Do You Stop Participating? Reading and/or Writing?

[hammybee]

And miss all the fun? Not on your life! I want to read every single word. It's better than watching a soap opera!

 

In all honesty I do enjoy the boards more when it's on a more positive plain, but too much of the simple questions/answers gets boring, too. Passion is livelier.

One thing I really enjoy about this board is getting to "know" the individual posters. I am blessed (?) with a long memory. When I see the same posters over time I can put each post in a greater context; I enjoy that.

 

Ditto for me.

I need to make a small note and tape it near my pc, to opt out of some of the noise, else risk becoming a part of the problem.

[Grampy]

This Board, like all others, goes in spurts of negativity from time to time, I think.

 

Do you find that if there are many negative posts and there is lots of complaining you find yourself reading the Board less and posting less? Or does it make no difference to you whether the mood seems to be in a more positive or negative phase?

 

 

I tend to stop posting when things get negative. I will always read most posts every day. I've been on this board since dial up days.

 

On most forums you will find around eight to ten senior posters that hang together and back each other. I never want to step on their toes out of respect. I love someone like Rita that lives on the edge. That girl will tell anyone how she really feels.:)

 

When things get boring I head over to Princess and Carnival for a good laugh.

 

I have had only one bad cruise. We were on a ship on 9/11. The cruise was great until that Tuesday morning. Pat and I felt very happy to get home alive.

 

I'm ready to cruise.:p

[michmike]

In pretty much every day taking a look around. Do tend to be more

interested when we have a cruise booked (which, thankfully, has been most of the time of late).

 

Always enjoy the contentious threads and the opportunity to either come in and post something provocative (the devil made me do it) or to try to find a humorous angle to the discussion to lighten things up.

 

On balance there is always something new or interesting related to cruising and I feel we end up having a better experience when cruising due to the knowledge we've gained here.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I am always a bit torn ... whenever a thread gets highly controversial I just can't stop myself from leaping into the frey:o ... sometimes with disastrous results that end up leading me to take a break for a short period.

 

I was actually stunned today when I saw the "jeans" thead had been "closed" with no explanation at all. Even though I had predicted its demise yesterday, other than a few really nasty posts I couldn't see why it would be locked. The inflammatory posts were removed so why not just leave it at that? The posts I'm referring to weren't really about the subject anyway and other than those few posts I thought it was a really good debate about the issue.

 

So I'm with both jc and RuthC on this subject. But a fine line gets drawn and for some reason the more controversial and negative threads seem to draw nastiness to it like flies on flypaper.

 

Still, I have to admit that now and then the boards get very ho hum and sometimes it's the very differences that separate us that are the most interesting and often the most informative in an odd sort of way.

[hammybee]

I tend to stop posting when things get negative. I will always read most posts every day. I've been on this board since dial up days.

 

On most forums you will find around eight to ten senior posters that hang together and back each other. I never want to step on their toes out of respect. I love someone like Rita that lives on the edge. That girl will tell anyone how she really feels.:)

 

When things get boring I head over to Princess and Carnival for a good laugh.

 

I have had only one bad cruise. We were on a ship on 9/11. The cruise was great until that Tuesday morning. Pat and I felt very happy to get home alive.

 

I'm ready to cruise.:p

 

Grampy: I too have been around on and off since the AOL dial days. Were you always "Grampy"?

 

I love the other boards. RCCL is off the wall.

 

I love the Rita posts and think OMG.......and I am fasinated by AAAAmerican's word problems.

 

I too was on a boat on 9/11, a NJ commuter boat, fleeing NYC.

[HoneyGV]

I am always a bit torn ... whenever a thread gets highly controversial I just can't stop myself from leaping into the frey:o ... sometimes with disastrous results that end up leading me to take a break for a short period.

 

I was actually stunned today when I saw the "jeans" thead had been "closed" with no explanation at all. Even though I had predicted its demise yesterday, other than a few really nasty posts I couldn't see why it would be locked. The inflammatory posts were removed so why not just leave it at that? The posts I'm referring to weren't really about the subject anyway and other than those few posts I thought it was a really good debate about the issue.

 

So I'm with both jc and RuthC on this subject. But a fine line gets drawn and for some reason the more controversial and negative threads seem to draw nastiness to it like flies on flypaper.

 

Still, I have to admit that now and then the boards get very ho hum and sometimes it's the very differences that separate us that are the most interesting and often the most informative in an odd sort of way.

 

Darn! I missed the Jeans thread...will someone start it up again???:D

"Jean, Jean, roses are red. All the leaves have gone green..."

[Sueseb]

I tend to read the boards after we have booked a cruise, and after we have returned -- both to get info and just to see what people are saying. Sometimes I can add something that I think might help someone, other times I just "lurk". We don't dsail until 12/13, so I'll be around for a while. Sue

[Grampy]

Grampy: I too have been around on and off since the AOL dial days. Were you always "Grampy"?

 

I love the other boards. RCCL is off the wall.

 

I love the Rita posts and think OMG.......and I am fascinated by AAAAmericans word problems.

 

I too was on a boat on 9/11, a NJ commuter boat, fleeing NYC.

 

 

Hammy, My screen name was my AOL sign in name. The only one I could get to work was my first in ital and my last name. I wasn't a Grampy way back then. :D It's funny, my wife signed me up for this screen name. I love being a Grampy more then anything but I feel like people think I'm old on here because of the name. Why couldn't she pick Hunkboy or something like that. I'm still only 59. :p

 

I'm fascinated too.

 

I'm so glad you made it out safe.

[HeatherInFlorida]

...........and I am fasinated by AAAAmerican's word problems.

 

.............

 

At the risk of a poof, this gentleman has informed us in no uncertain terms that he has no word problems. He is, in fact, according to his profile a member of Mensa.

 

So there you have it:) .

[Copper10-8]

Poof

[hammybee]

At the risk of a poof, this gentleman has informed us in no uncertain terms that he has no word problems. He is, in fact, according to his profile a member of Mensa.

 

So there you have it:) .

 

I meant a word problem in algebra, not a language problem. Word problems are an art form. Information, in a word problem, is arranged in an intentionally confusing manner. If the reader seeks to understand the problem, solving it becomes impossible.

 

Having said this, I am not certain if his intention is to confuse or not, regrdless of the effect. Like so many of the posters here , he is eager to learn, add value and share his knowledge and love of all things HAL, New Jersey, history and when called upon, technology and the markets and occasionally it happens in a single post:)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Hammybee, I admire your imagination in perceiving this as an art form.

 

But more importantly, this is a cruise board. While such posts may provide amusement for some, for others they are merely something to ignore. We do not discuss politics, financial markets, etc.

 

If everyone posting here did that, it would no longer be what it is intended to be.

[hammybee]

Hammybee, I'll not belabor this. The posts are not intended to confuse. I admire your imagination, though, in perceiving all this as an art form. .

 

Well thank you.

 

BTW, DD is a Molly who loves to cruise and we have a bijon.

[Sunshine91]

Sail - What a great thread! You're the best. :)

 

I admit my addiction. (Isn't that the first step?) John calls CC my porn. I have a little routine I follow every night when I sign-on. I check the roll-call first, then the HAL board for the interesting threads, then over to Fashion & Beauty. Then back to HAL. I read an awful lot of threads, but not usually the ship-specific, or cruise-specific ones, unless it's one that relates to a ship or area I'm interested in. If a popular poster is providing a daily LIVE FROM thread, I'll read that too.

 

What I'm really tired of..... new members who post a complaint, get support, help, whatever, then never come back to say how the problem was resolved. Let us know what happened when you worked it out with your TA, called Ship Services, wrote that letter to Mr. Kruse. Please. Thank you. (OK, off my little soapbox)

[sail7seas]

What I'm really tired of..... new members who post a complaint, get support, help, whatever, then never come back to say how the problem was resolved. Let us know what happened when you worked it out with your TA, called Ship Services, wrote that letter to Mr. Kruse. Please. Thank you.

I so agree with you on this. I wish people would let us know how things worked out in the end.

(Thanks for your nice words.)

[dakrewser]

[quote name='sail7seas']Do you find that if there are many negative posts and there is lots of complaining you find yourself reading the Board less and posting less? Or does it make no difference to you whether the mood seems to be in a more positive or negative phase?[/quote]

THe mood doesn't matter to me, after all I do like a good "discussion" :rolleyes:, but I do vary my participation based on both my schedule (and deadlines) and the topics. Since I no longer care about Caribbean cruises I avoid those threads. Simple questions that have already been answered I'll also refrain from just adding a "me too" reply.

So my participation does vary, but I can't stay away!

[MBeamTX]

I tend to stop reading threads when they become more of the same old sniping on the same old topics. Sometimes, though, I can't stop myself from composing a snarky reply. Then, before I post it, I ask myself if what I've written will be helpful to anyone or merely irritating to someone who's irritated me. If it's the latter, I delete rather than post it.

Lately, I've deleted about as many replies as I've actually posted. :rolleyes:

Happy cruising,
Susan

[ekerr19]

I think this is a good topic....

Personally, I haven't had near enough time to devote to the boards lately and sometimes I think of it like the "soaps" I was addicted to in the 1980's - I can go away for months (even years!), yet still pick up where I left off...:D

Over time, I learned that nobody's opinion mattered all that much to me, but it took awhile to get there. :)

I am "ok" now just being here when I feel like it...

[Tinknock50]

[quote name='dakrewser']THe mood doesn't matter to me, after all I do like a good "discussion" :rolleyes:, but I do vary my participation based on both my schedule (and deadlines) and the topics. Since I no longer care about Caribbean cruises I avoid those threads. Simple questions that have already been answered I'll also refrain from just adding a "me too" reply.

So my participation does vary, but I can't stay away![/quote]

Me too!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I tend to ignore many threads --- the minute I see someone starting an argument or the old dress code thing comes up, I just ignore them and move on.

So there are times when I may post a lot and other times - nothing.

[michmike]

had to laugh re the poster who mentioned coming here as their porn addiction.

Wife tends to give me the blues on occasion about being on cc all the time. One nite about 6 months ago she said to me "you on there AGAIN??"

So I casually opened another window on the puter, did a google for "big breasts" and brought up a site of amazingly overendowed ladies in the buff. Turned to her and asked "Is this better??" She smiled and said "Go back to crusie critic and forget I said anything"

Since then, no complaints.

[jimmy2x]

[quote name='Navy_Chief']We used to have a saying about complaining sailors that I won't repeat here :D

Remember that one very well!!

From one ole' Chief to another;)

[Sea King]

I'm relatively "new" at this so my comments might not be taken quite as seriously as others who have been posting for months or years

like to read certain threads especially cruise reviews to get a "flavor" for what is going on fleet-wide on HAL

of course, each of us has his/her personal favorite for itinerary and ship

what is sometimes "aggravating" is the person whom it seems wants to lecture: he/she knows more about everything from cruising to solid geometry, has been to more places, has tasted more food, drank more wine, and in summary is the absolute judge of what is right, wrong, middle of the road and of course what needs to changed:rolleyes:

in the process, that "commentator" gets right up the "flame line" but does't quite go over

have I ever been on a "bad cruise" (in more than 30)?

answer is "no" BUT some have obviously been better than others .. by the by, my definition of a bad cruise is one where you can absolutely nothing redeeming about your trip and wish you back home at work .. it's one where you pack your bags and head for the nearest airport at the earliest stop (provided of course there is an airport:D)

have I ever had a bad bottle of wine? of course

have I ever had a tough piece of meat? big surprise, yes:eek:

so what?

think the focus should be more on what's happening (rather than personalties of authors) with criticisms where warranted and with praise when deserved

is HAL perfect?

don't think so

is it better than some .. IMO it's head and shoulders above most

can it improve?

obviously .. maybe that's why a "9" is the highest number

do the crews try their hardest to please?

without question IMHO

I firmly believe certain threads get started merely to "zing" ..

smoking vs. non-smoking; jeans vs. casual wear; how to bring liquor aboard without being caught .. how to get around tipping .. and the list goes on:mad:

why not focus on getting information and having some fun in the process

there are enough hours of the day to watch CNN:eek:

[LHC]

I like to read the posts but if I find a thread that gets ugly, I do not go back to it.
I find some discussion/disagreement is enlightening, but when it gets to the whinning, name calling, obvious "I do not like you", kind of thing, I turn off.
That said, I do know of some screen names on the HAL board who I rarely read their individual threads because of the controversial reads in the past. Not fair on my behalfed, but is that not what our amendments do for us, give us the right to read or not to read.
Some days my humor and mood are great and I look forward to reading with gusto, but if I am having a hard life day, I stick to reading posts from those I know will be funny, encouraging, silly or simply thought provoking but without any animosity.
Linda

[herb]

When I first book a cruise I do post and read alot of threads in order to try to accumulate as much information as possible regarding the ship itself, and what is offered at each port of call. Once accomplished I'll see if there's a roll call for that specific sailing and will check to see who else is booked. I've gotten some very useful information from roll-calls, especially when it comes to shore excursions.

Once I've gathered all pertinent and useful information regarding my booked cruise I will lurk and sometimes post... depending on the thread. DW and I drink very rarely so I don't care much about the "hiding liquor" threads; don't own any jeans so the "jeans" threads are really just there in lieu of a TV SOAP OPERA; and since I don't care if I'm seated a stones throw away from the pool I don't get involved in the "chair hogs" threads either. We can't afford suites so the suite/concierge threads don't peek my interest either.
We're more interested in how were the shows, how was the food, cleanliness and upkeep of the ship, and ports of call...