Oh my God, ROTFL!! That is the funniest thing I've read on this site, somebody has a true gift for comedic writing. It is all soooooooo true!

Hey, all it took was one little threat of resurrected posts to send Dr. Ego slinking back into the night. He can't spin THAT much damage control and he knows it!

Here's a HUGE tip. There are a lot of experienced travelers who watch this forum but do not "give up" their best insider tips by posting them here for the world to see for many good reasons. If you want some seriously useful information, post an well-thought out question with the relevant details and your REAL e-mail address. You'll receive private replies with fabulous recommendations you won't get anywhere else, including all the tour guides and here on this forum. Does anyone seriously believe that a seasoned traveler is going to reveal a "real find" on a public forum to anonymous people?

As always, the people who scream for your real e-mail address either want to send you hate mail, spam you, or sell you something, so post it at will!

You are very wrong, Not. I have participated in this forum for many years and have never once received unwanted e-mail as a result of that. I agree with xxx above that answering inquiries with ridiculous phony names is not worthy of my time and effort. Why reveal your favorite, delightful, bargain-priced B&B to zillions of strangers? You wouldn't be able to book it again yourself! Or why reveal terrific tips you've learned over years of experience at great expense to a bunch of ungrateful jerks? Ever notice how few "thank you's" are ever posted here? Yeah, there are "regulars" who spill a few beans. Apparently they enjoy that "expert" looking thing. But, you can be sure they don't post the BEST stuf.

xxx/abc, your little slip of the keyboard about using real e-mail addys so TOUR GUIDES can contact us gave you away. You're just another travel industry professional who is trying to compose a spam list for your advertising. Thwarted again!

Naaaaw Never, it's just Rex going undercover again, trolling for new victims, whoops, "customers" for his tour guide business. And yes, he did goof up when he typed that, cuz he just exposed himself again. Now I thought the cops had warned him about that!

Hey, I'd be happy if the spam I get under my screen name and hotmail account were travel related. I couldn't care less if it came from "travel professionals", I'm adept at the delete function. <BR>Instead, I routinely have to clear out 10-15 xxxxxx+++ rated messages, not one of them travel related---at least in the conventional sense. <BR>Now, WHO did that? Blah!

Then you're only speaking for yourself, who. But of course, Fodorites never dubbed you their spokesperson to begin with. <BR> <BR>BTW, where do you think porn spammers get e-mail lists? One method is to buy them from others who cull them from chat sites such as this one. Target marketing has little to do with porn, as they stand a fairly high chance of reaching willing new customers with every mass mailing. Porn is the only industry on the net thus far that people are consistently paying for. Even Yahoo wants a piece of that action. <BR> <BR>One American woman who routinely posted her real e-mail addy here was the victim of litigous threats from some unscrupulous and scary Greek tour boat owner who traced her e-mail back to this forum. If that's the kind of thing you welcome into your life, by all means, post real e-mails. You'll get all kinds of weirdos, spam and hate mail, but don't say you were never warned. <BR> <BR>Oh yes, if you're such an advocate of posting real e-mail addresses, why incognito yourself? Got something to hide, Rex?

I don't know which posts on this thread you think are mine, but I have not posted anonymously or incognito. <BR>

Wow! What a marvelous coincidence that you just happened to be reading this then, huh Rex? <BR> <BR>But as Condit can tell you, once you've engaged in certain behavior and then tried to plaster it with a little damage control, your credibility is shot! Yours was shot a long time ago Mr. Danny/Aisling/bashful/Rex Fodor's Editor.

Advising a poster to search is not a negative thing. New posters may not know that there is such a function. They can get a lot of info by searching (assuming the function works). More info than they would get from the people who might respond in the day or so before their query sank below view.

I'm wondering who gets to decide which questions are "asked with some intelligence" and which are not. Self-appointed arbiters of intelligence, no doubt. <BR> <BR>This may fly in the face of all reason for many of you, but there are actually people out there who are happy to allow others to plan their trips for them. I'm not one of them, but they do exist. These people go on guided tours, have travel agents book them into package deals and allow internet strangers to plan itineraries. It really doesn't bother them. Apparently, the other people it bothers are the internet strangers.

As PJ says, if you want someone to plan your trip for you and not have to do anything yourself, go to a travel agent and have them do it for you and pay the fee. Don't ask me to do it. I'm not a travel agent. I'm just here to share my experiences and get and share tips. And I'm busy planning my own trips.

I nominate ititbrays([email protected]) for membership in the Our Pompous Ass Club that he so lovingly describes. Seems he has too much time on his hands.

Personally, I found ititbrays post to be uncannily true. some of us have traveled for years and well, but htere are others for whom this is a new experience, let's share thats what this is al about. No question is foolish , even the trolls can be fun, the only thing that is foolish is denigrating soem other person and trying to show you are superior. Empty barrels make the loudest noises!!!!!! I imagine we were all in this boat at one time or another, I know I was. If you are annoyed or think a question dumb, just ignore it!

Anyone who is going to a country for the first time should take a guidebook. <BR> Inexperienced travellers may not realise the importance of this & it is right to point it out. <BR> Many of the questions posted make it obvious that the poster is oblivious to this, so its good to tell them so providing its done politely.I'm afraid some show their irritation too easily.