I'm mostly a lurker, but I agree

FREE PATRICK!!!!

Temporarily? So is that like, read the rules and agree to behave and we'll let you back on?

And it still doesn't explain why. Can they just knock you off the board with no reason given for it?

Freedom of the press (or the forum) belongs to the person who owns the press, not to contributors.

So of course they can do it. I've received such notice myself.

Howard, you think that if Patrick says on Fodors Travel Talk that he LOVES Chez Josephine and eats there every time he's in NYC, that might get him back in? ;)

Sorry....I just couldn't resist, since I fondly recall the two of you agreeing to disagree over that restaurant for many years now. :)

And, it's still on my list of places to try.

Patrick, come back to us.....

Patrick and I have both agreed and disagreed a number of times but always with respect and good humor.

Good memory, Statia! (If truth be known, Patrick and I disagree on other things!)

everyone........jump in to jette's idea. Everyone start a new thread named FREE PATRICK!!!!!!

Yes, I agree that Patrick has always agreed to disagree (when he disagrees) with respect and humor. This whole ideal is just so strange.

rb,
what I mean is, what's the point of knocking you off the board without giving you a reason? How can you correct the problem if you don't know what it is.

Yes, of course the board belongs to Fodor's and they can do whatever they like, but it's not the only game in town. It's a good forum because of the posters. Without the posters it wouldn't exist.

what gives. i enjoy patrick's posts even when he raved about the gates. i found the seattle post and topped it. that can't be why he was banned. something about whining about wine.

What's this??? Patrick is a family member! They can't do this to us!!

FREE PATRICK!!! ((Y))
(I didn't want to put in a US flag icon because I'm Canadian.)

And he doesn't hold grudges.

Quite alright, Meethsare, all nationalities are welcome to join our protest and the flag is not required. Until Patrick is reinstated, I shall end all of my posts with:

FREE PATRICK!!!! **==

Start your own new FREE PATRICK threads everyone!!!!!

I'm appalled and topping this.

FREE PATRICK---NOW!

When Patrick saw this, he was touched and thanks everyone for their support.
I imagine his shock must be as great as ours, since he knows that he is never as ugly as a lot of people are on here on a regular basis.
I think a lot of posters have a difficult time sometimes with another persons sense of humor or how a person means something, when you are reading it, not hearing it or seeing the persons expressions.
I am a bit on the sensitive side sometimes and think I am being yelled at but after a certain amount of time, you see that some people just say things as they see them, they don't pussyfoot around.
And I think that is Patrick.
He is not being mean or snippy or as someone elsewhere claims , making "cutting remarks".. Some people look for offense everywhere, we are all adults, sort of :) and I think we should all be able to read a message board made up of mostly strangers and not be so offended by a mans remarks on how to make a hotel reservation etc.
I really hope this is very temporary and that we all appreciate being able to post and enjoy Fodors without attacking each other.. or if you have to attack someone, at least make sure it is funny LOL

This is ridiculous! Honestly, the debate about the wine list was tame. Far worse goes on here.

I wrote to the editors at the address provided. I used to post a lot on another forum that was so sanitized as to become boring. No controversy is not a good thing, and Patrick, as long as I've been here, has been as helpful as any poster I've noticed.

FREE PATRICK!!!! And, yes, I'm shouting!

OK, so I registered a hotmail account so that I could register a new name, which frankly shows how silly this whole "blocking" or "banning" business is. We are aware how many people have several names including one they hide behind to be nasty on a regular basis.

I had to make a few comments to those who were misquoting or misinterpreting a few of my posts. I do not plan to continue with this screen name. I'm curiously waiting for someone at Fodors to explain why I was banned.

As I said in an earlier post (on this thread or some other one), it's stupid to ban people unless you tell them why they're banned.

FREE PATRICK!!!!

WELCOME BannedPatrick!

This whole thing is a mystery and travesty and a joke. Ban others, but not Patrick! Especially with no explanation - or warning. Fair is fair, editors.

ttt

Glad to see you back!

You should check the Oregon page of TA if you want to see someone with more than one screen name. There is a poster there that comes up with all sorts of other names and then converses with herself, lol!

So even with a new name, at least you are back:)

Man oh man, you just can't stay away from here for a couple hours. So much happens.

SHOUTING at the top of my lungs, FREE PATRICK!

Patrick has been so helpful to many on this board. I always find his comments to be on target and pertinent.

Hoping this "temporary" ban is some sort of mistake.

BannedPatrick, I don't know whom they think will tell all the tourists where to go, what to do, where to eat in Naples. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face !

Wow - I was away from the forum for about 8 hours and Patrick gets banned. I read the Seattle Whine Thread-if Patrick was banned for that, then most of us are in trouble. Any
Welcome BANNED PATRICK and
FREE PATRICK!!!

Meant to say anyway instead of any

What?
FREE PATRICK!!!!!!!!!!! And, yes, I'm shouting too!

ttt

I'll sign on to Free Patrick too!

(I thought his SF tree comment was pretty funny and no worse than others who posted. Perhaps it is just a misunderstanding that he is blocked.)

Enjoy-la!

FREE PATRICK!!
He is always so informative and helpful to anyone who asks. I look forward to reading any of his posts!

I belong to a couple of other travel related BBS's and IF someone steps out of line they are first given a public message telling them to cease and desist IN THE THREAD they are misusing and if they don't, THEN they are temporarily banned and if they *misbehave* again..then it's a permanent banning. Fodors should follow suit. LONG LIVE PATRICK UNDER ANY NAME HE POSTS WITH :)

Peter:
Please tell us why this happened. Patrick makes me laugh....His post's are insightful, well written and informative. He has helped me with two trips. I am just stumped as to why you would do this.
FREE PATRICK

given some of the mean posts I've seen from regular posters (who are still here) I cannot believe he was truly banned. if he was something is very wrong. Free Patrick!!

No word from Fodors yet on why I was banned, but still this morning it tells me that my Patrick name has been blocked and to see the guidlines. But the silliness continues since a banned poster is allowed to register under a new name. Now I understand how easily all those really nasty posters register several names just to use for rude posts.

Unbelievable! There are many nasty posters on Fodor's and I would never consider Patrick one of them. FREE PATRICK!

Which FREE PATRICK post to respond to is a problem!! But, BaNNED PATRICK, it is good to see you return. If anyone can "know" a poster on a forum, just by reading his or her postings, I must say I feel most of the people on the board do indeed (know you that is). Your humor is enjoyable, your knowledge of travel sites and restaurants, and hotels superb, your stalwartness amazing, and we do enjoy your postings. Don't Leave!!

If they want to ban someone, ban the trollers & advertisers. Certainly Patrick & I have had our differences, as have many of us have, over time. However, the exchange of differing opinions & ideas (hopefully pertaining to travel) is what this board is supposed to be about. Lift the ban, bring Patrick back.

Give them time to put it right without further loss of face. The world goes on.