I wanted to share this with you and the members of this board. I responded to the post made on TBD. While I enjoy both boards I felt the need to add my .02. I would like to repeat my post here, and I hope you will not take offense to anything I said. If I some how overstepped my bounds, I hope you will correct me.


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Posted on TBD Saturday July 26th.

I have spent the better part of the last couple of days reading over the endless he siad/she said on this issue of TER. I have also spent months reading about providers feeling as though they have gotten the shaft from Dave and the way he decides to run his site. Does it seem he has questionable intentions....yeah maybe. Do providers sometimes blow sh*t out of proportion when they don't get there way...yep that happens too. But let me clarify...I am talking about all review sites in general.

As far as my relationship to these 2 particular review sites...one is family and one is the place I can really dig my heels in and have a great discussion. I have been a member of TBD for well over 3 years now. After about my first year, I ceased to get any business from here. I have tracked my business since the beginning and TBD has never been a resource for me. I have stayed and paid my membership and bought banner space to support this site and the members there in. I have met some incredible people here, formed long lasting friendships and for the most part have had a really good time. The down side is that when I needed TBD to support me on blatant lies and my being outed over 2 years ago on these boards, he did nothing. I liked Charles. I met him a couple of times and he was always pleasent but when it came down to the nitty gritty I got no support from him or most of his moderators. I still sit and watch some of the most incredible bullsh*t being posted on these boards time and time again by providers that obviously need serious help and hobbiests who just have an ax to grind cause they can't get laid. I have sat and gone over reviews in the database that are obviously self posted, yet they stay. I have seen providers jump to conclusions, out hobbiests and down right lie and grovel in the mud...but they are still members here. But...I stay also, despite the crap. Some of my great friends are here and it is only in this particular forum that I can spout my .02 and still keep in contact with them and offer any advice I have.

I joined TER 2 years ago. I have spoken with Staff maybe twice in that time. There has been an issue or two that has raised its ugly head and he was diligent and swift in helping me find a way to correct the problem. I never had an issue with having certains aspects of a couple of reviews edited, because they were untrue, and the kicker is....I have given him nothing in return accept my occasional post and my membership fee. I find that forum less cliquish, more informative on issues relating to health, politics and this industry as a whole because of the way it is moderated. Yes alot of sh*t gets posted. It is that way with any other review site. And honestly there are some pretty unseemly sites out there. From a business standpoint I recieved a good 95% of my business from TER. The rest came from either City Vibe or the ladies that kept my banner on their sites.

I guess my point is that these issues raise their ugly heads with EVERY review site on the net. Let us not forget the issues TBD had not a year or more ago concerning the Top List and what providers got premium ad space and who didn't. Did TBD request sexual favors in exchange for listing and banners? Well according to some documents he did. But I feel about that the same way I do about the issues with Dave and TER. There are only 2 people that know the truth....the guy who runs the site and the lady he dealt with. There are always 3 sides to every strory..his, hers and the truth. And I am sure the truth is a true version of what both people felt happened.

I am not going to pledge loyalty to either site, because I never felt the need to. But when it comes right down to it, and for what I have given both sites and the amount of respect from the administrators I have recieved, I would have to say that TER wins out in that department. As far as feeling more like family with the posters and members, TBD has always had it...even though TER has done very well by me also.

Once this issue has been resolved or has faded into history, it will come again in the form of another site. In an industry where we play and work and thrive in an underground society, unfortunately we are not privy to playing by the rules of the real world. There is too much to lose, too much to gain and peoples lives hang in the balance. Just look at past documents. Ladies, support the site that works for you. Pay the money to advertise where you feel you will get the most mileage out of your advertising. Be it here, TER, Utopia Guide ect.

Ok you all can beat my ass now...but I really felt this needed to be said. Lets not play this game anymore. Most people here could give a rats ass about TER and vice versa. But even after I posted all of this....I still feel that 2Big said it best....what does any of this have to do with this site? It actually is something to think about if and when this issue comes around again........

respectivly,

Lass
[email protected]

(edited to add my email addy because I dont have a membership at this time )



-- Modified on 7/26/2003 11:04:00 PM

Reear Staff

Dear Lass: I am a newcomer to the boards but not a newcomer to TER. I do not know you, but wish I did, as I admire the candor and straightforwardness with which you addressed your remarks. That to me epitomizes quality and I just wish to say brava to your honesty.

Reear Staff

I'm a member of both boards as well but have always found TER to be the site with the most honest and relevant information of any site on the whole.  Another poster from Texas said that this site is not as good as others for information in Texas and I completely agree with him.  For Texas ASPD.net contains the most relevant current information that I have found.  There are also a bunch of nice people that I have had the chance to meet in person on my trips to Texas who only use ASPD.  

However, I have always found TER to be the best site overall for information anywhere you travel in the US.  Not only is the information available relevant but the moderators seem to be fair in the handling of disputes that may come up.

I inadvertently spent four days with a provider who has been retired for a while but was one of the TBD favorites.  I personally saw her call to have negative posts removed based on her personal relationship with the site owner.  I don't look out for this type of thing but I know that I have never met a provider who talked about her personal relationship with the owners of TER.

I still go to TBD for entertainment purposes but never to find out any good information.  I still pay my dues because it is not really a major setback for the entertainment dollar.  I do not look to TBD for any relevant information.  I live in San Diego and you can still find three months of posts available on the first page of the discussion board so I guess I'm not the only one who doesn't use that site for relevant information anymore.

In my mind, anybody who does anything to get themselves banned from a site really should look at themselves rather than bad-mouth a site that has banned them.  This "hobby" is supposed to be about fun things not trivial disagreements as far as I'm concerned.  99.99% of the people who express an opinion on this site get their word out to the people who come to this site.

Oh well, I'm off to read the latest spin on some other site now.

I responded to your post on TBD, and also felt the need to copy and paste it here because I think it is a great post and is also how I feel. I hope you don't mind.
Kym xoxoxo

I too have had a great 3 years on both TER and TBD. I don't participate as much anymore in the discussions, but enjoy keeping up with what's going on on both sites. Unfortunately there seems to be a need for regulars ( both hobbyists and providers) to choose between the two sites. I always looked at TBD and TER as being just different ( TBD being predominantly East Coast interests and TER West Coast) but both have been a big contributor to my business. Both sites have distasteful posts/discussions, but that comes with the territory and I don't think either have more or less B.S. then the other.
I get tired of reading the flaming posts of "The Other Board" depending on which site your loyalties lie. If you don't enjoy being a part of a certain site's community, then just refrain from using it. Period. The fact that some people keep bringing up how "The Other Site" sucks and is a menace ( especially with the providers) tells me you do go to that other site and read the posts. I choose not to be a part of a site based out of New York because I find it degrading and the members there would not be the type of people I would like contacting me anyways. Would I post how much I hate the site and what is being discussed on the site and by who? Why would I? I have just said I don't like the site and would not want to be a part of its community.

Maybe people just enjoy the drama. And I have to admit, sometimes they are interesting reading. But I won't comment on particular events or people if I have not had personal experiences with them.

I just wanted to comment on Celtic Lass' post because it is the way I feel. I thank both sites for helping me become who I am. Both have always been helpful and given me the utmost respect when I have had to contact them for various reasons.

Kym xoxox