| Feature your photos, even the ones without stories! Dec 11, 2006 |
We’re dying to see your great shots,
Request away!
| Cool new editor Dec 7, 2006 |
Cool new travel blog entry editor |
We’ve just released a cool new text editor which should make adding and editing entries much easier.
| November newsletter Nov 29, 2006 |
Check out the November newsletter!
| The Sydney Morning Herald – Article on Travel Blogging Nov 18, 2006 |
They talk about travel blogging a little and even refer to our very own Whereshegoes as a “travel celebrity” 
| October Newsletter Oct 31, 2006 |
Check out our October Newsletter. Cheers!
| Cool new way to weave photos into your entries! Oct 15, 2006 |
Give us your feedback on this new feature!
Now weaving photos into your entries is easy, really fun, and I have to admit, just looks freaking cool!
You can go edit your entries right now to start adding your photos in right now. Just click the new “Weave photos into your entry” button on your “Edit Entry” page.
Enjoy!
| Map Enhancements Oct 13, 2006 |
Why should you care? Setting your map pins on the satellite maps gives you the following benefits:
| A bigger and badder TravelPod for all! Sep 30, 2006 |
| TP Sponsors a member on the “Water for Life” Challenge Sep 26, 2006 |
The “Water for Life” Challenge: Cycling from Darwin to Ayers Rock for “Water Aid Australia”.
Thanks and wish him Good Luck !
| Members in the news! Sep 23, 2006 |
This morning, one of our long-time members, uncle_davros was telling his tales in The Guardian, a popular UK based newspaper.
Looking good Dave!
| New Feature: More personal info on your profile page Sep 23, 2006 |
| New “Jump to latest entry” link Sep 13, 2006 |
Thanks for the feedback!
| New city level browsing Sep 6, 2006 |
In case you haven’t noticed TP now has a city level search.
See the “Most popular cities:” box on this page for a sample
New city level search
Instead of just getting “Canada” level results, you can drill down to Ottawa.
You could search for this before but now the browsing interface allows you to easily get to content.
This should make getting to our photos, travel blogs and videos much much easier
Enjoy!
| Radio spotlight on TravelPodder going from London to Australia by car currently in Iran Aug 28, 2006 |
One of our members ( jennykelly ) is currently going from London to Australia by car!
She called into a radio show ( ABC Local Radio – Australia All Over ) in Australia from Iran for an interesting interview about her adventures.
Jenny Kelly calls in at 26:18 into the show and speaks until 29:50 at which point there is a break for weather, news etc. She then comes on again at 42:30 and speaks until 48:00.
She is in Iran now and reports that gas is: 2.4 cents per liter, woa!
Looking forward to her next update next Sunday… stay tuned.
| South American Starter Kit Jul 27, 2006 |
If you haven’t checked out our South American FAQ yet, check it out:
| New Feature: Find other travelers! Jul 27, 2006 |
Enjoy!
| New Feature: TravelPod Friends Jul 22, 2006 |
| New Feature: Find other travelers near you! Jun 19, 2006 |
This is only phase one and much more is coming like mapping and expanded searching.
TravelHood Suggestions and Feedback
We would also love to hear about your experiences meeting people using your TravelHood or any other neat ways you have found it useful.
| What is the TravelHood? |
| Have you ever been somewhere and want to meet up, share info or just chat with another TravelPod member who also was traveling where you where right then? With your TravelPod TravelHood, which is sort of a Geographic Neighbourhood, you can do just that!
Your TravelHood lists travelers who are near you which you might want to get in touch with! How do we do this? When you login we try to determine your geographic location using some snazzy tools we’ve spent a lot of time developing. We then match up your location with the location of other TravelPod members who are geographically close to where you are. We show you who these travelers are and when they last logged in from that spot. From there it’s up to you to get in touch with them and take it from there! What better way to find a travel partner, get travel info or just meet new interesting people with similar interests who might be sitting right next to you. Give it a try. You’ll be surprised just how many other travelers like you are right around the corner! |
Enjoy!
| Charlotte to Croatia Jun 5, 2006 |
Here’s a cool one. TravelPod Member Chuck Horton, better known as chuckh is featured in a story posted to the Charlotte Observer site today (June 5 2006). Chuck is travelogging from Croatia. Check it out.
| Site Upgrade – Single Sign-On May 24, 2006 |
Briefly, this change will require a quick ID and/or password reset for a small group of Members. The notes below explain things and formal email notification, complete with all the details, is forthcoming.
IMPORTANT NOTE: TravelPod.com will be unavailable for approximately 2 hours, between 2 and 4 PM EST on May 31, 2006 while we cut-over to the new unified login system.
| Single Sign-On – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |
| What is single sign-on? |
| Single sign-on (SSO), aka “Unified Login”, is the ability for a member to login to TravelPod once, with a single user ID and password, and get access to all the services of TravelPod, including the TravelPodium discussion forums, aka “the Forums”. |
| So what’s the big deal? |
| The TravelPodium discussion forums are powered by Invision Power Board. This purchased software comes with its own database and management of members. We were so eager to provide the Forums to our members that we initially took a short cut and did not integrate its members database with the existing TravelPod members database. This means that a TravelPod member had to separately register in the Forums, and also log in twice.
This was confusing and inconvenient. Many members thought the Forums did not work and so did not participate. Quite understandably, many members complained. There are many great topics and active discussions in the Forums, and we don’t want anything to stand in the way of our members from participating. So enough! Lets do the work and unite the members databases! |
| When does single sign-on take effect? |
| We will cut-over and unite the members databases on Wednesday, May 31, 2006. |
| What will change with single sign-on? |
| Members will notice the following changes:
• You only have to remember one user ID and password for all of TravelPod. • A new TravelPod member is automatically registered with the TravelPodium forums. • When you log in, using the Login link in the TravelPod banner, you are automatically logged in to TravelPodium. • If you were not previously registered in TravelPodium, you are automatically registered when you first log in after the cut-over. • The Join and Login links, as well as your login status, are now displayed in the TravelPod banner displayed on the Forums pages, just like on other TravelPod pages. • We have removed the Forums-specific links for Log In, Register, and Log Out; just use the common ones in the TravelPod banner instead. |
| What stays the same with single sign-on? |
| You should realize that behind the scenes there are still two members databases, we just make sure you have the same user ID in both. TravelPod and TravelPodium forums still provide separate pages to manage your profile information. If you make a change to your TravelPod profile, say change your e-mail address, it does not affect the TravelPodium profile, and vice versa.
Also, TravelPod and the Forums still use different browser cookies to track your login sessions. Your TravelPod and Forums login sessions expire at different times. If you return to the site after being away for a few hours or days, you may notice that you are r Forums session is still active but not in TravelPod. |
| Will current members need to change anything when TravelPod cuts over to single sign-on? |
| Yes, some members will need to make changes to their user ID or email address. We had to make minor changes to the membership rules so that we could bring the two member databases together. We sent e-mails to all members that are affected by these changes, but it is possible that some e-mails did not get delivered.
• You must have the same user ID in both TravelPod and the Forums. So if you registered in the Forums with a different user ID than your TravelPod user ID, your Forums user ID must change. In many cases, we have been able to match your Forums account to your TravelPod account and will change your Forums user ID during the cut-over. After the cut-over, just login with your TravelPod user ID and password. • In some cases, we were not able to match your Forums account to your TravelPod account. When you first login after the cut-over, you will likely get re-registered in the Forums with your TravelPod user id. However you’ll also have a new profile and posting history. Don’t worry, we can fix things up for you, just send an e-mail to unified@travelpod.com and tell us your TravelPod user ID and your old Forums user user ID. • TravelPod user IDs must now be at least 3 characters long. If you have a shorter user ID, you will be prompted to change it to a longer user ID when you first log in after the cut-over. • Each TravelPod account must have an e-mail address. If you have an account with no email address, you will need to add one, using the Personal Settings page. • Each TravelPod account must now have a unique e-mail address. If you have more than one account with the same email address, you will need to change the e-mail address in the other accounts using the Personal Settings page. It’s OK for you to have multiple accounts, you just need to have a different e-mail address in each one. Alternatively, you can send us e-mail at unified@travelpod.com and ask us to delete an unused account or even merge together the contents of multiple accounts. |
| I registered in the Forums with a different user ID and password than in TravelPod. Which one do I use? |
| After the cut-over, only your Travelpod user ID and password are valid. If you had a different Forums user ID and password, they no longer work. We tried very hard to match your Forums account to your TravelPod account so that you can access both after the cut-over. |
| How did you match my Forums account to my TravelPod account? |
| Well, it wasn’t always easy, and we weren’t always able to do it. Mostly we tried to match on the e-mail address in your Forums and TravelPod profile. If the e-mails were the same or similar we likely had a match. We were even more certain if the user IDs were the same. However if you had the same user ID but completely different e-mail addresses in the profiles, we didn’t think this was a match. If we made a mistake in your case we apologize, just send us an e-mail at unified@travelpod.com and we will correct it. |
| I was registered in the Forums but not in TravelPod. How do I log in after the cut-over? |
| No wonder we couldn’t match your Forums account to your TravelPod account! First, you need to join TravelPod – its free! Then send us an e-mail at unified@travelpod.com with your Forums user ID and your new TravelPod user ID, and we will match the two accounts. You won’t be able to access the Forums until you do this. Note you may not be able to keep the same user ID, it may already be taken in the TravelPod members database. Please ensure you send us e-mail from the same address that appears in your profile so we can verify we are matching the accounts from the same person. |
| Why does the Login page have a “Login to Forums” check box? |
| This box is checked by default so that you automatically get logged in to the Forums when you log in to TravelPod. But just in case you cannot or don’t want to be logged in to the Forums, you can uncheck this box before pressing the Login button. If you are having a problem, please let us know at unified@travelpod.com. |
| Why don’t I see my old Forums profile and posting history when I log in? |
| Perhaps we were unable to match your Forums account to your TravelPod account. If so, we likely re-registered you in the Forums with your TravelPod user ID the first time you logged in after the cut-over. Don’t worry, we can restore your old Forums profile and posting history. Just email us at unified@travelpod.com and tell us your TravelPod user ID and original Forums user name, and we’ll fix things up for you. |
| I liked my Forums user ID better than my TravelPod user ID. Why can’t I keep it? |
| For single sign-on to work, we had to pick one members database to be the master, and that was the original TravelPod members database. However, if you really liked your Forums user ID better, you have two possible options. First, your Forums display name can be different than your user ID, you can change it to whatever you want – as long as that name isn’t already taken. Or you can e-mail us at unified@travelpod.com and ask us to change your TravelPod user ID, as long as it isn’t already taken. |
Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.
Francis Bacon
Cheers!
| Hometown Attention May 24, 2006 |
One of those stories is about your very favourite travel blog site. Read it here.
The other story is about a pair of our favourite TravelPod Members, the globe-trotting duo known to you all as thymeoff. Read their story about Leaving It All Behind.
The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality,
and instead of thinking how things may be,
to see them as they are.
Samuel Johnson
Cheers!
| BBC, DeKalb Daily May 12, 2006 |
TravelPod Members continue to the make news around the world. Last week, Members Ray and Jan Ott were featured in the DeKalb (IL, USA) Daily Chronicle. Seems the footloose Otts have been hankering to return to the Peace Corps for about 25 years, and the time has come. You can read about Ray and Jan’s excellent plan and maybe drop them a line of encouragement at rayandjan.
Meantime, halfway around the world, our own Steve James has achieved yet another moment of fame. Steve’s writing on TravelPod is cited in the current Weblog Watch, a new feature in the BBC’s online Magazine. In a world where there are hundreds of millions of blogs, Steve’s has risen to the top. We say Congratulations! and you can do the same at stevejames.
I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.
Oscar Wilde
Cheers!
| DATELINE: INSPIRATION Apr 10, 2006 |
Some more media coverage to report, folks. This time it’s the Edmonton Journal in Alberta Canada (which just happens to be home-base for TravelPod Community Manager Carmella aka whereshegoes) and this time, it’s not one but two articles that together consume all of the front page of the Saturday (April 4, 2006) Travel Section and spill over on to page 2.
In the first story, entitled Travel blogs keep wanderers in touch you’ll read the familiar TravelPod.com rags to (maybe… someday…) riches story. As a bit of an aside, I continue to be fascinated with what reporters and editors choose to include in their published pieces. The facts in the article are completely correct (as checked and double-checked by the Journal’s fact-checking department) but it is almost amusing to note that there is always far more discussed in a preparatory interview than makes it to the printed page.
Some of that can be attributed to the finite amount of space available to many competing writers and their stories, but I suspect the same thing happens in longer forms of journalism including magazines, closely managed on-line media outlets, and even book-length travel memoirs. Knowing how many words are enough to get the point across in an engaging, entertaining and informative manner is valuable knowledge, but it always requires that something be left out of the story.
Not so with travel blogs. How many words are enough? Exactly the number you use to have your say your way. Self-editing has a place and we all do it to some extent, but what I find most compelling about TravelPod members’ writing is the serendipity: the almost accidental moments of revelation; the characters and the local colour that are revealed when we just let the words flow into our travelogues. Yes, there will always be newspapers, magazines and books stuffed into my backpack, but nothing compares to the magic of an earnest TravelPod raconteur’s tales from foreign roads, typos and all.
But wait! I haven’t told you about the second story in the Edmonton Journal. TravelPod is mentioned (in passing, more or less) but the real subject is Carmella her very own self! It’s entitled She quit her job and hit the road. This may be the first time (and let me know if I’m wrong) that a TravelPod member has parlayed a passion for travel into a Warholian moment of fame.
We are justifiably proud of Carmella’s tireless efforts to make TravelPod the best travel blogging site on the Web (in addition to being the original and first) but the Journal profile reminded me of one of the very most valuable things about Carmella: she has been and continues to be an inspiration to others. To quote from the paper, Carmella “… has inspired some people around the world to follow her bold move and tread their own path….”
Yes indeed. That is what Carmella and every one of you TravelPod travel bloggers is really all about.
Do read the stories. They’re inspirational in themselves.
Cheers!
| Connections That Inspire Mar 28, 2006 |
In the magazine department, one of the latest examples can be found in the March issue of Outside magazine. Here’s a link to the on-line version of the Outside article and that’s one of two points we want to make: there is precious little that appears in the traditional media that isn’t also available in some electronic form. Does that mean we no longer need the good old paper-and-ink version of “the news”? As travellers, we don’t think that to be the case.
Internet access may be what some folks call ubiquitous but as travellers we know that there are many, many, many places on earth where we cannot and may never be able “log on”. And the truth is, much of what we enjoy most about travel comes from not being connected. To some extent, we hope that never changes. No on-line magazine article can ever tell the kinds of stories you’ll hear on a long and dusty bus ride through the Andean foothills.
Our second point? Well, we admit to being just a bit conflicted. Obviously, TravelPod is an on-line medium itself and the internet is essential to our existence. So how do we all strike a balance? We strike a balance by recording the stories we hear on the buses, in the cafes, and on the streets. We post words, photos and videos, share them with the entire TravelPod community and the connected world beyond… and inspire others to climb on board the next bus heading for the hills.
On the topic of media and the connections that inspire, I would be remiss if I didn’t put in a good word for our very own TravelPod Newsletter. Subscribers know that we made some exciting changes in the February issue (check it out) and the feedback has been nothing but positive (and thanks very much for that.) With the March issue of the TravelPod Newsletter, we’re at it again. To get your copy of the TravelPod Newsletter delivered right to your inbox:
1. Visit the TravelPod home page. Look for the frame dubbed “Join our Newsletter” on the left hand side of the page.
2. Type your email address in the spot provided.
3. Click on the button with the arrow and that’s it.
‘Writing and travel broaden your ass if not your mind
and I like to write standing up.’
Ernest Hemingway
| WELCOME FORUM MODERATORS Mar 13, 2006 |
The TravelPod Forums have been serving up expert travel guidance for some time. Forum membership gives you a direct connection to fellow members and an easy way to ask pointed questions about specific travel destinations, about the ins-and-outs of TravelPod itself, and about travel in general.
Until recently, staying on top of the Forums was a task that fell to Carmella (whereshegoes) but with both membership and forum activity levels on the rise, your tireless Community Manager sent out a wise call for help… and a few truly dedicated Members have answered that call.
Today, we are pleased to welcome and tip our hats (all the way) to a new slate of TravelPod Forum Moderators. Without further ado, let’s meet them, shall we?
Barrett Barrett
Linda grannytravels2
Jenn Incrediblelife
Kevin & Siankevandsian
Steve stevejames
Ross technotrekker
Scott ScottWoz
and, of course, whereshegoes.
These folks give of their time and wisdom to support the entire TravelPod Community and we can’t say THANK YOU often enough. On the other hand, all of you Members at large can say thank you by dropping in to the TravelPod Forums right now . You’ll discover an ever-expanding body of trusted travel advice. You’ll connect directly with travelers who share your unique interests and concerns. And you’ll find ample opportunity to contribute your own travel wisdom.
Please note that TravelPod.com Membership and TravelPod Forum Membership are not, at present, one and the same. We are redesigning our member registration facility to streamline the process and we appreciate your patience. To register for the TravelPod Forums now, click here.
The travel writer seeks the world we have lost—the lost valleys of the imagination.
- Alexander Cockburn, Harper’s, Aug 1996 -
| Millions Of Visitors Can’t Be Wrong Feb 23, 2006 |
The other thing that changed in 2005? The media caught up with the revolution in travel blogging, specifically. Newspapers, radio and television, and on-line information and review outlets all came knocking to find out what it was all about. I bet a good number of you found TravelPod through some of that media buzz. (You can take a look back at all the great coverage TravelPod has enjoyed right here.)
These two developments have had a tremendous impact on TravelPod.com, and not only on the number of visitors. In fact the TravelPod Team is very proud to announce here and now that membership has tripled in only 10 months. Active travelers and armchair travelers, travelogue writers and travel photo bugs and travel videographers: all are joining the TP family at a furious rate!
For the more visually inclined among us, I’ve drawn this little graph to illustrate.
 |
My point? Simply this. Thank you all for elevating TravelPod to a whole new level.
Travel on, friends… a world of wonders awaits.
| Zoom In On TP’s Backyard Feb 16, 2006 |
Read the OBJ article here and let us know what you think.
| Post-To-Winners Announced Jan 31, 2006 |
mr-mrs_pickles for Sherwood forest and Nottingham
stevejames for Big Trouble In Little China
longwalktour for Bulgaria
rich for Canyon Swing
and
the tardifs for What To Do In Siem Reap.
Well done, good friends.
Well done.
| Travel With Care Jan 26, 2006 |
Read the Arizona Republic article here.
Follow Maggies’ TravelPod posts at mcashdollar.
| TP On The Air Jan 23, 2006 |
We’ve just received our copy of the recent radio interview featuring TravelPod Community Manager Extraordinaire Carmella (whereshegoes).
The interview aired on KPAM in Portland OR on December 24, 2005 and Carmella did a great job of summing things up for the uninitiated. Bravo, Carmella.
Grab your copy and give it a listen. Then spread it around among friends, family, and anyone considering a travel adventure.
Happy Trails, to one and all.
| Pints with Barrett – TravelPod meets with a member. Jan 18, 2006 |
Andrea, Lucky and Carmella meet with a long time member in Ottawa! |
We’re always more than happy to meet and have a pint or two with members when ever they’re in town.
Luckly, Carmella ( whereshegoes ) was in town too. It was great to get his feedback about his experiences with TravelPod and we got a real kick out of his enthusiasm for TravelPod and traveling in general.
Barrett recently ended a big trip and posted a great blog about it on TP.
| Which maps are right for you? Jan 9, 2006 |
We’ve been getting some great feedback from our members regarding our new Google satellite maps.
Which map type should you choose?
First off, you can always change the default map type at any time so feel free to try one and then to try the other to see which one you like best.
So, which should you pick? To some degree it’s a matter of personal preference but there are some differences you should be aware of before picking a map type.
| Detailed Satellite Maps | Original Classic Maps | ||
Recommended |
• TravelPod based maps |
| Your Blog In Ink? Jan 4, 2006 |
Canada’s Globe & Mail newspaper invites you to “Sound off and share your travel tales from the road.” Just copy some of your best travel blog words (200 to 800 maximum) and paste them into an email to the Travel section at the Globe and Mail.
I’ll be watching for it.
| TP In The News Jan 4, 2006 |
