Pollster

Regarding REAL e-mail addresses, when using my genuine address, I've gotten e-mails from a couple of people that made my skin crawl! Actually frightened me a little, so I vowed not to post my real address again. It's an unfortunate fact of the Internet that you can't trust everybody!

dan woodlief

In regards to e-mail addresses, I can understand where others are coming from, but I had rather post the real thing. I do get junk, but not an unmanageable amount. I have gotten pretty good with deleting. I only open about 25% or less of the mail I receive. I have never received any insulting e-mails as a result, other than advertising or job offers that I wouldn't accept in a million years. Since I have been on this site, I have used a fake address only on one occasion. I always love to get questions from other Fodors users. Just my own two cents - your experience may differ.

Pollster

It's the kind of exchange between "Ilisa" and "Noah" on the "Don't Worry If I Disappear" thread that makes me keep my e-mail address underwraps. I don't want Noah knowing my real address!

SF Ghost

I figure there are three types of people that post or read these messages. #1 People who genuinly want/need info on places that they are interested in visiting #2 people who want to pass along their expierences #3 jackasses who check the latest post and pop's off with some critical comments. It could be correcting grammer, insulting creative infosharing, ragging on cities and places they have never visited and getting into petty arguments that totally ignore the original request.

To those who dispense info to the original poster keep up the good work. If your honest and creative in giving people options then than more power to you. For those people (MAJORITY) who ask for info, get it and get off the net to take a trip using the info gathered no thanks nessesary. That's what it's all about.

#1 Kam
#2 John
#3 SF Sally

Pollster

Thank you, San Francisco Ghost! I knew there must be someone out there besides me who'd like to give a pat on the back! I also think Kam is great, and Cheryl Z. People keep coming to mind!

ilisa

Truthfully, Pollster, I considered not using my email address after receiving Noah's little missives. However, I've found that those types of emails are rare compared to the ones that truly want information.

no name 111

My thanks to Brian in Atlanta, neal sanders, Fay in Virginia, to name a few.

Pollster

Thank you, No Name! Neal and Brian are two of my favorites, and I didn't remember them when I posted originally!

Brian in Atlanta

There are too many posters I enjoy reading to list them here. But I'll mention the ones I've gotten the best info from:

Lisa in DC - turning us on to Cashion's Eat Place made our weekend.

John out West for info on Southern California

Brian Kilgore on the Canada forum - the forum's expert on Toronto - he was even nice enough to track us down at our hotel to respond to an e-mail we had sent him regarding restaurant recommendations.

Myriam in Belgium who's always willing to help out with info on her country.

I'm sure I'm missing many, but these were the ones I thought of immediately.

Brian in Atlanta

Damn, I forgot Elaine on the Europe forum. Post a question on Paris and she's usually the first one there. Great trip notes too.

April

Just a suggestion. I also don't like (to put it mildly) junk mail in with my emails. Therefore I use a Hotmail address for internet use so all the junk can go into the bulk mail bin which I routinely delete without reading. Using filters for certain words keeps some offensive messages out but not all. I'm sure other programs besides Hotmail work in the same way. So my Hotmail account gets the junk while my "real" email program which I use more often stays virtually garbage free.

karnak

As someone above said "whose e-mail box has been filled with unsolicited travel newsletters, hotel ads, etc...since posting my real name and address on this forum?"....I found this to be oh so true!!! When I posted here with my real address I got tons of spam mail and I know it came from someone gathering addresses here. So now I post under any name or address that comes to me at the moment. I have posted in Fodor's under hundreds or more names now, rarely the same one more than once. I hardly ever ask questions but have often given informative answers when someone asks about a location I am familiar with. I don't care that I will never be acknowledged here as no one knows who I am....I give informative answers cause I like to help people when I can, not to get praise for it.

noname

Right on Karnak (and all your other AKAs). You've spoken for a lot of us!

Pollster

To Karnak, No Name, etc.:

OK, OK, OK, already! You don't like back-patting, and don't need thank-you's, and my idea obviously wasn't for everyone! But for those of us who feel a little differently, it wasn't a bad idea so BUZZ OFF and ignore what you don't want to participate in!

And have a good one!

Cheryl Z.

Just wanted to say thank you Pollster, tho I fear I haven't been active much lately on any of the forums. And for my own favorite(s) - would have to start with Wes, Neal and just too many others to list, willing to share with fellow Fodorites.

unclemiltie

I like [email protected] for his lame "I was in an airport and it happened to ME" joke under "SASS"

ying

Pollster, the day everyone on this forum ignores something with which they disagree will be the day you-know-where freezes over. Just FYI, griping about those who disagree with you will only invite more to do so. If you don't like it, take your own advice and IGNORE it!!!

youhave

Pollster, cool down. You remind me of the kid who takes his bat and ball away because he can't have his way! If anyone has an attitude problem, it's you.

wombat

My favorite posters are those who can put tongue firmly in cheek and make me laugh out loud.

Posters I don't like are those who use phrases like "the best", flaunt jewelry/money/luggage, and brag about all the places they've dragged their small children.

amen

Noach

To set the record straight, the "little missives" I sent to Ilisa were:

1. A perfectly polite and indeed friendly letter which I started with, "First of all, while I have taken offense to many of your posts, it may surprise you to learn that I do not hate you." I closed it by saying. "While I obviously vehemently disagree with many of your views, you nonetheless do not have to fear replying to this email, lest I personally insult you. As long as you do not personally insult me, I will respond in kind."

2. A copy of a thread from several months ago which I made reference to in the letter.

I am shocked at how low Ilisa has stooped by viciously insulting me in this way.