Phoenix
from a BBS like this?
It's obvious from the earlier postings that we have alot of disagreement on this. Alot of rocks were thrown (many by me
) but not much "real" information was exchanged.
So.....
Here's my 2 cents.
Primarily I'm looking for general insight on the hobby...specifically the girls and agencies. The reviews are great but sometimes they are either old...or not even up yet. The BBS is NOW...and its often sprinkled with 411 from "regular" contributers whose opinion I can "value" relative to my own wants nad needs. As a general rule you get the extremes...the real good & the real bad. So I can avoid the ripoffs and not miss a great encounter...now I have the benifit of a "private roledex" of well over a hundred local hobbiests who exchange info with me and I still pick up quality stuff here.
As for concerns of "pimping, shilling & favortism"....
1) recommending someone is not "pimping" or "shilling". Misrepresenting someone for personal gain is...big difference.
2) "VIP" rates are common place in any business. Does everyone offer them....NO. Does every customer qualify NO. Do I get them everywhere...hell yes...er NO...but i'm working on it.
Why attempt to bash someone because they may or may not be getting a "deal"? Does it really matter as long as you get a quality experience?
If I go to Vegas and sit next to a guy betting $500 a hand at black jack and we talk about restuarants and he raves about the Italian place in the hotel...is it because he loved it, or because the hotel "comped" his dinner? The fact that he's a high roller and I'm a two bit player doesnt change the fact that the restaurant is great...does it.
On Friday of last week I chose not to respond to this thread because I felt like the focus of the public board needed to be on Manae's tragedy. Instead, I sent you a private message. Since this thread is now growing and the responses seem to be remaining civil, I've decided to post the general message I PM'd to you.
The original post that started it all was definitely controversial and someone's choice of the word "pimp" may not have been the best, but it definitely struck-a-cord with me. You said your biggest issue is "backstabbing and bashing carried out under an alias". My biggest issue is all the pointless "board flirting" going on. Posting a positive endorsement about a provider on a board is one thing (see a recent post I made on the Las Vegas board):
http://www.theeroticreview.com/discussion_boards/viewmsg.asp?MessageID=26027&boardID=3&page=1
but when a number of threads turn into a back-and-forth between the hobbiest and provider (or between providers) about how great they both are...seriously guys. In my opinion, if this happens every once in a while, fine. I’ve done it myself but in moderation. Why do I have problems with this trend that seems to repeat itself on this and other boards? Well, like I said before, nothing disappoints me more when an interesting or valuable thread is pushed off the first page quicker because of this content that doesn’t bring any added value to the general hobbiest or provider community. The good news is this trend on the Phoenix board seems to be weakening as of late (not sure the reason why).
I have to also agree with Coyotefan's opinion on the reviews. I actually research and read the formal review section of TER and place limited value on what one or two people say on the boards...unless of course, you are a well-traveled hobbiest with a good track record...and even then I still check the formal reviews to see what everyone else is saying. A minireview on the boards is great but it should be followed by a formal review.
This is only one person's opinion but I must respectfully disagree that all should be "fair game" on these boards. So on that note, we can agree to disagree.
NiceGuy
I'm in agreement with your post. The key is there shouldn't be any misrepresentations for personal gain and the TER rules for posting should always be followed.
NiceGuy