donotwant

I do not see anything wrong with posting anonymously Surlok. As long as you are polite and provide fodorites with helpful advice, it does not matter whether or not you give your real name and address for the whole world to have. <BR> <BR>I do not want spam, or nasty messages from people I do not know. Several years ago, my friend (female) received several nasty and sexually explicit emails from unknown poeple. She posted in a forum similar to this with her real name and email address. Her children saw very explicit, extremely nasty sexual emails while she opened her account one day. She kept getting them until she was forced to close the account. <BR> <BR>Surlok, <BR>Those features yahoo and hotmail offer to avoid spam do not work at all. <BR>I want my privacy, I do not know what kind of creatures are luring out there on the Internet.

Surlok

It's your right to remain anonymous_ no doubts about that, but beware, virus infection can hit you anyway, even if just a few and selected people have your real e-mail address. <BR> <BR>Want to know why and how? Because these few people who have your e-mail address on their address book, if their computer is infected, will send you a virus, even if they are, (and they often are), totally unaware that their computers are infected. This is how it usually works. <BR> <BR>So, beware, don't never, ever, open an attachment, even if it comes from your attorney, accountant, best friend, relatives, if you haven't been previously communicated that they are sending you a file. <BR> <BR>I was infected by receiving an attachment sent to my private address by my attorney, who didn't know that his computer was infected. So, don't think you're safe just because you don't publicize a yahoo or hotmail address here. <BR> <BR>Surlok <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Why

When I post travel information and I want someone to ask questions if they wish, I always use my real e-mail address. But on threads like this one what possible relevance would my real name and e-mail address be. Would it be because I want to see/put my name on the board? Would it be that I want you <BR>to send me your personal comments on my opinions to me directly? Would it be because if you know I'm some big travel "expert", my opinion will mean more than opinions of others? Would it be that my honor and integrety is at stake on this issue? What would be the reason? <BR>On the downside: <BR>When you express your opinion on these non-travel posts you may be insulted and attacked. (I have been.) Since you used your name, you take it personal and feel you have to defend yourself. You may get angry and say something you shouldn't. Or, you may need to appologize but because you used your name again you ego is involved. <BR>Everybody of the board reads the thread. Then when you go to another thread and give a legitimate travel answer, people just look and say: That's that person who was on the "clever names" etc. thread. His travel advise is no good because he's a.... Your good advise gets clouded by their views of your non travel related opinions.

Donna

Like StCirq, I've been posting here for several years and have received no spam as a result - so I don't believe that to be a valid excuse. Anyone careful about opening e-mail attachments is not likely to acquire a virus. I am more than a bit reluctant to "give up" my favorite magnificent bistro experiences and fabulous moderately priced places to stay on a public forum, most certainly not to obvious fictional names and e-mail addresses. I've found that a bit of really useful information generates a friendly e-mail correspondence and plenty of round-the-world sharing of tips and recommendations one could not acquire otherwise - here on this forum, in tour guides, and so forth. I can't imagine why anyone would wish to respond to an obvious "nobody". Anyone who's perused this forum or done a search quickly learns those of "credibility". The rest, we pretty much ignore.

never

Surlok and Donna, <BR>You are lucky you never received spam! <BR>However, plenty of poeple like me have, and getting 50+ wortheless and disgusting emails a day is not fun! <BR> <BR>A virus is different from spam. Yes a virus comes in an attchment and I can be in an email from a friend or family member. <BR> <BR>However, sexually explicit pornographic pictures and web page addresses (these are not viruses) to nasty sites is not what I want in my email everyday. <BR> <BR>I believe most of the people in this forum are sincere and will not send spam or a virus. However for all the people who post and give great travel advice, there are probable hundreds out there who do not post any messages, they just come to the site to read the messages, and get email addresses and name of people to spam them. <BR> <BR>I am just being careful!

debbie

Donna, <BR>Your reading time here must be very abbreviated if you only read/pay attention to named posts. How do you know if even named addresses are real? Do you contact them all and have a response from each? I could write in a yahoo or hotmail address that is not real just to appear legit. Why don't we all leave each other alone of this. The first poster was trying to start a war- the wording used was so sarcastic that it is obvious.

Fake name

Since I started posting on this forum, I have been getting several requests for information from really nice people. I simply did not have the time to answer all of them. Then, I would feel badly for not. <BR> <BR>I also started to receive a great deal of spam. If you don't believe us who do receive this spam, please register below and I shall be more than happy to forward each and every message to you. <BR>In a very short time you would be changing your email address! <BR> <BR>

whohe

Don't you see that your point about email addresses being easy to get makes your point invalid? <BR>I could post all sorts of crap here under a genuine email address. <BR>If you think this adds "credibility" you are very naive.Those using obviously false names are just being honest. <BR>EVERYBODY on this board is effectively anonymous, no matter what address they use.This is a characteristic of the net. <BR>Meanwhile I have registered you with a few hardcore sites. <BR>NB not all viruses have to be opened as attachments.

inreply

I agree with "Why" about his comments about being pegged on this board--a good example is Elvira-- I learned fairly early here to remain anon if you want to be out of firing range--Newbies do not know all the posts that have proceded and are not about to get into politics on the forum. They are here for info not entertainment. Nothing wrong with that but some people are just wary

Mark Harris

Dear Katherine <BR> <BR>I sincerely regret having included my company e mail address when replying to remarks made by fodorites regarding Airport Shuttle in Paris.( The above e mail address is indeed false ) <BR>Originally the correct address was included to add credibility when replying to genuine concerns from clients.I was unaware , (maybe naive) that there were either " spam " merchants trawling this site lifting peoples e mail addresses or rather more worryingly & I sincerely hope this is not the case , the web site providers for this forum are selling fodorites e mail addresses to the highest bidders. <BR>I am now faced with downloading ridiculous amounts of junk every day costing the company valuable time & money. <BR>I sincerely hope that Fodors monitor this site as regularly as we do & take notice of Fodorites concerns & install some form of user security & address protection on to this forum. <BR> <BR>best regards & happy holidays to all fodorites <BR> <BR>Mark Harris <BR>Office Manager <BR>Airport Shuttle Paris

hmmm

Oh so cute! For someone who has only been lurking for a week someone sure did stir it up. Why do I suspect a troll? Or someone who is pushing registration?

anon

I post Anon because I make loads of mistakes typing. My fingers are crippled with arthritis and when some pizzle like Teach critiques some ones spelling it makes my skin crawl. Another poster I know has only one arm and is a single finger typists, so many mistakes occur. All of you who complain suffer from a mouth disease that can't be cured because it has infected your soul.

Regular Gal

St. Cirq wrote: <BR> <BR>"Those people who are interested in contributing genuine information on this site generally give their "true" names and addresses. " <BR> <BR>Well, La Dee Da. I give plenty of first-class travel info on this site under a consistent handle. My given name and e-mail are no one's business. The fact that you are willing to risk spam is your choice, but don't belittle others for making a different choice. <BR> <BR>Note to self: spam St. Cirq relentlessly and register her with Pompous Ass porn site.

Katherine

Enough! OK, I get it! For those of you who choose to be anonymous, I totally respect your choice! But please, do people have to be so mean spirited? It was an honest question. I didn't mean to try to psychoanalize anyone, I wasn't trying to "lurk" or push for registration. I was just curious. And no, it doesn't have a particular travel question attached but neither do a lot of the other postings here. <BR> <BR>How about we just leave this thread to die? And anyone who is seriously considering registering any of the other respondants here on any websites, pornographic or otherwise .... what can I say? To Surlok and St.Cirq, if that happens I truly apologize for dragging you into this.

Jean

The first time I ever posted on this forum, I used my real e-mail address ... NEVER AGAIN!! I received SO MUCH spam and trash from that mistake!! I don't mind using my real name, but no one needs my e-mail address unless I choose to give it to them. I'm certain the spam/trash I received was a result of my posting on a question on this forum, as it was the only out-of-the ordinary time I'd used my e-mail address. <BR>I'm not saying everyone will receive a host of unwanted e-mail ... but some, like me, did!

dan woodlief

Why not take the middle road and use your real name or nickname with a fake address, if worried about SPAM? Or perhaps just sign the same way each time at the end of each post as some people do. I do think Katherine is right about the credibility issue. For example, I know Paolo knows tons about Italy. If he responds to my question, I know I can trust the source. However, if he decides to say the same thing but call himself [email protected], I don't know anything about the source. If he calls himself [email protected], even if it is not a real e-mail address, I know it is a reputable source. If you still want to use fake names and addresses on controversial or humorous posts, that is another thing I guess.

XXX

Oh come on, Jean, don't tell me you don't want to get emails that start off w/ ways to enlarge your penis??? I get at least one of those a week and I'm a girl!!!

StCirq

Regular Gal: <BR> <BR>If you ever posted anything remotely useful to Fodors followers, we wouldn't know whom to thank, now, would we? I don't recall, by the way, ever seeing anything useful posted by Regular Gal. Since you choose to remain anonymous, you choose to eschew (big word, I know) interaction. Me, I prefer to *know* my correspondents, prefer that they know that I am here and willing to*talk* to them and give them advice, when I can.Many people e-mail me directly - I can live with that (I do NOT get "spam" however, I think that rumor is overrated), and am happy to respond to people directly. I don't have aything to hide by giving my real e-mail address - maybe some of you do - so I don't see what the problem is.