How many of you take advantage of the PM system here to make decisions about ladies you're thinking about seeing? It seems like the most valuable part of TER- the ability to communicate with fellow lady lovers. Reviews are fraught with issues, so are not the most reliable gauge of a good time.  

We make recommendations to each other, pass on valued info about a girl that may have changed recently that isn't shown on her profile and connect friends with other friends who may have info that I personally cant help them with.

I get PM's all the time..they read my review of a certain lady and would like an up close and personal opinion that is totally unvarnished..using the PM system is an invaluable tool to find the right match for yourself or for a fellow monger..

After a few reviews and weeding thru the bs you can tell if the person is right for you. No need to pm

I must have gotten a half dozen inquiries about gals I have seen.

...I've actually had drinks w local hobby friends to discuss local providers to see who's done what..who you should see..who you should stay away from...CIM is something I like and I do ask about that...have a many PM's from last 4 reviews...

In general, PMs are a great social network.

...just kidding, jeesh. Here's something from one of your bros.

...it didn't turn out well for them.

I try to use them but replies are few and far between. Perhaps  because I am a newbie... personally I try to use PM to validate that a provider is legitimate as a cross reference that she is not a crazy or drunk... pretty much my goal is to ask non intrusive questions that make me feel safer ...  
I don't ever ask for details or anything that would betray trust...

I find the reviews to be quite helpful with or without PMing the actual reviewers, but I do agree PM's can be of a lot of use of that they are a great social network as well. I think between my inbox and sent items I have close to 30,000 of them since I've been here. lol

that I haven't discussed with a few of my local hobby brothers in the cities I hobby in.  Good intel is what keeps you from a bad match.  You have to develop a network of guys who like the same types of girls that you like and then exchange information about new girls you're seeing.  Periodically, you have to purge the leeches from the group that are getting info but not contributing any.  Also, it doesn't always work.  I saw a new girl this morning that was highly recommended by two guys, great service, but she just wasn't my style (If they shove their tongue past my tonsils, its a turnoff), so no repeat for me.  (She still got a tip for trying her best.)  This is an exception, most times, it saves me money to have PM info.  

if someone decides they want to spread false rumors about someone, that's all it takes. There are many more sinners here than saints unfortunately.

I've found the opposite to be true. If I find something iffy in a review and ask the reviewer about it, it's almost always just poor writing and my mind is put at-ease via PM with the reviewer.  

Yes, of course, easy enough

Maybe it's because people don't want to talk to you...

Naw. When I delurked here three years ago I went back and forth with quite a few. In order for it to work you have to find somebody with almost the same tastes.

Some of us, as Jack said above, have a network of TER contacts and fellow reviewers who will share info to confirm or rebut what we read in reviews.
Maybe you're so angry because lack of good intel has left you with many shitty dates?

I find the reviews pretty useful.  Just like any other data you have to be able to put it in proper context.  A necessary evil I suppose.  But I feel extremely awkward PMing another guy about the details of his encounter.  Sure, PMing facilitates a little bit of social networking.  In terms of receiving PMs, over the past couple of months I have received several dozen.  A few of them creeped me out at the beginning.  There was this one guy, for example, who would PM me after every review that I wrote.  Super creepy dude.  In terms of data points, simplicity is key, but I feel that length of encounter should be a mandatory field (e.g., choose 1 hour or less, 1-2 hours, more than 2 hours).  And I wish that there was some sort of way for TER to track NCNS or ladies that flake --- basically more pre-appointment information.  Is she generally very responsive?  Does the lady tend to cancel often?  How does she prioritize appointments?  I just want to minimize the amount of my time that is wasted and be enabled to move on quickly.  That information has value to me.  The poster has a fair point --- personality and demeanor information could be helpful.  I'm not sure what else, however?              

...you should keep your hands away from her hair... just sayin'

All I'm going to say to that is that plenty of shitty dates happened even with recommendations. Sounded like a bunch of lapdogs to me. Not to mention guys who have their own agenda for recommending a certain girl.

thought provoking and tend to generate considerable discussion.

the internet. You know, Al Gore invented it so it must be good. Whatever you can find on the internet must be true.

You have to be able to form relationships with mongers whose reviews match up with yours and develop some trust.  Going to M&Gs helps.  Reading reviews of guys who have reviewed the same women you have helps, too.  It takes time but it's possible to develop a network of guys you can trust.  I have rarely been disappointed.

TMI in PMs. Indiscreet gents can give out too much personal information on someone that can be used against them. I was recently made aware of a nasty man making the rounds who does just this- uses PMed info against the ladies, and some serious harm has come to some of them. So please be careful about with whom you choose to share stuff and why they want particular information!

I've received PMs from mongers with no review or posting history or even using an alias asking for information about a provider. These requests should go ignored.

but if a reviewer mentions extra services from a FBSM provider I might ask what the upcharge was, how many times he saw her before getting upgraded services, etc...  

info meeting in public with your hobby bro's.  Breakfast seems to work best, at least for a while.  You should pick a noisy family restaurant with lots of families with kids around where people won't pay attention to what you're saying.  A location like that will allow you to expand the group.  There will be new guys show up, but they are MOSTLY other hobbyists.  Let the other guys vet them, that way, you'll feel safe.  You could even come up with a really cool name, like "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."  Makes you all sound really elite.  

Yeah, I get those. Specially weird are the alias pm's asking about a lady's specific body parts. "Does she have a big......... Does she have.......?"  

I generally use pms to reach out to ladies who I'm interested in. How they respond, and how much they respond, tells me how likely they are to have chemistry with me.

I found the best way to get a feel on their personality is via their twitter time line and board posts. Although I have had ladies go into a pretty long email response back (not about the Hobby, but about themselves) whenever I have contacted the few.