bettyk

I received an email from a guy named Antonio who works for a consolidator in NY. He says he reads the Fodor's Message Boards and finds them very helpful. I bet! Anyway, I know that's a risk I take by making my email address public, but I have also rec'd lots of great emails from people seeking travel help, so I guess it's a wash.

Zeus

If you're using Outlook Express you can go to the "Message" tab at the top and block the sender, Antonio.

However once one knucklehead gets your e-mail address you're probably on about 100 other solicitors' mailing list. You can go to the "Tools" tab and then "message rules", then "mail". Click on "new" then check the box that says "where the subject line contains specific words". In the next book you can chose to delete or send to another file. In the last box, click on the blue underlined "contains specific words". Now the fun part: type in every single naughty word you know and add them to your no-no list. I also included the words "free", "enlargement", "Viagra", "consolidator", "enhancement", "drug", "Republican", "Democrat" and "political". That seems to have rid me of almost everybody I don't want to hear from.

BeachBoi

betty...Flip the coin......My TA got an email address for a regular here, emailed that person,specifically mentioned "Fodors" in the subject line.Never a response.All he wanted was information.

almesq

I got that same email from Antonio trying to see his services to me. I politely replied that the purpose of these boards was for travelers to help each other with travel related information not to provide him with a customer base, and I asked that he not solicit me in the future.

bettyk

almesq, I'll do that too. Thanks.

I really don't mind emails from people with legit questions. And, I must admit, as long as my email address has been posted on Fodor's, this is the first solicitation type email I've received. Hopefully, it will be the last.

laclaire

I just responded and said to not use my address for commercial purposes.

Then I reported the mail as Spam.

Claire

Keith

If Antonio's email came from a regular ISP (AOL, earthlink, etc), please forward a copy of his email with all headers to abuse@THAT ISP.

With any kind of luck, he will not have email by tomorrow.

What a lowlife!

Keith

laclaire

FYI:

[email protected]

That's the guy.

rex

The guy's website does not indicate who actually hosts his website (and accordingly his e-mail).

He ought to be informed (everyone e-mailing him this thread would work) that this SPAMming is just as offensive as the illegal Viagra salesman, pornography vendors, "enhancers" and Nigerian "fortune-holders".

Fodors ought to take action to get his website closed down.

ira

Well, I certainly wouldn't suggest that anyone try to flame antonio by setting up an eml address at hotkail and forwarding him this thread, but there are those that might.

One can send a complaint to [email protected]

Travelnut

Why would Fodors do anything? It's a poster's choice as to whether to display their address or not. Once you do that, you're wide open.

bettyk

Agree with travelnut. As much as I dislike this kind of thing, we all have a choice of whether or not to make our email address public.

Robespierre

Hear, hear!

When you post your email address, you have nothing to complain about if someone sends to it.

laclaire

I think he was unwise to do it, but that is why I use my spam account for this forum. I check it often, and if there is something "real," I respond.

I mean, really, he is kind of like an unwelcome solicitor at your house. You can't stop them from knocking, but you certainly don't have to let them in.

FainaAgain

I disagree with people who say it's not Fodor's problem. In the past, people were banned from this website for sending non-friendly e-mails to other Fodorites.

Travelnut

No one has said Antonio is on this forum. He simply lifted her email address and then emailed her.

FainaAgain

Remember that scene almost at the end of "dumb and dumber" shooting in the hotel room? "this is the risk we are willing to take"

Robespierre

Fodor's failing is that all of the content here (including emails) can be accessed and indexed by search robots.

Maybe it's handy when the bot in question is Google, but when it's an email address harvester, it gets annoying.

It's really simple to prevent this, but I can't find anyone who cares.