Hey Harvey, yes I am not new. I joined ft in 2007 and I have only (or had only) posted 6 times. 2 to ask q's re Emirates 1 to post a deal I found (that you will see I apologised if it was not the correct way etc) and the rest on this topic.

This is because I did not want to make annoying posts and found the information on my own by going through the forums. Harvey this is my exact point. This community is missing out on what COULD be great deals because the less experienced of us may find it a little intimidating to post in case it is not done in the right way, or snooty remarks etc etc.

It is because I am inexperienced I am hesitant to post and sensitive to criticism, and perhaps a little worried that I may be a lot dimmer than I thought not making sense of it. When you know what you are doing you are confident.

Someone who wants to just take (and Harvey comments like that are exactly why the more shy and less expert members like me don't want to post, here to learn not to spurn) may join a forum, make a barrage of requests for others to sort out fares and routings for them and be on their merry way when they have got what they want from others research.

I have made no requests for someone to find me a fare or do any work for me.
Simply a request to learn after trying on my own and finding it hard to decipher.

I can't very well bake you a cake until you show me how to bake it.

there are some Gordon Ramsey's out there so if you are serving cake it better be good

I absolutely love being able to help people and go out of my way to do it.
I get a real buzz out of it and I know some people on here do too.

Thanks everyone for their replies. I am going to spend some time playing with the ita software and might ask one of the more generous members for an assignment