "amazeballs".
I am a senior contributor on TA and a woman so I guess you dont read my stuff anyway.
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I'm a woman and far more demanding and critical then my better half. I thought that was the norm!
And I do use amazing if I find the word fits though I am well past 25!
Yes, I have found the rankings on TA to often be misleading so now I read/go by the reviews and cross check them with other sites. I too find it useful to be able to email a contributor directly and ask for details. And most people have been very helpful and informative.
The room tips also help me in deciding on a room type.
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The difficulty of knowing whether a review is real or was written by a paid reviewer is a problem. I used to look and see if the highest-rated reviews came from a person who'd only posted one review. But then I realized that there are people who work for "review services", who get assigned to different places. So they end up writing lots of reviews, which makes them appear more credible.
I actually find the photos the most useful feature. Since many of the people taking the pictures don't know the tricks of making a place look better than it really is, you can often get a truer feeling of how a place looks than you will from travel sites. In fact, it will probably look even better than a lot of those photographs!
Also, the photos can be useful in understanding things like how large a hotel room is, how crowded a place might get at a certain time of day or year, etc.
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I love the hotel reviews.. yes I can read them with a careful eye and I do pm posters, . and I love that they include visitor photos.. not just the professional hotel shots.
I have used them and posted them for over a decade now. and never hit something I did not expect.. at least 20 or more hotels , Europe, Canada and States. I find fodars not super helpful for that.
I love the destination forums too. I love that there are more locals and expats .. people who can really help with some tough questions.
If I was only allowed to be on one forum Ta would be the one.
As it is I use it and three others. All are good for some things.. but TA is best for finding specific information on a specific destination.
Sorry.. just how I feel.
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I agree. If there was a limit to one travel forum, Trip Advisor is where I'd be.
I also agree about the hotels photos from people themselves instead of what the hotel puts out there... "worth a 1000 words" and all.
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Don't confuse SUBJECTIVE with OBJECTIVE.
Asking a question on a forum for which there is a factual answer should get you exactly what you want. ie. 'Are there luggage lockers in the Interlaken Ost tran station?' Yes or no.
Whatever forum you prefer to ask that question on is SUBJECTIVE. Some like one forum vs. another for whatever reason. They don't prefer one over the other because they get a better answer to an OBJECTIVE question though do they.
Reviews on the other hand are all SUBJECTIVE. Asking, 'what is a good restaurant in Interlaken' will get you nothing unless the person answering knows you and your food tastes extremely well.
When anything is SUBJECTIVE, it is pointless to say, the reviews don't reflect reality. They each reflect one person's reality.
So if 10 people think restaurant A is number 1 in their opinion does it mean you will? No of course not. Did anyone say YOU would consider it number 1? Actually, yes, some of those 10 who do consider it number one are actually stupid enough to think that if they say it is number 1, you will too.
But it is equally as stupid to say that because in your OPINION a restaurant, attraction, hotel, or whatever is not number 1 that TA got it wrong in their rating. They got it RIGHT in terms of the simple math used to determine number 1 based on the reviews that have been posted.
That you don't AGREE with it simply means you should ignore reviews and ratings by other people. But then, anyone with half a brain would know to ignore reviews and ratings by total strangers.
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<<<<<<. But then, anyone with half a brain would know to ignore reviews and ratings by total strangers. >>>>>
So how about book reviews, theatre critics, music critics, editorials, opinion pieces in papers.
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As if you needed any more evidence that tripadvisor is worthless, here it is. I'm planning a trip to Toronto and looked at their restaurant recommendations.
Then I looked at a list of recommendations from one of Toronto's top food writers and resturant critics
Guess what? There is virtually no overlap. The tripadvisor recommendations are a joke. The top restaurant in Toronto is a gelato place that no one who lives there every heard of?
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could be that people who write reviews are travellers or tourists, and not looking for Toronto's top 100 places for fine dining.
Does not make TA useless - just means that you have to use a modicum of discretion, and maybe interpret the reviews with some care. I ignore the ratings mostly, and read the best and worst reviews. The worst reviews can be very amusing.
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I don't consider the restaurant reveiws reliable. Fewer people write real restaurant reviews so its easier for restaurant owners to skew the ratings with false reviews.
I disagree that hotel reviews are useless.. I have used them many many times.At least 20 times in States and Europe.
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1hughes, again, you are attributing something to TA which is not within their control. All reviews are the view of only one person and it is subjective.
You are correct though that they are worthless. But ALL reviews are worthless to YOU unless it is YOUR review or by someone with whom you have found yourself consistently agreeing.
The problem lies in people thinking that reviews are going to tell them how THEY will find something. Everyone has different expectations, taste, standards, etc. If mine differ from yours then clearly my review will differ from yours.
I grew up in Toronto. In 2012, there were 1308 new restaurants opened in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Do you really think anyone has tried them all and then picked which is their number one? Is there an objective list of criteria that all reviewers use to judge each one?
Relying on reviews by strangers is no better than simply judging a restaurant from what you see through the window and what you see on the menu posted at the door. In fact, I would say the latter is probably a more reliable way of choosing where to eat.
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ALL reviews of anything are subjective. Books, destinations, theatre, film, dance, food. They are ALL subjective.
Which does not render them without value.
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Reviews are valuable if they are factual.
I remember reading about what ended up being my favorite Waikiki hotel (sadly now closed) during an early trip to Hawaii. People made negative comments because there was "rust on the bathroom mirror" and "stains on the carpet". Both things that did not trouble me (considering the low price I was paying). So it was valuable for me to read their comments going in, to know what to expect, even though they did not change my decision.
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Yes suze facts can be useful. So what?
The topic is not about anything objective in a review it is about subjective opinions in reviews.
The OP is saying that TA (of which I am not a fan at all by the way) gets it wrong when it rates a restaurant 'No. 1' etc. The OP is trying to say that s/he thinks TA is supposed to be FACTUAL when in fact it is not.
Blaming TA for what users think of a restaurant is pointless. What might make sense is to suggest to TA that they stop ranking subjective data and simply list reviews by individuals by date.
But then all those people who think reviews are a good thing and blindly follow such subjective ratings would moan about that no doubt.
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Funnily enough, on re-reading the OP, the OP says s/he in fact does not follow reviews and is actually saying don't follow them. The OP has tried to describe why they are not worth following but hasn't done a very good job of doing that.
Nevertheless, to the question asked, 'Why do people bother with TripAdvisor' the answer isn't that difficult. In fact, the OP has answered it already. "The numbers make life simple because now there is no need to think. Just follow the rail of breadcrumbs."
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"... the rail of the breadcrumbs"! Sorry dulci - your typo made me smile
Since the time Popov described Regent's street in London as a 'shopping mall' I have been interested in his interesting opinions. But that's just me, a mere woman.
About TA: after one fairly bad experience in a little family-owned hotel in Prague with amazing, awesome and glowing reviews, I have learned to be more critical of a place that receives ONLY wonderful reviews.
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TripAdvisor used to be good. But now it gets too much attention from companies and they use their representative to offset people's comments. I wouldn't try too much on their reviews.
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When I need a fast reply, I go to TA.
When I want to find reviews, I go to TA and first of all look at the names - how many reviews do they have? Skip those with 1 or 2, the rest is accurate.
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I use TA as an easy place to check prices on a hotel from a variety of sources.
I also look at the travelers' photos, compared to the professional photos.
Then I can link directly to the hotel via TA.
I don't pay a lot of attention to the reviews, except the extreme ones.
Out of curiosity more than for decision-making.
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I have to take back my comment about restaurant reviews.. such I just wrote one after a particularily good meal at a small place just outside my city.
However... as stated by others.. reviews are subjective .. and usually have few FACTS ( exceptions would be opening hours and prices) .. its someones opinion after all. I have read reviews by folks who honestly think Applebees has good food... they are not lieing.. they are stating their opinions. So .. restaurant reviews are trickier then hotel reviews.. which will generally have a few more facts.. ie , location, room size, decor style, amenities offered.. etc. but even so.. hotel reviews are subjective too.. some folks will decide a room is "too small".. and yet I have stayed in same place and though room size was average for location.. etc.
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When I mentioned "facts" above I was referring to hotel reviews. Specifics about the conditions of the room.
It's not "someones opinion" if the shower curtain is torn, the mirror is rusty, the carpet is stained, people are smoking in the common area outside your room, etc.
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I use TA regularly. As a frequent visitor to Bermuda for over thirty years I post in the forum. Same for the town where I live.
When I head to a new town I read the reviews for hotels and restaurants. The rankings are not significant. I booked a hotel in early Sept for a stay in April. I kept going back to see if the reviews noted any issues. Several complained of noise so I contacted the hotel GM. He moved me to a floor which he said was the quietest. I very much appreciated having an opportunity to identify a potential problem and resolve it before my stay. I also like the pm feature.
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My use of TA is similar to cmcfong's above.
I do think the strength at Trip Advisor is in the Destination Forums and the PM feature so people can contact each other directly. If I needed to know if my favorite bakery in Puerto Vallarta was going to be open this Sunday or what time the parade starts downtown (for example) I could easily find that out just by posting in PV (that's not going to happen here on Fodor's).
In the hotel reviews section and as several people have mentioned I think the actual traveler photos you can post are incredibly valuable. To see what you actually get in comparison to the hotel's website photos.
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Person to person harassment is deleted if someone flags it, just like Fodor's.
The difference is that Fodor's is moderated, whereas deletions in TA seem to be automatic. That is how the forums cliques manage deletes of opinions negative or contrary to the group-think. And how some forums wind up the domain of Destination Enthusiasts.
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I have not experienced anything like that on the 5 TA forums where I actively participate. Pretty much daily and for the past 10 years.
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I use Virtual Tourist where you may ask questions of people who live where you are inquiring about.
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John, That also happens on Trip Advisor. I live in Seattle and regularly answer questions on the Seattle forum.
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correct! Remember 1% reality.
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migb, it has been a few months since you submitted your post, but I have been paying closer attention to TA since then, and your observation seems spot on to me. For some time I have wondered why the Trip Advisor forum sites are so uneven in quality. Some of the boards -- Germany, for instance -- still have regulars who actually offer advice, but some are dominated by five or six highly opinionated individuals; the latter have very little useful information yet have an inordinate number of blank spaces for deleted posts. Some of the posts on their UK board are like that. Now I know why. Anyway, I go back to places where I can get good information and avoid the others.
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Volunteers respond. Each forum is as good as the folks who respond for each board. Some are good. Some are bad. Some are dead. It is what it is.
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I started using TA when we moved from Florida to Portland, Oregon. I got so much help .. from neighborhoods to look in for our home, restaurants , everything .. and while we lived there, I knew I could go on those forums at any time and ask a question and someone would help.
After that, I was on there a lot, and then we moved with the help again of TA to Buenos Aires.
The people on those forums were SO great ... you always get a couple of people who are there more for personal entertainment than to help anyone but you can ignore them and focus on the people that are helpful and nice.
I ended up meeting people who posted on the forums .. I am still in touch with a few and of course, one of my very good/close friends I met on the Portland forums .. and now we are real life friends.
I think one of the best things about TA is the editors really edit .. if there is a complaint, it is dealt with and fairly most of the time.
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<Volunteers respond.>
Actually you need to be nominated by someone & then accepted by TA if you're talking about "Destination Experts" on each forum. The rest of the posters are "volunteers" just like here that's true.
Besides tight editing I love having the PM feature. That's how I've gotten to know and sometimes met in person, posters on Trip Advisor more than ever will happen here at Fodor's.
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As I said previously, I have mixed feelings about TA, primarily because of the uneven quality of their forums, and sometimes the more localized parts of otherwise worthwhile forums. It is very easy to manipulate a site where "destination experts" have to be nominated by others. That is how cliques are formed, and once a clique develops for an area, state, country or subject, they stake out their turf and turn it into a chatroom restricted to themselves. And virtually useless for everyone else. Just because someone lives, or says he does, in a certain locale, or works in a given travel industry, such as aviation, does not mean that person has a clue about the travel needs or issues of someone from another continent.
On a related note, while this conversation has been going here, the UK forum has been carrying a discussion, "Ignore Rick Steves," that, at least for now, seems to have run its course. I have not seen anything so far on the Rick Steves site or Trip Advisor sites against Fodor's. I think it is good that we have all three sites, warts and all.
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<turn it into a chatroom restricted to themselves>
That doesn't happen because TA deletes non-travel related posts pretty darn pronto. Posts that get chatty are closed down.
<have not seen anything so far on the Rick Steves site or Trip Advisor sites against Fodor's>
Because Fodor's is not a threat to either Mr. Steves or Trip Advisor.
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suze doesn't seem to understand that TA moderators do not patrol the forums and remove posts unless they are first flagged by someone. If your forum seems "tightly moderated" that is because someone (not a TA mod) is doing that.
And it does not have to be a DE.
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<stake out their turf and turn it into a chatroom >
Echo chamber was the term I meant to use. Not chat room.
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"Actually you need to be..."
Actually, everyone is a volunteer - DEs and just folks posting. At least, I'm not aware of anyone being paid by TA to post on the forums.
"suze doesn't seem to understand that TA moderators do not patrol the forums and remove posts unless they are first flagged by someone"
I agree. I do like the flagging process on TA and the immediacy of the response.
Re cliques or posts about Rick Steves -
Life is life. TA is free and free to everyone to post. I agree that folks talking amongst themselves is tiresome and I've suggested to newbies that there is a TA forum set up just to chat.
You get what you pay for. You're paying nothing so any good information one can glean is gravy. There have been plenty of anti-Rick Steves posts on Fodors through the years. People are people, no matter the forum.
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I don't use TA - at all. Each time I have decided to check out a hotel (or whatever) there, there have been so many reviews that seemed "planted" that I had to check for other reviews by each poster, etc. and it took way more time than it was worth. Here on Fodors I've been posting long enough that I know (or at least know the screen names) of most of the regulars, so have some basis on which to judge a review. I've gotten lots of good info here on Fodors and given lots of info, especially on less usual destinations in Asia.
And, as others have noted, the rankings on TA are worse than useless.
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I just discount the "onsies". I assume they are plants. I scan and read the reviews of regular posters. Totally agree that the rankings can't be trusted - skewed by onesies. I think the forums are as good as the folks posting there and that varies widely by destination. It's a tool. A resource. Use it accordingly.
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I know how Trip Advisor works. As far as me not "seeming to understand".
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I love TA and use it all the time. Enough said...
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One thing to note about TA is that quantity does not always equal quality. Some with thousands of posts are clueless but virtually live there, posting dozens of times a day. Others with far fewer posts actually give good advice, and I look for those.
Also take the Destination Experts with a grain of salt. As long as they are giving specific advice about a destination, it is often worthwhile. Some, however, go overboard with crackpot opinions or simply wrong information about subjects they know nothing about. Again, it is a case of sorting out the fools from the good ones, those who consistently give good advice. Still, the fools are a PITA at times.
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I use tripadvisor mostly for the hotel pictures that regular people post. I have avoided hotels due to too many gross pictures by people. A hotel can sound good but pictures can show a different side of it.
The beach could be altered on "official" hotel pictures and it may not look like those pictures on a daily basis. People can post pics of a "free breakfast" that shows it's sparse. When rooms are less than clean or have chronic problems, people post this too. I find this to be helpful.
I take the written reviews with a grain of salt but I try to read multiple reviews and find themes in them. It's just one more place to find info. I prefer to have a Fodorite give a recommendation but there are so many places and not everyone here writes trip reports.
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I use TA all the time and always carefully read all the reviews. It is easy to separate the 20-something honeymooners from the seasoned travelers and often easy to spot the plants.I travel many times a year and post often on TA.I found extraordinary guides in Prague and in Budapest from that site,although the only guide rated higher than the one I used in Prague was "Segway" which I thought was a joke.I take my own reviews very seriously and review hotels and restaurants in great detail.I am a luxury traveler and find TA has often been extremely helpful
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I agree that top #10 lists are not the best things to plan your trips, but it gives you some orientation if you don't know anything about a place. I always consider other resources as well before going somewhere. That's my opinion.
But there also may be people who find it easier to have a list, do/see these things and that's it. Whatever you think, TA has lots of users (http://www.statista.com/statistics/286521/top-travel-websites-by-visitors-in-the-uk/) and that gives them the right to exist. Fair enough.
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TripAdvisor policies regarding listing properties are enabling fraudulent bookings. We had an unknown person steal our pictures and descriptions of one of our villas and list it on TripAdvisor and Holiday Lettings. When we notified both firms that this advertisement was unauthorized and that this person had no permission to rent the property or to use our content, they would do nothing about removing the ad. This house was being offered with online booking. The year prior we had guests arrive, who had booked online and paid for the villa, but did not have a reservation and the owners were never paid. In this case this family lost their money and had no place to stay.
Contrast this with our experience with YouTube, where someone had posted one of our videos without permission. Within a few hours of our notifying them, YouTube had removed the video and required the poster to show proof that they had permission to use the video. This is the correct procedure according to international copyright and IP law and it protects users and owners from potentially fraudulent activity.
It is up to guests, owners and legitimate agencies to expose these bad policies and to make potential guests aware of policies like those of TripAdvisor and Holiday Lettings, which put renters at risk of losing money.
Nina Burns
Adriatic Experience
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So, let me see if I get this correct: Tripadvisor's reviews, advice, etc is poor and should not be trusted. Yet, the reviews and advice on this forum should be. Got it...
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Yet, the reviews and advice on this forum should be. Got it...>>>
But not any reviews or advice from women.
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I like TA, and generally read the bad reviews first and work my way up figuring that people who are unhappy will be more interesting.
When I write a review on TA and I'm happy, it's the same boring things.
The bed was comfortable and the place was clean... blah blah blah.
Which is what I want to read, over and over again.
I like to see why people were unhappy; maybe they were just expecting something different for the price and if that's the case that's fine. I might not mind if there's not a great view or it's not right in the center.
If they are unhappy with the desk clerk, who cares? They may be hard to get along with. If everyone is unhappy with the clerk, then that's saying something.
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As I said.. I like and use TA,, but I do not trust every DE.. I have met several.. and they often do not even agree with each other!!! I have also seen a few with very strong bias.. fight with each other openly. That said.. THEY ARE ALL VOLUNTEER posters and nothing is that special about any of them other then experience and time to post and post and post.. lol . They are not paid.
I love the review sections and use them a lot.. if you can't figure out a plant then perhaps you should stay home .. or buhy that bridge for sale in New York.. lol
The photos by reviewers are awesome too.
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<They may be hard to get along with. If everyone is unhappy with the clerk, then that's saying something.>
Or if the same poster is treated poorly by every single hotel everywhere they go (then I figure the problem is them -lol).
<and nothing is that special about any of them>
DEs have to first be nominated, then approved by TA, their posting history and contributions are reviewed first. So I guess it depends what you mean by "special".
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DEs can .. and have. LOST their designations cause they become contentious know it alls.. it can happen. Some people are asked to be DEs and WISELY decline the offer.. When a DE offers a suggestion they are often held to a higher standard or expectation by posters who do not realize that DEs are just other travellers.. they confuse them as being paid advisors almost..
As I said .. I have met some.. and by met I mean we are on friendly terms and visit together.. one lady is very nice.. but all her recommendations are colored by her OPINIONS and preferences.. she likes to travel with a lot of luggage, shop in high end stores, and stay in nice hotels. Her advice for a budget traveller is sometimes rather laughable .. she doesn't even realize it though.. but is well meant but misguided.
As I said.. most DEs do have a lot of time to post though.
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As a business owner (tour operator company) I find the TA forums to be better. I had some defamatory comments posted there about my business, reached out to TA and they were removed promptly.
Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the Fodor's forums. There is a thread where someone posted defamatory, harmful info about my business (which shows up there on Google's first page when someone looks for a review on us). I contacted Fodor's repeatedly (both by email and the "report" button) and sent all documentation needed to prove those statements were simply false. Nothing was done, I was told to post on that thread and "tell my side" (as if truth has two sides to it). My emails were never replied to, by the way. And I sent probably five in total, over a period of 6 months.
Now, not only that this is bad for me and my business, but what does it say about Fodor's respect for their users? The quality of a forum is made up by the accuracy of the information presented - that is why people go there, to read and participate. A forum where posted information is proven false, and then the moderators outright refuse to remove it, is not a forum that cares for its users, in my opinion.
So sorry to say, I do believe TA is doing a better job at making sure the posted information is accurate.
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Trip Advisor most definitely has more timely editing and tighter guidelines and monitoring than Fodor's. I don't think anyone could disagree with that!
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This has been gone over again and again.
With TA, there is no consistency between forums. It's a big danger where there might be a single DE who might be promoting links to his own family business, giving advice intended to drive business there, and trying to drive off any competitors or those who suggest alternatives. We had a big problem on one forum with this and it took over a year to clamp down, we had to send the TA Editor links to posts where he was more open about the relationship (which he later tried to pretend wasn't there). As the country has become more popular and there are many more who have visited, as well as more lodging choices, his influence has waned.
On Fodors, they are much better at keeping the self-promotion and solicitation off of the forums, and don't play favorites the way the TA Editors have done in my experience.
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I agree with you mlgb, there definitely can be some " funny business" on some forums on ta. Certain posters dominate a forum and basically hit the " report post " button when they simply don't agree with a poster. A newbie would be hard pressed to see it right away, but us long time posters know some favoritism goes on!
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That's no different than Fodor's. When you're new you don't know who is who. When you've been around for awhile (especially on TA if you are on specific destinations forums) you know who to believe and who not to trust.
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"They may be hard to get along with. If everyone is unhappy with the clerk, then that's saying something."
BTW, that's not a deterrent for me. If the desk clerk is a grump, why should I care? They've already ruined their own day, I'm not going to let them ruin mine.
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Suze, yes that is true, it takes awhile to " know" a forum!.
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I take any online review with a grain of salt. Many "reviews" are plants by employees of the entity being reviewed. Others are put up by persons with a grievance. Some of those may not have even stayed at the hotel they are reviewing but just want attention.
It is not just tripadvisor. It is every online site with reviews. Recently it was revealed that yelp hides adverse reviews if you advertise with them/pay them off. So you really cannot know what is truthful or not unless you personally know the person who put up the review.
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What LancasterLad wrote resonates with me.
On the country destination forum I know best, one DE gets his info from the internet and repeatedly advises erroneously on destinations he has never personally visited, one DE has spent one short week total in his area of expertise, one DE's typically valuable advice is telling a woman with a medical problem to pee on a tree while visiting a major city, one contributor is a tour guide/ hotel owner who solicits his clients to sign up for single reviews, especially after any critical review, but anyone who points that out has their comments removed, and on and on. Advice from this forum could ruin a vacation, but new/naive posters eat it all up.
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You could say exactly the same thing about Fodor's.
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Or any other internet travel forum. The advice is only as good as the people posting it.
This is not unique to Trip Advisor.
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There are no officially Designated Experts with a Fodor's seal of approval. That is the difference.
And the removal of flagged posts is reviewed by an editor first here. Not so on TA.
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I don't give any more credence to what a DE posts than any other poster on TA forums.
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I would have to agree with Suze on that.. I have seen bad advice from them too.. stuff I know is wrong,, or not the most helpful.
Being a DE means a lot of things.. it doesn't always mean they are an expert though.. more of a politician or diplomat sometimes.. lol
I am lucky to have been on the some forums long enough that I have learned who offers the advice or suggestions that are likely most reliable , or most suitable to my tastes. This might be harder for a newbie I admit, but if they read the forums they can soon see patterns and personalities emerge. Problem is some people literally come on a week before a big trip and ask some stuff they should have already researched.. like "where should I stay and what should I see" ( I always find that one the most bizarre,, why did a person choose to go to a place if they had no idea what there was to see there?)
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I'm always surprised when people show up on Trip Advisor AFTER they've already booked the trip! Then start asking "what's to do there" and "is it safe?"
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"DE" means "Destination Expert", in theory at least.
However I am inclined to think that it means "Destination Enthusiast".
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Often it's neither. Just people who like to post a LOT
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One reason people might show up after they've booked airfare is that they've snagged a good airfare sale to a place they have never been to, and don't have time to do a lot of research, or even any at all.
Not everyone travels to the same destination year after year after year and stays at the same hotel.
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I don't stay at the same hotel.
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OOOOH, so adventurous!! I thought you only stayed at Posada Roger or whatever it is called.
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Well you thought wrong.
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In case anyone is wondering what this is about, mlgb is making fun of me because I vacation in Puerto Vallata Mexico every year.
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You wouldn't happen to be on the Fodor's payroll would you?
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No one really cares, suze. But to pretend that you have much knowledge of how MOST people use TA is a bit much, given your style of travel.
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I'm not pretending anything. Nor did I say I have any knowledge of how MOST people use TA.
What exactly is my "style of travel" since you appear to know so much about me. Including a hotel I haven't stayed at in the past 5 years, but you just happen to remember the name.
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I agree with suze. Any forum is only as good as the confidence you have in the truth of what its posters say.
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Tripadvisor just doesn't work. Numbers can't capture a placeThe whole thing is based on self selection. A small group with a special interest rate something high so it comes out on top. Or 20 years old think its just great and make it tops. Everyone else would find it dull.
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The FORUM section at TA doesn't have "numbers". It's a bulletin board format with people asking questions and giving replies... same as here.
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same as here.
One BIG difference : TA is autoregulated. Means that every post can be deleted automatically by the 'community'.
These deletions happens after 4 reports of a post.
Means all threads that are not 'vetted' by a 'community' soon resembles a swiss cheese : full of holes.
At least on FODORS comments stay in most happenstances.
But I agree I'm biased : I've been kicked out from TA's forum after an exchange with the moderator (yes, they have at least one...).
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The forums are great.Perfect..no.. but I have gotten some great tips there.. from posters I trust .
I really like the private messaging system too.. you can ask more indepth or specific questions from posters without derailing a thread.
I have also been able to arrange to meet posters.. ( like Pariswat) something more difficult to do without posting information publicily.. ( like meeting place or real names!)
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I also have met more people in person from Trip Advisor, than from Fodors. It's a lot easier because of the PM feature.
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I enjoy the forums on TA. I don't care about the "ranking" of the resorts. I like reading what people have to say about the different places.
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Was a pleasure meeting you. Ready for another time ( if I am not in Poland or Korea or wherever ).
I like TA for their reviews - whatever we can say about fakes the global picture is correct enough to avoid disasters.
I did like their forums but not their policy nor ( even less ) their self moderation which results in too many deletions.
( they even deleted a thread about Rollex).
Here what you post stay.
Now I have been banned from TA. Didn't help that I told them I didn't like their policy and that I deleted my 450 reviews.
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The question of how to get to the places locals frequent is an interesting one. For one thing, locals don't usually know much about hotels beyond their location and, maybe, their bar or restaurant. OTOH, locals' input on activities/attractions/restaurants, that kind of thing, would be very useful indeed--which is what FourSquare aims to collect.
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I looked at 4square close to where I live and close to where I work.
Verdict ?
Rubbish for those 2 locations. Maybe I'll come back in a few years.
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I love tripadvisor. I guess they don't have a control who are posting fake reviews. If you are looking for particular place, don't rely too much on tripadvisor, there are more review sites or social media that you can look at.
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I really like TA..I have done many reviews on many restaurants and tourist attractions near where I live and I am brutally honest.
I never rely on only one site for reviews....
Don't use their forums much but do like the "private " message option.
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I like that you can ask questions (even in the reviews section). You can PM any poster and chat more about what they have posted. I often get PM's even from reviews I put up years ago for hotels I like/stayed at
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really, you sound very ignorant. People are not going by the number alone, if you actually take the time to learn how to use tripadvisor, you can see that people are explaining in detail what kind of person they are & how their experience turned out. The photos & side information of the area is also what people are there for!
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>>really, you sound very ignorant. <<
My goodness (!) You register and your very first/only post is to call Fodorites ignorant . . . Maybe you'd be happier sticking to TA
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No stay here its fun...
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And you are right
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I'm thinking the "ignorant" comment may refer to something in the post directly above that was removed?
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>>I'm thinking the "ignorant" comment may refer to something in the post directly above that was removed?<<
Maybe so -- but I think that post was removed a coupe of weeks ago. I assumed the 'ignorant' comment was re the OP and some of the responses. But maybe sunsworn will return and clarify.
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I stumbled on this forum looking for something similar to TA.
I post mainly on 2 destination forums, but would only consider myself a regular....just. I am mature age, being over 60 travelled extensively.
I guess what gets to me is how judgemental some of the DE are....only some, but they still spoil it for others..comments like it's a zoo, tourist trap, they wouldn't take a free room there. Sometimes these comments are made with no experience as to what the topic/discussion might be.
Often their opinions are given as being factual, but essentially based on nostalgia & "how it used to be"........like 40 years ago!
On TA I would like people to qualify when they last stayed in a hotel or ate at a restaurant etc......places can & do change over time & I believe it would be more helpful & honest if they were upfront & just said we were last there 6 years ago.
Another bugbear are those people who post simply for posting sake with nothing valuable or constructive to say, simply to increase their points. Some are just full of their perceived self importance, especially with degustation menus & wine pairing. It always bothers me why people have to continually mention this as though they are so special.
OK rant over, generally I enjoy the destination forums, lots to be learnt from them, just had to get this off my chest.....
Plus people with 2 accounts reviewing places or commenting on threads...they are easy to pick & also when they give each other helpful votes
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There is no reason to increase your points, they have NO value at all, i dont think anyone pays attention to them.
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Wholeheartedly agree with you regarding the points, they are pointless.
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<simply to increase their points>
I don't post to increase my points, never even paid attention to that, but I do have a ridiculous number of posts on TA (that count shows right next to your screen name) since I've been active pretty much daily there for over a decade and on five different forums.
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The Trip Advisor website is a joke, and the TA forum is an even bigger joke, and it is full of old fashioned people who run it, and those so called destination experts are a joke, why have these titles when many of them have no idea what they are talking about anyway, even i know a lot more than most of the do but i don't need to have that badge to help people.
There is also a lot of politics and clicks going on between many destination experts, and many do not like new members coming along and intruding on their territory.
I tried to make some suggestions on how they can make it better, but i was told to get lost and not stir the pot, so i gave up, and i am looking for a new travel forum to call home.
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I agree with Suze as well. The Destination Forums section is very helpful. I wouldn't use them for hotel reviews, however. I stick with Booking for that one.
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Palawan, welcome to Fodors.
On which forum were you on TA ? You'll find some oltimers from TA here.
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I personally go according to tripadvisor .So that my trip is well set . It is really helpfull for guiding various perspectives of travelling .
Thank You
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<and the TA forum is an even bigger joke>
There are hundreds of different Destination Forums on Trip Advisor, not only one "forum". Who told you to "get lost"?
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Personally have never been told to get lost as mentioned above, but I have lost faith in the destination forums, a couple in particular & have been told from several reliable sources in the hospitality industry that some DE ( especially those using real names & photos as avatars) receive certain perks for promoting hotels & restaurants.
Other DE continually discount certain areas to stay saying they are too isolated or whatever, even when regular posters have stayed there numerous times & have not found that to be the case. These regular posters are often denigrated by the so called experts, but never ever criticize their own.
No wonder some new posters never return.
Other experts berate the use of Uber, or choosing to book tours rather than using public transport. Not everyone wants to rent a car & drive on vacation.
Some also criticize reviews, saying they mean nothing & companies, tours, hotels, restaurants solicit positive reviews. If that is the case why is their promotion of the same activities of their choosing to be promoted for being worthy of recommendation. Why do they sometimes think they are so much wiser than other well traveled souls.
Some also seem to have little experience or knowledge outside their own particular area of so called expertise & sometimes a case of DYKWIA.
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I don't use the TA forums, prefer Fodors. However, I do use the reviews, which I find (given you treat them with care) more useful than booking.com, which tends to hide bad reviews. I just posted a two star review of a hotel on booking.com, and while the similar review on TA will show up at the top of the list, on booking.com I had a hard time finding it.
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I found out the gym I workout at daily in Puerto Vallarta was closed. Turns out they were only putting in a new floor and will be open again soon. I could *never* have gotten that kind of information in a million years here on Fodor's. On TA stuff like that, trade of really up-to-date information, happens every day.
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I have received some wonderful recommendations on the Trip Advisor forums. Is that laughable?
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hdsonguz.. no its not.. ta is a useful tool for many of us.. not all only tool, but one in a good arsenal .
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My reviews on booking show without any problem.
I deleted my 500 reviews of n TA which helped getting myself banned.
TA is just too commercial. So take it with a prince of salt - as Justine says it is a tool. Among others.
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TA isn't "commercial" in the way I use it. I post on the forums there in the same way I do here. I never purchase anything from them.
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I gave TA a break for a while as I was over some of the DE.
Came back to check a few forums & its the same old thing.
Yes TA can be useful tool, but some of the so called DE's think they are gods & there word is law.
Woe betide anyone who may have a different opinion to them or if you are relatively new to any of the forums. Some of their responses would stop you in your tracks.
They are critical of others but never themselves or other DE.
They tend to be cliquey & will vote off others posts but never from their own DE. DE feel they have fantastic ideas but new posters never do.
I often have wondered how recent their experiences are & how they find the time to post almost continually when they are working folk.
And the ones who use their real name & photos???? f not for self gain or gratification.
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Marlbourgh .. you just got a cliquey forum.. they aren't all like that.. and if a post hasn't broken guidelines you can ask to have it reinstated.. because yes.. they do delete some just to b a holes..
I find the Hawaii forum there to be very cliquey.. but others not so bad.. but really,, just ignore some of the posters.. there really is good info at your finger tips.
As for what DEs get..its all for their own self gratification.. they aren't paid.. Some do it because it makes them feel good to help others.. and some do it because it makes them feel good to think they are an expert.
I personally trust the opinion of some of the regular posters far above DEs on my favorite forums as I know they are more inline with my way of seeing things.. ( one of our DEs is so boring.. if she advises something, I know it will not interest me.. and yes, I have met her in person) ..
Many people have been asked to be DEs and wisely declined.. the "honor".. you get a lot of pms nagging for personal advice on what to do and see ( even I do as a regular. total strangers who will literally ask me to do their entire itinerary ) and you are held to a higher standard.. if you answer evem a little bit off ( say trains have changed in last week ) and you give wrong answer you are crucified sometimes.. lol
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Hey Justine did you know I was asked to become DE on TA?
About 2-3 weeks after I joined !
They didn't know me, they just needed a DE that spoke french.
Total disaster.
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<<And the ones who use their real name & photos???? f not for self gain or gratification.>>
You would rather they use fake names and fake photos?
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Woinparis, I didn't know that, but even without that silly "designation " you helped many many travellers. More than many of the DEs could.
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Correct DE are not paid, but I am aware (from people in the hospitality trade) of one DE who gets "kicks backs" from establishments for recommendations etc.
The same applies to another prolific poster (not a DE) Both display their real name & their photo. Perhaps there is some reason for doing this, besides being a case of DYKWIA.
While some posters do use a photo of the self as their avatar, not too many use their selfie & their real name.
I agree sometimes I have more faith in some of the posters that post less, than others who reply simply for the sake of replying.
And yes Justine you are also correct with certain forums being cliquey......very sad for new people to the forums.
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Some people use a selfie and their real name just because they have no imagination of what could go wrong on the interwebs. What does DYKWIA stand for? Usually I can figure it out, but not this time.
Cliques happen on any forum, so I don't think you need to feel sorry for newbies on that account. Longstanding enemies are more of a problem- there are people who snipe just because they see a particular name. I feel the most sorry for first timers that post here and get hammered simply for having different preferences in terms of budget or taste. Heaven forbid you want to be an actual tourist and do tourist stuff.
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DYKWIA - Do you know who I am ?! (in a very 'important voice')
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My comment did not post...has anyone else been getting blank screen of doom lately?
Anyway...ahaha, janisj, love the emphasis, it definitely brings across the full...essence...of such personalities. I'm trying to picture being receptionist somewhere and having a customer use their TripAdvisor status to impress me. I'm sure it happens- it's so absurd, though. My friends make fun of me for even knowing what the forums are!!
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<Usually I can figure it out, but not this time.>
When that happens, just put he letters into a Google search and it tells you the meaning.
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DYKWIA - Do you know who I am ?! (in a very 'important voice')
I thought - Dick, wounded in action.
Better than KIA...
'My friends make fun of me for even knowing what the forums are!!'
Mywife does too.
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Let's not forget that in 2014 Trip was fined $600,000 for posting fake reviews.
Yelp's policies actually forbid soliciting for reviews, whereas Trip I believe does not, so it's more likely that true customers will have converted from the review request to actual review on Trip. The reviews on Trip probably have a tendency to be inflated due to businesses soliciting for reviews from customers they know had positive experiences.
Anyhow. I followed Trip from it's inception. Trip used to be the go to place but then their management changed their screening process for reviews. They are limiting and even censoring critical reviews. Should you have anything negative to say about hotel management or their staff, there is a good chance that your review will not be published if the review is with one of TA's paid advertisers. Trip even provided some unbelievable statistics from a company they commissioned to say that over 98% of TA reviewers felt that the reviews posted online were accurate or felt it reflected their own experience.
Writing bogus positive reviews is a big business now and quite trendy. Yelp used to be notorious for this but they seemed to have cleaned up their act. People want to have the reassurance that the decision they made to spend their hard earned money was the right one.
Should they see mostly positive reviews after a less than stellar experience, they might be intimidated to write a negative one, especially how the establishment's management responds to negative comments/reviews on TA. The merchant always has the last rebuttal where it should be the customer. Bottom line, most honest reviews are not published. Many are from property owners and/or their staff.
Remember, no business is perfect and should anyone have nothing but high praises for a business then it's basic logic to dismiss the review and often the reviewer.
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I am not trying to pose as a core defender of TA. Sometime I find they are too quick to edit what doesn't suit an exclusively Pollyanna rose glassed vision of discussion. Not that poor manners on anyone's part is excusable.
I would point out by way of clarification that their "rating" systems are not essentially based on MERIT but rather POPULARITY. This means a local McDonalds can be rated higher than a fine dining establishment, especially, for example, if the latter has 26 reviews and the former 226.
Additionally everyone is entitled to an opinion. Those either here or there who tend to stereotype visitors and their values/comments are as guilty of transgression (even often more so) or insensitivity as those judged, especially if the original writer wasn't rude or disrespectful.
One forum is not inherently superior to another. There are clear major advantages TA has over every other travel format in the universe. This comes with being the biggest, most varied, best funded and most utilized. These are simple facts based on numbers, not opinion.
Fodor's has its own level of prestige, based on a long history of quality associated with the name in terms of various aspects related to travel.
It seems that on all forums, there will always be a number of people hiding in the shadows who are here trying to feel superior, to denigrate basically decent others, rather than respect their effort or energy, however insightful, accurate or not.
If you fit the bill even a little, try a chill pill.
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There are a LOT more people on Trip Advisor than there are on Fodor's.
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This is a three year old thread that just won't die. Has been topped by several one time wonders and a quite a few advertisers.
Not sure why/how newbies find it so often . . .
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probably with a search for "Trip Advisor"
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I don't want to interrupt your opinion about TripAdvisor but I think you are just misleading the thought that maybe they did a survey perhaps. Each one of us has its own likes and dislikes and a unique taste buds when it comes to foods or desserts but we need to respect it. I don't want to defend TA but they have their own strategy to persuade the people or their viewers to choose their own picks of best restaurant or places all around the world. Its a matter of different points of view so we doesn't have anything to do with it. We just need to respect it.
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Best Research Paper Award
In order to encourage new researchers in education and social work, the Office of Doctoral Studies, Sydney School of Education and Social Work, will offer an award to a postgraduate research student. The award, for excellence in writing up and presenting a piece of education and/or social work research, consists of a certificate and a book voucher to the value of $500.
As of 2017, the Best Research Paper Award will be presented as a yearly event. Submission of a 5000-word paper will be called for prior to the Semester Two forum. The winner will be announced after the keynote at the Semester Two forum.
Students who presented in Semester One, will be eligible to submit a paper for the award in Semester Two.
Be the next student to win the School's Best Research Paper Award!
What do you get?
- affirmation of your excellent and superior academic writing skills
- invitation to the next school scholarship and awards evening
- a $500 book voucher!
- certificate presented at the Research Students Forum
Click here for the full statement about the award. (pdf, 420KB)
The deadline to submit the full paper is usually 3 weeks before the Research Students Forum, Semester Two. The winner will be announced after the keynote presentation at the Research Students Forum
Please contact for enquiries about the Best Research Paper Award.

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ERGYKID MAG 14 SACHETS is a dietary supplement based on magnesium, vitamin B6 and calcium.
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Description ERGYKID MAG 14 BAGS
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What is JotForm?
JotForm is a free online form builder which helps you create online forms without writing a single line of code. No sign-up required.
At JotForm, we want to make sure that you're getting the online form builder help that you need. Our friendly customer support team is available 24/7.
We believe that if one user has a question, there could be more users who may have the same question. This is why many of our support forum threads are public and available to be searched and viewed. If you'd like help immediately, feel free to search for a similar question, or submit your question or concern.
Can I create a form that has a comments section, form fields and payment button all in one form?Asked by Bryan Smith on January 09, 2017 at 05:55 PM
I need to create a form that looks like this:
Choose Design (drop down list)
Choose Stain (drop down list)
Tell us name, est date and customization txt (this needs to be a free form comment section)
Name (form field)
Address (form field)
Credit Card info (form field)
Pay Now (button)
Need it to process payment and send me an email with the info they gave.
Can jotform do this and tie it in with my paypal or something?
Yes, this can be achieved. You can select from any of the sample templates and can customize it to your need
Here are a few sample templates :
let us know if you still have questions regarding the same.


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Light & Motion's Urban 850 Trail Fast Charge is the most powerful single LED bike light that exists, with a rapid 2.5 hour recharge and a compact, ultralight design. This is the ideal light to use in endurance races and epic night rides. A high powered rechargeable lithium-ion battery pushes the… [more]
Light & Motion's Urban commuter bike light set pairs the Urban 650 front light with the Vis 180 Micro tail light for a powerful and affordable, USB rechargeable everyday light set. Urban 650 bike light - Compact handlebar light, amber side lights, waterproof to a depth of 1 meter - 650 Lumen output… [more]
The world's first cycling radar, Varia helps create a safer cycling environment by warning cyclists of vehicles approaching from behind up to 153 yards (140 meters). The radar tail light also warns approaching vehicles of a cyclist ahead. Works independently or integrates seamlessly with compatible… [more]
The NiteRider Lumina OLED 950 Boost is an innovative bike light that removes the guesswork related to battery life, allowing you to plan your next ride safely with complete confidence, day or night. The OLED multifunctional digital display screen delivers precise battery run times as a percentage… [more]
Introducing Nip & Tuck - the next evolution in e-bike safety. Setting the benchmark for an integrated lighting solution, high-powered output is backed by industry-leading compact design. Nip (headlight) illuminates with a 500 lumen even spot beam with versatile low-profile mounting options. Tuck… [more]
The NiteRider Lumina OLED 950 Boost is an innovative bike light that removes the guesswork related to battery life, allowing you to plan your next ride safely with complete confidence, day or night. The OLED multifunctional digital display screen delivers precise battery run times as a percentage… [more]
The NiteRider Lumina 950 Boost provides enough light that it can be used in just about all riding conditions, whether it be on the road, on your favorite mountain biking trail, or hand-held in Walk Mode. Specifically designed to meet the needs of riders in all cycling categories, the Lumina 950… [more]
Light & Motion's Taz 1200 is the all-in-one handlebar light that outshines many car headlamps and fits in the palm of your hand. Perfect for the most technical singletrack or critical commute where lumen output is a priority. Featuring: • 1200 Lumen output certified to the FL-1 Standard •… [more]
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Imjin's powerfully focused beam and compact size make a versatile light for any type of riding and is perfectly designed to run on your helmet with a GoPro mount. The Imjin features an optimized reflector that provides a large and even spot beam without hot spots. Designed to maximize run-time in… [more]
The Urban 800 BarFly SLi combo has been conscientiously designed to provide cyclists with greater protection on the roadways and built with thoughtful features that enhance your cycling experiences by allowing mounting of multiple types of accessories. INCLUDES: - Urban 800 (Anchor Steam) - Super… [more]
Light & Motion's Urban 800 Commuter Combo enhances your commute and keeps you out later than planned. Their Urban 800 headlight floods the road ahead with light, while their Vis 180 taillight provides great visibility. INCLUDES: • Urban 800 - one of the most powerful single LED handlebar lights on… [more]
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I just want to bring in notice to all of you the acts of Indian social media. The media which is responsible to enlighten the citizens of our country has gone mad. Since when it's happening, I don't know, but for the past 1 year or so, I am completely bemused by the way they are projecting each and every news. Their accurate amplication of untimely, weird and useless news is making me crazy.
Why they are more bothered about some terrorist funeral rather than Dr Kalam's death. or Why they are more bothered about someone eating beef or chicken? Are we are only striving to hear this kind of news daily. The trial news are also projected and amplified in its worst possible manner. Paris witnessed 156 death and our media cried, trolled went berserk, around the same no of people dying in Chennai flood, media does not bother. I wondered they even know this or not. People are dying in our country due to various reasons, media does not bother. An actor presented his personal views about his own country, media went beresrk.
Which god we are worshiping, what clothes we are wearing, what food we are eating, what culture we are following, our superstitions myths, morality are all bothered and questioned by this media. Who are they to publish or even notice that?
Our MLA, MPs, our ministers how they are doing their work. Their management of funds, their work, their deeds, their crimes, they don't project that. What happens to A RAJA, what happens to 2G scam…what happens to Madhu Koda case…and many more like. No body is following ..no body is bothered. This is shame on us.
There is more appropriate news to follow, to listen and to respond rather than an actors remark, or beef eating.
By Gautam Pandey


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You can find the download link in the comments
Download nowDirect download link (Windows) ]
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Long sleeve cotton polo shirt from notable French label Lacoste. Constructed from a high quality cotton knit with a marled finish, the classic fit polo comprises a ribbed knit collar, two button placket and long cuffed sleeves. Complete with a straight hem and the iconic embroidered crocodile to the chest.
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Edit Article
wikiHow to Use Nikon Transfer
There are many ways to transfer files from your Nikon digital to your computer. If you use RAW pictures, however, your Windows system won't 'see' them and they are left on the memory card. Try using Nikon Transfer to fix that little problem.
1Download and install the program. It is an executable file and doesn't need a program for unzipping.
2Boot up the program.
3Connect the camera or card reader. The D70 and the Removable Disk buttons are the connected sources. One, the D70 is a camera, and the other is a card reader.
4Look at your pictures using the thumbnails. Figure out which ones that you want to download.
6Look at the queue if you want. You don't have to, but it does give you some information.
8Check out your folder and images. Once the transfer is complete, the folder will open.
Community Q&A
How do I select multiple photos?wikiHow ContributorThis depends on what device (phone, camera, camcorder) you are using. Usually there is a "select all" option. On a phone, holding down on a picture will allow you to select more than one.
Will the pictures be transferred or will they stay on the camera?wikiHow ContributorThat depends on what selections you make in the Preferences tab. You can select to "Delete original files after transfer" if you like.
Unanswered Questions
How to transfer a file from Nikon transfer to external hard disc?
When attempting to transfer photos from my Nikon D800, I get error message "transfer failed because you do not have access privileges". How do I fix this?
How can I change the size of a picture stored in Nikon Transfer?
How do I upload a video from a Nikon Coolpix P600 camera to a computer?
Ask a Question
200 characters leftSubmit
If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know.
- This can be used with other camera models as well.
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Article Info
Categories: Digital Cameras
In other languages:
Español: usar el programa Nikon Transfer, Русский: пользоваться Nikon Transfer, Português: Transferir Arquivos de Sua Máquina Digital Nikon Para o Computador
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 86,318 times.
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Simplicity 1747; ©1946; Misses' and Women's One-Piece Dress. The bodice is softly gathered of the front and back waistline. The high neckline is complimented by the buttoned-fly front closing that travels from neck to hem. The skirt joins to the bodice at the natural waistline and flap pockets grace the front. In Style I the bishop sleeve is smart and the contrasting tie collar is detachable. A self fabric belt circles the waist. In Style II the short sleeve is shaped and top stitching edges the sleeves and pocket flaps. A large button finishes the bodice and a purchased belt is used.
Links to reviews/blog postsEdit
- Fancywork Bust 34


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Take Control of Your Time With MySpeed! Zip through Flash and HTML5 videos online, such as corporate training, school courses, YouTube, news and sports video sites and more. Save time and enjoy more with no audio distortion or "chipmunking." Lectures, seminars, training, speeches and even Google Voice messages can all be sped up to 5 times faster with perfect clarity.
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Installation Notes:
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Release Name: Enounce.MySpeed.for.Windows.v5.2.6.Build.394.cracked-SND
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