Has anyone gotten any confirmation whether the "Danny" post is the real thing?

Nope. This is getting OLD. And if it is whatshisname -- then he's been following us all too carefully from Italy which is WEIRD. In defense of Fodor's -- to be at work at 6pm on a Friday in NYC in a business like publishing would not be unusual. What is odd is the mix of PR stuff [which sounds like Fodors] and the personal stuff [including the apology to me] which doesn't read right. The reason I was willing to accept the post as real [and I'm still not dis-accepting it] is that I DID write Fodors telling them they needed to do SOMETHING to restore confidence. The problem is -- given the nature of the "beast" that's difficult to do.

I don't have time to read this whole thread, but I can tell you that I have not posted since Thursday morning when I left for Europe. <BR> <BR>This is my first post from Europe since I arrived two days ago - - writing here now from the Vatican. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

I hope you're enjoying Italy and spending more time looking at real life than at a computer screen. But, sorry, you've lost all remaining credibility after last weekend's bizarre trick, which crossed far far beyond the "line", and I doubt that anyone will give any credence to your claims of innocence. But have a nice vacation anyway.

6.00 pm in NYC would be midnight in Italy.... Are cybercafes open?

Most likely, yes

Re: "6.00 pm in NYC would be midnight in Italy.... Are cybercafes open?" <BR> <BR>There's at least one in Rome that I know of -- 'cause I used it when I was there a month ago -- that's open 24 hours. <BR> <BR>I've been reading this with fascination. Would someone actually have the nerve to impersonate a Fodor's editor in a post?

Capo: The brouhaha last weekend was because someone certain someone DID impersonate the editors. <BR> <BR>BTW Danny M. emailed me this morning and told me that the post on this thread that we were most recently questioning was written and posted by him. The content of the email and the fact he enclosed the email I had sent to the Fodors' editors verifies to my satisfaction that the email was genuine. [Now of course you'll have to decided whether I am genuine ] Why did he email me? For all I know he emailed the others folks that have written Fodors recently to try to get something done about whatshisname. There was no "secret content" that I am not sharing. Just the acknowledgment that the post on this thread is genuinely from him. <BR> <BR>My suggestion is that we lower the paranoia quotient around here and get back to our usual lovable, informative, but testy selves.

Thanks for the info, s.fowler. So someone actually DID impersonate the editors before? Amazing...and appalling. <BR> <BR>Anyway, since you noted that the recent post from Danny on this thread was legit, I'd think that might make all those folks who seemed *certain* it was fake a little contrite or sheepish. <BR> <BR>I agree with you that the paranoia quotient seems rather high. (But, after all, isn't this a country in which a very popular TV show has as its motto "Trust No One"? :~)

Yes Capo, the editors were impersonated last Sunday, by the very person that you usually rush to defend -- REX. He was caught outright and admitted it. Then as usual, he breezily dismissed it and went right back to his poor-me-I'm-being-attacked victim routine. <BR> <BR>I have e-mailed Fodor's a more than one occassion about some of things which occur here, including the fake editor posts, and have never received an acknowledgement or reply. I am not convinced that Danny wrote that. Our perp knows quite a bit about computers and is completely capable of assuming other people's identities, as we have seen. I'd like to see something posted on the FRONT of Travel Talk, where the true editors normally post, before I believe it. <BR> <BR>And anyone who believes Rex is just now rejoining us (yes, while on vacation in Italy)should contact me about a bridge I have for sale.

But where have all those posts from the editors gone? <BR> <BR>I was on really late last night and there were a few posts "from" Danny Mangin but they have disappeared since then.

Brooklyn Bridge, Re: "Yes Capo, the editors were impersonated last Sunday, by the very person that you usually rush to defend -- REX. He was caught outright and admitted it. Then as usual, he breezily dismissed it and went right back to his poor-me-I'm-being-attacked victim routine." <BR> <BR>IMO, impersonating someone else -- and ESPECIALLY Fodors editors -- is, as I said, amazing and appalling...and absolutely indefensible. No ands, ifs, or (pinched) buts! <BR> <BR>What I *have* defended in regard to Rex -- or, for that matter anyone else -- is providing references such as URLS, etc. instead of personal experiences. What I would have a problem with -- with him or anyone else -- would be stating something as personal experience which was, in fact, not. <BR> <BR>Being relatively to this forum, I didn't understand, initially, why his proposal here to organize a trip for fellow fodorites seemed to be met with such vitriol. I've since realized why this might not be such a good idea since, even *IF* his proposed trip is non-profit, allowing something like that may open the door for others with different intentions. (So, I plead "newcomer's naiveté" on that one.) <BR> <BR>In regard to that, what I suggested was for people to appropriately take that matter up with the people who run this forum, rather than engage in anonymous personal attacks. If you perceive my criticism of anonymous personal attacks on Rex -- or anyone else here -- as "defending" them, then so be it. I think anonymous personal attacks on anyone are childish and cowardly. <BR> <BR>By the way, I'm NOT saying that *non*-anonymous personal attacks on others are, by contrast, "good" simply because they're not anonymous. <BR> <BR>Does that make sense?

Capo, yes.

The paranoia continues, I see. No one need worry about my spending excessive time in front of a computer screen. We are in Assisi today where the Mass at 10:30 in the Inferiore Basilica was just incredible. The town, however is rather junked up, and more tourist-ed up than I remember. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

This is interesting,too.

ttt

bummer I was serching for the "Troll" thread, I was so amussed by "Moles in NYC underground" I figured Trolls was the European counterpart.

I find it strange that Fodors allows such an unpleasant thread as the one on US forum about How Awful NYers are, yet they deleted the amusing thread about thongs...there is no sense in this censoring.

nothing ever changes.<BR>