Allow posts only when people are actually traveling?

Question

I think we should classify all posts that people do while at home off-topic. We are a travel site and users should be true to the topic at hand. Why do I think this would be a good idea?

• We have too often people who make assumptions on trips without researching. If we force people to at least travel somewhere when posting, they get into the proper frame of mind and will therefore ask smarter questions
• We have too many theoretical questions that are just there to give us work in answering which however have no practical application. If we force people to ask only what they need right now, we make sure this does not happen.

How to enforce this?

• If people want to ask something about Paris, they have to prove a) that they do not live there (i.e. show some proof of residence of another location) and b) that they are actually in Paris. If they ask what the cheapest flight is, they have to prove that they are actually at the airport. For this, we need to implement a new SE-Selfie app that automatcially posts the selfie into the question.

It would significantly lower the the amount of work the regular users will have to do in answering the questions and much more meaningful questions would be possible, too.

Answer 1

About time we did this. We would ask each potential petitioner for the following:

• First, a geotagged selfie in front of a major recognizable landmark
• Obviously, a scanned passport and visa (where applicable)
• Original proof of residence
• Legally certified birth certificate
• Some bank statement for the last five years, or a photo with a pile of cash

Documents need to be sent on a floppy disk or zip drive to:

Stack Exchange Inc.
{T,N}SA Compliance division
42 Unicorn Drive
Republic of Texas

Alternatively, electronic versions can be hosted on publicly accessible torrent server and the link sent via post-it note to the address above.

Upon delivery and examination of the documentation, users would receive a lovingly designed Travel-SE care package (value 41.99 Unicoins), consisting of a towel, T-shirt, stickers and a unicorn badge. Users are required to wear said items at all times when abroad. Compliance is enforced by our super friendly community moderators, which, rest assured, know exactly where you live and where you are at all times.
_{We reserve the right to contact local police enforcement in events of, but not limited to: moonshining, littering, display of cultural insensitivity, gross inebriation and improper toilet usage.}

Answer 2

Don't forget c) show a proof that they're going to return home. Preferably with a photo of them on the return trip — with a newspaper to validate the date of course — but if they're members in good standing, we can let them go with a copy of a confirmed ticket for a date in the near future. If we aren't sure that they're going to return home soon, they fall under the suspicion of being exp*triates, and we definitely don't want those kinds on this site.

Answer 3

Excellent idea! However, I think it's even more important that we validate people's answers in the same way, otherwise they might never had been to the place, and how could you possibly trust their opinion then?

I think the best way to do this would be through a Travel.SE Tracker(tm) device that uses GPS to track and record the user's movements at all times, using a Iridium satellite uplink to upload the data in realtime to the Travel.SE data vaults. The device would be implanted directly into the skull at various StackExchange-approved clinics, and would have tamper protections (eg. requiring a pulse at all times) to prevent cheating.

Now I understand some people might object that this isn't very friendly for newbies, so I'd be willing to compromise: until they reach >100 rep, new users can use the Travel.SE Tracker Lite(tm) version, available as a convenient suppository from all well-stocked pharmacies.

Answer 4

I like to "reminisce" about the trips I've taken. (I don't have a whole lot of fun while I'm actually travelling.) All of my questions, and many of my answers cover these trips. And all of them were posted from "home."

To paraphrase Warren Buffett, 1 percent of the fun is in the travelling, and 99 per cent in the reminiscing. While the numbers may differ for others, well, I hope you get my point.