Aol travel forums are available to AOL members only. <BR> <BR>I am confused though why some people in this forum use false e-mail addresses. <BR> <BR>I asked the questions why some people spend the day putting up trolling posts designed to anger people. Some of these people use fake e-mail addresses also. <BR> <BR>Most of responces have had ;-) or LOL inserted into my responses. That means that I was kidding and not being mean spirited, at least not too much anyway. ;-) Seems as though some took offense huh?

Greg, I think I can answer your questions about trolling and real vs. fake e-mail addresses. <BR> <BR>When you're posting on the AOL Board, your e-mail address is automatically entered. You don't have the option of posting anonymously. And for better or worse, the AOL boards are heavily monitored -- as is almost everything on AOL -- so spam and trolls are quickly deleted. <BR> <BR>

uhm... let me qualify my last post. I can only speak for the AOL travel boards I've used -- Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece and Paris/Other parts of France. Out of curiousity, I just glanced at the Francophiles board and it seems to have several flame wars going. Note, though, that it's technically part of the "Interational Forums" group, not travel. I suppose every board is only as civilized as its designated monitor.

Some of the responses to the questions are nasty, rude and degrading. Fear is on of the reasons that keep me from posting with my real address. Some people tend to use this as a forum to comment on posters' attitudes, intellegence and values. I don't want someone writing to me that has a problem with a question I've asked or an answer I've given. <BR> <BR>When a question is asked, an answer should be provided -- an opinion on the TOPIC, not the posters. <BR> <BR>And if the question is a troll, why respond? And if the answers begin to get troll-like, just abandon that thread. <BR> <BR>I'm growing very tired of looking at a topic and reading down through profanity and name calling. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Yes I can see why some do not want their e-mails known to the world. As someone who has participated in many sports forums, I know all too well that things get nasty from time to time. <BR> <BR>Like or not, some people that post on some of the better know forums have residence in the Twilight zone I think. :-) <BR>I bet there are a few in here that probably know Rod Sterling on a first name basis. ;-) <BR> <BR>As for the AOL forumns, the Swiss forum was and still is a very polite message forum with a loyal group of posters. <BR> <BR>I've seen some old members from the AOL Swiss forum in the Fodors also. <BR> <BR>Anyway, as in any forum, I can see that if you say one little thing that someone might not agree with, the twinkie patrol gets after you. LOL <BR> <BR>Just kidding!

Received an e-mail from someone who informs me that non-AOL (ISP) users CAN "get on" to AOL forums for a $10 a month fee. While I think that I might indeed be willing to pay a fee to be part of THIS forum, I find a certain hubris to hear that AOL charges for things like its forums. <BR> <BR>I can't imagine "buying" before you try - - do they really not have a free "trial" period for this? (I asked the person who e-mailed me; she said that she did not know). I realize that there are all kinds of x-hundred free hours offers from AOL - - but isn't that to get you to switch to their (ISP) service? I don't need another ISP! Mine is local (plus I have AT&T worldnet for traveling within the US), and I prefer to support my ISP right here in Columbus. <BR> <BR>We have the best Europe travel "forum" on the internet right here; maybe I have blinders on, but I would take some convincing to pay money to visit this AOL forum, sight unseen. <BR>

&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;We have the best Europe travel "forum" on the internet right here; maybe I have blinders on, but I would take some convincing to pay money to visit this AOL forum, sight unseen.&lt;&lt;&lt; <BR> <BR>There I go quoting you again. Sorry, that is something that we learned on AOL early on. ;-) <BR>We are copy and pastin sonsaguns over there. ;-) <BR> <BR>I have no doubt at all that the Forum on Fodors is an excellent forum. I just meant that as with any message forum that there are people that roam around like little ninnie nannies with rulers swatting people for spell check and also disagreements in message content. <BR> <BR>That was my original point. I wanted to be able to distinguish the good posters from the bad posters (trollers). <BR> <BR>My question seemed to irk a few on here. I'm still perplexed by the women drivers thing. LOL Rod Sterling might be lurking around after that comment from twinkie land. ;-) I'm not sure who made that comment. And I don't want to know. LOL <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

I'm serious -- until there's a post that's an invitation to be crazy. <BR> <BR>I have six different names I post under, depending on the situation. I had another name that I really liked, but a crazed woman on the US post trashed me so hard I figured I'd better drop that one. (Still sort of scratching my head over that one.) <BR>

From one troll to another: way to go! This is the best troll-like (or is that trollesque, or troll-y) post of the day! Keep it up. <BR>Troll-on!

This is the weirdest post I've seen in a long time. <BR> <BR>It's sort of like that conundrum about logic: half the people on an island always tell the truth, half the people always lie; if you ask a native "do you always tell the truth?" and he says "yes", how do you know which he is?

&gt;&gt;&gt;This is the weirdest post I've seen in a long time.&lt;&lt;&lt; <BR> <BR>Ohhh, I imagine that this sort of thing is actually quite tame than what you might be used to out in Twinkieville. ;-) <BR> <BR>

"Ohhh, I imagine that this sort of thing is actually quite tame than what you might be used to out in Twinkieville. ;-)" <BR> <BR>Not a clue what that means; can anybody help? <BR> <BR>

A troll, by any other name ("Greg" perhaps) is still a troll.