I couldn't find a date on this study from Arizona State University, but it has been in the news recently. It claims that only 2.4% of Chicago hobbyists use Backpage; compared to a high of 21.4% for Houston.

Didn't realize more than LE was snooping? Not sure I agree with their methodology but for comparison purposes I think there is some useful data.

https://copp.asu.edu/college-news/pressreleases/new-study-helps-estimate-online-sex-advertisement-usage
 

-- Modified on 8/31/2013 10:06:17 PM

we in Chicago hopefully know scams and rip offs when we see them..being raised in a city where payoffs and corruption run rampant..we can spot them a mile away..

The article from ASU is fascinating, with some interesting statistics and scary implications.

" …plac[ed] decoy online sex ads on escort services classified websites in fifteen cities … and the researchers collected distinct phone numbers of 451 online sex ad customers."

There are numerous questions.  Among them: What was the content of the decoy ads?  What response would be obtained by those answering the fake ads?  What has been done with the numbers collected?

And are further studies planned or underway?  By whom?  Using what methodology?

If law enforcement is focusing on "trafficking" —i.e., activity involving deception and coercion of individuals or anything involving those under the age of consent— that is fine.  If the aim is to hassle folks who want to arrange in activities between consenting adults, that is not.

To some, NSA means "no strings attached," but could it now have a more sinister meaning?  [Edward Snowden, call your office!  Oh, wait  … .]

And let me add that, as an offender, I am offended!

Seriously, thanks to ed2000 for this posting.

As usual, caveat emptor.

I'm talking about escorts, not politicians. I haven't found an honest politician in this city but finding honest escorts is pretty easy when you avoid BP completely.

The figure for Houston seems way high. It can't be right that one out of five men in the country's fourth or fifth largest city is cruising Backpage.  The one in fifty to one in twenty found for most other cities seems more likely.  Probably the researchers' capture method doesn't work for Houston for some reason, or they made an arithmetic mistake

Once I find a Provider that I like, I just stay with her. I don't look for another one until my Current Provider goes away or stops seeing me.

Care to share who?