What is the deal with this blue ribbon stuff? I read a couple of posts where people said they were wearing blue ribbons while traveling through Europe. Whats the deal with that? <BR> <BR>Also, I have been over on the AOL travel posting forum for 6 years now. Still am actually. <BR> <BR>Were copying and pasting sonsa$$#### over there yah know. We copy and paste the kitchen sink. I think you haftah take some kinda oath to always copy and paste comments from another post before you can go on the AOL travel boards. ;-) <BR> <BR> <BR>Anyway, just wanted to know the deal with that blue ribbon stuff. <BR> <BR>

Greg, the blue ribbon is what a bunch of posters on this site agreed to wear while traveling so that they could identify each other as fodorites, maybe get together for drinks or whatever. <BR> <BR>Then someone had the idea of designing a Fodors pin, which Rex, a regular poster here, agreed to design and make and distribute to all those interested. <BR> <BR>I don't know what happened to that idea, by then there was this big brouhaha concerning Rex, and then there were postings from Fodors editors that THEY would have the pins for people who wanted them. But I don't know whether those postings were really Fodors editors or not. Very mysterious. <BR> <BR>And that's the story of the blue ribbons. Personally, I think it's dopey, but I'm not much of a banner waver. However, I wish everyone happy travels whether or not they actually ever get their pins.

Greg <BR>Go to the Travel Talk homepage and sign up for a free Fodor's pin. Fodor's created a pin for us to wear when traveling. I can't wait to get mine! <BR> <BR>Catherine

Well, that clears up the mystery for me, too. The fodors editors' offer was real.

I sent for one just "because" but I don't plan to wear it. It's free, but you must be willing to gewt on Fodors' junk mail list. That would kind of defeat the purpose of not wearing white sneakers, I think. I wouldn't mind getting occasional mail from Fodors if it's interesting, but will be annoyed and will request a stop if it's truly nuisance junk.

Thanks for the comments. Yes that would be a great way to indicate to other travelers that a Fodors message board participant was close by.

I thought the copy & paste policy was just a quirky thing Capo likes to do...he must be an AOL travel grad. <BR>j.

Actually there isn't as much copy and pasting going on in the travel forums as there is in some other message forums. <BR> <BR>In some forums it gets so bad with the copy and pasting, you know all those &lt;&lt;&lt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt; that you really don't know who said what. Misquoting goes on all the time. <BR> <BR>Anyway, I like the Fodors message forum for the most part. I like it when there is Swiss talk, but I read em regardless of what they are.