My nick being used at TripAdvisor
 

This is not exactly identity theft, and I know I can't own a pseudonym.

However, I noticed that someone is using the same nick at TripAdvisor that I use at this forum (and that I also use at several other travel forums). This person posted about Hotel Panda after I had posted about it on this forum.

I suppose there's a slight possibility that someone randomly chose the same pseudonym as I have, but considering the circumstances I doubt it.

I don't think anything can be "done" about it, except I'd recommend registering your nick at TripAdvisor so someone else can't use it, particularly if it's distinctive.

Sue the pants off that dirty low-down bast...d!

Only sue the pants off if the imposter is a female, please. If a guy, PLEASE sue to keep the pants on.

--Marv

I empathize with you on this, and although I need another forum to go to like I need a hole in the head, I appreciate the tip. Went and registered "Rex" just now.

Best wishes,

Rex

for those of us who use some versions of our real names, I run into this all the time. Sometimes I have to add a digit or additional letters to my name in order to register elsewhere because my original name has been registered by someone else.

Can't you be 'WillTravel2'?
Or "WillTravel#1'?

Sorry to hear about the identify theft, WillTravel, but you'll get used to it. I certainly have.

Dear will,

I am confused.

I looked up the Hotel Panda at www.tripadvisor.com and chose the one in Rome (I assume that was the one you reviewed).

There are no nicknames attached to the reviews.

They are listed as
"Reviewer: A TripAdvisor User, London"
"Reviewer: A TripAdvisor User, Los Angeles, CA"
etc

How did you find another reviewer using your nom?

elaine,

I think it is more an issue of not having the other person mixed up with you. What if they started being terribly rude and others thought it was you.

For example if Ke1th (note the middle character) on this board suddenly was doing something bizzare, I would rather they not confuse Keith and Ke1th.

Keith

Ira, here are the posts that are not made by me, but someone who registered my ID:
http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/S...ome_Lazio.html

I have no interest in adding another forum either. And realistically, there are going to be very few people who will care in the slightest. It's just in this particular case it seems very misleading because I posted here at Fodors that I hadn't stayed at Hotel Panda.

Maybe I am *really* showing my age--but I cannot imagine it was in any way intentional!! Who else but someone old enough to remmember the series "Have Gun Will Travel" would even think of that alias?? And maybe this further illlustrates my naivete, but anyone that old would not be likely to be doing it on purpose to "get" you--unless you have made an enemy(?) on this board?? Just trying to explore possible explanations..... My "professional" curiosity always gets the better of me in matters of human motivation and behavior!!

Why would the nickname "WillTravel" have anything to do with "Have gun Will Travel"????? These are travel boards, it's a perfectly logical name to choose.

WT, I know it's hard for us to believe, but a lot of people who travel never come here and so will not know that someone else uses that nickname. Even if they did, Trip Advisor is a different place. You could look on it as flattery, but annoying.

LOL Anonymous. WillTravel, please don't take this the wrong way, but your name is not exactly unusual on a travel forum. We have GoTravel, WillTravel, and other variations as well.

HI--one more thing--that person on Trip Advisor has made spelling and grammar mistakes--so that makes it even worse for you!! He only just enrolled in Oct 2004. When one looks at his profile it says he is from San Diego--altho of course one can put down whatever one wants in those profiles. I grant you, it *is* curious. And the tone of his writing suggests youth, so I am also left wondering....In other words, disregard what I wrote above in the previous post about my theories about his age. However, I guess I am back with coincidence as an explanation.

Perhaps, but it seems quite coincidental that it happened just with the Hotel Panda posts, at the same time I posted about Hotel Panda here. If the person had posted about Zanzibar or something, I'd be more likely to consider it a coincidence. If I had used the name "Ann" or "Jane" or something like that, obviously I wouldn't think anything of it.

Is it possible that the other "WillTravel" used it first and is perturbed at you for copying?

JSmith, I doubt it. That person registered at TripAdvisor in October 2004. I've been using this nick on various forums since at least 2002.

Hi to Barbara--as I said it betrays my age!! To me "WillTravel" is only the second half of "Have Gun Will Travel". Maybe I have not been on here long enough, but are there names such as TomTravel, MaryTravel or SusieTravel? To me "WillTravel" has a certain oldtime TV allusion that maybe only I am inferring.

Gee, someone registering on a forum all about travel as "WillTravel", what are the odds? Maybe 75 out of 100? That'll teach you not register as "lxiywq785346"!

Regardless, thanks for the heads-up. I just followed rex's lead and snagged my name before someone stole mine and started swooning over the Olive Garden or something. :)

socialworker, I thought of "will" as a verb.