Problem Posting Escort Reviews on this Site

[ready182]

First of all let me say I love this site.

 

Recently I got up enough nerve to submit an escort review. I got back an automated response indicating that I must provide a phone number in order for my review to be posted. The e-mail explained that my phone number was mandatory in case they needed to confirm any facts, etc?

 

What's up with that? If there were any ambiguity it can be cleared via e-mail. If the review is suspect the web site manager always has the options either not to post it, or to throw the "flag on the play".

 

The owner(s) of this excellent site are free to set any rules they want, but IMHO requesting home phone numbers is a "flag on the play".

[+ deej]

>First of all let me say

>I love this site.

 

Cool. So do I.

 

>Recently I got up enough nerve

>to submit an escort review.

 

Why did it take nerve? Did you hire the guy or not?

 

> I got back an

>automated response indicating that I

>must provide a phone number

>in order for my review

>to be posted. The

>e-mail explained that my phone

>number was mandatory in case

>they needed to confirm any

>facts, etc?

 

I've posted reviews recently and haven't ever been asked for a phone number. Perhaps I should post a new review with a new name this evening and see if I get asked for a phone number.

 

>What's up with that? If

>there were any ambiguity it

>can be cleared via e-mail.

 

It can't always. Sometimes a phone call is required, or at least helps verify that the person responding isn't a stalker that is determined to ruin this site. In that respect, I completely support HooBoy. He tries very hard to make sure that bogus reviews don't make it through.

 

> If the review is

>suspect the web site manager

>always has the options either

>not to post it, or

>to throw the "flag on

>the play".

 

More likely, the review will just go in the bit bucket if there is any doubt.

 

Sorry. Chances are good that if you're not willing to stand by your words, HooBoy won't publish them.

 

If you're being honest, why won't you stand by your words?

 

I'm gonna ask HooBoy if he's asking new posters for a phone number. I suppose it's possible, given the stated intent of several individuals to ruin this site. In all honesty, he's *always* asked for a phone number when a review seems out of synch with history.

 

I'll let everyone here know what I find out.

[Guest jeffOH]

What's the big deal about submitting a phone# with a review?

I just don't get it? Are you married, have a boyfriend, what's

the deal? I see it as one way to check the validity of a review

in addition to verifying by e-mail what a reviewer has written.

There's only so much Hooboy can do to maintain the integrity of this site. I don't believe it's unreasonable at all. If you're

so far in the closet or paranoid, maybe you should wait until

you're more comfortable with the whole thing.

 

Jeff4hire@aol.com

[Guest Nocturnal]

DeeJ,

 

It does take nerve at times for someone new to this to post a first review. Just because it comes easily to you or posting messages in the forum comes easy to you, it doesn't mean that it comes easily to everyone. I take my hats off to this guy for posting a review and for posting a message. I read the site for a while before I ever wrote any message in the forum. I hope we can encourage others to post instead of discouraging them to post.

 

I have not posted any reviews nor do I intend to in the next few weeks. However, if I did, I would have no problem giving out my phone number. But, when Hoo gets involved in verifying this meeting via telephone conversation with a client, I think he is getting involved in more than he really wants to get involved with. It seems to me that such involvement would put Hoo at higher risk for getting himself in trouble. When a review states that the guys sucks great dick and ****s really well and that there was a fee for this, I would not want to make a telephone call to verify this transaction and put myself in that kind of fire. However, Hoo is a much smarter man than me and he aparently has great lawyers. If they have said that is OK, then more power to them all. I don't run this site, nor do I want to because I can't even begin to imagine what a pain in the ass it is for Hoo. I appreciate all his hard work, but Hoo, if you are listening, be careful. We need you!

[Scorpio]

I agree with deej it's probably just a precaution that's been instituted of late.

 

I personally had submitted five reviews over a period of time with never a request for a phone number. But then after the recent troubles here on the site, I submitted a new review using the same handle but using a different email address than I had in the past. I received an email from HooBoy saying he could not verify that I had submitted 5 or more reviews based on my current email address. So he requested my phone number and/or an explanation or the review would be discarded. I supplied him with both (my phone number and an explantion) and we were able to clear up the problem without a phone call.

 

So I thinks it's just a precaution.

[+ deej]

I owe an apology to ready182 because HooBoy reports that he does indeed request phone numbers from new posters.

 

I support his doing it, but I didn't know it was going on.

[Barry]

I'm sure you're right about this being a precaution. Recently we have had....

 

- Admissions of fake negative reviews being submitted.

- Accusations of escorts submitting their own reviews.

- A large number of first time reviewers (with some posters questioning the source/validity of the reviews due to that fact)

- One poster stating that "statistically" most reviews are fake. (he definitely took different statistics courses than I did)

 

While there is certainly no method of assuring that any review is real or accurate, requesting a phone number does help weed out some of the bad apples. It's easy for the same person to change his handle, email addy and/or IP address.

 

I have submitted only one negative review and Hoo asked for additional details and we went over the events before he posted it.

 

Unfortunately there will be some that feel the need for discretion or secrecy prevents them from giving out their number. This may mean we will lose some valid reviewers in the process of trying to maintain a higher level of credibility as a whole.

[Guest dcdave]

After being a visitor and sometime contributor to this message center for a while, I just posted my first review -- on a wonderful local escort I just met for the first time. HooBoy asked for my phone number and I happily provided him both my office and cell phone numbers with the request that calls be made during business hours. I find this request perfectly reasonable if only to test the "honestness" and "availabilty" of the reviewer - especially since it was the first time. I have really relied on this site and the reviews to help in my selection process. I think all of us "clients" should do anything we can do to help HooBoy maintain the integrity of this very valuable service. I guess I also trust HooBoy enough to assume that if he did make contact to verify anything, that he would do so with utmost discretion. HooBoy - can you put a spellcheck tool in the message center. I don't proof read well!

 

Dave

[Guest Charon]

Everyone has their own comfort zone. Mine does not include giving a stranger my phone number to discuss activities of questionable legality.

 

I have no particular reason to believe hooboy malicious, but I also have no assurances of the security of that information, so I won't participate by reviewing.

 

I understand Hooboy's desire to improve the quality of the reviews he posts, but chosing to seek phone numbers will also reduce the number he receives.

[+ deej]

>Everyone has their own comfort zone.

> Mine does not include

>giving a stranger my phone

>number to discuss activities of

>questionable legality.

 

Did you arrange this activity of questionable legality without exchanging phone numbers with a stranger? In other words, did you call him or did he call you?

 

I really do understand the issues of modesty, privacy, and discretion that are involved. I'm not trying to poke fun or insult.

 

I'd just like to know more about why you think it's OK to talk about your "date" when you're anonymous, but as soon as someone asks you to stand behind your words you bail.

 

I'm just curious why you, personally, choose this as a place to draw a line in the sand but then talk about it later. You were willing to submit a review, until asked to stand by it. You're willing to talk about it here, as long as nobody asks you to stand by it.

 

Why is that?

 

I truly am curious more than anything else.

[Guest 101]

>

>I truly am curious more than

>anything else.

 

I cannot speak for the poster you pose the questions to. However, I will share my views on the topic.

 

I feel it's wrong to request phone numbers from reviewers. I would think many people are not out so their privacy would be violated.

 

As several have pointed out the activity between escort and client might be considered questionable. Placing a disclaimer about "time and fees" really would not hold legal ground.

 

DeeJ you wrongly make the assumption that one must give an escort the same information HooBoy is requesting. I can call an escort, have my number blocked and meet him at a third party location. I can tell him my name is "DeeJ" and he won't know the difference. Not unlike the array of cell phones, pagers and different names that escorts use.

 

Security is the biggest issue. What is HooBoy going to do with these numbers? Are they being stored somewhere? Should he ever become subject to police investigation will these numbers fall into the hands of law enforcement? Additionally, he has made it clear that he is 'friends' with certain escorts. What would stop him from providing the information to them? More so than the escort HooBoy is anonymous to the vast majority of us.

 

What about the current situation where a poster claims two escorts on this site are not of legal age, law enforcement reads this, raids HooBoy's home and one of their reviews was verified by telephone number. Now the reviewer unknowingly had sex (forget the escort stuff) with a minor. Law enforcement knows who he is and now he is arrested.

 

Granted the latter example is a stretch though not totally out of the question.

 

I would call HooBoy using a blocked number if he insisted on speaking with me yet that can create an entirely different set of problems. I would not submit my phone number to HooBoy under any circumstances.

[+ deej]

You bring up good points but you refute yourself at the same time.

 

Yes, you can use the phone blocking ruse when booking an escort. Of course you can do that when corresponding with HooBoy as well.

 

You could get caught up in a sting, I suppose, but how is that different from dealing with any escort or agency? A central location, maybe, but that's about it. The escort could have your phone number written on a very similar post-it note to what HooBoy has.

 

I just don't buy it. Sorry.

 

It's funny how people will change what they'll say when it's anonymous vs. when it's attributed. I think that's what we're really talking about here.

 

You'll either stand behind what you say or you won't. It's an old game: put up or shut up.

 

HooBoy has my phone number (or he did at one time and he can have it again any time he asks) and I'm not worried about it a bit.

 

I just don't see the problem.

[Guest 101]

>You bring up good points but

>you refute yourself at the

>same time.

 

>Yes, you can use the phone

>blocking ruse when booking an

>escort. Of course you can

>do that when corresponding with

>HooBoy as well.

>

Actually this cannot be done when dealing with HooBoy. Remember he is requesting the reviewers number so your point is not accurate; blocking is not an option. When I deal with an escort I do not usually give them my number. Therefore, when I contact the escort my calls are blocked.

 

 

>I just don't buy it. Sorry.

Not sure what you don't buy. Someone has your number under these circumstances it could be trouble. If you have no problem giving out personal information then why use DeeJ? I would think you would use your actual name. Obviously both escorts (who rarely use their own name and have a maze of cell and pager numbers plus clients have problems with exposing too much of themselves.

>

>

>It's funny how people will change

>what they'll say when it's

>anonymous vs. when it's attributed.

I tend to agree if we were talking about different circumstances. In this setting I believe a review might be more valid if the author is not known.

 

>You'll either stand behind what you

>say or you won't. It's

>an old game: put up

>or shut up.

The above makes you sound as if you are the school bully. I find the remarks very immature.

 

 

>HooBoy has my phone number (or

>he did at one time

>and he can have it

>again any time he asks)

>and I'm not worried about

>it a bit.

As a moderator on this board I would expect him to have your number.

 

>I just don't see the problem.

 

Apparently DeeJ quite a few people do

 

My feelings on this topic should now be well known so I will make no additional comments.

 

---------------------------

"What some might see as the fringe, I view as the frontier"

[Guest Charon]

No, I do not exchange phone numbers per se. I make arrangements when I travel so I am in hotel rooms, the phone number is not my own. The email I use for this purpose is also anonymous.

 

I do not see escorts in my home, nor do I give them any contact information that could reach my home. My engagement of escorts, however, is pretty limited compared to many who post here.

 

Perhaps this level of discretion strikes you has "odd", but it feels appropriate to me.

 

Perhaps your life would not be adversely impacted were your circle to become aware that you were engaging escorts. Mine most certainly would.

[Guest TFNH]

>I'm sure you're right about this

>being a precaution. Recently

>we have had....

>

>- Admissions of fake negative reviews

>being submitted.

 

You can't be serious, but I'm sure you are. Are you saying someone posted a bogus reveiew and then said that they did it?

 

>- Accusations of escorts submitting their

>own reviews.

 

Although probably not rampant, it's easy enough to believe when escorts have said that they do it.

 

While I live by myself and have no problem giving out my number, what about the married guys? According to the escorts I know married men make up the greatest % of their business.

[+ deej]

>>You'll either stand behind what you

>>say or you won't. It's

>>an old game: put up

>>or shut up.

>The above makes you sound as

>if you are the school

>bully. I find the remarks

>very immature.

 

I am the school bully. Haven't you read the other threads? :-)

 

>As a moderator on this board

>I would expect him to

>have your number.

 

Actually, it has nothing to do with being a moderator. That's done completely through e-mail. He has my number because AN ESCORT gave it to him (with my permission) while trying to debunk a bogus review.

 

>In this setting I believe

>a review might be more

>valid if the author is

>not known.

 

What's that sound? Roger Ebert having gas? ;-)

 

Actually, I'm glad this discussion happened. It gives valuable feedback to HooBoy about the practice of requesting phone numbers. I happen to support the practice, since we do have sharks in the water, but it's valuable feedback none-the-less.

 

Thanks guys!

[+ deej]

>Perhaps your life would not be

>adversely impacted were your circle

>to become aware that you

>were engaging escorts. Mine

>most certainly would.

 

 

Most of my friends DO know I hire escorts. Most of them also know (gasp) I have many close friends in the porn industry and (gasp) I hang out with pornstars.

 

I was just asking for clarification, out of personal curiosity.

 

Sorry if I pushed buttons.

[Guest]

My personal opinion is that a substantial number, possibly a majority, of the reviews in the past have been faked/placed by the escort. I certainly view with great suspicion an escort with multiple stellar first-time reviews. I aplaud HooBoy for taking this step, which will at least make it more difficult for someone to merely create an e-mail adress and from there a fake review. Yes, it will also cut down on some legitimate reviews, since some people don't have privacy at home or at work. Overall, though, since accuracy is so important, I think the positives of this new policy outweigh the minuses...

[+ deej]

>>- Admissions of fake negative reviews

>>being submitted.

>

>You can't be serious, but I'm

>sure you are. Are

>you saying someone posted a

>bogus reveiew and then said

>that they did it?

 

It's even worse. Someone said they would and then did, and then claimed credit.

 

Terrorism isn't limited to Northern Ireland.

[Guest TFNH]

>>>- Admissions of fake negative reviews

>>>being submitted.

>It's even worse. Someone said they

>would and then did, and

>then claimed credit.

 

Any reason given for doing this- rational or irrational?

[+ Lucky]

Dang, deej, I agree* with everything you said on this thread. (Note: Only this thread! )

Hooboy asked for my number, I gave it, he called and was very discreet. Since I am not doing anything illegal, the cops don't scare me, and I am not going to get paranoid about it.

If someone is stupid enough to have sex with a minor, and then tell about it on this board, well, then, the community thanks you.

*(Okay, deej, I can't say that I agree you are a bully.)

[Guest Les]

Hey Deej,

 

Most of the guys who use the Message Center are not closet cases but most who use escorts are...many are in so deep that the thought of exposure is only overcome by their need for sex and all it's encompassing risks.(IMHO)

 

Now along comes Hooboy asking for more personal information in order to verify a review. I find the phony reviews as upsetting as everyone else but think that the old system of verifying email and IP addresses should suffice. This newest invasive policy by Hooboy will just cause a lot of independent reviewers to stop submitting their opinions.

 

I'm surprised the escorts and not voicing this opinion (to protect their clients)...but then again they probably would rather not be reviewed in the first place. (unless they are very good).

 

We may not like married closet cases but I'm sure the escorts do!

 

Anyone who reads the reviews can try to judge for themselves the real from the 'unreal' and still maintain a modicom of privacy.

 

not in the closet, Les

[+ deej]

>>>>- Admissions of fake negative reviews

>>>>being submitted.

>>It's even worse. Someone said they

>>would and then did, and

>>then claimed credit.

>

>Any reason given for doing this-

>rational or irrational?

 

It's an ongoing personal vendetta against HooBoy and this site.

 

It's the sole reason this message board is now monitored.

[Barry]

>>>>- Admissions of fake negative reviews

>>>>being submitted.

>>It's even worse. Someone said they

>>would and then did, and

>>then claimed credit.

>

>Any reason given for doing this-

>rational or irrational?

 

 

Well the stated reason was to test to see if HooBoy could catch a fake negative review.

 

Of interest though was the fact the individual was an escort (now retired) and the fake negative review(s) were on his competition. You draw your own conclusions.

[+ deej]

Interesting thread. Lots of opinions, and all of them valid.

 

Thanks for chiming in, Lucky!

 

I'm feeling really neglected (and a little depraved ) because I've never been asked for a phone number. Apparently I'm "well-known" enough. <sigh>