Why it matters. And why it doesn't.

It matters who's behind PFA. Because if you don't know the honest truth about why someone started a blog, or holds certain views, then all you're reading is propaganda. Let's give all the commenters over at PFA the benefit of the doubt and say everyone is smart and on the ball. Don't you want to know WHY you're being told certain things? Don't you want to know if it's true? Or perhaps just a vendetta by some people who were banned from a forum (about bags, no less) and can't stand it. (And while we're asking, did you behave this way in school, too? Because honestly, it's pretty juvenile.)

It matters that you feel people are unfairly treated at PF. We are sure some have been, are, and will be. Our research shows it's privately owned, and the owners are therefore able to set the rules and ban people they feel break them. Unfair? Could be. But the adult thing to do is move on if, once you've made your point that you think you've been unfairly booted, you can't change their minds. Slandering people .... not so cool. (And remember that the primary defense to slander is the truth, folks. All the allegations being slung over at PFA? The names they call folks they've never met? That all the bags but Donna's are fake? Show us the proof. We're still waiting.)

It matters that you are being told things that aren't true. Like the amusing hit counter at the bottom of the page on PFA. We can tell you with near 100 per cent certainty those numbers have been sucking helium. And anyhow, what does it matter if 200,000,000,000 people read it? Doesn't make any of it true.

It doesn't matter that the owners of PF are making money on PF. No, seriously. It really doesn't. Do you think all those free websites and forums you visit DON'T make money on you? No one could be that naive in 2011. So here's the real deal. If you don't like it, don't visit. So simple.

It matters that real people are being affected. We're sure there are lots of cheers over at PFA for the fact that people's real names, contact information, blog info and places of work are being posted online against their will on PF. Some of them may see it as comeuppance for some imagined slights. We're still waiting to see if the owners of PFA are willing to do to themselves what they so readily do to others. Dying to see when they will come forward, admit why they really started the blog (and trust us, it has absolutely nothing to do with "advising" or uncovering supposed scams. It has everything to do with their own outrage over being banned. So let's see a little honesty, hmmm?

In the grand scheme of things, none of this matters. How lame is it of us to ask that people not hide behind anonymity when slashing others to bits. And for the commenters who think that's what's going on here, it isn't. We're publishing their own words, their own posts. We won't provide links over to PFA or PF - why drive traffic? When we're unhappy with something, we may try to fix it. We may walk away. We really want people to know the true Michael Tonello. We won't try to inflict damage on all and sundry because that ain't how we roll. And it would be a better world if more of the anonymous felt that way, too.

Obsession

And we don't mean the perfume.

When Donna and Michael were booted from PF, despite protesting loudly about how much they hated it, they couldn't stay away. And Donna started a bunch 'o blogs, all based on PF. In some, we are told, she posted as commenters riffing on well-known member names on PF. Let's just say that most of the posts were not nice. Tsk, Tsk.

Blogs with names like:
The Real Purse Blog
Hermesmerized
Hermes TPF Purse
TPF The Phony Fakes
Hermes TPF Purse (That Paris Purse)
and last but not least (we are sure she has tons more up her sleeve) Hermes TPF Purse.

Mr. Tonello has also had several anti-PF blogs. Thanks to an anonymous tipster for pointing out that his first blog post confused the name of PFA with another one, purseforumlies. There was also, we believe, purseforumconfidential. When does he find the time to do anything else? What a busy bee.

Donna and Michael's premise? EVERYTHING on PF is fake. Everyone is a secret reseller. (Because we know that's basaaaaad.) And of course, the moderators and owners are in on all the nefarious goings-on. (They're always nefarious, don't you know.) And of course, on her blog team was her trusty sidekick, Michael Tonello.

They SAY they hate PF. But you know, love is the opposite of hate. We suspect they just can't stay away. And if they aren't allowed to play, they'll just trash it instead. Make up whatever blather they can think of and hope some of it is believed.

Know what? We actually wish you and Michael well. Enjoy your money and your bags and your blogs, Donna. Enjoy El Bulli and your rioja, Michael. But the revenge blogs and made up posts? Get a new perfume. Obsession is soooooo 80s.

Blah, blah, blah

Does Michael Tonello EVER get tired of talking to himself??

http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.php?p=3961726&postcount=1315

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Well, actually, we do know where they are.

Sadly, Mrs. Robert Lehtonen has made her blog private so the world may no longer be privy to her acquisitions. Until she feeds the photos to Michael Tonello so he can publish them "anonymously" on PFA. We're sure it won't be long until she busts out some more photos under yet another user name on PF, too. For someone who goes on and on (and on) about hating that site, she sure can't stay away. Neither can he.

But thanks to a screen shot someone sent us, we do know that Michael Tonello is using Donna's Schaumberg address as his. Wonder why? Because for sure he lives in Barcelona.

Wonder why also (thanks, anonymous tipster commenter!) they were both in NY at the same time as the owner of PFA suppsedly met them (Sybil must be their favorite shared book) .... and gee, why did SAs at the Madison Hermes store say they were busy asking questions about specific people's buying habits? Exactly what business is that of theirs or anyone else's?

So we ask them nicely to come out today. Come out and be honest. Come out with the truth about why they started PFA (and why they feel it is necessary to publish people's personal information against their will. Well, everyone but theirs, it seems.

Try it. We dare you. Go over to PFA and try to get either Michael Tonello or Donna Lehtonen's info into a published comment.

We bet they won't allow it.

In the words of Richard Nixon, I am not a crook

And remember how he turned out.

http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.php?p=3946604&postcount=1136

'Nuff said.

Johnny One Note

Or maybe Michael Tonello one-note.

Thanks to the commenter who pointed out today's attack. Which is pretty much emblematic of what goes on at PFA.

Pick a PF poster. Preferably someone who has more money than you do (not hard to find).
Post a picture of one of their purchases (and by the way, to do that, you have to be a registered member of Purse Forum, so I guess Mr. Tonello really can't stay away....)
Pick from one of the following descriptors: scammer, fakester, counterfeiter, reseller.

(Again, we don't see why it's a problem for anyone to buy and sell things... please explain why this is an issue because we aren't getting it.) Oh, we're sure Mr. Tonello will come back and huff and puff and say, "But, but, but, reselling isn't allowed on PF!" So show us some proof that this woman has sold a single one of her items as a result of having posted them there. She seems like a person with huge bag collection to us.

And by the way, stating the obvious here ... if you were to mention purses/reselling/scams/fakes to 99 per cent of the population, they would look at you as if you'd lost it. That's how vastly unimportant what PFA goes on about is in the grand scheme of things. Why do we care? Because the name and shame approach over there is NOT right. Cyberbullying is NOT right.

Apparently, truth is not required at PFA. (But you knew that.) We looked through the thread in question ... seems like a nice person with access to a lot of nice things because her parents are well off. Since when is this a crime? Oh. I guess if you have less, the only thing to do is to point fingers, hold the person up for internet ridicule, and yell, RESELLER! Why, exactly?

And coming from reseller Michael Tonello, that is indeed the meaning of rich.

If you're happy and you know it

Remember that kids' song?

Well, the corollary to that is NOT if you're unhappy post untrue and slanderous things about people online.

You're all free to hate the Purse Forum, its moderators, owners and posters. You are free to hate anyone or thing you like. But sorry kids, there is no huge scam going on there that we can see. So if you don't like this web site just don't frequent it. Shockingly, that simple act is pretty damaging in itself. Traffic, ya know.

Not liking a site doesn't give you the right to threaten people anonymously. Or post their personal information against their will.

And that "free speech" thing they like to trumpet over on PFA? Only if you agree with their fakes/scams world view. Don't dare say anything critical about Michael or Donna. Oh, no. Everyone is fair game but them. Hmmm. Funny how any negative references to them or personal information is whisked away.

By the way, the only comments we won't publish (and there have been some) are racist or homophobic or accusations we think are untrue.

What will make US happy? Seeing Michael Tonello exposed as the person pushing the erroneous content and curious obsessions over at PFA...