As I have a latent tendency to aggressively rip the p*ss when I get annoyed, I have kept well away from the taunting and pointless guest posts that have been flooding the forum.

I do feel we should let Steen know in numbers how his registered regulars feel about the "Guest issue"

Should we leave it all as is and slag every idiot off as they pop up?
Only allow registered users to post?
Limit guest postings to the general area and keep them out of the specific forums (Owners, Resorts, Food, etc)

Feel free to comment.
Only registered users are allowed to vote.

I think guests are an essential part of the forum as (a) many are genuinely looking for information and (b) they will in turn become active members and help swell the numbers, bringing fresh enthusiasm and interest.

Obviously what we do not want are the undesirables who post insulting remarks, and fire up the regular members blood. However if we do see guests as an essential element then we currently unfortunately have to suffer these inane interruptions. Certainly the recent apparant increased level of abuse is decreasing the enjoyment of those who regularly support the site, and is driving good people away, as well as detracting from the the main focus of the forum. Personally I have no problem trading insults, but I derive no real pleasure from it

It could well be that there has to be a section limited to where guests can pose their questions, and their insults if that is the best they can do, and that the rest of the forum is read only unless one is registered

Rod I think that this is the best option to deal with the Guest issue.

"It could well be that there has to be a section limited to where guests can pose their questions, and their insults if that is the best they can do, and that the rest of the forum is read only unless one is registered"Althought our Guest already got to much attention by now than he deserves.

x Eva

In fairness the "guest" isn,t causing half as much hassle as as we are by replying to him again and again infinitum.theres nothing more disheartening for guys like this then being ignored on the forum.
I hope we dont start knocking honest guests who just want a one off,any way lets be fair ,cowboy ,austin,texas, could turn out to be nora,ballydehob,co,cork. so what difference does it make.If you make this too "exclusive",you,ll end up with ellie, cowboy,myself and a half dozen others being cute and witty and so nice to each other that we,ll drive each other mad and "smoky joes"will end up on the bones of its arse,.
As you,ve probably guessed by now i still haven,t found out how to get back into the forum.
gerry cullen

I am with Rod on this one.

Couldnt have put it better myself Gerry-though we moan and get irate at a "guest/guests" remarks--it does get our "dander up"! --the old brainbox starts sparking and before you know it ---the forum is "alive& up& running"--as you rightly say--if it ends up with just a dozen of we regulars --we might well bore the arse off each other.
lord-I am swearing a lot today--only because "Digger"(who is quite a regular on here) annoyed me on jokes.
Being impulsive I readily admit to not planning what I write here--so I know I often annoy/irritate---so its not only guests who do it. But isnt it all part of the debate--and at times --youhave to admit --fun

I'm going with Gery and Ellie on this one as well, afterall you can always ignor them if it's offensive (or considered to be) or reply. The forum should not stop the occasional visitor and at the moment needs to encourage others to contribute. If push comes to shove then Steen could could (and almost certainly has) put a tracer on the IP address and track it down, but what could he do, nothing!. It is a free opinion these so called guests offer and hopefully we are all in favour of free speech. Mike, Chislehurst. Nice weekend everyone. By the way, my monies on he lives in Portugal somewhere in the Algarve!

if guest or guests are so annoying then why not just have a forum section for registered users...then such ones can discuss the life and times of living in the Algarve and not get irritated by anyone else who they dont agree with

Well, I’ve just voted: Nothing, everything is peachy. And have little more to contribute, except to say that the odd mildly insulting remark directed at a regular can add spice, but if these people don’t have a proper username it would help if they used a temporary name so when on a topic making more than one reply we know, or we think we know, we are dealing with the same person. Would save confusion at least.

Gerry Cullen points out that cowboy could actually be nora from co. cork. This as we all know may well be the case. Has anyone considered the possibility that a guest insulting cowboy could also be nora???

one question: if some guest was really rude or just an irritable bore repeatedly, is it not possible for webman to block his email address from future posts?

Hi Folks,

Let's just ignore this idiot "guest"! If we don't answer to his or her postings the "fun" for him-her will soon be ended.
In case he or she is Dutch or understands it, here is a message for him-her:
Hé sukkel! Kap met deze onzin! Laat dit forum gewoon het forum!

I'm quite amazed at how many "regulars" feel the need to vent their feelings at the very occasional (relatively speaking) inappropriate posting by an anonymous visitor.

A number of posters have remarked that new visitors would be put off returning here based on the offensive remarks of the few. I think new visitors would be more put off by the apparent "clubbiness" of this forum that is exhibited by a whole slew of replies to these small indiscretions. I feel, in particular, that replies which imply that posting as Guest is somehow infra dig are even more off putting to casual visitors.

There's a bunch of good, healthy banter. There's some really good (and some bad) jokes, and a whole lot of useful information. Its also great to see such a large number of regulars, registered users and also occasional visitors who are able to post simply.

As others have mentioned, I too propose that we ignore these occasional indiscretions and they'll hardly effect the overall impact. By highlighting them we create an issue rather than solve one.

....and by writing this long response, I certainly did not mean to be "offensive" to regular posters. I considered writing it anonymously (as a joke) but rejected that idea as too subtle, but I now see that all I have done is add to the debate and thus contradict myself

... anyone else who wants to take a poke at me is welcome. I look forward to it..

Can someone tell me if Cowboy from Austin Texas is really Nora
from County Cork???
I've have always doubted the Cowboy did in fact exist, he does
not seem to fit the mold for this forum, although I do find him
entertaining at times.

Regards from one of those intruding nasty Guests.

Based on the time of her postings, I doubt that Cowboy is from Cork. I suspect, she's more likely to be Tammy, the porn star from LA.

Cowboy's ears must be burning!

Personally, I don't care if Cowboy is from Texas or Timbuktoo,
His jokes make me laugh -I think I'll reinvent myself as Tricky
the wonderdog from Hong Kong!

Tammy the pornstar? Tammy? That’s a girls name isn’t it, like Nora? I must say, I had wondered. It has been known for the girls & cowboy to gang up and pick on someone.

Anyway, cowboy makes me laugh. And I mean that in the nicest possible way: I laugh with him not at him.