...but i can't fathom why. There are no specific reasons given in your long post as to why you are upset...only general statements about the board, the wrong element coming onto the board, the board is changing...going downhill, etc. But no specifics. Just a rant.
I logged on today to discover myself a stranger in an unholy land, and I don't like crappy days so at this point, I feel compelled to share. Please allow me to slap some of the dogshit and a little knowledge across the canvas of your mind and see who gets the picture. Bear i mind that I'm not here to be a bitch or tell anyone about their business. But when it starts to compromise my workplace and safety, i have no qualms speaking on it, and its high time someone stands up and says it.
If there was an award for turning a shit reputation 180 degrees around, this site would have won it. Seriously, when i was starting out in the biz, most chicks were terrified of this site, which had become synonymous with corruption during the D.E. days. Now just a few years later, it is THE top site for legitimate girls without the bullshit, drama and disrespect, so to see this board begining to slipping backwards is disheartening. There are plenty of platforms for greedy, underbelly guerilla style managers to play games, fuck people over and exploit women half to death, and they need to stay there because legitimate woman like myself are tired of having to migrate to a different board every year when these losers start flooding in because they ran the last board into the ground and need a new platform to peddle filth and conduct shady biz. These people are quintessential predators in every sense of the word who hate women and it shows, because they have all but destroyed the basic foundations this lifestyle was founded upon and in doing so, compromised all of us as a whole and i'm sick of the shit. And everytime hobbyists push and boycott for specials and lowered rates, get lazy and skip safety and screening procedures and stop respecting these women as a whole on these boards, they are inviting this element in and independant legitimate girls start walkin.........i won't compete with filth, i refuse, and i my eyes, what they do and what i do is two different styles of providing altogether. Regardless of how i survive, i still have a sense of integrity and self respect and i don't want to waste my time in the company of those who do not. As for the colleages that i considered co workers here, many of them seasoned established names in the biz, Ive noticed an unpleasant shift as well- ladies, stop the cut throat marketing, catty bullshit and shady ass tactics, you're better than that, point blank. Focus on how YOU conduct business and reach out to keep one another safe, because when we snake eachother with petty gutless marketing moves, we only lend to the stereotype in society that we fight everyday. Life is hard enough without fighting a losing battle against ourselves on top of it.
Looking at this board this week, I suddenly feel like I don't recognize a board that Ive come to rely on for members who are on the level and do things the right way. Its a rare thing, and i care a lot about the folks ive come to know here and consider those ive had the pleasure of spending time with and getting to know my friends as well. To have a friend, you must be a friend, and that includes looking out for eachothers safety. I really feel the urgency to keep this site from becoming the nightmare that has lead to the downward spiraled demise of other sites, and it is by examining the situation and coming to an understanding of where the problems have arisen that we are then able to turn things around and maintain a community with substance and quality members, and every single person here can make it so with minimal effort, provider and hobbyist alike. As much as i hate to say it, this board needs to be run a lot tighter. We had the formula down before, and we need to get back to system where there were precautions in place and people understood, respected, and followed them. Believe me, i like to have fun and cut loose as much as the next person, but theres a time and a place and everything in moderation. That is why this board has moderators- so shit doesn't get out if control and the freedom and safety of its members are kept in tact. Its a tricky equation and the balance required to maintain it is something that most men cannot do. I don't want to be on a board where everyone is being all buddy buddy with everyone all the time, and acting like politicians and social butterflies all day. I need a board where thats set aside so that its not personal, but business, and the truth isn't compromised by favors, friends and egos. Pleasing people is my job, governing this board is theirs.....i can't do my job properly if they don't do theirs properly, and thats all i need or should have to say about it, because its not just about them, its all of us together. From the way we treat eachother to the way we conduct ourselves both in person and on this board, the overall tone of this community and its fate lies within it members as a whole, and i for one would really like to keep it the place ive know and enjoyed the past couple years. I'm sorry if anyone was offended by this or takes it personally, i'm not a battleaxe or a mean person by nature at all, and those who have met me in person can attest to that. I'm just very passionate and emphatic when discussing something i feel strongly about, and i know in my heart that someone out there understands what i'm getting at and why.
...but i can't fathom why. There are no specific reasons given in your long post as to why you are upset...only general statements about the board, the wrong element coming onto the board, the board is changing...going downhill, etc. But no specifics. Just a rant.
...maybe not.... But it will probably lead to a good discussion and isn't that at least part of what the board is all about? RT O&O
Well as the looks of it and by reading it she does state specific reasons... She is basicaly saying that the board is getting out of control. And feels that noone is taking safety into consideration. She means all of the threads that are discussing topics that should not be discussed openly on the board. The threads alone are getting out of control with things that draw attention. Also, she is tired of the gentlemen trying to compromise rates, ask for specials, and not looking for Quality only a deal. With that happening it causes legitimate Independendent ASPS to actually want to leave the site. I also got from it that she is tired of the women putting up with it. That the women need to stop being so catty, and cut throat. She basically wants everyone to work as a team and have respect. And make sure that the board is safe, and doesn't want it to get out of control. Maybe a little more respect and control. Thats what I got from it.
That make complete sense. Everyone on these boards should have respect. If you don't have something good to say about someone....DON'T SAY IT. Unless it's a safety issue and you need to say it....It's REAL simple folks.
I was perfectly calm and tried to site examples and offer solutions. Just like i very clearly stated in the last line of the entire thing that it wasn't written to be bitchy, but rather to create a discussion amongst those who may identify with what i'd observed. Its a discussion board, is it not? I'm discussing an issue that pertains to this board. To call it a 'rant' or say that i'm upset pisses me off more than anything because it serves to discredit the point i'm trying to outline and frankly, you're undermining my intelligence, son. Theres a difference between being emotional and conveying a topic with some degree of passion. If you're having trouble understanding it, perhaps you should move along to a lighter topic better suited for your range of interests and understanding.
Its very simple- this board is getting sloppy and if we allow it to get worse, we'll end up running it into the ground . I'm typing this on my phone and out of letter spaces but will cliff note it below
The board used to be associated with corruption. Now its one of few sites seen as legitimate and credible, but that credibility is threatened when other sites begin to fall apart and we get an influx of shady low quality girls usually associated with bad agencies or pimped, and this is when safety becomes compromised and legitimate girls are run off. In order to salvage and maintain this utopia
hobbyist- treat the women with respect both in person and on boards and stop lowballing. This is not a poor mans hobby, its a rich mans privilege. Choose quality and stop catering to anything less.
providers- ban together and use some originality instead of acting like bitches and turning to desperate marketing tactics. Exanples include lowballing and price gouging, stealing ideas and copying them and repeating them to death and constantly running specials. Stop rewarding bad habits and catering to them then complaining when shit becomes the norm. Theres more to having some backbone than laying on it, u dig?
I ran out of letter space on my phone i'm not done breakin this mutha down....when last we left our hero.....
ok so we have hobbyists and providers cleaning up their act leaving the most important element of all, the moderators. Beatpoet, ur no stranger to running a tight ship board and staying on top of it, which is why i'm wondering what changed, because this ain't it lately. I think you're a cool dude but i feel let down when ur throwing luncheons every two weeks charging the girls $40 just to come and can't seem to be bothered to do anything about the girls not being able to keep their once a week ad on page 1 for a full day because theres too much bulllshit running rampant on it.
Thats really just the tip of the iceberg but there it is folks, as i see it. I think some folks are noticing it too, and if not, i'll fuck off, for real, ignore me more than most do already. But if u feel that there is some degree of truth to this, please help me in offering solutions and make this board enjoyable again.
I'm sure BeatPoet doesn't need me speaking up on his behalf but I am going to point out two things:
1) The $40 covered the food (and it was only $20 at the previous restaurant), we all paid it, hobbyist and provider alike. I don't believe any of that was going into Beat's pocket. And as nice as it would be for hobbyists to subsidize the provider meals I do think everyone recognizes that not only is this a good opportunity for hobbyists to meet some beautiful women but this is a great way for providers to book new business (they don't know it yet but there are a couple people I'll be calling after this last M&G).
2) the forum isn't cityvibe. I realize we're in the era of guerilla marketing and especially when dealing with small businesses and limited budgets you need to exploit every opportunity you can but this is first and foremost a discussion group, not an ad venue. If it becomes too focused to advertisement it will lose its value even as that. As a customer of this forum I would prefer that mods put focus on relevant content rather than ads.
Just my opinion though, everybody has one. 
TER has never been an ad first discussion board. At least not since I started in 2004. LA isn't even a fast moving board, there are other regional boards where your weekly ad will be on page 2 in a matter of hours.
Having only ads dominate the boards really make it less interesting, imo. I always found who I wanted to see in the reviews, which is the base for TER. Most of my favorites don't even post ads anyway.
As far as the lunch goes, I didn't know both men and women paid. I was nosey and saw the bill, if everyone paid $40, Beat was still short. Just sayin.
I agree the forums should be for discussion not ads...we all know how to search for dates on TER or on other ads venues..
Thanks for the insights! Since I don't follow the boards that closely anymore, and I'm just not in the know on a lot of issues.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts from your perspective, Mae. It is posts like this that contributes to the dynamic nature of the board.
This is, after all, a community board, built upon the contributions made by its members. I've taken down posts that undermine privacy and security. I've let picture threads continue, since I think most members enjoy it. We have guidelines that I maintain, so understand things from where I am. I have rejected a number of ads by providers when they don't keep in line with our requirements. Either they don't post a link to an escort mall or personal website, do not have a TER logo/banner in a visible area, or utilize profiles on banned sites. I've taken down rude comments. I've moved posts that belong on other boards. I delete duplicates, which happen every so often when the server has a hiccup. I edit some posts to make it more "post-able". Very simple. Take a look at the guidelines at the top of the discussion board. What you see on the board is just the tip of the iceberg, at least in terms of posts.
As for my two parties, I think the guests had a great time, getting to know one another in a relaxed setting. If anyone has a complaint, they can certainly post them here or in private. The prices for these parties cover the basic cost (food and tip). I handle the rest. A previous poster is right. The bill was higher than what was collected, but I consider the difference as negligible. I was with friends, both new and old. That, to me, is priceless and I'll gladly do it again. I saw people come out of their self-made cocoon and show a side of themselves that is rarely seen. Many felt a sense of relief to be able to associate, on some level, the life within the hobby. As mentioned before, perspective is different from being in or out of the bell jar. You have always been invited, Mae. I hope you'll make it out one of these days.
The board does allow providers to post their ads, but we don't guarantee it'll be on page 1 all day or week. You have other sources for advertising.
Look, the board should be the pulse of this industry's heartbeat. It is also a platform for people to share opinions, ideas, etc. I'm open to suggestions to make it better, but not at the whim of ads. Will someone chastise another for posting a question?
that's all
to quote Shakespeare (Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2).
You are upset that:
1. Hobbyists are lowballing and this, in some way, shows disrespect towards the providers and women should band together to stop this practice.
(Welcome to a competitive, free market economy, driven by supply and demand. As for your suggestion that providers 'unionize,' good luck with that).
2. That your competition is using desperate marketing tactics: lowballing, running specials, copying and stealing other providers' marketing tactics and "repeating them to death".
(In any business - even this one - when something seems to be successful, it gets copied. Why is this an unpleasant surprise to you? When there is an influx of providers, perhaps driven by the declining economy, prices will drop as the market becomes over-saturated.)
3. Your 'once-a-week ad doesn't stay on page 1 for more than one day, due to the amount of postings on the board, which you consider to be "rampant bullshit." And, somehow Beatpoet should change all this to accommodate you. You feel this board "is getting sloppy" and the moderator should take steps to clean it up.
(The TER discussion boards are open forums, your highness, whereby all are free to post their opinions and ads, assuming they adhere to the TER guidelines. What you are suggesting, indirectly it would seem, is that Beatpoet should exercise more censorship control - weeding out unnecessary/inappropriate posts that you feel are pushing your posts/ads to page 2 too quickly. Other people's posts are "rampant bullshit" while your posts are not.)
Have I managed to 'break this mutha down'? Have I neglected any of your salient points? Have I managed to condense your four verbose postings into three succinct bullet points? As for referring to your initial point as a 'rant,' I leave it up to others - more qualified than I - to judge.
-- Modified on 6/24/2011 10:19:46 AM
You're obviously mad about something but I can't figure out what it is. Can you provide a couple examples? Links to threads? I'm new here so maybe there are subtleties that I'm not catching whereas people familiar with past drama and personalities would; but then that doesn't seem to fit with what you are seeing as over the top behavior. I'm new here but I like it so far and certainly don't want to see the site go to hell - or even worse, contribute to that decline - but I just can't see what specifically you're objecting to.
I also do not understand what you are specifically talking about. A few examples would help immensely.
If perhaps these are not exactly things you wish to say outright on the boards, I would love a PM to better understand what is bothering you.
We're here for you, we're listening, we're just confused.
I love this site, since it enables some awesome communication, and it works really well for the main thing I care about, IE, keep me out of trouble. But the review system is clearly broken.
I'm basically at the point now where I won't see someone advertising on TER unless they accept a verification service elsewhere, since it is so annoying to have to keep track of phone numbers from girls I saw months ago, and TER has no such service other than the "have you submitted reviews". OTOH, if you've given a bad review, there is tremendous risk that the reviewer will be rejected from seeing new girls.
Also, when it takes twice as long to write a review than to spend an hour with a beautiful girl, you can guess what I'm gonna do. I'm at a point in my life where my time is more valuable than my money, and TER's interface wastes way too much of it. A partnership with a site like p411 (or at least incorporating some of their innovations) would vastly improve the user experience
Actually TER has the white list....
I was gone today and came back to.....this. After reading this, my head hurts and i think ive lost faith in humanity completely, because I'd say 90% of the people commenting on this thread missed the point completely. For the dude talking shit with the 'your highness' comment, do me a favor- make sure you understand and comprehend the picture as a whole before making assumptions as to where my point lies. Aside from that, trying to 'break it down' to the author is an absurd concept altogether if you really think about it.....but i think that may be where you got ahead of yourself in the first place- you didn't really think about it.
This is not about ad space, this is not about beatpoets lunch thingy, this is not about marketing......many of you were confused and demanded examples, then focused on the small observations i used as examples and ran with them, to the extent that the main point i was attempting to make was overlooked almost completely and the big picture was lost. Honestly, I'm still having a hard time trying to figure out peoples deductive reasoning here..... Why would i write something that in depth if i was just pissed off about ad space, then start a blog aimed at and encouraging a community discussion? Realize that this was not about Beatpoets lunch or ad space....my post was aimed at something bigger and much deeper than being mad and throwing a tantrum over silly shit
I want every single one of you who commented on this thread to go just a few threads up above this one titled "Interesting Read- Gangs Join Forces to Prostitute Women"........and then read my original post at the beginning of this thread. THAT is EXACTLY what I was talking about. (Seriously, that thread up there couldn't have come at a better time) When I'm talking about women sticking together (this site more than any other caters to independant women), moderating a tight ship attentive board, and the fellas not demanding lowered rates so vehemently, these were not aimed at just sitting on my high horse and bitching about stupid shit.....if you reread that post up there, its clearly examples and suggestions aimed at a purpose, and that purpose was to keep guerilla style pimping, as youre seeing an example of in the CNN article, OFF OF THIS BOARD!!!! as it has dominated many other boards and all but run this hobby into the ground.
I wrote the post out of love for this board and the people on it, because i felt like this was a place where people had standards and substance enough to feel as adamently about it as i do, and ask anyone that knows me in depth- i'm extremely passionate about these particular issues for many obvious reasons, but mostly because it hurts my heart to see it and i don't want to be in a place where human exploitation and degredation are an issue and no one gives a shit. We may not be able to stop it, granted, but we can do something to keep it off this board and not contribute to its thriving success. That was the message i was trying to convey, seriously, look at what i wrote and you will see.......
I feel very disappointed about the direction this thread took and peoples interpretation of it, to the point that i just feel empty looking at anything on this board at all, its like the fire in me just extinguished completely. I will stick to just posting my ads after this, i won't post anything else, and im sorry if this hurt or offended anyone.....
That's the closest you've come to actually describing what your issue was, or is. If your point was about guerilla style pimping, or a CNN story, or Frank McCourt and the Dodgers, it would've helped if you would've come out and said so. Deductive reasoning abilities aside, I, like many others, lead multi faceted lives. We participate in the hobby at one level or another with varying degrees of frequency, but we also have other interests and obligations, whether it's our careers, or child care issues, or socializing with friends out side the hobby, whatever, I don't have enough time to sit on the TER discussion board cross referencing every post that's been written in the past week or even the past day to determine which 'queen' gave birth to the 'bee' that's in your bonnet.
I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent guy, but I couldn't figure out what the hell you were talking about, and from reading the replies to your initial post, it's safe to assume that I was not alone. You went on a bit of a rant--however brief--about Beatpoet, the TER social, and the draconian practice of actually having to pay for one's own lunch. You made what I interpreted as a complaint about providers being catty and undercutting one another. You, at times out of frustration, or contempt, or both, expressed yourself in a very condescending manner that smacked of someone who perceives themselves of being of a superior intellect lecturing a room full of knuckle dragging half-wits. And no, I'm not gonna take the time out of my day to go back and give examples of your previous comments to make my point. I stand by my words.
If you truly have lost your faith in humanity because of this discussion board...well I find that laughable for reasons that should be obvious to any knuckle dragging half wit like me, or any pseudo MENSA member as well.
I wholeheartedly agree, only my knee jerk reply would have been far more 'passionate' than either beatpoet's or ize2dsky's.
I found all of your posts intellectually wanting, condescending and brutish. How on earth could you try to assassinate beatpoet's character for charging $40.00 for the meal when that was clearly stated in his invitation.
I am not, at this time, going to bring up your other past examples of inappropriateness...don't bait me, I'm not going to engage. I have read and reread your edited posts and sometimes seethed with anger at your tone and tenor.
I'm just glad that there are those who were able to set you straight without the drama...far better than I could.
In the final analysis, why don't you do me a favor and take your own advice, dear.
DD
-- Modified on 6/25/2011 10:05:24 AM
DD, I had an urge to be more 'passionate', but reigned it in 'cause she kinda scares me.
It is difficult when someone has difficulty expressing thoughts clearly and concisely...or has trouble framing their thoughts...and yet, insists on pontificating page after page.
I am relieved that I was not the only one who was confused. Seems others were equally hard-pressed to find the meaning, rationale and gist of the message.
I don't see how the original post refers to the CNN blog report. They're mainly talking about homeless teens and young women runaways who joined gangs and didn't go to the authorities. Mainly backpage b&s and if sex trafficking, the gang pimps should be prosecuted.
And frankly, I don't see what wrong with the LA board? Everything has been moderated. It's mostly banter about issues related to the hobby, or regular ads from independents and legit agencies. Just look at the rates on featured ads on cityvibe. Not much has changed.