I found this following thread rather interesting especially at it refers to Trip Advisor which has a somewhat different format to Fodors, which I believe to be much better than Trip Advisor because you are getting people writing in and answering and there is less chance of getting lots and lots of very good or very bad, false reviews as seems to be happening on T.A.

www.travelblog.org/Forum/Threads/11845-1.html

If you cannot trust a site it makes a mockery of the whole idea and then effects the trustworthyness of all similiar travel blog sites unfortunately.
When I talk about the above there is a glaring example in Cairns of 2 accommodation houses which seem to have a rather long list of glowing reviews in a short time. If everyone is like me, and has not the time to analyse the reviews when you are looking for places to stay, it is a pain in the behind that this can be fraudulently put out there on the Web. So guys stick to Fodor's formula because most of the reviews are written by people who are known on this board and therefore respected for their comments and those who write in for the first time with reviews have most probably asked for information from the "group" and are known to us. Therefore what you see here stands up to scrutiny.

You may be right Lizzy, but there's more to a travel forum than accommodation reviews. For general information TA can be good and it possibly, it seems to me, caters for a wider spectrum of travel styles and budgets.

And if you want info about the more difficult places to travel in, or help with public transport, then Lonely Planet is the place to go.

It all depends on what you are looking for, don't you think?

Couldn't agree with you more LizzyF, there are some accommodation operators who are milking TA to the hilt.

Sensible readers I think take TA's reviews with a grain of salt, or are capable of "reading through the lines", but there's enough out there, at least to fill a small B&B, who will instantly go for the accommodation with the highest TA ranking. This is where unscrupulous operators can, and often do, have a field day.

Methinks there may be a bit of self interest here. I have used TA recommendations quite a lot especially in Europe and found them to be fairly accurate. In fact I have contributed myself to assist fellow travellers. I always read TA reviews before I book anything and have found them extremely helpful. I don't own or have an interest in any accomodation and that includes B & Bs http://www.interbed.com.au/listings/lilybank.htm

I think Downunder that if you look up Pat's B&B, or mine for that matter, you will find that we both have very good reviews - does that mean we cannot have a opinion on the way it is managed. Surely either of us, or both of us, would be more aware of people who make use of the services for the own benefits. If you think its self interest to point out the failings of such a system when that system has been " personally helpful" with good reviews then I am not sure what your agenda is. If you want to make a point then do so and do not do it behind anonymity or in this case innuendo.

I too am a B&B owner/operator & find Trip Advisor an unreliable source of information. TA is open to abuse by owners, competitors & travelling phsycopaths.
Whilst they claim that all reviews are screened this is not the case, & even when they are alerted about a bogus review they will not delete it and the property has to live with the bad review...or hide it with as many fabricated good reviews as possible.
TA are not interested in any advice regarding their site. If your property has an error in its listing, believe me when I say, don't advise them.
They are ruthless in their retribution & your listing will suffer to the point of non-existence.
They are not interested in the truth.
DownUnder, of course Pat & LizzyF have some interest in this matter. If your business was being affected by a faceless,anonymous, morally corrupt review system I am sure you would like to draw peoples attention to it.
No other industry is being put under the microscope more than the tourism industry. In some cases, where constructive criticism is received, it assists us in improving our products. However the majority of TA reviews are either solicited, self written or are bogus.
There are also glaring examples of self promotion within the forums and nothing is done to these operators, nothing.
The result from this is that the honest operator gets penalised. He or she has to be dishonest & play the game in order to get their ranking higher & this practice is rife within the pages of TA.
TA is the scourge of the little tourism business operator & it is my opinion that if it is allowed to continue to influence travellers under its current guise, that many small operators will choose to close their doors as the threat of negative reviews is used as leverage by the travelling public. It's happening already.
Don't support or trust Trip Advisor.

I'm not affiliated in any way with the accommodation/hospitality industry and it would never occur to me to use Trip Advisor.

Primarily, we all have different filters, expectations and experiences in our travel & accommodation spheres. In glancing through TA, it seems to be heavily influenced by North American contributors, and the bulk of the reviews I've read indicate a difference in style & preference to mine. I also think people are more likely to go to print with a complaint, so when I see a site filled with uniformly glowing reviews written in remarkably similar style, I do rather wonder.

As others have mentioned, I would prefer to seek comments from, for example, Fodors members, whose style, preferences & travel experiences are apparent from their other postings.

If you are all getting good reviews on TA what are you worried about? Use them!!! The fact of the matter is that TA is the "go to" site for millions and any postings on this forum are not going to change that. TA reviews of establishments that I have stayed at have all been fairly accurate.

You fail to get the message Downunder, all we are saying is that using Fodors is a better guide because you can check on the poster's previous reviews and gage whether they are a "One off" or a genuine poster. I am not complaining about the reviews I have on TA but what I am complaining about is the way TA goes about their selection of reviews i.e 55 wonderful reviews in a short period of time for an Australian accommodation place is a bit sus don't you think? Particularly when, in Australia, the average TA review is about 6 per year at best.

I have no axe to grind - I'll harvest information from all sources (including books) and make my own decision. And when it comes to accommodation there's still the option of just pitching up.

But Lizzy, in the interests of accuracy, you can check out a TA user's previous activity too - other posts, other reviews, etc.

If folk don't think to do this then more fool them.

I have mixed feelings about this subject.

I've been posting accommodation reviews on TA since 2005 under the same screen name I use here.

Readers can access a TA poster's profile, reviews, forum contributions and go-lists by clicking on his/her screen name.

I learned long ago to take what I read on the Internet with a grain of salt, and I like to think that most people have enough common sense to do the same.

I routinely dismiss the posters who use TA as a means of venting their frustration as well as those reviews that are over-the-top glowing.

I also dismiss rebutal comments from accommodation owners that seem defensive or those that attack the reviewer in kind.

I find it easy enough to pick through the minefield of reviews, and I often look to TA for reviews of properties I've selected before booking them.

I don't understand or care about TA's ranking system. I'd never select a property based upon a subjective ranking system anyway. Personally, I don't care if a property is #1 or #37; I'm going to select a property that meets my particular needs.

I think TA is a good resource for travelers, flawed as it may be. As in all things, buyer beware.

Just goes to prove that those who write on Fodors are of above average IQ Melnq8.

I am totally in agreement with Melnq8, I use a variety of sources and take the TA (and Fodor's) reviews in the context of who and what. I also don't look at the ranking or the number of reviews. It seems that there is always at least one bad review no matter where you are looking. I also tend to take the Fodor's reccs from people I know more into account than TA's, also have been known to go out on a limb and book somewhere where there are no reviews! The internet has helped independent travellers enormously, but also so much information can muddy the waters. I recommend research, research, research and if you don't have time for that, get a good travel agent.
Sally in Seattle where it is sunny for a change, and likely to be so for the forseeable future