I notice that, both here and at the bttf.com boards, people are always talking about the hardware (the attraction) - and we don't have enough talk about the software (the plot).

Any, here's my question. With the Institute of Future Technology, do you think the whole public was aware of Doc's time machine - or just a selected group of people?

I think it was just a selected group of people.

Yeah, that's what I think too! :)

You couldn't have the whole word knowing about this machine or everyone and their mothers will want one. So yeah, very secretive with only a few selected people knowing about it. Marty and Jennifer of course.

Right, exactly, that's what I think! That's also why I'm very skeptical of the John Titor story. It not because I believe time travel can't be possible - but because, if a person did find a method of time travel, they'd likely be as secretive about it as Doc.

Thats what I would think. Look at the trouble one time machine caused. Even when Biff does not steal the DeLorean (BTTF2 and The Ride) Marty and Doc seem to have enough trouble not messing with time. Not their fault of course.

Right, exactly! I guess there are a few time travel movies that occur in the future, and the concept of time travel is common knowledge. I'm not sure, but I think Time Cop is something like that. I'm not sure how that would work, though - as it would be hard to regulate what everyone does, so wouldn't the time cops themselves be affected by any changes that are made to the timeline. I should maybe check that out.

As we've seen in the BTTF Trilogy (Part II and The Ride), having even just one psycho with access to a time machine would be trouble enough.

Time Cops is a good example. It would seem in their future pretty much every Joe Sundae has access to time travel. So it seems only right that there would be cops that monitor and arrest those that miss treat the technology. Although their method of time travel is a bit scary if you ask me. Being hurtled towards a concrete wall in a rocket powered sled seems dangerous, especilly if something went wrong, you'd be dead.
Getting back to bttf, I was just thinking. Surely the Biff of the Auto Detailing timeline would still know about the flying delorean since that part of time was never altered (well it was but it was put back again as if nothing was changed). He could be a danger to to the future of time travel. If he manages to convince a wealthy person/company that it was possible to time travel, then who knows what 2015 could have turned out to be.
That could have been a good plot for the ride. Or not, lol.