.

-- Modified on 7/25/2006 2:44:38 AM

recognize my username, so I usually post as "Smelly". I used to post regularly as "GooeyFacial", and still do sometimes. I have hundreds of aliases, and come up with new ones all the time. I know some will disagree, but I find aliases fun. Why do you ask if they're banned? (BTW, they're not).

Only VIPs can have aliases... wow, and the courteous way in which TER has informed us of this decision.  kinda cowardly.  guess I will be banned for an outspoken opinion.... however, the alias feature was a good one.

Yes, I know that some abused it, however - I for one - used it to express strong opinions - where I might have given specific examples of an encounter and to protect the identity of the lady - I would use an alias.... well, guess that is no longer possible - as I do not wish to ALWAYS be a VIP member - I neither review every lady I see, nor do I wish to always pay for this service (although I have in the past).....

TER - IF you wish to make this site an attractive site for paying - there are a lot of things that you could do to make it so, this ain't one of them.  Examples?  fix it so  that the ladies profiles are updated and viewers can see each hobbiests ratings for each of the ladies - instead of the first rating only...

Second- sponsor events... only paying members of TER receive invites.

Third - give providers a voice... when a gal recieves a bad review - provide her with a link to a site to provide "her version"  VIPs get to see the rebuttle.

Fourth - form a lobbying group....

Fifth - provide a coded area... providers could access this area that would provided coded info on each paid hobbiest... when a guy calls - he can provide his TER info - the gal can log on and using his code... get access to 1) all his info - age, sex, occupation and marital status.... or whatever - she can verify that way... now that I WOULD pay for....

In 'Staffs' defense, he floated this idea well in advance of doing it, and he was responding to complaints of Alias abuse. (And not the Jennifer Garner variety)

So I guess there's no pleasing eveyone.

-- Modified on 3/9/2006 10:16:57 PM

well someone has their balls in an uproar.
why do they have to inform anyone that doesnt pay and only mongers for free vip?

I clearly stated that I do pay occassionaly... and I do review occasionally...  just not all the time.  and yes, I do have my knickers in a twist.... What is it that makes this board one of the most entertaining and enlighted discussion groups going (bar none)?  People - there are a number of folks who express an opinion - rarely.  They may wish to keep their TER persona "private" and the alias feature made it possible to so do.  Their contributions are often quite funny and entertaining, but they may also be expressing a strongly held opinion which would be unpopular - but still valid.  

With respect to keeping all informed - that is just courteous - WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE!  I'll bet that you are courteous to your clientelle... unless you are like the waitresses at Durgin Park in Boston's Faneuil Hall - noted for their "sassyness"!!

Further - I have provided TER with features for which I would gladly pay - the alias feature t'aint one of them - and I expressed that opinion during the "idea floating period"...  just because an idea float gets some saying "hey - good idea" does not mean that it is adequately market tested.... or focus group validated

another thought, suppost the entire discussion board were pay.... who would come?  Remember - it is not the staff of TER who provide content, it is the participants - whether they pay or not (in short - they add value to TER - perhaps a concept that you may wish to factor into the business equation).  I for one would quit entirely - and as is, I will be curtailing my participation due to this policy change.

I started using TER primarily for the reviews (which I only occasionally use now...) and stayed for the discussion.  I have met many providers now through this site... and some I plan to meet - even though it will not be convenient... others I would just simply like to have a cup of coffee with.... as a person - because I admire their thoughts - but they do nothing for me sexually...  but mentally - wow.  and some - are a combination  triple wow - and that is synergy....

so, while I agree with you on many points - I guess we will just have to disagree on this one...

-- Modified on 3/10/2006 8:48:07 AM

-- Modified on 3/10/2006 8:49:23 AM

SEX and cannot pay couple hundred A YEAR for 365 days of information and entertainment.

There are many ways of paying annon, so is not an issue about privacy but getting it for free.

Go figure!



-- Modified on 3/10/2006 2:18:44 PM

(age, occupation, marital status etc) posted on a section of TER is ludicrous !!!  Your suggestion invades hobbyist's, and member's privacy, anonymity, right NOT to be hassled, and could potentially lead to blackmail or extortion. I think you will find that 99% of members on this site would never want our personal, and private life hanging in limbo on TER for any "supposed, and presumed" provider to access on a whim. Who's to say, LE posing as a provider, and paying for a month of TER VIP membership, wouldn't access ALL of our confidential, and personal info for the purpose of stings, arrests, or some nefarious purposes. Vindictive providers with a vendetta, could likewise abuse this info, or publish it at will elsewhere. There are plenty of men, and ladies around that are(let us be polite here), "unstable"! If you want unstable people, and LE, to have all your personal info, knock yourself out, and post all your most sensitive data here on the National board! Your idea is poorly thought out at best, and shows very poor deductive reasoning skills, and a propensity for naivete. BTW, become VIP, and stop whining!

Some of you old timers will remember the first version of this message board I wrote (Yes, I was the programmer who wrote TER years ago) did not have an “alias” feature.  Outspoken members like yourself threatened to leave TER unless they could have an alias for there username on the message board.  (Which is an alias to begin with?)  Though totally against this, I was outvoted and spent the next 48 hours straight writing this alias feature.

Over the last year or so, the I and the moderators have noticed that alias abuse was becoming a real problem. One of the biggest was impersonation.  Members found bugs in the alias feature allowing them to spoof other member’s usernames. Though many of these bugs have been fixed, there is no real way stop a member from choosing similar names to another members username. (example: stafff or staph).  

We tossed around many ideas on the moderator’s board how to resolve this issue.  The only way to truly resolve the problem was to remove the feature. Since that was not happening and there really was no way to stop alias abuse we decided to make it a VIP feature.  Our thinking was, if you’re going to abuse the system, at least be a contributor to the site.

Now, about the “courteous way in which TER has informed us of this decision.”  First off, this only affects non-VIP members. IMHO, if you are not willing to support the site with $20 per month (even though you spend $200 to $500 per hour on a provider) then what benefit would it have made to “warn” you in advance? Would have announcing this publicly a month before changed your opposition?  I doubt it.

For the rest of you that are VIP members, on behalf of myself and the hard working employees of the Erotic Review I would like to take this opportunity to thank those members who have contributed to this site and allowed us to continue to be part of your lives.

-- Staff (aka staph, stiff, stuff, a**hole, etc)

I doubt the issue of multiple aliases being allowed only for VIPs is what you seem to think.  Non-VIPs like myself have no problem with the lousy $20.  

If aliases are being restricted because there has been abuse, & I certainly agree there has,  I fail to see how giving the go-ahead to one group of people & putting the brakes on the others solves anything.  It makes sense only if  VIPs were never at fault for any of it, & I doubt anyone believes that...certainly not me.    

And just FYI...I've been against the multiple alias issue since day one & have not once used one myself.  I've survived quite nicely without resorting to that & haven't felt like my freedom of speech was restricted either.  BTW...until the switch in method of payment for membership I was a paying VIP dating back to early 2001.

As one who was around at the time when we all had only our username as an 'alias' I remember very well when the question of removing the one-name restriction came up.  The request was that  one name could be used for writing reviews & another (if desired) allowed for posting on the boards.  I knew the hobbyist who brought this to the public forum of the discussion boards & his reasons for wanting it to be so.  While I don't recall any public 'vote' on the issue, those of us who in that thread posted favorably to the idea did so thinking one name for reviews & one name for the boards was OK...two names maximum, not the no-limit number that can be used by an individual on the boards.  What came about is not what we 'voted' on.    

You stated in the 3rd paragraph of your post that the only way to really stop abuse was to remove the alias feature.  I agree wholeheartedly.  But then you go on to say "since that was not happening" (apparently it's here forever regardless of the abuse?) you'd make it a VIP-only feature.  I guess what concerns me about that is it says for a $20 ticket someone can continue abusive posts if that was their bag to begin with.  To me this seems it should be an "either-or" matter & not something for sale.        

And at the risk of asking a question that I'm sure will be unpopular with some....Does this VIP-only thing apply to the gals too?  

And as for some of the reasons I've seen given by posters wanting to retain the multiple aliases:  1)I've seen very few (maybe none actually) where there was a posted about the health, safety, welfare, warning etc & that some say 'reqires' that you be able to use an alias to make this important information known.  What would've ever prevented it being posted by Staff or GND?  2)Ever been a place that had a bad comedian?  That's what a large number of those 'humorous' aliases remind me of.  3)For those who feel the need to have the alias shield in order to post something that might not be popular...if you haven't the cojones to be identified with your words/opinion perhaps you shouldn't say it at all.  

Staff, you & I have not often disagreed, but in this case I feel you didn't go all the way in addressing the problem but settled for what seems a band-aid cure instead.  Just my .02.

Change the chat feature to not allow aliases anymore? After what happened a couple months ago, no aliases should be allowed there.

just so we don't let our VIPs lapse.  I, for one,
let it lapse once in a while (only 3 days left)
and will now be able to renew before it lapses.

Look at the board right now. Some people use the "f" word and calling all of us losers, and yet staff doesn't read it or you allow it. Look at the first post about "Why the disparity in 'rights'".  Look at some of the harsh responses you get. When I joke, I always place a smiley face if I'm being sarcastic and/or funny. But take a look at those who constantly offend. Look at Mr. Spock. Sometimes what he says is somewhat thought-provoking although a little odd, but most of the time he is responding with such hatred toward anyone that doesn't agree with him, primarily women. He doesn't follow your guidelines. Have you banned him yet?

Hugs,
Ciara

-- Modified on 3/10/2006 6:26:36 PM

You really are stupid, I said end of argue with stupid! what are you looking here for??

I agree.  While a few (and I mean very few) of the aliases are witty, most are either sophmoric or a shield to hide behind while slinging invective at or demeaning the thoughts of others. The latter use of aliases should not be tolerated. Anyone who won't say what's on his/her mind from behind a recognizable user name or primary aliases is not clever, just a coward.  And, I'm certain that it's not only non-VIPs who torch others from behind aliases.

I'd support Greywolf's suggestion later on in this thread to return to only two aliases: one for posting reviews, the other for the discussion boards.  (By the way, I am a VIP and and manic depressive is the only name I post under.)

No, but it will help immensely.  Most (not all, but most) of the worst alias abusers do not have VIP status.

I am not one of those guys that whine and piss and moan about providers that charge extra for an advanced level of service! If I she is offering "Special treatment" to me, I expect to and am happy to pay for it! Infact, I highly support it and find that the providers that do charge for an "advanced level of service" perform it with more enthusiasm and consitsancy!

The goal isn't to stop excessive alias use, but rather to limit it to those who find enough value in it to pay for the privilege! --  I'm just thankful that Staff didn't decide to charge up a "per-alias premium"!!!!  (which would be within his rights as a business to do!)

And some of us that don't use aliases are jerks!

I used to use an alias or two, but this one personality seems to be winning the battle for control of my soul...

Thank goodness this personality had the best fashion sense of the lot -- at least some good came of it.