COMING SOON: New Forum Organization

[RadioRob]

Most of the alternatives listed are for sending things either to Bill's WinkWink PO box, or via a funds transfer mechanism to his wink wink email, which is associated with a bank account that we don't have access to. Is there an alternative that people can use in the short term?

I can set something up for the short term. Hopefully it's not actively being used though.

[+ José Soplanucas]

Most of the alternatives listed are for sending things either to Bill's WinkWink PO box, or via a funds transfer mechanism to his wink wink email, which is associated with a bank account that we don't have access to. Is there an alternative that people can use in the short term?

 

In 2019 I sent money through Venmo to "Daddy's Reviews".

[samhexum]

COMING SOON: New Forum Organization

I've always found that whenever something is "updated" and "improved" it becomes frustrating and more of a pain to use. Just saying... ?

[RadioRob]

I've always found that whenever something is "updated" and "improved" it becomes frustrating and more of a pain to use. Just saying... ?

I've been involved with development for nearly 20 years. It's funny... many of the objections are due to being being familiar/comfortable with the way it is, even if it's not the best way to do something. A few (like 10) years ago, we had a website that launched version 3. We had several people that complained about how horrible the changes were and wanted us to go back to version 2. Ultimately we stood our ground on the change and life went on. It was around 5 years later we introduced version 4 of the site. The same people complained about how they wanted the to go back to version 3 and that it was so perfect/great.

 

We literally went back and found their same people posting how they wanted version 3 back that a few years ago thought it was horrible.

[Guest SilverDollar]

I too have always sent anonymous cash to both Hoo Boy and Bill. Need way to continue that.

[+ MysticMenace]

After speaking with the other moderators, it has been observed the organization of the forums is a little unnatural and seems to be sorted based on when they were created. As a result I will be looking to reorganize the forum listings a bit. Below is an outline of how we plan to organize the display:

• Announcements (New category) - I like the top header you tested earlier today - i.e., not quite an actual forum but calls for quick attention
  
  • Site News (New forum)
    

  [*](Category Name TBD) - I second @jjkrkwood's suggestion for The Red Carpet or The Spot- referring to meeting at the lounge or the cabana

  • The Lounge
    
  • The Cabana (Limited to donors)
    

  [*]M4M Discussion

  • The Deli
    
  • The Spa
    
  • The Gallery (there really isn't much discussion here - suggest moving down to Media and Entertainment)
    
  • Ask An Escort - change to 'Ask A Provider' - to be inclusive of both escorts and masseurs
    
  • Male Strip-Clubs
    
  • Fetish Forum
    

  [*]General Discussion- see suggestions for new forums and reorganization of sub-forums

  • Political Issues - suggest recategorizing and moving into a new forum, The M4M View
    
  • Comedy & Tragedy - suggest recategorizing to its own Media and Entertainment forum
    
  • The Sports Desk - suggest moving as a sub-forum under Media and Entertainment
    
  • Tech Talk - suggest moving as a sub-forum under Back Office
    

  [*]Media and Entertainment

  • Movies
    
  • TV and Streaming Services
    
  • Music
    
  • Live Theater and Broadway
    
  • The Gallery (suggest moving The Gallery under Media and Entertainment)
    
  • The Sports Desk (suggest moving The Sports Desk under Media and Entertainment)
    
  • Literature
    

  [*]The M4M View- play on words re: The View tv show - where folks talk about politics, religion, war, and DIB

  • Politics, Elections, and War Issues
    
  • Religion
    
  • Race, Diversity, Inclusiveness, and Belongingness
    

  [*]Destinations

  • Escort Travels - suggest changing to 'Provider Travels' to be inclusive of masseurs traveling
    
  • Traveling Members
    
  • Europe
    
  • South America - as someone suggested, change to 'Latin America and the Caribbean'
    
  • Africa/Asia/Australia
    
  • Street Scenes
    

  [*]Back Office

  • Archives - if we want to define active retention and moving really old stuff into an archive folder
    
  • Tech Talk - if the main purpose of this forum is just to talk about reactions being borked or acceptance or feature testing related to the site
    
  • Features and Feedback - potentially for soliciting feedback and feature suggestions from the forum
    

I did not want to just spring this on everyone unannounced, so my goal is to share the plan here first and then make the change in the next few days. If you have any questions or would like to propose a name for the Lounge/Cabana container, feel free to reply below.

 

This is awesome, @RadioRob, the organization makes sense. A few minor suggestions above and reasoning, and what my suggestions would look like after - below.

• Announcements
  
• The Spot
  
  • The Lounge
    
  • The Cabana
    

  [*]M4M Discussion

  • The Deli
    
  • The Spa
    
  • The Special
    
    • Ask A Provider
      
    • Male Strip-Clubs
      
    • Fetish Forum
      

  [*]The M4M View

  • Politics and Policy
    
    • National Politics, Elections, and War Issues
      
    • International Politics
      

    [*]Race and Social Issues

    [*]Religion

  [*]Media and Entertainment

  • Celebrities and Public Figures
    
  • Media
    
    • Movies
      
    • Social Media
      
    • TV and Streaming Services
      

    [*]Music and The Arts

    • Literature
      
    • Live Theater and Broadway
      
    • Music
      

    [*]The Gallery

    [*]The Sports Desk

  [*]Travel

  • Travelers
    
    • Traveling Providers
      
    • Traveling Members
      

    [*]Destinations

    • Africa/Asia/Australia
      
    • Europe
      
    • Latin America and Caribbean
      
    • Street Scenes
      

  [*]Back Office

  • Archives
    
  • Features and Feedback
    
  • Tech Talk
    

Edited May 5, 2021 by JoeMendoza

[+ Charlie]

We could call the Deli The Butcher Block!

No violence, please.

[+ Charlie]

They always have and looks like they'll continue to! They've had a private donating members only section all a long since Daddy took over from HooBoy!

The Cabana was not started until 2016, and anyone who donated within a calendar year got an icon under his/her name, which is why no one has more than six icons. There was no private forum for donating members before then, and I'm not sure it has ever really been necessary..

[bostonman]

I've always found that whenever something is "updated" and "improved" it becomes frustrating and more of a pain to use. Just saying... ?

 

I find that a new web design gradually becomes easier and intuitive the more you use it. But yes, a bit of a learning curve is natural. Most times when sites I frequent have changed their design, I might want to complain at first, but then I get used to the new system, and it's all fine - and frequently better.

 

Exceptions happen. Like the Metropolitan Opera's current site, which I still find rather user-unfriendly, after I think 4 years or so.

[+ Charlie]

I think the Gallery should be its own section, since the number of posts there are so large, and there isn't much discussion within it.

[RadioRob]

I think the Gallery should be its own section, since the number of posts there are so large, and there isn't much discussion within it.

I have a long term strategy planned for the Gallery. Long-term the gallery will be pulled out of the forum into something tied to it, but not a forum itself. So for now I'd like to leave this alone until I can implement it.

[jjkrkwood]

Lucky said:

 

We could call the Deli The Butcher Block!

 

No violence, please.

 

OR it would be called SWEENY TODD ? ? ?

Edited May 5, 2021 by jjkrkwood

[jjkrkwood]

The Cabana was not started until 2016, and anyone who donated within a calendar year got an icon under his/her name, which is why no one has more than six icons. There was no private forum for donating members before then, and I'm not sure it has ever really been necessary..

Sounds like a sinister "Gentlemens club" ?

[bostonman]

OR it would be called SWEENEY TODD ? ? ?

 

Which leads me to say that I would definitely welcome the redesign of the "Media And Entertainment" section - the way it is now is really very messy.

[+ Charlie]

The Cabana may not even be necessary if the site goes to a new model of financial support.

[KrisParr]

Would definitely contribute if assured anonymity.

[Luv2play]

Sounds like a sinister "Gentlemens club" ?

That's called a Cabal.

[Danny-Darko]

The Cabana was not started until 2016, and anyone who donated within a calendar year got an icon under his/her name, which is why no one has more than six icons. There was no private forum for donating members before then, and I'm not sure it has ever really been necessary..

 

Thanks for clarification. I was gone for many years after Daddy took over when HooBoy passed away. The site was down for awhile I remember. After finding the group again under it's new name, I followed it awhile and this is how it was already with the Cabana. I then joined again last year.

[rvwnsd]

I've been involved with development for nearly 20 years. It's funny... many of the objections are due to being being familiar/comfortable with the way it is, even if it's not the best way to do something. A few (like 10) years ago, we had a website that launched version 3. We had several people that complained about how horrible the changes were and wanted us to go back to version 2. Ultimately we stood our ground on the change and life went on. It was around 5 years later we introduced version 4 of the site. The same people complained about how they wanted the to go back to version 3 and that it was so perfect/great.

 

We literally went back and found their same people posting how they wanted version 3 back that a few years ago thought it was horrible.

True story: When the teller system at my employer was upgraded from DOS to a Java front-end (in 2004) people complained about how long the application took to load when they started it up. Complaint, complaint, complaint. So, one of the developers animated the logo that displays during startup. Despite it taking longer to load, users reported the system was dramatically faster than before.

[lonely_john]

The "South America" term does not properly capture Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean nations. I suggest renaming it "Latin America/Caribbean" or "South-of-the Border"

+1

South America is not the right name for that sub forum.

As @EZEtoGRU says it would be much better if called "Latin America" or "Latin America & Caribbean"

[+ stevenkesslar]

How will The Cabana, which will be limited to donors ,differ from The Lounge ?

 

 

Do we need The Cabana?

 

As was noted, that emerged when Bill and I were working together on ways to develop a more systematic model for a website funded by voluntary donations. The Cabana was a reward for people who gave. @Coolwave35 is being very clear he wants to fund this website, and that a community funding model is no longer needed. When Bill set The Cabana up he informed me I was selected by him to moderate it. I had zero interest in doing that. I was interested in fundraising, not moderating. There are several new moderators and I'm guessing they either volunteered, or were asked. I think it's great. My perception is the metric of who does the "over and above" work on this website is changing from "who donates" to "who volunteers" which at least as of now means "who moderates." In my eyes this is all really healthy. New leadership, new ideas. I'm lovin it. But unless there is some new purpose for The Cabana other than as a reward to donors, I'd say get rid of it.

 

Since @RadioRob notes that The Cabana is limited to donors, one thought to put on hold is that a community funding model may still make sense for the escort review site. I think the first thing needed is more discussion about what people like and don't like about that site. We also need a group of escorts and clients who either view that site as their bread and butter and want to see it survive and flourish, or who write reviews on it. A team like that can do something like what is happening here. Except I think that website needs a much deeper updating than this one. "Daddy" was a one man show, and that show is over. It's possible, I've thought, that something like The Moderator's Forum could be set up over there, including people who either volunteer or donate to that website. But that is putting the cart before the horse. I think the start is to begin at the 30,000 foot level about what we really want that site to be. And right now the energy is all on this website, which I think is great.

Edited May 5, 2021 by stevenkesslar

[RadioRob]

A decision regarding the future of the Cabana is not going to be made as part of this change. The original goal was simply to reorganize what is already here. The scope appears to be slightly changing in that a few forum or two might make their way out there... but right now I don't foresee making a decision to remove something already established right now. (I'm intentionally shying away from anything destructive given that we don't officially have control of the site yet. Again, it's highly unlikely to matter, but instead I'm taking a minor precaution.)

[+ not2rowdy]

I suggest at the very, very bottom have a listing called “The Outhouse” (or "The Septic Tank"). A place for the moderators to banish locked threads that get out of control.

[+ stevenkesslar]

A decision regarding the future of the Cabana is not going to be made as part of this change. The original goal was simply to reorganize what is already here. The scope appears to be slightly changing in that a few forum or two might make their way out there... but right now I don't foresee making a decision to remove something already established right now. (I'm intentionally shying away from anything destructive given that we don't officially have control of the site yet. Again, it's highly unlikely to matter, but instead I'm taking a minor precaution.)

 

Makes a lot of sense to me.

 

I'd encourage the same with the escort review website. I'm going to post a much longer thread about legal/political risk in that review site thread you started. What you've done in terms of simply preserving a historical data base is amazing. Once you go down the road of changing or streamlining the management of how the reviews work, it's a slippery slope. As a legal matter, as I'll say in the more verbose thread, I personally think it's a non-issue. Who cares? Who's going to sue? My view is we are simply preserving the value of two sites that would have no value if we let them die. Case closed. As a practical matter, I'm guessing a lot of escorts and clients would welcome improvements to the review process.

 

The more important risk and opportunity to me is I think it would be dumb ass to simply assume open season on escort sites is over. Even though the political climate seems to be moving in our direction. So I think we'd be wise to use this time for a broad rethink of that site. The first thing is it was essentially a one man show, and that show has closed. So we have to make sure we don't do anything that gets us in trouble. That was part of Bill's job, and it's a very slippery slope. The more important thing to me is rather than looking in the rear view mirror based on past risks we should be evaluating what lies ahead and how we can improve the site in ways that get us to where we'd like to go. That assumes that we know where we'd like to go. Or that we can figure it out along the way.

[RadioRob]

The archives are staying as-is. I don’t have any plans to add/remove reviews to it. I am personally interested in setting up a brand new review site later. My goal would be to build/develop it such a way as to reduce risk as much as possible. This includes being located outside of the US, masking the hosting company through the use of a non-US CDN/proxy, etc.

 

There are still lots of things to still figure out but by no means is it something I see doing super quickly. To be honest, there are more capabilities I would like to do around the community site first.