let's just register, already

or sign in, or whatever. I'm for it.

again

.

LL

I vote yes! Some of these invasion of privacy scenarios are a hoot! What a pathetic scare tactic -- why so worried about registration, some of you? Got something to lose? Your days of unrestricted soliciting to a free target market seem to be waning, so better make the most of it.

aloha

As a Hawaii poster getting TIRED of the travel agent witch hunt, count me in for registration!

TJ

If it's done in a manner similar to A&E's, then YES to registration. Sounds like a workable solution.

Register

Yes, registration PLEASE! It only upsets those who visit Fodor's to do something other than offer nonbiased, not-for-profit travel advice. And who wants them around anyway?

Earplugs

Yes, please register. So I can legally call you all morons.

"Ooh, he's one of those uncultured, unsofisticated troublemakers!"

"Quick, Mararice! Start a new Post and Thread and maybe he'll go away!"

Yep! Thank goodness for aminimity. Bless the bold people! And hey, this IS an open forum, so non-registereds like you and me can make these absurd comments! I can say what I want regarding this subject post; think of it as a cyber-pants drop and butt wave at you!

Nah nahnah nah naaaaa nah!

If you want registered friends, trade email addresses, simpletons!

Hehehehehe

The speller from Hell eh ?
How does it feel to cause hilarity when you wanted to cause outrage ???

MB

No, you won't find someone like Earplugs advocating registration on Fodor's. He wouldn't be able to spell his own name on the sign-in page, and that would just increase his frustration at being unable to vent and spew. After he opens gunfire on a crowd of people, he'll probably try to sue Fodor's for denying him an outlet for all of his pent-up anger at the world.

Earplugs

I apologize for my rushed from-the-heart letter and any misspellings. The quickened typing of random thoughts rattled off the innards of my broca area was abysmal and atrocious. I, too, get irritated by the misspelled rantings of someone who doesn't have any life but to read these threads. Worse yet, to respond to these childish pranks.

"I want registration!"
"I don't!"
"Mom, they took away my rights!"
"What about my needs?"

In summary, please except my apologies, oh proofreaders of the posts. I really meant to say:

"Fuque ewe und da hoarse ewe road inn on, ewe ace-wholes!"

mms

Earplugs:

Whatever you say Q!

Fodors

As if anyone needed further proof that this site is now the permanent home for an assortment of crackpots and weirdos, just read the latest rantings from Earplug. Did he escape from the looney bin and find the nearest E-Cafe or do you suppose it's just Turrett's Syndrome? Either way, he has decided to make this travel site his own special place.

Now why don't all you scaremongers explain again why registration is a poor idea.

happyhalloween

To Earplugs and friends who have such an apparent NEED to rant and rave under the cloak of anonymity: Have a Happy Halloween! Go for it tonight, get it out of your system! And if symtpoms persist, do yourself some good and seek professional advice.

goin'backup

.....

Earplug

Gosh, I sure do feel low and (sniff) shunned by the community at large.

Waitamoment! You made me respond, thus kicking this post back up to the top of today's listing!

My day is made! It really IS my forum! Halleluiah, it's an Annoyance Revival! Amen!

xxx

To Earplugs/aka Registration Nevermore: ...this one's for you!

To Fodors: If this forum keeps going the way it's going, we'll all be going somewhere else. If signing-in will help, please do it.

TJB

If the hand-wringing, busy body, self-absorbed and obviously bored people would quit starting these threads about policing and controlling this forum then you wouldn't attract so many of the "crackpots and weirdoes". Personally I think a majority of the regular posters rarely travel as I only see their names on complaining or criticizing posts. I never see their name on a post asking or answering a travel question.

Fodor's, please don't regulate this site too much. We DON'T need registration. I have gotten such great advice and would hate to see this site stifled.

crackpot/wierdo

Please oh please oh please don't make us register. We'll be good. We promise.

Christina

I don't have adamant opinions on this but must comment that many of those on here who want registration don't seem to have a clear understanding of internet privacy issues, advertising and data collection issues, what registration does and does not do, and what Fodors practices are now. Those who think Fodors would never collect info on them or use it for their benefit should be aware of the fact that Fodors partners with Doubleclick and everytime you log into this site, you are already being tracked right now. Bet you didn't know that, did you, as there is no disclaimer on the front page that I've seen. But, if you think Doubleclick is harmless, read some recent business news reports as I believe they have already been sued/had formal complaints filed against them with fed agencies, courts or something as they planned to take the info they gathered from people w/o them knowing it from sites such as Fodors that they have bus. agreemts with and have access to, and then link that to very personal information in other databases. I became aware of this one day when this web site was loading very slowly and you could see the various URLs it was trying to load and I noticed Doubleclick on there. Sure enough, if you go into the fine print of the privacy policy, they disclose there (but not on the home page, nor on the info about this site, etc), that they partner with Doubleclick and that they consider any information you give them "willingly" up for their use any way they wish--registration would obviously be "willingly." Anyway, registration doesn't do anything to prevent people from saying things you dislike. What the people who get so excited about this really seem to want is for Fodors to censor and monitor these boards regularly on an ongoing basis (according to their standards, not Fodors) and then somehow bar people with certain email addresses from posting in some way if they don't like what they have said. This is not what registration does; for Fodors to do that, they would have to devote a lot of staff time (and thus $)to such a task. As far as ads go, in many cases, they could already be doing such things if they wished as one catch22 with travel agents is they kind of HAVE to give a working email address if they wish someone to contact them. So, Fodors could already be doing what you want on that regard for many ads if they wish. I have complained to them a few times about very blatant ads on here from travel agents and the last time, when I even quoted the post verbatim for them, gave them the guy's email address and the title and date of the post, they did not even respond to my complaint at all, or stop this fellow from his current advertising where he tries to drum up group tour client business. So, if they are not even responding to such blatant business promotion now when they know the person's email and have the info given them directly, why do you think they are going to hire staff to monitor posts continuously? Personally, I don't even notice a lot of ads, just the occasional travel agent, so I don't know where they are. I read the US forum fairly regularly, maybe I'm just not attracted and so don't click on all these ads, but I've never noticed them. I've never read a Hawaii post, though, if that's where they are. I also don't think a travel Q&A board is that comparable to A&E's ongoing discussion board, either. If you think nobody "legitimate" would object to registration, I have objected many times to registation on some sites where I just wanted to browse or post once and they wanted me to fill out a bunch of info, and I wouldn't, and I'm perfectly legitimate. That's because I work with computers and have been on the internet quite a while so I know what kind of data-gathering goes on and how it is used; I avoid excess amounts of it whenI can and don't register lightly at web sites.

xxx

If people can play within the rules i.e. no rudeness, no advertising, then we don't need to register. Otherwise, registration will make it harder for slammers and spammers, and it's a small price to pay. Everyone on the net is already tracked. What you have is an illusion of privacy. Privacy is a concern, yes, but so is civilized behavior. We can all do our part while still having a little fun in the process.