  In this contribution we will discuss how the study of various fluctuation
observables may be used to explore the phase diagram of the strong interaction.
We will briefly summarize the present study of experimental and theoretical
research in this area. We will then discuss various corrections and issues
which need to be understood and applied for a meaningful comparison of
experimental measurements with theoretical predictions. This contribution is
dedicated to Andrzej Bialas on the occasion of his $80^{\mathrm{th}}$ birthday.
