USVI-On-Line

Well, looks like the Name That House threads have all been deleted. I think Keep Left was just letting us all have some fun and was not soliciting anything!! Quite, the contrary, he was being generous. I see Anthony has posted Rules and Regulations and I don't see that Keep Left violated anything. Just my 2 cents!

I certainly do not want to get into a debate, but I will just say my peace and move on.

We are so very luck to have this community. This is a great source of infomation and I know that many posters (including me) have met and formed life long friendships.
That aside, this is Anthony's business and he is free to run it as he wishes. Sometimes, we all forget that this is a business and the way he makes a living. I am sure his choices are business driven and not because he doesn't like someone.

That is my .02 cents and that is all I have to say on this

Well, I think that Anthony did the right thing. This forum would be a major downer if we all were allowed to use it to promote our own businesses, etc. Do you really want to get multiple posts from me trying to get you to use my law firm? Boring.

I, for one, agree with Anthony 100%. When he peddled his book on the forum I thought he was pushing it, but it was Anthony's call, and the book's was subject matter was relative to the board. I found the "contest" to be nothing short of shamelessly self promoting his business, i.e. his villa, on the board, without the board owner's permission. Other villa owners and rental agencies pay Anthony to advertise their properties on the borders of this page. That's how Anthony makes a living and provides all of us with the much loved forum.
There are numerous VI business owners that contribute, and benefit from posting without crossing a line of propriety. You don't see Sloop, Ruth, Ronnie, Pat etc. posting "deals" on their products and services. Why? Because it's just out of bounds!

I got sucked in at first, but once the "rules" were posted I realized, hum...what a good way to collect 100s of email addresses.

Anthony, IMHO, made the right decision, just like he always does.

I thought it was yet another example of a fair, thoughtful, well-considered decision by Anthony. He doesn't intrude too much, but will do so when the forum seems to be getting off course.

I thought the marketing the book was clearly out of bounds and the "contest" was just getting weirder and weirder.

lazylane I appreciate your take - it was the first positive respones I have heard yet. Those rules are 12 years old by the way - they were just posted on the old forum and they were a little too hard to find.

At first I thought it was fun, but after the rules, I thought it was a little too much advertising. He sure is good at self promoting and marketing though. I didn't even need a 1/2 off place to stay and I still played the game. I'm a timeshare owner. He will do just fine with his rental, he's brilliant at business.

I thought it was a brilliant marketing idea from the beginning. How big a deal is it for him to give a 50% discount on a new house in off season that would probably sit empty anyway. I think all the building blogs, as much fun as they are, are intended to drum up business. I am all for that. What ever works. I'd do it to, but this contest on this site seemed a little too...........

DELETED

wishwewerethere wrote: If this second house was one that he was building for himself, how is it that he was offering a discount on renting it? Was he offering the discount on the "other rental"

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing myself.

wishwewerethere wrote:ANYWAY, it confused me AND I felt the name should have been worth a whole free week, not just half.

I thought it was a whole week at half-price. Hmmm. WHATever! It's over now.

...so anyhoo, what WAS the best name?...i vote ciao bella.

I was going to submit "Villa Carpetbagger" but I couldn't find an Italian translation.

I'm also behind Anthony 100% on this one.