One-time posters
Apr 3rd, 2009, 04:13 AM
#1
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One-time posters
Every once in a while, both here and in other travel forums, readers will find comments by one-time posters which extoll the virtues of various tourism service providers.
I always wondered exactly how this worked. There was, quite obviously, some kind of "quid pro quo" involved, but exactly what?
Well, I found this morning in the NY Times how this works, at least in the case of a certain apartment rental firm, which is NOT the one we are dealing with in a recent thread.
Says Jerry on March 18th, 2009, at 8:44 am:
"Cleverly, they give you a discount to post your experience (good or bad). Send them a link at the end of your vacation and get a rebate some fees."
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/gui...tels.html#read
You may need to register (it's free) to read the above comment.
So, this will help explain to readers why we distrust comments by first-time posters, which only deal about their experience with a certain tourism service provider.
Everyone (yours truly included, LOL) who writes here, once posted for the first time, but I wanted to explain why we take that kind of post with quite a few grains of salt.
Have a great time in our country.
I always wondered exactly how this worked. There was, quite obviously, some kind of "quid pro quo" involved, but exactly what?
Well, I found this morning in the NY Times how this works, at least in the case of a certain apartment rental firm, which is NOT the one we are dealing with in a recent thread.
Says Jerry on March 18th, 2009, at 8:44 am:
"Cleverly, they give you a discount to post your experience (good or bad). Send them a link at the end of your vacation and get a rebate some fees."
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/gui...tels.html#read
You may need to register (it's free) to read the above comment.
So, this will help explain to readers why we distrust comments by first-time posters, which only deal about their experience with a certain tourism service provider.
Everyone (yours truly included, LOL) who writes here, once posted for the first time, but I wanted to explain why we take that kind of post with quite a few grains of salt.
Have a great time in our country.
Apr 3rd, 2009, 04:41 AM
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Another common ploy among one-time posters: The owner of the travel business registers under an assumed name and posts a glowing review of his/her own business...or, even worse in my opinion, posts a negative review of a competitor.
Moral: be wary of any first time poster whose entire post consists of a review of a particular travel related business (guide service, hotel, b&b, travel agency) with no mention of the destination itself and the posters experiences in that location....
Apologies in advance to legit first time posters whose efforts are viewed with suspicion due to the unethical behavior of devious business owners trying to get a bit of free advertising....
Moral: be wary of any first time poster whose entire post consists of a review of a particular travel related business (guide service, hotel, b&b, travel agency) with no mention of the destination itself and the posters experiences in that location....
Apologies in advance to legit first time posters whose efforts are viewed with suspicion due to the unethical behavior of devious business owners trying to get a bit of free advertising....
Apr 3rd, 2009, 04:48 AM
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An amusing story from Frommers a couple of years ago:
A well known travel business in Buenos Aires posted a glowing review of his own business using a fake screen name...Said owner then posted a thank you note..."glad you enjoyed your experience with our agency"...trouble was, he forgot to switch scree ids....so both the original post and the thank you were posted under the fake id....Frommers removed both posts...I wish they had left them both up as an example of the games that people play on these internets....
A well known travel business in Buenos Aires posted a glowing review of his own business using a fake screen name...Said owner then posted a thank you note..."glad you enjoyed your experience with our agency"...trouble was, he forgot to switch scree ids....so both the original post and the thank you were posted under the fake id....Frommers removed both posts...I wish they had left them both up as an example of the games that people play on these internets....
Apr 3rd, 2009, 05:27 AM
#4
I think the fodors editors do a really good job of removing those types of posts esp when they are notified of them. Just last night I alerted them of a post on a thread that appeared to be advertising and it was gone very quickly.
Apr 3rd, 2009, 06:36 AM
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I agree, yestravel, but I wish they left the empty place where a post has been deleted, like TA normally does. In fact, I feel it would be useful if the screen name of the poster were left standing, so everyone knows whose post was deleted. TA does NOT do this.
There was some obvious spam from China here early this morning and it was deleted soon enough.
There was some obvious spam from China here early this morning and it was deleted soon enough.
Apr 3rd, 2009, 06:40 AM
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I also think Fodors does a good job of removing spam. Unlike another travel forum I won't name beginning with T. 
I think one time posters on reviews tend to be more genuine than one time posters on forums. The ones on forums who mention only one business have either been asked to post a glowing comment or have been paid to do so.
I think one time posters on reviews tend to be more genuine than one time posters on forums. The ones on forums who mention only one business have either been asked to post a glowing comment or have been paid to do so.
Apr 3rd, 2009, 06:45 AM
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When I see self-promoting types of posts, I do look to see if this is a legitimate poster, or a one-timer.
If it is a one-timer, I do not hesitate to respond immediately that this is a one-timer poster.
Out the person immediately, so that he / she doesn't waste all of our time.
If it is a one-timer, I do not hesitate to respond immediately that this is a one-timer poster.
Out the person immediately, so that he / she doesn't waste all of our time.
Apr 3rd, 2009, 09:21 AM
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We had a great time with our tour guides and our travel agent, but I wasn't sure how to recommend them without sounding like one of "those". So I snuck the recommendations in one of the threads I'd lurked on before our visit to Argentina.
Apr 3rd, 2009, 12:51 PM
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The "one-poster" happens fairly often on the TA forum for Krakow extolling the virtues of "Bob's Taxi". I gather Bob is a total free spirit with a great big 6-seat auto who considers himself the reincarnation of a sort of James Bond/Big Apple cabbie.
However, every time you call the first-poster to task for the glowing review, others with plenty of posts under their belt will write in and defend Bob!
I think it's hilarious, and will definitely try Bobs Taxi if I ever get to Krakow.
See, you don't know if I'm legit, or just fronting for Bob!
Cheers to Dr D, and big "hi" to "old" Av.
tptr
However, every time you call the first-poster to task for the glowing review, others with plenty of posts under their belt will write in and defend Bob!
I think it's hilarious, and will definitely try Bobs Taxi if I ever get to Krakow.
See, you don't know if I'm legit, or just fronting for Bob!
Cheers to Dr D, and big "hi" to "old" Av.
tptr
Apr 3rd, 2009, 05:39 PM
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Bravo for this thread. While it may always have been an issue, it seems that bogus posters and similar touts have just gotten worse over the past year or so. Maybe it is like spam, and the posters are just catching up with the rest of the world. A first time poster with a question is usually one thing, but a first time poster claiming she found the "best" of whatever is always suspect.
On this topic, below is an interesting thread:
http://www.frommers.com/blog/?plckCo...0-cbd391be90dd
On this topic, below is an interesting thread:
http://www.frommers.com/blog/?plckCo...0-cbd391be90dd
Apr 4th, 2009, 05:29 AM
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I agree with top poster drdawggy's "they will follow up when readers report a suspicious post. They delete many a post..."
However, sometimes I find it difficult to understand why certain posts are deleted on TA and I certainly disagree with their stated policy by which TA "reserves the right, and has absolute discretion, to remove, screen or edit without notice any Content posted or stored on the Site at any time and for any reason".
Even though they own the place, I feel there should be a pretty good reason to delete a post, particularly considering their motto of "get the truth, then go".
However, sometimes I find it difficult to understand why certain posts are deleted on TA and I certainly disagree with their stated policy by which TA "reserves the right, and has absolute discretion, to remove, screen or edit without notice any Content posted or stored on the Site at any time and for any reason".
Even though they own the place, I feel there should be a pretty good reason to delete a post, particularly considering their motto of "get the truth, then go".
Apr 4th, 2009, 06:55 AM
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It works in the opposite direction too. I'm always suspicious of a first-time poster who has nothing but negative things to say about a destination/airline/hotel/tour operator. I picture them thinking "I'm angry about what happened to me. I want to get back at someone. I want to tell everybody I can about my bad experience. Oh, look. Here's this Fodor's Forum. Here's a place I can do it. I'll really show them."
Not that bad things don't happen to good travelers, but when this is how someone introduces themself here, with only bad things to say, I wonder: "Axe to grind."
Not that bad things don't happen to good travelers, but when this is how someone introduces themself here, with only bad things to say, I wonder: "Axe to grind."
Apr 4th, 2009, 08:09 AM
#17
The posts I've noticed removed (reading them b4 removal) on TA are ones that are either advertising or the thread has gone off track and there is some pretty serious mudslinging going on. Often its off track for a bit b4 any posts get deleted. As AV said, these boards are owned and we're here as their guests so to speak.
Apr 5th, 2009, 11:47 AM
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This was posted today in the San Francisco Chronicle by Arthur Frommer. The title is "Why you can't trust user-generated Web site reviews"
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...sn=001&sc=1000
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...sn=001&sc=1000
Apr 5th, 2009, 01:40 PM
#20
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About Mr. Frommer's "Isn't it the height of innocence to expect that the user-generated Web sites printing those recommendations are able to distinguish the genuine from the fake?", my answer is that I don't know if THEY can do it, but I believe I certainly can do it within my area, with a high percentage of accuracy.
