Curious

I see she's posting again (or should I say copying info from one of her travel books). This women did not get the hint recently that she has no business promoting herself on this site. I'm contacting Fodor's.

s.fowler

Yup. Margo again

Ellen

If you notice, she took off any "promotional" web site link to her response to the individual regarding a hotel in France. Of course I don't think it appropriate to e-mail back individuals to promote yourself. <BR> <BR>Is the current way Margo provided information still objectionable to you both and if so, why is that? <BR> <BR>Ellen

curious

I object to her copying data right out of her book and pasting it here. (She is also using her helloeurope e-mail address for those that want to contact her, she did not hide that). Any person using this site can easily read info from a book themselves by buying a book, going to the library, etc. This site encourages personal reviews of places you actually stayed in. Margo could not possibly have stayed in every hotel in Paris so she has no first hand knowledge of them all and her postings read like what they are, printed reviews for a publication. If I want to know what the Hotel Bersolys, for instance, really looks like s.fowler can give a personal answer, she stayed there, she knows what it looks like inside and out. Can Margo do that? I do not think so, not for everyplace she cuts and pastes into the site. I truly believe it is against Fodor's rules for her to be doing this and I have contacted them.

just

Curious & Fowler, who died to make you supreme overlords of the travel lounge? Do you really think it was necessary to create a header to let us know what tattletales you are. After all, who really gives a flying fig what you OR Margo do?

FedUp

That woman has some brass b*lls. For her to remain here and continue her cut-and-paste routine after the blasting she took on another thread makes me think she is either really desperate or really dense. Probably both. Maybe we should go over to the helloeurope site and post some pages from the Fodor's travel books with a link back to this site. <BR> <BR>You've not only lost any good will you ever had here, Margo, you're making enemies. Get lost, once and for good.

PlainJane

I object too. She's been posting all over this forum today. She must not sell many books if she has this much time to cut and paste. Get a life, Margo.

Ellen

Curious, you have no idea as to whether or not Margo has stayed at all or none of these places. Just the same, we don't know if any of the posters have REALLY stayed somewhere or have made it all up. <BR> <BR>Furthermore, unless one has been reading the Margo fiasco on this site, no one would have known the information is cut and pasted from a book. Thanks to you, everyone is reminded. How can you be certain that other posters have not just copied information or repeat heresay? <BR> <BR>I know what you mean "Curious" about the use of her e-mail. Yours being [email protected] is indeed so much more appropriate! <BR>ellen

Real

If I want guide book advice I'll buy a guide book. If I want travel agent advice I'll go to a travel agent. I come to this forum because it touts itself as a place for REAL travelers to exchange information, not a place for travel industry professionals to lurk and pounce on unsuspecting visitors. <BR> <BR>As a matter of fact, as I entered the forum I read that Fodor's does not allow "commercial promotion" on their site. Yet I immediately encounter someone who is posting pages of their own travel book in response to just about every request for first-hand hotel and restaurant experiences. O.K., so first I know that Fodor's isn't what it claims to be, and second, I have to wonder about these "tips" now because someone has violated the no promotions rule and is obviously posting for some personal gain. So, since it's not what I thought it was, why come here? <BR> <BR>When Fodor's visitors believe that they will no longer visit this site, and that's exactly what Fodor's doesn't want. They set the rules, if you choose to violate them be prepared for the consequences. Drop the whining routine and move on. <BR> <BR>At least MauiHeidi had the guts to address everyone and bow out on her own. This Margo just keeps right on going without a word. So, what did we learn from all this? Avoid helloeurope, it's web site, it's travel books and it's EMPLOYEES like the plague! <BR> <BR>

s.fowler

Hey! I didn't create this post, I just responded. There is a fine line here and it is some people's sense that it is being crossed. I'm not an arbiter of anything.. but I am entitled to my opinionWhich I am willing to sign and claim.

kk

Good grief. Deja vu all over again. <BR> <BR>I thought we solved this last week. No more Margo.

JustFell

Golly gee whiz, I think Ellen's right. We're all so fresh off the farm that we never ever would have noticed that Margo's posts read just like a guide book and her e-mail belongs to a travel company. And the fact that she never posts personal experiences just went right by all of us. <BR> <BR>O.K. Ellen, go back to work now. Your boss Margo is calling you. <BR> <BR>

Ellen

On a "light" note, you are right about me needing to get back to work Mr. Just Fell off the Turnip truck. <BR> <BR>I however really don't believe the woman is at fault in this instance. I think people can choose to interpret the information she provides as they see fit as long as it is not promotional or against any Fodors rules in posting. <BR> <BR>Do you all think that this type of work break can be an "acceptable" alternative for those who don't take breaks to smoke or use the facilities ?

justasking

Are Ellen and Margo related? Is Ellen Margo? --- is Margo Ellen? What a soap opera this forum is. But the bottom line still remains Margo is promoting her website here with her cut&paste travel recommendations. Enough already -- Margo go take a real trip someplace and then write about real hotel.

Walter

I agree with Ellen and I'm no fan of Margo's. I've bashed Margo on Frommers for her off-base train info and bashed her on the last thread here for spamming. But her hotel reviews and contact info are very informative but I'd *guess* at least 2yrs out of date (current book was published Mar99). As long as she follows the rules (no spamming or harvesting e-mail addresses) her info can only help those searching for hotels/B&B. Then just let time decide when posters start commenting on *their* experiences (pro or con) at her recommended hotels. I'm just *guessing* but I think she spams because HelloEurope and her publisher (Wilson) are the same company, at least that's what a search seems to show. So she publishes and promotes her own books it seems. Frommers (who recommends her books) and HelloEurope both link to each other but she hasn't posted/spammed there in quite a while? Also it was wrong to spam here to a website that links to a competitors guidebook. Regards, Walter <BR>

nancy

I don't know who Margo is, <BR>I have not ,to my knowledge ,read anything of hers in my two months cruising through this site. <BR>I do not want to enter into this debate on whether it is kosher for her to be here but, I have an observation. <BR>Someone stated this site is for for travelers to post their real life experiences. <BR>I see plenty of postings from people who recommend places,etc and then say that they haven't stayed there. <BR>No one seems to jump all over those folks! <BR>AND please don't start now! <BR>It really is so unpleasant all this sniping. <BR>Now I have a computer question. <BR>What are all these little **** marks I see people use in their postings? <BR>Should these be used in place of capitals??? <BR>Thanks. <BR>Nancy

Caitlin

Nancy, asterisks (*) around a word indicate that it would be italicized; using all caps on internet posts is considered the equivalent of shouting.

nancy

Caitlin, <BR>Thank you so much for much needed clarification on internet etiquette. <BR>I have been slow to advance into the modern age. Infact until four years ago, we still had rotary phones. <BR> I am also fairly new to the computer , when used for communication like this. <BR> <BR>And to all of you out there I apologize for *all* my shouting. <BR>Nancy <BR>