is as endemic here at TER as it is in the halls of academia.  Unfortunately, although many of us hate it, when we write our reviews, we more or less need to subscribe to it in order to not unfairly disadvantage the ladies we see.  

Some have said reviews are inflated to curry favor with ladies.  I disagree, for the simple reason that I rarely share my TER handle with ladies.  For almost all screening, I may need to supply escort references, my P411 or DateCheck handle, or even my employer info, but I have never been asked for my TER handle.  So preserving my ability to see ladies down the road is not the reason why I go along with grade inflation.

Rather, it is because if I am brutally honest and rate according to the scale as I think it should exist, then ladies I see will be screwed.  Scores of 5 or 6s will be seen in the context of the inflated grade scale used by everyone else, not the scale that exists in my head.  And they will be unfairly penalized for the very fact they agreed to see me.

That said, it is still fairly easy to figure out a lady's actual looks and performance.  If her average rating is below a 9, she is not a knockout.  If her average rating is below a 8, she is likely average looking, indistinguishable from a regular civilian lady.  Any lady with a large number of 7s in her reviews?  I would avoid her.

Cheers.

I've been finding it somewhat challenging to rate SPs these days, particularly on appearance.  Haven't been around long so I don't really have a system, especially when it comes to appearance.  Appearance is also such a difficult variable, as one man's "model material" could be another's "nice."  It's not easy putting such a subjective variable into perspective.  

At the same time, I've been noticing in my short hobbying life that there's plenty of grade inflation out there.  In more than one instance, I've gone to see an SP because of the excellent reviews on her performance and appearance, only to be disappointed. I know, YMMV, but someone who is consistently rated 9 and 10 should be able to deliver an 8 even on a bad day.  

Which leads me to think that some hobbyists are trying to maintain a good reputation by rounding up.  Have guys ever had trouble with agencies or indies by being tough raters?  In other words, does it start getting around that you don't just give out 8s, 9s, and 10s?  

I know, it's a subjective game that depends on connection, volume of clients, personal opinion.  Just wondering...

Hello,

I think its an excellant question you are asking.  I think a good way to prevent yourself from being dissappointed in the future is to ask to see updated and real photos of the provider you want to see.  Like you mentioned, everyone has different tastes. One man's 10 could be another's 7 and vice versa.

xoxoBrianna

Edited for compliance

-- Modified on 2/13/2011 2:42:08 PM

And yes I rate 8 & 9 most of the time (never rated anyone a 10). That's because I see the ladies whose pictures and profiles attract me so if the pictures and information are accurate then they are my idea of an 8, 9, or even 10 so I don't see it as inflation. This is a YMMV kind of thing so there have been times that I've rated lower but it's never came back to me in any fashion. I've seen highly rated ladies and it just did not work out when we meet for a variety of reasons, once again it's YMMV. If the ladies you see don't fit your idea of a smoking hot then you should reevaluate your criteria and maybe your approach if you are consistently disappointed.

Smart hobbyists understand that reviews are a marketing platform to show ladies that they're good clients.  Anyone with a VIP account can see every review and each set of ratings.  Ladies are less likely to see someone who routinely gives out 5s, 6s and 7s because those clients are bad for biz.  They are more likely to see guys who give out 8s, 9s and 10s instead.

Don't forget this either.  Most hobbyists are 40 or 45+ and not all of them are decent looking.  There is  no way that many of these guys would be able to get even an average looking 20 or 30 year old in the civy world.  Therefore, their ratings are naturally inflated because, while the lady is average looking for her age group, she is literally the best looking gal the middle aged to elderly hobbyist can get.  So she'll get an 8 or a 9 in appearance because she is way above average for these hobbyists.  Think about who the young provider is competing with.

On performance, YMMV.  Getting along well with the provider goes a long way toward defining the quality of your experience.  The more I've liked a provider and the more the provider's liked me, the better the session.  Don't forget the importance of understanding what's on the menu beforehand.  I find that disappointment often occurs when the menu is more limited than expected.  Again, smart hobbyists will give out a 7 or an 8 for a dreadful session in order to maintain their brands.  The best way to overcome performance rating inflation is to only see providers that consistently deliver 9s and 10s.  Those are not THAT hard to find.  Of course, the top providers tend to cost more than your typical agency girl.  So you have to figure out if the superior experience is worth the extra expense.  

This all means that high ratings are good for hobbyists' abilities to set up appointments and are likely the natural result of the age imbalance of the hobby (old clients/young providers).  Like you, I used to be frustrated whenever I'd go see a lady who routinely gets 8s and 9s in appearance only to find out that she's nothing more than average in looks.  It's just the way the biz works.  Good performance is easy to find if you're willing to pay for it.

Enlightening.  Thanks for the advice!

If APPEARANCE is your only measure/yardstick of the measure of a lady and/or her services, then you need to adjust your sights!  Your shots will never hit anywhere near your aim-point.  PERFORMANCE Rules!  Think about it!

flyrod

I agree with you 100% the grading is inflated so much that if a provider gets 7 on a consistent basis I will not see her.

I'll really do my research on a low 8 also.

9 is above average on TER
8 is average
7 and below watch out

Appearance also includes cleanliness, oder, makeup, and much more.  Quality of persona is also a metric for some.

If its just based on performance - go perfect a machine and see how you feel.

Attitude is a huge factor in rating the appearance. A girl with a friendly, warm attitude gets higher grade from me than a aloof and cold hottie. Attitude is reflected in performance too. So the way I look at it is that Appearance and Performance are not mutually exclusive.

-- Modified on 2/13/2011 7:54:18 PM

You are almost certainly young.  The majority of men in this business who are indeed “old” would, I believe, laugh at your assertion that older men have a harder time seeing the better looking ladies.  I find I can see almost any lady in the business who I wish to now.  When I was younger is when I was sometimes turned down by the top-end women.  Far more ladies will see and state preferences for older men than state preferences for younger men, and all my data supports that is truly the case.  If you are talking civilian ladies I would agree with you more.

Most the rest of your post I agree with

Not every man looking for a date with a lady is seeking the same thing.  Even the same man sometimes seeks different things at different times.  So what matters to them is neither simple nor static.

To say one is more important than the other will usually be partially right and partially wrong.  What is true is a truly poor "score" on any attribute will usually make for a substandard session.

END OF MESSAGE

When I see that a lady has a majority of 8s in looks, I'm inclined to think "Hmmm, probably a 7 is more accurate." Same with an 8 in performance. When a gal has a lot of 8s in performance, that lets me know she provides somewhat of a GFE but not totally. A lot of guys probably think they are being nice when giving out an 8 when a 7 or below is more called for. I've been guilty of this a time or two.

I didn't mean to imply that.  What I meant to say is that the hobbyists in that age group are unlikely to be able to snag a hot or even average looking 20-30 year old in the civy world.  I don't think you'd be able to disagree with me on that point.

I would expect a verified hobbyist in that age group to be able to see whomever he wants.  It is a pay for play activity after all.