Not listening to the rubbish spouted by punters on forums!

[Trafford]

Punternet is a funny animal.... 

Was going to get my claws out on PN and compose a scathing reply to the latest journo soliciting for ready-made quotes for her hard-hitting article at Glamour magazine.  Am I the only one who does not see the two really sitting well together in such a publication?   In the end so Amy and Christa echoed virtually verbatim my points.  Especially, Amy pointed out the flaws and ignorant assumptions to the proposed article.  The so-called journalist then was miraculously contacted by victims of sex trafficking....  At this point, I decided not to waste my breath on this hack!  People like this should limit their supposed journalistic talents on hard hitting research of the real story behind Balenciaga handbags, more in keeping with the general calibre of their glossy!  But well done Amy on a few great posts!     

I think Amy's posts were as usual  excellent. However the rest of the thread is sorta crazy. Girls saying they've not met a trafficked woman on PN so they cant possibly exist, numerous men trying to get in the act which never fails to amaze me.  One asking if the journo will be featuring stories of good punts?? Its a trafficking article FFS.The mysogonist mod trying to undermine the journo woman with hints about fake IDs on the board and another mod asking said journo to invite one of the mods along to an interview! Looks to a outsider like a load of people who are desperate for the nasty side of our business to stay hidden in case it upsets the status quo.

[MissMillie]

The thread about Traffiking has well and truly pee'd me off!

[amy]

However the rest of the thread is sorta crazy. Girls saying they've not met a trafficked woman on PN so they cant possibly exist, numerous men trying to get in the act which never fails to amaze me.  One asking if the journo will be featuring stories of good punts?? Its a trafficking article FFS.The mysogonist mod trying to undermine the journo woman with hints about fake IDs on the board and another mod asking said journo to invite one of the mods along to an interview! Looks to a outsider like a load of people who are desperate for the nasty side of our business to stay hidden in case it upsets the status quo.

I agree with this completely and it looks to be turning into a witch hunt - the point I was trying hard to make is that to blithely state that 'sex trafficking is increasing in the UK - fact' is lazy, blinkered and dangerously simplistic when there is no proof whatsoever. You would need to agree a start date and a fixed period of time to observe trends, and also have reliable, relevant (in terms of sample size and demographic), and above all, PROVABLE sets of figures from both beginning, ending and intermittent points in order to credibly make such a claim. No one has these figures which is why the issue is so hotly debated by the industry, politicians and the antis - if there were concrete proof either way someone would have been found to be wrong by now.

I know that trafficking exists - the Chinese brothel 3 streets away from me was actually one of Pentameter 2's success stories, although the ladies have all since 'disappeared' and at least two are now working independently (all were working voluntarily as prostitutes, and a common misconception seems to be that 'trafficked' means the same as 'forced' or 'coerced', which it does not).

Unfortunately, as ever, our journo is only hearing the bits that concur with her already-made opinion, and my belief is that most of her article has been written before she ever even found PN. Fortunately though, it is only Glamour magazine, and no matter what predictable, asinine, emotive drivel eventually goes to print, she'll be back to roadtesting sequinned beanies by Valentine's Day...

I should probably explain that my laptop has died on its arse and I'm posting from my PDA, which is why I haven't been back on the thread to join in, and yes, it is pissing me off. Normal service resumed tomorrow, preferably on one of those nice red Dell things.

[anonymoussw]

I should probably explain that my laptop has died on its arse and I'm posting from my PDA, which is why I haven't been back on the thread to join in, and yes, it is pissing me off. Normal service resumed tomorrow, preferably on one of those nice red Dell things.

Managing a post of that size from your PDA? You've just added a few notches to your geek cred...

[SnakeLady]

I am so relieved there are other escorts who cannot stand Pnet and other forums.  Sure, I've seen some considerate male posters there too, and miss some of Sunni Tara's brilliant old posts. But what shocks me is the open woman hatred on these forums. And that moderators find it acceptable.

I have been reading it in the past and have been thinking as to whether to join in but it got me thinking - what for?
What's in it for me, as an escort on these boards? Do they really bring in bookings? And is the effort really worth it?
 
I mean it's not like any other forums where you are on an equal level, is it? Men are anonymous, women display their professional identities. Men loose nothing by behaving like pigs, women get identified by their advertising profiles. Correct me if I'm wrong, but let's say I'd like to announce a tour. I set a profile up and post in the appropriate section. My profile then displays my pics on my web site, so any potential clients could find me when looking up the tour.

Then I decide to post something back about exactly what I think about John the Wanker's opinions, as he has just slagged off all Dommes as old and unattractive. Something tells me I cannot then switch to an anonymous profile, since I've already advertise with my professional one on display in another section. Or can I? Which means that whenever I post something, I have to be 10 times more considerate, than John the Wanker. Mr Wanker has got nothing to loose, but I always felt I could. And I don't think I'm the only one.

Because there is a certain pattern. Some men there behave like emotional retards, a clique of women are being purely sycophantic (gawping for bookings) and other ladies are ever oh-so-very-patiently-explaining-their-POW when just by reading some the posts you feel like erupting:  GO FUCK YOURSELF YOU STUPID PRICKS!!!!! 

It's the whole concept of escorts and punters being able to communicate with each other. What on earth for? And isn't it really what bookings are meant for?  I mean if I chat about everything with my regulars during sparetime, what is then left to talk about during our sessions? And what about his enthusiasm for booking me again once we speak so often on line?

To me this concept seems as lame as when you load up your music for free. In the end, who's going to purchase your Cd's when you can just load it off the internet for free?I find it rather contradictory that since we hate having our time wasted on TWs , why we so gladly give that same time away for free on P boards.

The only good thing I can think of coming from Pboards (apart from Warning Boards) seems to be SAAFE. Well, I know where I rather spend my time.

~SnakeLady

[Trafford]

I find it rather contradictory that since we hate having our time wasted on TWs , why we so gladly give that same time away for free on P boards.

LOL That and the rest of your post is dead true. For some girls boards do give them somewhere to talk about the business which must be handy if they have no-one to talk to about it in their personal life. That though breeds an environment for men to position themselves nicely as advice svengalis and shoulders to cry on. God knows I've seen enough of evidence of men manipulating girls from that position whether it be just as someone to back them up on a thread or to give them extra services or very cheap rates. The old dont you know who I am, I write FRs/am a moderator/am a highly respected and known poster is alive and well and its not just the new and naive who fall for it/go along with it. As you point out, we are not annoymous and so even some of those who like to think of themselves as outspoken, soon enough toe the line when its a potential big spending customer they may upset by being honest. Such in the business we are in.   Fortunately on here, views are more honestly bandied about.

[Curly]

Yeah,  so much for punternut being promoted as this egalitarian utopian cyberland where punters and wg's get along just fine and dandy, and it promotes all this "greater understanding" between the two.

Punter boards are there to favour the punter, make no mistake.  The women have to mostly say what the punters want to hear.  Occasionally they will allow a mild mewling noise of objection just as a token.

They also try to make out that you cannot get along in this industry without them - WRONG. 

And some of the worst clients I've had were from punternut.  Shudder. 

[strawberry]

I've generally had good experiences with guys from Pnet. What does annoy me is that they say we are the ones running businesses in the public domain so they can have a go at us, pull us apart and recently even justified discussing if it's more profitable for a girl to offer shorter bookings because they'll often leave quickly leaving them ready for the next client within a few minutes. I know some consumers do question companies who make large profits and a lot of businesses run suggestion schemes but this happens to be a very personal and private industry that can't simply churn out as many cheap TV's as possible. Too many clients even via a limited contact period leaves the service provider resenting or not able to put as much into her service. That's my experience when I tried offering shorter or higher turnover just for the extra cash.

Perhaps I'm not the same as some of the girls/women who do do that?

Seems some guys think with their money and not how certain ways of doing things could affect the service provider. Which is one reason why independents have the upper hand. They/we decide how often we work, how many clients we see and the length of contact we prefer with our clients. We do this in order that we still enjoy the work without getting jaded, resentful or endangering physical and mental well being.

I would say being an escort can be very stressful at times but funnily enough it's only the time spent arranging appointments/booking/fielding enquiries that I find difficult - so many people to deal with and quite a few who think you are beholden to them even before a meeting. Once I'm with a guy I'm being sexy Ruth and in my element - no stresses there.

I've met some great guys escorting and know some who have decided they can't be bothered with certain forums anymore because of the general attitude expressed there. Others just take it with a pinch of salt in a light-hearted manner which is probably how we should too.

Afterall it's only a few people sat at home behind a keyboard!

[amy]

As Ruth says, it's just a few anonymous people sat behind a keyboard. I cannot understand for the life of me how anybody can get so worked up about it!

Yeah,  so much for punternut being promoted as this egalitarian utopian cyberland where punters and wg's get along just fine and dandy, and it promotes all this "greater understanding" between the two.

Is it? Where? I'd specifically like to know where it has been said that punters and WGs get on 'fine and dandy'. With links, please.

Punter boards are there to favour the punter

Well, duh. We have our board here to exchange information, share experiences good and bad and offer our opinions and advice to those who request it. So do punters. Some of it may offend the sensibilities of a few, just as I daresay some of the stuff we discuss would make some punters' hair stand on end, but I doubt very much they're slagging the board off because of it. Not everyone's viewpoints are always going to concur with our own and, shock horror, not everybody out there in punter/prossie land is a lovely fluffy bunny who does everything the way we think they ought to.

The women have to mostly say what the punters want to hear.  Occasionally they will allow a mild mewling noise of objection just as a token.

That preposterous comment is every bit as patronising, misogynistic and downright offensive to every female poster on the site (some of whom indeed use it as a shameless toutathon and as a result become something of a running joke amongst the rest of us) as anything said by the 'primitives' among the board's male posters, and I would be fascinated to know which of my posts could by any stretch of the imagination be construed as 'mewling'. Or Bristol Claire's, Olivia's, Laura Lee's, Dollymopp's, Xenia's - I could go on but I won't. To suggest we are only there because we are so desperate for business we need to panhandle on a message board is ridiculous - punters are not another species, they are people and whilst I would not care to meet some of the posters (male and female), others have become good clients whose company I enjoy and I am happy to swap the odd email, have occasional off-duty lunches/drinks with and so on. Again, shock horror, some of actually enjoy the company of men!

No one, male or female is obliged to identify themselves on the site and there are a good few anonymous female posters - I am happy to link to my site because as far as I am concerned, when I am posting (which I rarely have time to do) I am not working and if anybody finds my views objectionable that is entirely up to them. I do not count it as part of my advertising - it is a way to share a bit of downtime with others involved in both sides of the industry who can understand some of the things that we encounter on a daily basis - something that my civvy friends can't do. I don't tailor my opinions according to who is likely to read them because I couldn't care less - I have more than enough business from people who are happy for me to be myself.

I would also like to challenge the accusation of women-hating; in all my time working on and off in the industry, I have been far more saddened and appalled by the way women treat each other than the way men treat them. I myself have been threatened with an outing recently by another local lady just because she took exception to something I had put in my advertising, and could tell anyone stories of girls badmouthing their competition to clients, making fake bookings and writing malicious reports, and God knows what else. The stuff punters get up to, by and large, pales by comparison.

They also try to make out that you cannot get along in this industry without them - WRONG.

Well I personally would have a hell of a job getting along in this industry without any punters.

And some of the worst clients I've had were from punternut.  Shudder. 

And what exactly are we supposed to conclude from this? Most of my worst clients have been from Adultwork. So have my best ones. A good few crap ones have come straight from Google. The point being?

Kurlie, I'm not trying to pick h0les in everything you say, but to present your opini0n on every subject as if it is definitive fact is not going to go unchallenged, and I have had only good experiences with the people I have met through PN (and most of my business comes through the FRs and thus my website). If you don't like it, don't read it. If you don't think the women are sticking up for themselves enough, or you find posts objectionable, join (anonymously if necessary) post, and stick up for yourself instead of bitching on here. And if cliqueyness and sucking up to the guys offends you that much for God's sake don't go on Punterlink, if you can find anything to read when you've waded past the spam, that is.

[Curly]

Good Lord, gulp.  I was only going by the topic of this thread.  The ethos of punternet is to promote better understanding between wg's and punters, (I have paraphrased that).  Going by some of the comments in this thread, that does not seem to be the case.

Apologies if I have made my opinions sound like it's the be-all and end all etc, but they are just my opinons.  Others may have a different experience.  

I have used p-nut in the past, and felt stifled and sometimes silenced.  Maybe that's my problem.  

When I said that you can get along in this industry without them, by "them" I meant punter forums, field reports and the like (the topic of this thread, and rubbish thereof).  
Some of my worst clients have been from punternet - sorry, but that's my experience.  I'm not saying everyone has had that experience.  
I really don't understand why you are so angry.
I feel singled out, and had a feeling this was coming to be honest

[Curly]

I dunno Amy, you always sound so damned angry and confrontational.  I think I'm outta here.  Don't feel comfortable  here - nice knowing you all.

[UrbaneAspects]

I got lost in this thread and only read the last 2 posts...but my goodness     

[amy]

I dunno Amy, you always sound so damned angry and confrontational.  I think I'm outta here.  Don't feel comfortable  here - nice knowing you all.

I'm not angry, just irritated at myself and people I know and like being constantly generalised about in such a derogatory way - I expect it from the politicians, the abolitionists and the press - I can do without it from other people in the industry. One of the points I was trying to make was that posts made anonymous people on forums are not worth getting angry about, and this is another good example.

I'm sorry you feel you can't stay and post, but please do read the forum (if nothing else the warnings board) and don't hesitate to come back if there is anything we can help with  .

[Trafford]

Yeah,  so much for punternut being promoted as this egalitarian utopian cyberland where punters and wg's get along just fine and dandy, and it promotes all this "greater understanding" between the two.

Punter boards are there to favour the punter, make no mistake.  The women have to mostly say what the punters want to hear.  Occasionally they will allow a mild mewling noise of objection just as a token.

They also try to make out that you cannot get along in this industry without them - WRONG. 

And some of the worst clients I've had were from punternut.  Shudder. 

I have to say I have some lovely clients from punternet but, as far as I know I haven't seen any of the (too) regular posters.

I agree about some of the women - even some of the higher profile ones are selectively sychophantic and not as all girls together or honest as they appear on the surface. It can get in crowdy and I know of girls who have felt left out and just given up so you are not the only one Kurlie. As with most things in this business, next to nothing is what/who it seems.  

[SnakeLady]

No one, male or female is obliged to identify themselves on the site

The problem comes when you wish to use Pnet and others for advertising AND forums.  As it seems escorts are only allowed one profile. I believe it would be a helpful feature to allow escorts up to 2 profiles, one for advertising with, and if we felt like it, to have the other one as our anonymous voice on boards.

Because personally I think, escort are in a more vulnerable position than clients. If a male weirdo rumages through your posts and takes dislike to you, he could get to you in real life by looking up your website (if you're not on it anonymously that is). Same of course with female weirdos sabotaging other escort's lives. 

But turn it the other way round, and you find that no matter what John the Wanker says, no one could touch him. Because unless you already had bookings with punters, or met them up for coffee - how would you even find them?

~ SnakeLady