I know there's a Suggestion board, but it doesn't look like it gets much traffic, so I thought I'd try starting a thread here, just to see what you guys all think....

So, here's a few additional features I'd like to see:

1. The ability to rate reviews. There's a huge difference between a good review and a bad one. I'd rather read one detailed, thoughtful review by an established, reputable hobbyist than a dozen of the thoughtless, boilerplate reviews that people submit for free access. I'd be cool if we could rate reviews like you can on Amazon, so that you could then feature the most helpful reviews first.  As an extra bonus, you could make "earning" free access much smarter. You don't get free access for a single approved review - you only get access if enough other members find your review actually informative and useful. (That would reduce the number of fake/boilerplate reviews).

2. The ability for reviewers to earn "reputation" scores. Let's face it - there are many people on this board who've been hobbying for YEARS, and have seen dozens of providers. The know the hobby, and they know how to rate a provider. They participate in the local discussion boards. Their opinions are VALUABLE. On the other hand, there are members who are pretty darn naive. I'm much more interested in the opinions of the most knowledgeable reviewers than I am the new guy who just cut and pasted a boilerplate review for free access. If you had this feature, then you could highlight those reviews that came from the most reputable, knowledgeable reviewers. As a bonus - this could make moderating much easier. Highly-rated members could have reviews/message board posts immediately approved; submissions from members with low reputation scores would require moderation. You could also provide additional perks for high-rated members.

3. "Advanced" statistics on providers. The TER review system is VERY good, and VERY detailed. However, there are some relatively simple things that would make it better. For example - let's say that you allowed us to rate reviews based on how useful they were. Then, let's say that you also implement a member "reputation score". This would allow us to identify those providers that were consistently receiving the highest ratings from the reviewers with the highest reputations. That would really be awesome, and would help truly identify the best providers.

4. A calendar for visiting providers. On the new ad boards, providers tell us when they're visiting our city. However, some providers tell us weeks in advance; others, a day or two beforehand. However, there's no easy way for me to see WHO'S IN TOWN TODAY - I have to read through back through a few weeks of posts, trying to figure out who's in town when. A local calendar would make this MUCH easier.

What do you guys think?

In my humble opinion, remember that your gold can be my poison and viceversa, sometimes you go to see a provider based on a review and you don't get the same experience than the reviewer, no matter how good the review was it, it is all about chemistry and tastebuds, just my two cents....

A good idea if we lived in a perfect world, but we don't live in a perfect world.

What you are suggesting is a 1% club.

Only the Elite reviews are allowed in, so if your not a William Shakespeare, or Codpeace your reviews should be ignored.

What prevents a reviewer from having his review, get a low rating because he is not liked by people on the board ?

What prevents a provider from giving extra to board member in Exchange for getting a review she didn't like low balled so no one will see it. ?

What would prevent an one of Elite reviewers from intimidating a lady with a bad review unless he gets some extras ?

Look we can all say it don't happen but it does and it has happened in Boston years ago.

If this ever happens, these Elite reviewer will be wielding way to much power and that would not be a good thing.

Everyone on the board is equal, no one should be treated less because, he doesn't write great reviews or doesn't have many reviews under his belt.

These are some of the things I can see going wrong, and I'm sure there are a lot more that could go wrong.


Just a comment for the other 99%

Lamont,

I respectfully disagree.

I'm not interested in created a system where 1% of the members have all the power.

Instead, what I've noticed is that there are LOTS of reviews that look to me like cut & paste jobs. They are TOTALLY generic - they have no specific information, and don't add anything new.

I'm guessing that these reviews are from people who are trying to scam their way into the site - posting a fake review to earn a few days of free access.

Obviously, the moderators are trying to do their best by weeding these out, but that's a LOT of work for just a few people.

So I'm thinking - crowdsource the problem. We legit members can tell a fake review from a good one, so let us flag the bad ones or promote the good ones.

What's a "good" review? It doesn't have to be Shakespeare (or Codpiece). Just a review that, after you finish it, you think to yourself - "I'm glad that review was available."

People who write reviews that add to our community should get credit.

Reviews that are nothing but cut & paste generic crap shouldn't be clogging up our site, slowing down TER, inflating a mediocre provider, or pulling down a great one.

Just my 2 cents. I could easily be wrong about this.

In addition to posting dates on the message board traveling providers are able to post and manage their tour availability schedule for that region
(WI, MN, etc.) on a visual calendar.  
On any given day you can log in and see exactly who is in town and available.

Its a very cool and very practical feature.

I applaud your thoughtful attempt to suggest improvements to current system; however, I must side with those expressing a negative response, because these reviews do not function or derive from the same needs or sources, as reviews for electronics or other merchandise.  Why?

A. Guys write reviews because they want (1) membership, (2) status, (3) another date, (4) as a favor...
B. Honesty does not enter into the process
C. Opinions, as stated before, vary
D. The application of points varies

Let me explain:
I do not know why anyone else writes reviews, so I can only consult my own experience, which stretches over an eight year period.  At first, I wrote reviews to get my free membership.  That is true.  But, I was also grateful & appreciative of the groundwork of other reviewers, who made the task of selecting easier and better than before.  This is also true.  But, over time I found that reading of writing reviews was somewhat meaningless, as to what my encounter might be like.  More important than the review of the woman I might see was the review of a woman who I had already seen.  In other words, I scanned the reviews looking more closely at the reviewers than the "reviewee." If one of the favorable reviewers saw another woman that I had also seen and his opinion was similar to mine, this was the best recommendation.  Actually, it was the only reliable guide, besides personal recommendations. I don't really care whether other guys like or dislike the review -- personally, I favor the reviews that tell me more about the person than the sex acts performed.

As time went by, I also changed my motivation for writing reviews, shifting my focus to the needs & desires of the woman, not the reviewers. Many of the women I saw did not want or need reviews, so I didn't write them. In several cases, I wrote them, because the women thought my kind words would help their business.  So, I wrote what for them.

In a few instances, I awarded "10's," which never was for anal, because the experience was so singular and unique that I wanted to share my enthusiasm.  However, I recently read a review in which the reviewer wrote that he was giving a "9", even though he thought the experience was fantastic, because he didn't know, yet, whether he would meet someone even better, later.  I can understand that.  So, what's the difference between a "9" and a "10?"

If you review the "top 100," you will see that it is all the difference in the world.

When I went through the "top 100" list once, looking for perspective dates, I noticed that quite a few were "porn stars," "trans-gender," or "big breasted." None of these appealed to me; your tastes, of course, certainly might be different.  Then, I looked at women who I had already seen.  Fine women, but were they among the best I had seen?  In several cases, not at all; and I knew that their ratings were skewered higher, because they specifically asked their dates not to review, if they couldn't give them a "10."  Why not, "10" is a license to print money!

On only one occasion did I write a negative review and that was simply to support a reviewer who felt that he had been cheated.  So, I added my second.  But, I was also mindful that I had seen the reviews of a women, who had seven absolutely horrible reviews and an eighth guy seconded that.  What was he thinking?  In fact what does any guy think, when he is getting laid or is thinking about getting laid?

If you have a negative experience, why would you write the review.  I recently saw a lovely woman who had gained 20 or 30 lbs -- not an uncommon experience.  She was very apologetic and nice.  I had a good time.  What benefits me or her in writing that review.  I also recently saw a woman who was not the woman pictured in the ad. Absolutely dishonest, but I had a good time.  How does it serve me or her to write a negative review.  To tell the truth?

Unfortunately, "the truth" does not enter into this business or into the business of reviews.  The worst experiences I ever had were with women I never saw.  The best experiences were human connections, involving qualities and issues outside the reviewing standards or process.

If I were changing the reviewing standards, I would cut the score card in half: 1 = unacceptable; 2 = disappointing; 3 = good; 4 = very good; and 5 = exceptional.  Then, I would cut out all the graphic details, unless it simply & directly supported the score.  But, who would support that?  Not many, I think.

because it's hard to keep track of old posts that refer to some future date weeks ahead of time. It would be great just to click on a Calendar link and see who's available. However the big problem would be who is going to manage the Calendar. Provider's plans change frequently and they aren't always where they say they're going to be and when they're going to be there. My hunch is that you'd frequently be looking at an inaccurate Calendar.

Gadfly,

I think your response is REALLY interesting.

I also really like the way you think about the value of this site - it sounds like our approach to this hobby is very similar.

But, I'm surprised that you reached the conclusion you did.

In other words - I think you and others have misunderstood what I'm suggesting by rating reviews.

I'm not suggesting that we rate reviews based on whether they include graphic details, or whether they tell you that the provider is a "once in a lifetime!".

What I'm shooting for is this...

Every once in a while, I read a REALLY thoughtful review. Perhaps it touches on a really interesting aspect of the provider's personality. Perhaps it mentioned something about a provider that's really interesting, or unique. Perhaps it mentions something that the provider really enjoyed (or didn't). Perhaps the review was funny, or well-written. Or it contained a useful nugget of info that made it unique, and stand out from all the other boilerplate reviews ("She was hot. We started with BBBJ, then MISH, then RCG, and then i left")

Who knows - we all like different things. But what's important about those rare reviews... I'm REALLY glad I read them. A review like that can really help make my decision to see (or not see) a provider.

I wish there was an easy way to find those reviews, without having to read a dozen other boilerplate reviews that say exactly the same thing.

And, I wish there was a way to reward those members who put that extra effort into writing reviews that really inform us, rather than just checking off a scorecard of acronyms.

That's what I'm going for.

-- Modified on 11/30/2011 9:13:42 AM

My thought on the calendar is that the providers themselves would be able to add travel dates, and would be responsible for changing them if/when their plans change.

But, members should be able to add notes - e.g., if a member hears that a provider has cancelled a trip, but hasn't updated her calendar - he could add a note that the trip was cancelled.

Essentially - crowdsourcing the problem.

I *THINK* that it would work pretty well.

Providers who made a habit of not updating their calendar would earn a reputation for being unreliable. I think this *gentle* pressure would make it worth their while to keep their calendar up to date. (I think about Raynah's apparent habit of NCNS - she gets a lot of crap for that on the local board, which is either going to get her to become more considerate, or lose business.)

Perhaps the Calendar system could be smart... Providers who cancel travel plans without updating their calendar 3 times would lose calendar privileges, or something like that.

Just a thought.

Thanks for the thoughtful ideas.

I have a couple suggestions that I think TER could implement with its existing data and without changing the quality of the experience for members.

1.  Show us where a provider's scores land in the range of numerical values given by their reviewers to other providers.  In other words, Providers A and B might both have 20 reviews averaging 8.5/8.5.  But they may have been reviewed by a very different body of reviewers.  For example, Provider A may have been reviewed by 20 guys who typically give all 9s and 10s, so her 8.5 average is actually below that group of reviewers' median scores, while Provider B might have been reviewed by much harsher graders, so her 8.5 is above the median.  Since the ratings are completely subjective anyway, this could help level the playing field.  

2.  For a similar purpose, allow us to see one another's median and average scores.  For example, Reviewer X has given an average score of 8.2/7.6 over the past 12 months.  This is another useful data point as it allows us to have a better understanding of what a particular 8/8 or 9/9 means in context.

3.  Allow us to see provider overlap with other reviewers.  It would be easy to put in a function that allows me to see a list of the reviewers who have seen the same providers I have seen, ranked from most overlap to least.  This would help us track down providers who we are likely to enjoy, and help providers pair themselves with clients who are likely to come away satisfied.

I just looked at your reviews & can see that you put a lot of thought and effort into writing good reviews.  But, I also now know two things about you: (1) our preferences do not overlap, and (2) neither does our taste in women.  

So, identifying you as a thoughtful, good review writer will not help me, unless we see someone in common!

Besides, it's also my opinion -- based on the fact that (a) my reviews are always initially rejected for "...not enough explicit details;" and (b) "hobbiests" care most about sex -- very few people pay much attention to thoughtful reviews, unless they've seen the woman and share the opinions.

In either case, finding reliable reviewers who share common preferences and tastes is the surest and best guide. Your improved rating system does help in this, because I still need to check out the reviews and the reviewers.

Post coital confirmation & compliments often happen in "back-door" emails. When this does and when i can see that our taste and preferences overlap, then I look at that reviewer's top choices and add them to my list of future prospects.

newted,

I love those ideas.

I don't know if you're a baseball fan, but to me, the current TER rating system is a little bit like looking at the win/loss record of a pitcher.

It's not a bad statistic, but it doesn't tell you nearly as much as you think it does.

I'd like to take the ratings up a level, like Baseball Prospectus has done with baseball stats.

E.g., I want to see the providers who consistently rate the highest, by reviewers who have demonstrated themselves to be the most discerning, most experienced, and most knowledgeable.

Show me the providers who consistently score a point or two higher than a reviewers average rating. (I.e., getting a 9 from a reviewer who typically gives 6s or 7s means more than a 9 from a reviewer who gives EVERYONE a 9).

Etc.

I'm not sure if TER is able to (or wants to) provide this level of functionality.

I've been trying to get in touch with the management to discuss licensing the data myself, so I could do this is a complementary site, but so far, no luck.

I guess I can continue to hope...

Gadfly,

You make a number of good points.

I looked at a few of your reviews, and they are all excellent. Exactly the type of review that I really appreciate, and exactly the type of review that heavily informs my decision about who to see.

So, if even you wouldn't appreciate a new system that emphasized reviews like yours, and de-emphasized all the boilerplate dreck, then I guess I'm on my own about this.

Perhaps your system of carefully reading reviews, and gradually identifying a small circle of like-minded reviewers is the best after all.

Oh well - there was probably little chance in getting TER to implement a new system anyway.

In any case - thanks for your thoughtful responses.

the menu to do reviews with more options.  like if a girl can deep throat put a box to check that...If she is submissive put a box for that  if they like golden showers  or rough sex, etc  

put more options for specialty talents..  Right now if your looking for a certain talent or any specialty available it's impossible to search for it...

ALso the ability that if a lady changes her menu that we can change what is available now...  Many of the woman's review menus are out dated...

Don't like the special reviewers club that was suggested though....

put me down in favor of  the calendar. Don't care for the rest of it.

Someone can write tons of reviews, tout their reputation on the boards and
get some to believe they're an "expert".
There are some well respected reviewers out there that are (for example) living in their parent's basement well into middle age, working a thankless job they hate, and living for the glory they find behind their screen name.

If you met them in person, you'd probably have a very different opinion about how "expert" they are.

A good time with an escort often times comes down to chemistry. Mr. High Reviewer can't make that happen for you.