Various ideas to revive/improve the site

Or else we spam Richard11 with PMs until he unsubscribes?

But that just bloats the member list! With people who don’t contribute anything

Here I am, disappointed! 😏

( Seniors are the wealthiest clientele ...)

But that makes the list of registrants longer!

Nope. You can send 1000 PMs to Richard11 with just one username...

That’s not what I meant… All the people who sign up but don’t participate still inflate VF’s member list—those famous 1.3 million members!

It’s the same everywhere...

I’m disappointed! 😏

( Seniors are the wealthiest clientele ...)

But travel journals are now called Instagram Stories 😅

I haven’t moved past the Facebook stage—it’s all Greek to me! !😄

That said, forums are also Greek to the very young.

So in the end, everyone’s on equal footing—overwhelmed by yesterday’s tech or today’s...😛

Hi Agnès, The mailing list doesn’t seem to be in great shape (we didn’t receive anything either), but it looks like telepathy is working just fine—I happened to do a search yesterday completely by chance and... miracle... new messages! Oh joy! Looking forward to more reading and shared tips. Anne-Marie and Raphaël

Hey there, Caperam crew! 🙂

Maybe the message got lost in the spam folder?

See you soon in lots of new discussions on the forum 😉

Not possible either. But the existing Richard11 on VF hasn’t logged in since 2016 and only has 5 posts to his name. So he’s gonna stay inactive indefinitely?

Too bad! But we found a workaround: RichardXI 😉

Funny enough, when it’s time for the galette des rois, we know who to give the crown to! 🙂

Note: during the galette des rois, we know who to give the crown to! 🙂

This is exactly the kind of thing he hates

Alright, but Richard XII is waiting in the shadows and won’t refuse the crown ;)

Invite all VF members to a giant galette party to revive the site? 😮

It’s friendly, but I can already hear the complaints...

I don’t like galette!

I only eat galette if it’s organic!

Is it possible to have a vegan galette?

Galette is social treason!

Oh no, galette is colonialist!

What will there be to drink with it?

If X (I don’t want to draw anyone’s wrath...) comes, I’m not coming!

10 € participation fee???? Are you kidding me!

Is the galette on the right or the left?

Where exactly is the address in Béziers?

Invite all VF members to a giant galette party to revive the site?

It’s friendly, but I can already hear the complaints...

I don’t like galette!

I only eat galette if it’s organic!

Is it possible to get a vegan galette?

Galette is a social betrayal!

Oh no, galette is colonialist!

What will there be to drink with it?

If X (I don’t want to draw anyone’s wrath...) comes, I’m not coming!

10 € participation fee???? Are you kidding me?!

With the jury’s congratulations! [;]

Where exactly is the address in Béziers?

Hi everyone 🙂,

I’m Sophie, a student. Right now, I’m working on a research project about travel, and I really need your help to gather opinions and experiences. To be honest, this project is super important to me—it’s a big part of my final grade. I’ve put a lot of time and effort into creating this survey, but I’m still missing quite a few responses to draw meaningful conclusions.

I know your time is valuable, but if you could spare a few minutes to fill out my survey, it would help me out *so* much. Your answers will stay anonymous and will only be used for my studies.

If you could also share it, that would give me a huge boost!

Survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsL9JU9INeTNk3JBqHeJc_A2_Fznj4HW5aPytsDlRjZ601kA/viewform?usp=header

Thanks 🙂

Pretty over-the-top, isn’t it? 😛

Inviting all VF members to a giant galette party to revive the site? 😮

What will there be to drink with it?

Oh well, count me in then!

Okay, I did it on a whim of kindness. You all got lucky.

Reading through travel journals currently about Turkey, Australia, and Japan, I really do have some suggestions.

In one case, the person writing the story has major issues with grammar—there are way too many verb conjugation mistakes. It’s painful to read and ruins the enjoyment, and for lost causes, spell check just doesn’t cut it. It’s a shame that in these extreme cases, no one steps up to make the reading experience bearable.

In another case, there’s a pile-up of failed photos, some so blurry they’re hard to look at, all inflicted on us by the poster. Not to mention the excessive number of photos featuring the wife during visits, to the point where you’d think you’ve stumbled onto a family album site. Whether you make a subtle comment or address it bluntly, the result is the same: the person takes it as an attack right away and lacks the presence of mind or intelligence to reflect on it and make even small improvements based on the feedback. I’ve experienced this before—if you push too hard, the person gets defensive and stops posting altogether.

Let’s be realistic: in this last case, it’s the behavior of someone who clearly doesn’t care about others, or they wouldn’t do it.

Here too, it’s a shame there’s no way to remove overly blurry photos in these extreme cases or send a little note to the narcissistic (or lovestruck) person forcing all readers to endure endless images of themselves or their sweetheart.

I don’t necessarily expect these issues to be resolved, since the people running the site can’t be expected to take on the role of French teacher or photo editor on top of everything else. Still, it’s not great for the site’s image to showcase—or allow—such mediocre content. I’m mainly talking about the really obvious or extreme cases here.

At some point, I worry about a race to the bottom.

Come on, it’s not rocket science to frame a shot properly with your camera or phone, focus so you don’t shake when you click, or proofread (or have someone else proofread) your work.

Oh well, maybe this won’t change anything, but it feels good to get it off my chest.

Joel, I really think you're being too harsh this time (and with your post, I bet 3 travel journals are gonna stop dead in their tracks 😅).

When you know how much time it takes to post a travel journal, I forgive everything for those who make the effort to share their trip.

Of course, not everything pleases me, but when that's the case, I just move on.

I much prefer those who post imperfect travel journals to those "consumers" who come to ask questions without even bothering to say thank you when you answer them (so now, I only reply to active participants 😊).

Have a good evening

Okay, it might not do any good, but it already feels good to get it off my chest.

Generally, we avoid doing this in public, and if it's impossible to hold back... well, we clean up after ourselves.

You’ve already commented to the author of one of those travel journals. So what’s the point of this sugary redundancy?

Since VF reopened, you’ve become one of the new mood-setters. You can’t browse the forum without running into you... busy whistling at excesses, dictating elegance, drawing boundaries, or defining good taste.

When you write about "fearing a race to the bottom," is that a way of offering your services for moderation in line with the ideas to improve the site?

Just leave other people’s travel journals alone—the ones with too many photos, the ones that don’t master syntax, grammar, conjugation, or all three.

Because sometimes those imperfect texts share their travels with a generosity, enthusiasm, or spontaneity that’s sometimes missing from those who master words well but also enjoy watching themselves write.

I don’t think you’re any less harsh than I am, for that matter. I didn’t mean to overshadow you. Not all truths are worth telling, and few people want to hear them. Is that a reason to turn a blind eye? Honestly, I don’t see what’s so generous about posting blurry photos or only showing up every three images. If someone had pointed that out to me in the same situation, I would’ve understood and improved things without making a fuss—something that’s not beyond the average person, don’t you agree?

Spelling and grammar are another story. That seems like a nearly lost cause. Even in newspapers, it’s like that. So, we’ll just suffer in silence.

I forgive you for pointing out that I’m here to keep the site alive. It was intentional once I realized things were starting off slowly. You know it’s time-consuming—my messages don’t write themselves. I’m surprised you’re focusing on my rare less-than-positive remarks about travel journals when you’ve never once congratulated me for the many times I encouraged, praised, or thanked participants for sharing. Was that less interesting? Many are worried, maybe a little too soon, that a lot of members log in without participating. I’d be seen less if they were a bit more active. I suppose some may have moved and didn’t get the email announcing the reopening. Or maybe a lot of people have just become shy?

You missed my comments where I explained I wouldn’t feel capable of being a moderator, just like I didn’t know how to answer a participant who asked if you were one.

In any case, it’s fascinating to exchange viewpoints and ideas for improving the site. Next time, I’ll probably send a private message... or lose interest altogether. Being fair, I’ll let you have the last word.

What’ll there be to drink with it?

Vinegar, maybe, judging by the latest posts....

Travel journals written in good French and featuring well-done illustrations without too many photos of the travelers in the described trip. (Jojoone1)

Travel journals based on everyone's inspiration—each reader will form their own opinion (Kola-Solene40).

Joel, I really think you're being too harsh this time (and I bet your post will make 3 travel journals stop dead in their tracks 😄).

When you know how much time it takes to post a travel journal, I forgive everything for those who make the effort to share their trip.

Of course, not everything pleases me, but when that’s the case, I just move on.

I much prefer those who post imperfect travel journals to those "consumers" who come to ask questions without even bothering to say thank you when you answer them (so now, I only reply to active participants 😉).

Have a good evening

Hello Christelle,

There’s wisdom in what you’re saying. It won’t surprise you that I agree, especially with your last paragraph.

Why think that travel journals will stop? On the contrary, our friends will be a little more careful because they’re smart and will understand they can do a little better. That’s the right reaction, I think. Do they even know about this section I took 10 years to find?

As for the time spent on a travel journal, I won’t argue with you there. A few extra minutes upfront to properly select photos isn’t the end of the world, though.

The most frustrating thing is a travel journal whose subject or itinerary interests us, but we give up on it because there are unbearable things in it.

If I only had these suggestions to make, it’s because I didn’t find anything else to improve the site. Since I discovered it, I’ve found it perfectly designed.

Will there be anything to drink with it?

Vinegar, maybe, judging by the latest posts....

Not at all! I’m convinced that in real life, the contributors are perfectly polite and pleasant. Besides, I’m sure Kola would find me quite charming.

That said, since Catherine’s the one hosting, there’s no doubt there’ll be some good bottles on the table when we arrive 🙂

There’s already a discussion about travel journals.

You can find it here:

https://voyageforum.com/forum/sommes-nous-raseurs-avec-nos-recits-voyages-d4435857-2/

Yep, yep. A thread I’d already weighed in on 😎 True, re-reading myself I realize I can come off a bit harsh sometimes. Guess I just say things straight the way I see ‘em—I must get that from my mom.

The thread was started back in the day by Jemaflor, who quoted an author whose words had me laughing because there was so much truth in them. Those slide projections after family vacations when I was a kid—I could never get enough. But other people’s travel photos, when they weren’t interesting? That was pure suffering, endured out of politeness.

It was pretty surprising that it was Jemaflor who kicked off that kind of topic, given how amazing his travel journals are—way too few glowing comments on those, if you ask me. Such is life.

You didn’t reply in the right thread...😇

Really, I think you're being quite harsh this time (and with your post, I bet 3 travel journals will stop dead in their tracks 😄).

Phew, we're safe—those journals didn’t stop after all. When someone doesn’t care much about others, they’re often immune to criticism. I kept following one of the journals, especially since the author is nice. The other one, though, wasn’t possible. Too bad, because the topic interested me, and there were unique stops. But you get it—mom in almost every photo? Not for me.

Though, you could argue that if just one person does that, it adds a touch of originality and diversity to the journals... Well, she already had a unique tone and raw but honest reflections that I didn’t mind, and I saw you agreed.

Anyway, aside from that, there’s also a pet phrase we sometimes have to endure in journals: the infamous "Can I tag along?" or "Is there room for me in your 4x4?" It’s a cute line the first five times you read it, even if you unconsciously sense it’s a bit silly. It’s the kind of gimmick lightweight minds can repeat endlessly with delight—and that quickly grates on others. Seriously, after a while, some people find it exasperating. Sometimes, you’ll get a whole page of it in a journal, and honestly, it just doesn’t work. It reminds me of those phrases people repeat nonstop the second they hear or read them somewhere, like "it’s good for the planet" or "consume in moderation."

Sure, the intention is good at first. It really depends on whether you like marshmallow fluff. And as others might say, it’s still better than indifference.

Hi Joël, As much as I agree with rejecting the “family album” idea—even though, like you, I found the topic interesting (and for good reason ;))—I think you’re being a bit harsh on that famous 4x4 maxim. It’s one way (I’ll admit, a bit cheesy) to remind the author they’re not alone in their travel journal (even if the view count doesn’t necessarily reflect the number of active readers). Since I can tell you’re on a roll, I’ll let you suggest more appealing phrases to the lighthearted and marshmallow-loving crowd to encourage authors to keep going (because if no one reads the journals, what’s the point?)

-Move posts back to the correct discussion threads (Attila)

Since I can tell you're on a roll, I'll let you introduce lighter spirits and marshmallow lovers to turns of phrase more to your taste to encourage authors to keep going (because if no one reads the travel journals, what's the point?)

Those who love huffing and puffing over clichés aren’t likely to change their minds. You could even see it as a bit childish. And what’s the point of replacing one person’s expression with another’s?

I don’t see any specific ideas in your message for reviving or improving the site.

Could you share them in plain terms?

Thanks

No, not really. Maybe I’ve already said too much.

I don’t have any other ideas for improving a site whose setup has seemed remarkable to me from the start. There are so many sites that have changed their layout multiple times, and each time it’s worse, that I hope the folks at VF don’t get the same idea.

This has already been done for the multiple changes on VF. If you look around, you’ll find the first version online. 😛

Those who love huffing and puffing clichés

Here’s an oxymoron (and maybe even two).

"Those who focus too much on small things usually become incapable of great ones." La Rochefoucauld

@Attila

Limit the number of posts from ultracrepidarians. 😇

Limit the number of exchanges on a swap-based site?😮

(Not a new idea...)

Limit the number of exchanges on a swap-based site?

(Not a new idea...)

Or maybe limit the number of messages from those who have over 5,000 under their belt? I was about to write "I'm out," but that’s also one of those expressions that drive me nuts 😉

Phew, I've got some breathing room...😇

There’s a daily message limit for new users. After a few posts, it disappears.

It can be frustrating for newcomers because usually, your first post is a question, and if you want to ask for more details, you’ve got to wait.

- Remove the daily message limit for new users. (Attila)