Fodor's needs to do something to control all of the paranoid delusionals out there. I used to use this forum as lot to find out information about vacation spots. Lately, half of the postings seem to be about whether or not some of the self-proclaimed "travel agent hunters" can sniff out something that they feel is an "advertisement." Under their definition, you are advertising if you use the name, address, phone number, or other distinguising feature of any airline, hotel, bed and breakfast, adventure company, tour agency, or place that you found fun, enjoyable or worthwile. I'm not a travel agent and am not connected to any type of business with an interest in travel, but I'm concerned about posting anymore because the morons are screaming "Travel Agent" at anyone who provides helpful information. Fodor's has a responsibility to step in and stop the nonsense. PLEASE HELP or otherwise no one is going to post questions, as those who would otherwise be likely to post a response will not because of the obvious reply from the "travel agent hunters" of: Advertisement.

I think a bigger problem on this board is folks who pepper their communications with rude phrases or profanity. Moron? Idiot? Bite Me? That is just a sample from Wild Bill's more recent posts on this forum. I would enjoy this board more if the immature name-calling could be curbed.

WildBill, I think you owe everyone an apology.

No, WildBill doesn't owe anyone an apology. His gripe is as legit as those who are sick of the people who really ARE advertising. The problem is that some people don't know the difference.

It's a risk and, to be honest, I wish Fodor's WERE more inclined to remove blatant advertising fairly promptly, but I suspect they either don't have the staff or aren't sure themselves. One solution would be to permanently bar anyone who posts an ad.

As for Cindy's complaint -- perfect example of preferring form over content. It isn't the language or even the tone that bothers me half as much as those on this forum that use any query as a platform for moralizing about one thing or another. Ask a question about vegetarian restaurants in some city and I'm 100% sure you'll get very few suggestions and LOTS of rhetoric about diet, animals, etc. I can name at least 4 people who can NEVER confine their responses to travel information.

I don't know about barring people -- not even sure if they can track people easily. But PROMPT is a good idea, expecially over weekends. Anyone trying to get freebie advertising or post something offensive knows they can post after midnight Fri. and it'll stay 'til Monday afternoon at the earliest. There are at least two posts on the current list designed to provoke and offend and they're still sitting there.

I was about to direct everyone's attention to another thread in which WildBill demonstrated his communication skills and command of the English language, but Fodor's apparently found it so offensive that it was deleted.

For those of you who missed it, WildBill utilized his outstanding vocabulary and hurled invectives at everyone with whom he disagreed on a post about "Fantastic Internet Fares." A little farther along in the thread, he claims to possess a graduate degree and offers to pit his "intellect" against anyone else's.

It is as laughable as it is pathetic!

Sorry, Mel, but Fodor's did not delete WildBill's errant posts. They are still there. Sad but true.

Joey,

Sorry, but I beg to differ. How one expresses an opinion is equally as important as the nature of the opinion. Profanity and name-calling have no place on this board, and I, for one, have grown quite weary of it. But I'll give WildBill a pass on this because I assume by now he is quite ashamed of his previous posts, would take them back if he could, and probably isn't secure enough to apologize.