[capt_mahajan]

Rupees for me, like the changes in the hotel industry.

Nadreg!!.. is my cheque in the mail??

[tacita]

Originally Posted by Nick-H

So did I.

And I only get the bell ringing for the visa, malaria and Chennai shopping threads

and you're complaining about the temple bells next door? hmmmm...i wonder what they're writing about your malaria, chennai, and shopping bells on the local HindiaMike website!?

[capt_mahajan]

Originally Posted by janice

yes, captain, and that's part of my point. we have some excellent, informative old threads that sit stale and underused because people often don't consult them first, and then refine an inquiry in that same thread, which resurrects it. better that threads be resurrected that way--where all can see them--than as a "look here:" link embedded in a new thread. yes?

Yep, you're right.

[New-South-Welshman]

I don't know if it's possible, but there should be like an automatic message sent to a new users inbox about reading the site thoroughly before asking a question.

Now, what's the best train to catch from Delhi to Agra if I want to see the Taj in the morning?

[GauhatiBoy]

Where can I pick up a sexy chick in Mumbai?

[capt_mahajan]

here on sundays

[GauhatiBoy]

LMAO Mahajan

[Nick-H]

Taj, NSW? What Taj?

[machadinha]

Does anyone know a forum for India travel?

[Aishah]

This thread is a perfect example of why posters put new threads -
people want an instant answer and the fastest way to get it is to post a new thread. Sometimes the search throws up a lot of irrelevant material, sometimes you have to wade for hours through an already posted similar thread to find your answer - here we have jokes, asides, wandering from the subject etc. This can be annoying for someone wanting a 'quick' reply. We are such an instant society these days we can't be bothered searching for hours first. I suggest give the search a try first, then if taking time post your new thread! Posts like malaria, what to do in Jaipur etc. are becoming repetitious and I think you could get answers pretty quickly from previous posts.. But there are some threads that would take you forever.
I enjoy the witty joking going on here however, and this is not a complaint about that!

[shashank.aggarwal]

Aishah hit the nail...some posts should be identified, like property, visa, malaria, Taj, foreign card problem etc..they are getting too repetitive...

Mods might want to take a stronger stand on these as compared to others..

[Nick-H]

We might. And you might have noticed that, recently, I did, with three anti-malaria threads opened in a single week.

Probably malaria and visa are the most-offending subjects.

I have a feeling that repetition has reduced since Nadreg introduced the India for Beginners forum.

Did I tell you the joke about the mosquito that kept on asking about ATM machines? Its visa expired....

[Aishah]

Hahahhaha, Nick! See what I mean - this is turning into a jokes thread!!!

[tonylittle]

Is this the thorn tree site


Tony Little

[tacita]

Originally Posted by Aishah

Sometimes the search throws up a lot of irrelevant material, sometimes you have to wade for hours through an already posted similar thread to find your answer - here we have jokes, asides, wandering from the subject etc. This can be annoying for someone wanting a 'quick' reply. We are such an instant society these days we can't be bothered searching for hours first. I suggest give the search a try first, then if taking time post your new thread!

agree, except that it's clear that a lot of posters don't do even the most cursory research. to my mind, it's just selfish, which also seems to be an affliction of the "instant society". it all about...me...now! also, searchers have the option of getting threads or posts, which can eliminate a lot of the extraneous material.

Originally Posted by Nick-H

I have a feeling that repetition has reduced since Nadreg introduced the India for Beginners forum.

hmmmm...apparently, a lot of beginners aren't reading that forum. i suggested to a mod by PM that a link for first-time posters be put on the home page. maybe -- for the really thick -- there should also be a sticky or box or link or something in each of the fora or sub-fora that says something like, e.g., "first-time question about domestic flights? please read this before you post." that note could either say to consult this, that of the other thread, or refer, for example to the "all about domestic flights" sticky. really, when someone recently posted about whether there was an equivalent to an "air-pass" (unlimited air travel with an airline fir a specified duration), it was obvious that the poster hadn't made even the most cusory look around--that question is answered in the first stick, "all about domestic flights". but we'd need to be sure that stickies are fairly up to date. i think a bit of reading here should be expected, but not so much that newbies are afraid to post at all. there's all that new-activity and new-trip excitement that can cloud our judgment! when i joined, my first post (or three) was something like "URGENT:______!". and i didn't even both to read the forum rules--mach had to gently admonish me about double-posting, to my embarrassment.

it's easy to find fault with newbies once we've been here for awhile, so i don't want to be too judgmental. it wasn't so long ago i was a newbie myself, crashing in like a bull in a china shop.

in a few recent threads, i've just gently reminded folks that they may wish to look about, and even suggested a thread or two they might consult, rather than finding the answer in said thread and posting it myself. maybe if we did a bit more thread or sub-forum referring, rather than researching and answering, the message would be gently transmitted. of course, there will be those times when one just knows the answer off the top of one's head and also knows it would be hard or a newbie to find.