Aren't "Trips and Local Marketplace" threads supposed to be for trip announcements?

[DandyDon]

I think maybe we need new instructions on those, as it's not completely clear to some.

I see a lot of posters, usually new members, asking for information in the Trips and Local Marketplace sub-forums, and I think this causes their requests for help to go largely unnoticed. I have reported a few of these, and discussing the issue with one Mod - it was suggested that I post here if I saw problems in a lot of Trips and Local Marketplace threads. Here are some quotes from the top threads in different Trips and Local Marketplace sub-forums, none of them sponsoring or announcing trips. Also may well be a good idea to move a lot of threads for better coverage...

Cozumel Palace & Aqua Safari

I'm planning on going to Cozumel in mid November and staying at Cozumel Palace and diving with their onsite dive shop, Aqua Safari. I've read some older reviews but was wondering if anyone has dove with them recently. Thanks for any information you can provide.

Quiet neighborhood in Cancun or Playa del Carmen for 1 month apt. rental
I am hoping to travel to the Yucatan in February.

I normally go to Cozumel but have heard that there are nice and normal neighborhoods in Cancun which are not in the "zoo" hotel zone.

If anyone has any knowledge of these please let me know.

Play Del Carmen, Montego Bay, Nassau
Heading out on a cruise Dec. 27 through the 3rd and need info on diving ops and/or spots in Play Del Carmen, Montego Bay, and Nassau. Or if it is not worth diving at any of these places, let me know that, too. I will not take the cruise "cattle boat" dive ops, so if you know of any local ops that are reasonable at these three locations let me know. I already have a dive op for Grand Cayman.

Better diving: Utila or Roatan?
Hi all,

I found a post about this several years old, but nothing more recent. I am trying to decide between the two. Utila sounds way more appealing to me, as I consider myself a no-frills backpacker kinda guy who couldn't care less about fancy accommodation or excessive comfort.

Galapagos Questions
My 18 year old daughter and I have 60+ dives and are investigating the Galapagos. Please respond to any and all questions. We'll go in Jan and stay in Pto. Ayora.

Australia 2010
My husband and I are planning a trip to Australia in April 2010. We are booked on the Mike Ball liveaboard for 7 nights diving the Coral Sea. We are looking for suggestions for additional diving to do in the general vicinity and recommendations for land tours. Can you help?

Turks and Caicos
Hey, we are planning a trip for 4 to T&C early January and wanted to see if anyone here knows of some exceptional deals or recommendations.

 

[HowardE]

What exactly are you asking for?

 

[DandyDon]

What exactly are you asking for?

Haha ok...

1: Marketplace forums are for selling, correct? So Trips and Local Marketplace sub-forums are for sponsoring, announcing, and selling trips - is that correct?

This seems to be a common misunderstanding, either of mine or of some posting threads in T&M sub-forums.​

2: If T&M sub-forums are indeed for selling trips, then discussions like I illustrated in the various quotes were posted in the wrong sub-forum and would be better served if moved to the main forums.

3: Better explanations on the intent of T&M sub-forums might reduce the problem.

As it stands now, I think it'd be better to do away with T&M sub-forums than allow the current situation as so many asking for help are being missed.

 

[HowardE]

Haha ok...

1: Marketplace forums are for selling, correct? So Trips and Local Marketplace sub-forums are for sponsoring, announcing, and selling trips - is that correct?

This seems to be a common misunderstanding, either of mine or of some posting threads in T&M sub-forums.​

2: If T&M sub-forums are indeed for selling trips, then discussions like I illustrated in the various quotes were posted in the wrong sub-forum and would be better served if moved to the main forums.

3: Better explanations on the intent of T&M sub-forums might reduce the problem.

As it stands now, I think it'd be better to do away with T&M sub-forums than allow the current situation as so many asking for help are being missed.

T&M Forums ALLOW for commercial posts... because commercial posts aren't allowed in the general forum.

 

[OBXDIVEGUY]

I don't sell trips, but we often post in this forum group dives and get togethers.

 

[DandyDon]

T&M Forums ALLOW for commercial posts... because commercial posts aren't allowed in the general forum.

Yeah, I got that part. What about the examples I gave - not getting replies like they would in the main geographic forums?

 

[HowardE]

What about them? If people want to move their posts... they're welcome to ask.

 

[DandyDon]

Okee dokee

 

[Damselfish]

"A place for posting about upcoming trips, classes and other events, whether they are non-commercial or commercial in nature."

I agree with Don. The subheading on these forums is misleading and I can totally understand why someone would read it and think it's the intended place to ask questions about their upcoming personal trip planning. No amount of instructions is going to prevent all misplaced threads, and asking for stray ones to be put in the right place is fine after the fact, But the fact that people are posting those threads there actually indicates to me they were making an attempt to get in the right place, so why not help them out?

Maybe something like this? -

"A place for advertising upcoming organized or group trips, classes and other events, whether they are non-commercial or commercial in nature."

 

[DandyDon]

So, the problem continues without a simple resolution.