Rex, thanks for attempting to clear this up for me, but it did not work.<BR>Was it because I had just posted my (last) response to the thread, and the # was now 106?<BR>I then tried to type in all the letters, dots, slashes,etc. but this time without the number at the end, and it said "error, could not find/process"<BR>But, thanks anyway for trying to clear my confusion!<BR>Your help is always appreciated .

I really hate to bust up the Ed-Rex gab fest, but I'm with Nancy. I still don't understand the time stamp thing. And, yes, I clicked on the url that Rex provided. But what does that prove? The messages have always had the date and time. Can you 'splain it, Lucy?<BR>

Rex, I really have to laugh, because I just saw what you posted about my thread, request to die.<BR>We are cross-posting.<BR>But, you know what?<BR>I tried to click on that address/time/stamp/ thingie you posted and it did not work either.<BR>Is this dream of yours not coming true?<BR>I hope they can fix it for you.<BR>

It's working for me.<BR><BR>I wonder if it's specific to a setting in your browser.<BR><BR>What browser are you using? I don't have to do anything special. I just click, and bingo, the new window opens with the thread I want, right there.<BR>

What the hell are you talking about?

Nothing that mean anything to you, "Fodorite".<BR><BR>Why do you care?<BR>

In just a few short hours, I think the need for this thread - - and its unbridled exuberance - - have waned a bit. It's fine with me if it dies.<BR><BR>But people are starting to e-mail me to find out how to put a "clickable" URL in a message.<BR><BR>Time for a new thread.<BR><BR>

You know, I can not take any credit for the new "clickable URL" feature (except maybe as gadfly) - - someone at fodor's did the necessary programming work, someone at Fodor's made the book (or advertising) sales to bring in the revenue so that all this can be paid for, someone in management made the decisions that resulted in taking this forum one direction or another.<BR><BR>Still, I have to take some quiet satisfaction in (maybe? accelerating the pace, even if only an iota. It was one month ago today, that I started the following thread<BR><BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/messages.cfm?fid=2&amp;tid=1279572&amp;numresponse s=13<BR><BR>complete with this tongue-in-cheek logo<BR><BR>http://www.geocities.com/rexbickers/circling.htm <BR><BR>I am tickled pink that I can relive all this history with/for (some of) you, and not have to top those tired old threads anymore.<BR><BR>As always, best wishes...<BR><BR>...your "official Fodor's spokesman"... NOT!!<BR>

I don't get it. What's a time stamp? Why is it a good thing? How do we find it? How does it help us?<BR><BR>Is there some nice book where i can flip through the pages and learn about this?

Hey, Rexie---<BR><BR>you so powerful, man, makin all these changes, takin power away from The Man.<BR><BR>Can you make the sun rise for me tomorrow? Just thought I'd ask to see if you'd take credit for that, too.<BR><BR>if you think for a second that you have any power on this site that they don't want you to have, think again. i worked for a web site and i know the amount of time, effort, and planning that goes in to these things.<BR><BR>but, by all means, keep slaying those windmills, pal.

Your question might be sarcastic or serious, but other people may have a serious question about this word - - I'm pretty sure that this is the only thread in fodor's history with this made-up word in the header.<BR><BR>I coined the term (even though Paulo alluded to it long before me) - - to refer to the "born on" date of a thread - - which never changes, however many times additional messages get posted to it.<BR><BR>It's actually time for the term to die. The proper term is a URL (Universal Resource Locator) - - most people would call this a web address - - and it allows you to go directly to a given webpage, thread on this forum, or whole website. The key new feature on this forum is that a URL can be "clickable" (also known as hyperlinked, or "hot-linked").<BR><BR>The URL for THIS thread is<BR><BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/messages.cfm?fid=2&amp;tid=1286331&amp;numresponse s=28<BR><BR>You don't have to "do" anything to make this hyperlink happen, just type in a valid URL (or maybe even one that is NOT valid), and make sure it starts with the seven characters<BR><BR>h t t p : / / (spaces removed)<BR><BR>Clicking on the URL shown above will always take you to THIS thread. Typing this into your browser will take you there even if you were not previously on this site.<BR><BR>I hopes this helps you, or somebody.<BR>

Rex, FYI it was a serious question asked in a not serious way. (Don't be so defensive. We're not all nasty. Some of us are just resistant to all this technical how-to.) <BR><BR>Where do I find the URL if I don't already know it? Wouldn't I need to find the thread in order to find the URL? And if I found the thread wouldn't I then no longer need to have the URL to find to the thread?<BR><BR>In the address box I don't see anything after cfm?fid=2 Where did you find the rest of the long URL that you quoted?<BR><BR>It would really be easier to learn this from info printed on paper which I could look at while trying various things on the computer.<BR><BR>Respond or not as you please. Just don't underestimate how truly dumb some of us smart people can be.

To "dummie" - - <BR><BR>I try not to be defensive. But read the message again - - how would I know if it was sarcastic or serious?<BR><BR>Anyhow, I tried to write my response sarcasm-free.<BR><BR>The URL of any given thread DOES require that you find the thread first. I can not imagine anyway around that (WEll, yes, I can, but it wouldn't be very useful, and would likely not exist HERE) - - a database of every header and its URL, perhaps all organized in oorder of first posting (time, date). Even that still wouldn't be all that useful as so many threads are poorly represented by their titles, or wander off in various tangents, even when the title is well stated for the original question. What we NEED is a search engine that REALLY works as advertised!!<BR><BR>Anyhow, once a thread is in your lefthand column, right click on the header - - IN the lefthand column. You will see "Copy shortcut" (Internet Explorer) or "Copy link location" (Netscape Navigator). Click that. The URL is now in your "clipboard". You can paste it anywhere with "Edit, Paste" (or Control-V).<BR><BR>I put a lot of this in the thread <BR><BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/messages.cfm?fid=2&amp;tid=1286392&amp;numresponse s=11<BR><BR>&lt;&lt;How to put a "clickable" URL into a message&gt;&gt; which hasn't had a new post since 11:10 pm (last night), at the time of this writing. Maybe somebody ought to top it!! (not that I advocate that) - - wink...<BR><BR>Best...<BR><BR>R<BR>

Thanks, Rex. Now I finally understand. In the first place, I am a recovering Mac user, being forced to use the handwork of the Devil's Own Spawn. I am not accustomed to all this right click stuff, much less the whole counter-intuitive so-called operating system, but I digress. <BR><BR>Okay, now that I understand how to perform the task, what do I do? Save up all these URLs until I need them again, or what?<BR><BR>You don't need to answer; I just wanted to say thanks for something that has been puzzling me for the last 24 hours. For the record, I love the new site. So much faster.

Oh, Rexster<BR><BR>This is great! It works! Love the new capability.

Oh Betster...<BR><BR>don't encourage him, and whatever you do, don't bat your eyes at him!<BR><BR>he thinks everything is flirting!<BR>

to Wow - - I somehow missed you earlier post - - I have stated publicly that I do NOT take credit for this (the ability to place "clickable URL's) into messages. but they didn't exactly come here and 'splain it it to us, now did they? Benjamin Franklin didn't invent nor discover electricity either, but sometimes, grabbing people's attention does result in name recognition.<BR><BR>I have made no secret that I seek name recognition here. If anyone has championed the need for this more, or laid out to the rest of the readers how to use it better than I, well I would be glad to be friends with that person.<BR><BR>Dang it, I hate it when I get all argumentative and defensive like this here! Why did you do this to me!? Isn't victim-ism grand!?<BR><BR>To Santa Chiara - - oh, a former Mac brain-washee (whoops, I mean, "user"). All is forgiven.<BR><BR>and to Betsy - - don't believe half of that stuff about me and flirting (maybe four-ninths of it, five-elevenths of it?)<BR>

I regualarly visit 6 forums--this being the only one dedicated to travel. At each forum, there is usually a "character" who causes a little bit of hysteria, and thinks he is the owner, or mayor, or most important person, or VIP---and eventually, I learn how to block them out.<BR>Never, and I mean never, have I seen a more perfect example of this bullshit, than Rex---who is more taken with himself, than Bill Clinton!!!! Why don't you go get a life, and stop patrolling!!!! Some of us just want an answer to a question, and not some wise-ass, pompous verbal diarrhea!!!!<BR>When I read the one where you had to correct the woman who "incorrectly" called a forum a chat room, that did it. As Woody Allen said, in "Annie Hall", "what I wouldn't give for a large sock filled with manure."<BR>Go play with yourself, Rexie----we don't want to play with you anymore!!!!

Dear rex-a-thon,<BR><BR>Thank you for your kind remarks.<BR><BR>Your comments are words of encouragement to me.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>