Fodors Editors: Hann, Treck, Abi, Franklinn, et al is running amok
 

nm -- except DO SOMETHING!

Good god, Janis, no one who's followed this forum is fooled by these screen names. Fodors will delete these posts tomorrow.

Citytraveler, who I think is real, was fooled (best areas to stay in SF thread). He was ready to cancel his plans to come to SF and still may after the onslaught of fictitious "people" he's now heard from.

The problem with Hann, Treck et al is not that he's irritating to those of us familiar with his game. It's when he sets upon those who don't have the information we do. He is a predator, his activities only different in degree of seriousness and harm from those of the child molestors he so closely resembles psychologically.

He wants notches on his belt, victories over the weak. To triumph and work his nasty will on those he sees as not well informed or skeptical enough to know to resist him or how. He wants to see people ignorant of his history here and of the realities of the area he's discussing change or make their plans based on his song and dance.

His doggedness here is due to his knowledge that more of the uninitiated will always be showing up. Each one of these who he can convince to do what he wants is a fresh "win" or "kill" for him.

Questionmotives has analyzed him as a control freak. I think it goes beyond that to the smaller subgroup to which child molestors belong--those who seek out the helpless, so they can enjoy the triumph of bending other human beings to their will in absolute safety.

If you are not forcing a child, not able to do you any harm, to do whatever you wish, then the closest thing to that to do is to seize upon adults who come to you confessing ignorance, willing to trust your professions of knowledge. You work your way with them in the complete safety and anonymity available in cyberspace, free of the worry of any consequences.

The E-mail address to use for those who are concerned is [email protected].

Dan: No - what they'll do is freeze the threads (or delete them altogether) and some poor schmuck will go off believing the tripe . . . . . .

Unfortunately, folks HAVE been fooled - just look at Tuesday night's episodes.

janis,I cannot imagine any person taking the word of one stranger on the internet and changing their travel plans. Don't we all read many books and many travel boards while planning our trips? Who would take the word of one person on Fodors and change all their plans?
This person thrives because of the importance given to it. Entire threads devoted to it.

No, Scarlett, people DO change or make plans solely on this individual's say so. I have come across threads where this has happened before anyone entered to identify or challenge him, I know janis has said that she has seen the same, and so have others.

Of course people should follow the trip planning process you describe, and not take important actions based only on what they're told by an anonymous stranger. But more people than you'd think don't have the sophistication, know how and judgement to follow those steps. And those willing to act on what they're told by one anonymous stranger are much more likely to be influenced by eight anonymous strangers (the number of the predator's currently active aliases.)

The predator would love it if he were left alone and unchallenged to prey in peace. There is little doubt of that from the enthusiasm with which he sets upon the unwary in threads in which he has been left unidentified and unchallenged.

There is only one way that this situation can be dealt with effectively, and that is by Fodor's blocking the IP adddresses from which he posts, as they surely did those of the person who started attacking a number of people with profanity a couple of weeks ago. To get this done, those of us who care about those who continue to be victimized must not be silent, but must keep up the pressure on Fodor's, both in the forum and by E-mails to [email protected].

Alright, I'm still on the list! I haven't given Union Square a big sloppy kiss (on the forum at least) in AGES!

love
roxy

I'm almost afraid to post this but I'd like to set the record straight.

Yes I am a real person and only have the one screen name. My concern about SF was based on posts I had seen from this board last year and from comments from 2 friends, but their trip to SF was many years ago. I simply wanted to know if this was still an issue.

My decision not to go was based on more than just the few posters from last night - but yeah they did help sway my decision. I was actually debating NY or SF all along but I didn't mention that in my original post. NY was actually my first choice but I thought it might be a little too hot there in July so I thought maybe SF this year and catch NY next year in the spring. I haven't ruled out SF for the future but I will be careful where I get my information.

Again I'm sorry for all the disruption my post caused. I think this is a great board and despite yesterday's fiasco there's a lot of great information that Fodor's understands goes beyond the tour books.

Janis, thank you for posting this thread--I am relatively new to this forum and had no idea this was even an issue! :-(

No need to feel that your post "caused" this, Citytraveler. One person is causing this problem, and it's not you. Your question was fine and legitimate. Unfortunately, this sort of thing is happening all the time to innocent folks asking appropriate questions here.
It will continue until Fodor's takes seriously its obligation to enforce its rules against impersonation.

By the way, due to weather considerations, I'd definitely say NYC in the spring, SF in the summer. Summer weather in SF is a wonderful relief from excessive heat and humidity in most of the the rest of the country.

People are "taken in" because they've developed a trust in Fodors and the people who post here. Two years ago, in planning a trip to France, I received invaluable advice on that Forum. It was only natural for me to turn to Fodors once again when planning a trip to California. Yes, of course, I consult other sources. However, when one individual assumes different personas, it is easy for the innocent to be taken in. It did not take too long for me to catch on to the situation, but in the meantime I was making plans and decisions based on what I thought were sincere comments from those who had first-hand knowledge.

What, again???!!!

No sooner have you identified Hann, Treck, Abi and Franklinn that this Weirdo signs in as Guarto and Robinsen and starts agreeing with himself. The many-headed idiot!

what a public service ... reminds me to order the holiday fruitcakes early, and specify lots of nuts!

The names johnchaz, robinsen, citytrav, oh who can remember them all ... LOL, imbeciles.

Once again, I find the best recourse is to stay under my bed at all times.

If I must go outside my house, I wear the reflective foil beanie. Those brain waves are scary.

I find it all quite amusing; I mean we all know "who's who" so to speak. I can't believe this individual "group" would go to all this time to respond/type and be so repetitive. So predictable, yet why?

Actually, smokyboy, I sense a lot of cutting and pasting (those same old URLs pointing to ancient sfgate.com articles). Then again, the appalling typing is always a clue as to the fool we're suffering. I do get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I see someone warning us about the dangers of "Union Sqaure" (sic).... ;) Funny thing is, Fodor's is being a bit more proactive-- they start deleting the nutjob's posts before he/she starts attacking other posters' sexual orientation, a sure sign of someone with limited intellect and arrested social development. I say, San José can keep him/her!

GoTravel! LOL! Thanks for setting me off on a wonderful funny day!

(Now, where's that beanie?)

easytraveler, I have a hard time keeping the Underpants Gnomes from stealing the reflective foil beanie. That may be who has yours.

Cheetos are an Underpant Gnome repellent.

Is anyone else afraid they will turn into a grapefruit?

Dan, I agree and disagree with you. I visit this forum practically every weekday so I know about that SJ freak and for me now it's just funny. But I disagree that s/he can do no harm - I've read posts from people who visit this forum only once in a blue moon while getting ready for vacation, and I remember posts like: "I went to SJ instead of SF and hated it", or "I'm not going to SF because it's not safe".

I think it's a school age kid as most of the posts from that Abi/Hann/Whatever appear in the early afternoon hours.

Go Travel-I dont't think foil is going to protect you against the jet contrails. You could try a really ugly shower cap. ;-)