I am new to fodors. My husband and I travel a lot because he is a photographer. We love France and spend months there every year. One thing I do not understand is why there is so much suspicion about glowing reviews. Let me give you an example.......I had never written any reviews at all until recently on any travel site primarily because We were really busy and I had not taken the time. Last Fall we spent time in the Aveyron at some incredible places we just happened upon. I decided I would sign up for Trip Advisor and Fodors and write some reviews. sounds easy, huh? I wrote one about a village.. And hotel we stayed at and, lo and behold , it disappeared. Sent it in several more times and was told it was suspicious. what? Someone told me perhaps it was caught in a filter because it was my first review and I wrote too many nice things about it. I do not get that at all. Doesn't everyone have a first review and does ones first review have to be bad ? Instead of dissing people's reviews, why not just read them
And decide for yourself if they have merit or do some investigating on the net if you are interested.

KathrynJane, certainly a valid question but apparently TA has some problems with either extremely complimentary or awful comments by owners and their competition. Fodors doesn't allow ads. If anyone errs on the side of caution, that's why. Many times, a Fodorite's trip review will have a list of places s/he ate/stayed but they are more like a list than long commercially-sounding descriptions.

It's too bad ivenotbeeneverywhere's thread got in our cross-hairs. As I said, everyone should lighten up.

I don't understand how this mistrust and criticism serves Fodor's readers well. Thank you ivenotbeeneverywhere for sharing your feedback and I'm sure your information will be helpful to other posters.

"mistrust and criticism" are too strong. I stand by my comments and am signing off.