Yes topper you are ruining peoples' enjoyment and a board where people gather info for their holidays. Now for the big question and I want you too ask yourself this question. Why? <BR>You are mostly likely male and I assume young, if you are middle-aged or older then I truely feel sorry for you. You never matured and have probably lead a lonely and bitter life. But if you're a young male why are you sitting alone (in the summer I assume) attempting to ruin others' enjoyment? Do you have friends? Do you have problems with the opposite or same sex, no girlfriend/boyfriend? Are you sexually inadequate physically or emotionally? Haven't come to grips with you own sexual idenity? Do others always pick-on or bully you? Do your fantasies contain violence against others? You see what you are doing is anti-social, you can't share what you are doing with other *normal* people because they'd think you're a loser. So you must only do this when you're *alone* and *only* you can get enjoyment from this. Can't you see this isn't a normal thing to do and there is an underlying reason? <BR> My e-mail handle is "Poetic Justice" because life is funny like that and what "comes around goes around". Remember this in life, so someday when someone takes their keys and scratches you new car for *no reason*. Or smears feces all over a public toilet when you really need it. Just stupid things like that you'll come across that with affect/impact *you*, just don't ask yourself why they did it... you sadly already know the answer. Just remember "Poetic Justice" and think of me). <BR> You may be anonymous to us but you aren't to Fodor's you are leaving a electronic trail that can be probably traced even if you're using a free mail account. I've seen people do it on rec.travel.europe & .air <BR>In closing just ask yourself Why? The true answer might scare or depress you! <BR>Regards, Walter (PoeticJustice)

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?: topper was putting messages to the top for almost 2hrs, check the "time stamps" <BR>on recent messages during the past 2 hrs. Regards, Walter

HA HA HA. <BR> <BR>this is, by far, the funniest post I have read in a long long time. WHAT A NUTTER! where do you come up with your stuff? talk about LEFT FIELD. <BR> <BR>too much powder in the Cheerios, eh Walter? <BR> <BR>and no, I am not topper - but man you need a chill pill dood. <BR> <BR>many people "top" messages to help other people out. if someone asks a question - someone helpfully brings the string to the top. doesn't sound too negative to me, if you ask me. <BR> <BR>thanks for the laugh of the day! <BR> <BR>and yes, I am remaining anonymous (something I never do) because I don't need the hate mail in my email.. <BR>

What gives Walter? I think "Topper" is very helpful to this discussion board...I have to agree with "too priceless"...I think a lot of our fellow posters need to chilllllll!!!!!!!!!

too priceless: Look before you leap there bud. Topper topped 50+ messages in alittle over an hour, some as many a 3 times and he topped as many as 3 messages in *1* minute. <BR>He didn't do this too be helpful but to be disruptive. And it worked this board was basically unuseable. As I said before "check the time stamps". This has happened before here. <BR> I posted my real e-mail address *why* would I send *you* hate mail. My remarks were to attempt to shame this person into stopping and hopefully it did. Yes posters here do bring *1* message to the top to help people, not 50+ in alttle more than an hour. Does this make sense to you? Regards, Walter

Ok, I really make it easy this time. Between 0946 and 1046 today (8/30/00). Topper, the bad topper not the good topper. Posted over *ON* over 60 messages in *1* hour, he topped these 60 messages sometimes 2 and 3 times (the *same* message) and topped different messages at sometimes 3 per minute. So now we are talking of *way-over* 100 posts in *1* hour. Do you think he was being disruptive? Or am I way off base here! Check the time stamps for that time period. When I came online too post I saw what was happening and got angry and posted. Regards, Walter <BR> <BR>

To: too priceless <BR> <BR>There are two reasons to send messages to the top: <BR>a) helping people out with relevant old messages or reviving interesting discussions; and <BR>b) trying to bury a specific thread ... <BR> <BR>Well, our "present" topper started his/her quest to bury a specific thread sending messages to the top ... but he/she was unfortunate because there was a reply to this thread and there it was again at the top. So, he/she had to start from scratch ... <BR> <BR>To Walter: It's not difficult to infer which thread our topper wanted to bury ... hint: replies to this thread were given at 9:59am and then once again at 10:13am <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

Not that Walter needs my defending him, as he is clearly quite capable, but I have to agree. I have run across several of the Topper's efforts, and as Walter pointed out, several within minutes of each other. <BR> <BR>So, what is the harm you ask? The harm is, that the "real" recent messages are being pushed two or three or more pages down making the site much less useful. In addition, if you had posted a question yesterday and nobody replied, by the time Topper finished pushing a bunch of other stuff up, yours will literally never get read. Or answered. <BR> <BR>So, my vote is, if someone specifically needs something pushed up, go for it. Otherwise, let this site be!!!

Paulo: Thanks, I didn't think of that, burying posts. Yes *very* odd that that *1* post that was in that timeframe was missed esp. when it was on the top twice and other posts received 1-3 "to the top" messages. *Very Odd Indeed* <BR> To Everyone: Yes my original post was a rant with the intention of shaming this topper away. In it I didn't get angry or resort to name calling but tried to hopefully hit the right button. Hey, it's sometimes worked it real life for me. And playing the odds these troll-types are usually young males with no life. But I definitely missed this persons' agenda. Regards, Walter

good grief walter. first of all you accuse someone else of all of these emotional problems, then you go back and count the number of messages and the exact times. takes one to know one i believe is how the saying goes.

More in defense of my rantings. Last year at the beginning of the summer (june/july) this board was getting hit with these "topper" attacks. Sometimes 30/40 posts topped within 15-30min and sometimes several times a day. This site was getting unusable, new posts were getting pushed down and old/dead posts were being brought to the top. I became angry that one person was again trying to ruin this board for myself and others. Rereading my rant, I should have explained better at what and who I was raving on about and why, although in hindsight I was wrong about this topper's motives. I tend to go off the deep-end in life on people who go out of their way to be mean/rude to others for no reason. And some of those reasons I posted (meant to insult) have made people I've met in life very antisocial and I really do believe in poetic justice. <BR>For those who weren't on the forum 13+months ago, do a search (just topper & "find") and you'll find about 3 topics on him and the disruption he caused. Regards, Walter <BR>

Actually Micheal I just looked at the "time stamps" on the posts and the posts are numbered. I then clicked-on a few and saw what was happening again. It took 5 minutes! <BR>Now what part of my attempting to shame or insult a person who was trying to (I thought at the time) disrupt this board for his sheer enjoyment don't you understand? Regards, Walter

Just to add my two cents. Topper adds no value to this page. If someone who posts a message wants more info, let them reply/top. This is disruptive and hurts the best travel site on the web. I do think this talk about him drives his enjoyment. I hope that Fodors tracks his posts (this can be done, I work for the largest IT company in the world and we sell millions $$$ of this software daily) They can track it back into his home or company and either cut him off or work other issues. Fodors---go get him ! ! ! !

Walter, dear, I know you meant well, but you really aren't helping much. Attempting to discourage someone like topper with a bent psycho post is, er, maybe the wrong approach.

walter, <BR> <BR>clearly you are about as sick as they come. admitting that the kind of approach you have used here has worked for you in the past. what you don't realize is that it has probably made most normal people avoid you at all cost! you are the sickest of the sick. you use this tone with people on PURPOSE! thank goodness i don't know you.

To Topper, <BR>If you are reading this, you should know I love you. Don't let the nastiness get you down. You're ABOVE the pettiness. In my book, you will always be TOPS. You will come out AHEAD in this game. You are at the PINNACLE of your career, so don't quit now. You can only achieve new HEIGHTS by ignoring Walter and staying true to what you believe is good and helpful.

Once again, this forum is embarrassing.

Once again the people who defend toppers mischievousness are anonymous cowards!!

The people who defend and who answer the threads of "Topper"/"sandy"/"whoever" are obviously the same person. The same manic, paranoid tone comes through all the posts. Check these nutty threads some time if you want to get depressed. He/she (I suspect, he) has stunk up the US and Caribbean forums--here he doesn't have much to say because it's obvious he doesn't travel to Europe. So he asks stupid questions or parodies popular threads. He just rants in short bursts and endless threads under different aliases. The sad thing is that by now 95% of us realize that this poor soul is exposing himself in these lonely monologues. Most of us now ignore him, so he writes his own threads back and forth, pro and con under different fake names. Nobody else gives a damn, except to we are put off by his obvious mental problems. I also pity him. Especially on this forum, most of us are really savvy by now.