I am just curious as to how many people read every NEW review that's posted on the site? And I'm trying out the poll feature of the forums.
Webmaster: I used to try to read all the posts, but some of them have gotten so inane and so personal that I find myself, more and more, hitting the"clear all posts" button and moving on unless something really catches my eye. Perhaps, if folks were counseled to use the site in a more meaningful way (whatever that means), it would minimize the large number of posts that many of us are skiping over. Thanks for asking!
I use the park reviews in the following manner. If I am going to a specific area I check the reviews for those campgrounds in that area. I never just read the reviews at random.
As far as campground review, I read the ones that pertain to the area that I plan on visiting. Occasional will look up a park for some one else. As far as the forums, when there is some thing I might be able to answer or learn from I will follow it. Like Beastdriver I skip the personal stuff. Just my opinion but that stuff should be on private mail.
When I first log on I will normally look over the list of recently submitted reviews and pick ones out to read that catch my eye. However, since I am not on everyday I am sure to miss several new ones. Other than that I just look at areas I am planning on going and reading reviews there.
I would like to read every one, but I just don't have time, so I watch for those that are in areas I think we will be visiting sometime soon and read them. Also if I see a really low rating I might read it just out of curiosity, and I usually try to read all the ones that are for a Texas park/campground just because we're from there.
In addition to checking areas I plan to travel to this year, I also read the reviews of parks I have been to in the past. Part memory lane, part to see if the park has changed since my last visit, and part to see how the reviews compare to my experience. I find this a good way to find out if a certain park has closed, changed ownership, improved its' facilities, etc. It is a much more current resource than the newest Woodalls or Trailer's directories.
Webmaster: Reviews: Only read the new ones that apply to: (1) campgrounds visited in the past, (2) local and distant cgs that we use regularly, (3) reviews as they pertain to an upcoming visit to a new area, (4) to compare experiences on the same cg. Postings is different story, as I read the: "since your last visit". View all the topics, and read the postings that are of interest to myself. But must say that I do read them all most days, as they surely give one the insight of others in their opinions and thoughts. Some days the postings are very interesting as to the subject, opinions, experiences, and above all, the attitudes toward others.
I try to read all the new one's within my state. We travel all over it so we use it to pick places we don't know anything about. However I will read on ocassion the bad one's from all over just for a good laugh.
I check out the new campground reviews regularly and read the ones about parks in areas that I might visit in the near future, parks that I have visited or any review that catches my eye. In the review section I think we don't need 23 postings of the same park saying basically the same, how good/ bad the park is, so I add only reviews that give new parks or different views or updated info. I think that having too many reviews about the same parks only makes for an information overload without adding usefulness, for example Myrtle Beach, SC has many campgrounds with many reviews, and this does not make it easier to decide which one is the best. In the forum section I read most of the posts.
QUOTE(Webmaster @ Mar 18 2007, 12:36 PM) [snapback]6553[/snapback] I am just curious as to how many people read every NEW review that's posted on the site? And I'm trying out the poll feature of the forums. I use the RSS feeds and then scan those for anything new and interesting.
I'll scan the list of new reviews on the Home page and if any catch my interest, I'll take a look at them. And, I usually always read the new reviews of campgrounds from my state and a few other states that surround me, because that's where we do a large percentage of our camping.
We sort of do the same. If I've been to the park, I'll read the review - regardless of where it is. Otherwise, I only look at reviews that are in my state - or in an area that I'm traveling to.
Ok, I admit to being a rubbernecker. I can't resist checking out any review that got really low ratings. I guess I'm curious to see if it's really a train wreck or just someone being a jerk.
QUOTE(Webmaster @ Mar 18 2007, 03:36 PM) [snapback]6553[/snapback] I am just curious as to how many people read every NEW review that's posted on the site? And I'm trying out the poll feature of the forums. Well- - - it seems to me that the normal way to use the info posted herein would be to read reviews for campgrounds in "an area of interest"- - - say perhaps where you plan to go on your NEXT big trip. Me- - - I'm checking everything out that I can in the Wisconsin, UP and Michigan areas since that is the target this summer!
I scan the latest reviews to see if there any for the locations I may be camping in and then focus on each state or province to find other reviews I may have missed previously. I look for favourable reviews of rv parks that have amenities that I want in a park. Different strokes for different folks. Some RVers need WIFI while others really need that campfire atmosphere. Incidently would it be possible to include in the reviews if the RV parks actually allow campfires or if they have individual firepits or a community one? Not that I want to have a campfire, but to possibly avoid a park that has them as my wife has some severe allergies to smoke. RV Park Reviews is a great site and I appreciate all the work being done by the fine folks that keep this site going.
