The show me state. They won't believe something will happen until it happens. Good example is consequences of bbfs.
entlemen, wouldn’t it be great if you felt that a lady was doing something that could hurt her reputation and you could tell her without concern for how she would take it or concern that she would get mad at you?
Ladies, wouldn’t it also be nice if you saw that a gentleman was conducting himself in a way that would damage his reputation and you could tell him without fear of being labeled mean or not nice?
We are all here to have a great time. Let’s try to be honest with one another, and look out for our small community. If someone is doing something they shouldn't let them know, they may not realize they are doing it, or may not realize that what they are doing is percieved as bad
People have very fragile egos. I personally love the people who like to disagree with me. They better have a good sound logic behind their disagreement though.
I don't mind telling people that they are wrong when I disagree with them. I don't mind being told myself. Last year or so, a certain man-child braced this board. A lot of people are like that. This man-child was a little extreme, but to a certain extent you can find a little man-child in everyone. The lesser the better.
When real money is involved, people wonder....Why bother.. Why hurt someone's ego. What if she doesn't see me. What if I say something and she doesn't like it and other gals don't like it. What happens then? Who blows me? Do I blow myself...or do I go get a bum chum? All this back and forth...fighting with the demons stops people from stating the truth..
DA TRUTH will set you free !!
The show me state. They won't believe something will happen until it happens. Good example is consequences of bbfs.
PLEASE tell me when I'm doing stuff that could hurt me or help me, because MAYBE I'm not aware! 
Great post.
TY,
Scar
Gosh its beautiful to see that a gentleman is being a gentleman. Someone who is looking out for us. This is pleasant and refreshing to see that a guy cares for a provider.
I just think many take themselves much too seriously. It's a sex board, not high school. Have fun and relax.
If we lived in such a society where we could just point out each other's flaws without the other getting upset wouldn't that make things easier? 
It seems like a nice idea but it's not. People will get offended, hurt and upset over being told what they are doing wrong.
Plus who is to say the person telling the other what is wrong is even correct? What works for one in terms of business for example might not work for another. Also why would you even want to go around telling people what is wrong or what you deem wrong.
This is a very touchy subject and it may come from a place of warmth and sincerity but it just isn't realistic. Plus delivery is very very important and many people do not know how to communicate
I gave up on that a long time ago...
TER is just not the same... people here seem bitchy for no reason at all, and then because of the "Backlash's" that happen from both sides can we really trust a review anymore? so what is the point?
Sorry not saying anyone is wrong, I just don't see the value TER has to offer anymore...
To many people with agendas and its hard to think anyone could be genuine in this game anymore...
this just isn't much fun anymore...
I agree with your sentiment that there are too many people with agendas, too many "bitchy" people, etc.
However, I personally think TER has plenty of value, at least for me.
While not visiting the boards here everyday means I miss some of the drama, I still sometimes find things entertaining.
The real value TER brings to me is that it is a great tool for researching ladies whom I may wish to see. I look at the ads board and have found several gems whom I have seen and will be seeing in the near future as well. I tend to not post all that much when compared to some other people.
Things change, people change and the boards seem to be cyclical. Unfortunately and for whatever reason, the boards seem to be going through a difficult time right now.
Maybe it's just my sense of optimism, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?
I can remember several years ago, when the boards were an overall positive place to be. They contained interesting discussions without so much complaining. It seems that the feel of TER, has shifted to an Us vs. Them, at times. I really don't see how that benefits anyone on either side.
Optimism is a great tool to have... and you are correct, it is what you make of it...
I tend to not agree so much on the ability to do "Research" (which is why I let my VIP lapse)..
Generally speaking its amateur hour in terms of reviews... gone are the days where a single not so good review would largely go unnoticed... if a review is bad both parties take to the boards to defend themselves (Waste of everyone's time) and in the end the backchannel / gut prevails as the real intel...
I just personally think with the changes TER has made (Change moderators, how they interact, etc) nothing feels safe to discuss on her for fear of "Backlash" and gone are the mature heads that prevail and calm things down...
IMHO TER "was" a great source, now its just ok...
I look at a providers profile to see her different websites, ads, etc. I specifically look for consistency in her pics, her words, etc. Too many providers out there who post different things (prices, services available, etc.) on different sites. For me, that is a sign of possible problems and I avoid the ladies who do this.
I also look at her profile to see how accurate it is. Lots of times, ladies do not have their profiles updated with changes. Some ladies get enhancements, add additional services, etc. but neglect to have their profiles changed to reflect that. They may advertise it in their ads though.
As for reviews, I have always taken them with a huge grain of salt. Basically, I look for consistent review scores (I am very weary of a lady who has a long string of 10/10 scores) and usually only from guys who have a history of writing accurate reviews. If I do not recognize any of the reviewers names, I take the review with an even bigger grain of salt.
There are other factors I consider on a case-by-case basis as well. But the bottom line is I find TER to be a very centralized location to start my homework with. Lots of easy access to info right there in a ladies profile. Just point, click and learn.
As for the boards in general and how they've changed, I wish I could disagree but cannot. The complaining about everything just gets really old sometimes. I used to be more active on them, but have since cut way back on my involvement because everybody now is a target and everybody thinks they know it all. Who needs the drama?
There are WAY too many ISO posts, far too many arguments, way too many people ganging up on and chasing after certain peoples posts and seemingly nobody really helping anyone else out. I know helping people still happens, but I agree that it seems gone are the days where people don't get ridiculed for not knowing something.
Given all of the above, I still consider TER to be the best overall source of information.
I never said "Reviews" are the end all to anything... so please don't attempt to put words in my mouth...
Research on this board is very limited... the information provided in someone's profile is just as inconsistent, false, or just downright misleading as reviews... yes you can "Correlate" with other information, but only what TER allows in the profile... which I see as a major problem with getting the right information about a provider.. you need to gather all of the info and make an informed decision...
For me the only thing that was good here was the backchannel and if you are not aware of it, aren't on it, then sorry to say its not going to show itself...
TER isn't ubiquitous in every city and sometimes "New" providers show up on TER with a long string of back reviews from other sources that they deliberately don't link in their profile for all sorts of reasons... one being TER will not allow a provider to be linked with other review sites on the TER profile.... which again leads me to limited information available on TER...
Using Search Engines will also limit the info available... or at least prioritize it with the intent on selling you something... read about Google Ads'
I am glad you find TER useful, however after 10+ years using it I have seen the hey day of TER come and go...
I still find TER to be very useful, but I would agree that much of the really useful information has come to me via back channel, from relationships that TER has helped facilitate.
The attitude you display by accusing me of trying to do so dovetails very nicely with the topic of this entire thread.
You chose to accuse me of something rather than simply disagreeing with me. Did I accuse you of something? Did i say you said you thought that reviews were the "end all"? Did I say you were stupid to feel the way you do? Quite the contrary, I simply gave my view and supported it with what I do.
In the "old" days, someone with an opposing view would not accuse someone else of something just because they have a differing opinion.
Not to worry, I didn't truly take it personally, I am just pointing out the irony of your post in this thread.
As for the back channel, I have many sources there and sometimes find the answer to my up until then unanswered questions. There are many fine gents I converse with and the info gleaned there is usually accurate.
We simply have differing views. BTW, I have only been here on this board under this handle for about a year but I have been on this board for almost 10 years now total and have been hobbying for over twice that. I still get the information I need from this board more than anywhere else. It's OK to feel differently, differing points of view are what make life interesting.
Carry on and enjoy
What was the point of changing the subject line? were you agreeing or disagreeing? or trolling?
You chose to accuse me of something rather than simply disagreeing with me. Did I accuse you of something? Did i say you said you thought that reviews were the "end all"? Did I say you were stupid to feel the way you do? Quite the contrary, I simply gave my view and supported it with what I do.
In the "old" days, someone with an opposing view would not accuse someone else of something just because they have a differing opinion.
Not to worry, I didn't truly take it personally, I am just pointing out the irony of your post in this thread.
As for the back channel, I have many sources there and sometimes find the answer to my up until then unanswered questions. There are many fine gents I converse with and the info gleaned there is usually accurate.
We simply have differing views. BTW, I have only been here on this board under this handle for about a year but I have been on this board for almost 10 years now total and have been hobbying for over twice that. I still get the information I need from this board more than anywhere else. It's OK to feel differently, differing points of view are what make life interesting.
Carry on and enjoy.