ThreADs

Recently there's been a lot of traffic (and a lot of reported posts) about threADs - specifically, providers who post threads in unrelated forums which are advertisements. I thought it might be helpful to explain our thoughts on the subject (or, at least, mine - other mods, feel free to jump in).

First off - to state the obvious, for the women who post here - this is a business. I hate to be the one to break it to you, guys, but she's not really talking to you just because you're a sparkling conversationalist. The ladies here have *gasp* an agenda! I know, it shocked me, too.

And ladies, I know this may surprise and astound you to learn this - the men here have an agenda too! With a few exceptions that we all mostly point and laugh at - men are not here because they took a wrong turn at okcupid. They're here for one thing and it isn't recipes.

So. On a good day, those agendas mesh! Thus, we have the co-ed forum, where men and women talk, flirt, and do the usual dances that result in PMs, phone calls, and reviews. Working As Advertised!

Do women make posts to get attention? Absolutely. Do they do this with an agenda? Absolutely. Is it allowed? ....Absolutely (the management has stated such, explicitly). For one thing it would be impossible to police otherwise, and would only serve to punish the women not bright enough to cloak their threADs sufficiently. And while I personally am attracted to super-intelligent conversationalists, that may not be top 10 on the punch list for many of you and penalizing women who aren't is unfair.

Speaking of unfair, what is also unfair is women who simply see Co-Ed and ISO and whatnot as "HEY FREE AD SPACE". It's not fair because the great majority of providers play by the rules and post 2 ads a week in the proper forums like everyone else does. When other providers cheat and post blatant ads (as opposed to threads) saying "HEY CALL ME" in Co-Ed, it penalizes the women who play by the rules. And trust me - the women report those threads FAR more than the men. They know (and resent) it very well.

So. How do we permit threADS and stop blatant ads? Well, it's a judgement call. What I look at is whether or not a conversation is possible. For example the classic threAD - a visiting provider doing a drive-by in Co-Ed saying "Hey, I'm coming to town on 2/11, 2/12, and 2/13 taking appointments from 9a to 3p and my P411 URL is here aaaand where should I stay?" Now... obviously... the intent here is pretty obvious. Yet - there is an opportunity for conversation (obvious and retreaded as it is). It is a discussion - a Co-Ed Discussion. It's allowed.

Whereas "Hey, I'm lonely, call me" - is not only a threAD, it's not a discussion. What's there to discuss? "How lonely ARE you?" "Are you really lonely or are you just pulling our leg" "Have you considered match.com?" I mean - it's an ad, it's blatant, and we'll lock and/or pull it because not only is it a threAD, it's an AD - not a conversation, but a one-way broadcast. No discussion.

I hope this sheds a little light on things. Feel free to tell us where we're wrong, but bear in mind we are also working from rules we personally did not make up, and exercise the best judgement we can. We're all after the same things, we're all hobbyists like you (well, assuming you're male), and we all groan at threADs.

A final note - the worst thing you can do to a threAD is not respond to it. It drops off the active list of threads, people ignore it, and the person who posted it didn't get the attention they wanted. Seriously - if you hate threADs, *ignore them*. That is literally the best thing you can do to combat them. Without replies, they drop off into never-never land very quickly.

Vyt
AustinModStaff

Maybe eccie should make a rule and enforce whereby providers wishing to post must click the box at the bottom disabling their signature line. That would eliminate the ad aspect of any post ?

I agree wholeheartedly with Vyt with regards to threADs. I have learned to look the other way for the vast majority of the time, but when a lady posts more than 3 OBVIOUS threADS in Coed or ISO in a short period of time, then action is appropriate and necessary.

I totally agree that all of us here have an agenda of one sort or another and hey, that's OK!!! After all it is the purpose of the Board!!! BUT, as Moderators we have to be conscious of the abuse that sometimes occurs when we have tolerant and moderate enforcement of our posting Guidelines.

I also agree that the best thing to do with the worst of the threADS is to ignore them, however I do want to encourgae you to continue to RTM them and this will allow the Mod Staff to decide (using that judgement that Vyt mentioned) which ones require some additional Staff attention!

Thanks to all of you who help us maintain some small semblance of order around here.

Spacemtn
AustinModStaff

Well i will speak bc i know that this does have to do with me since i have had 2 threADs closed ... But I have to say people do it all the time and i always mean what i say((just starting convo and being lonely)).. i dont bs anyone..I was traveling with a friend and we were in a area to where i usually dont stay. We thought it be fun to find an adult shop near by or find out where a good place to have drinks at and sometimes u cant always rely on internet advertising ..Now i dont need match.com and dont need a man for a bf .. i was looking just to have fun in ATX.. Im truly a fun person and if im in a city and dont know what to do then i will ask... Alot of people who come to SA and I am always welcoming and never been catty nor reported to the mods ever that someone was putting threADS that i didnt approve of. Thats kinda childish. I love to have fun, laugh, smile and wanted to do so bc my night was free. I really think this community needs to be more welcoming like other cities. I am one of the people who just post alot and its not for Just attention.. yes i admit it .. it is for attention and put my name out there to an EXTENT but not my intentions to PISS PEOPLE OFF ...

if you have an issue with me and feel like im being disrespectful then im sorry u feel that way bc im really nice and super funny! so if u wish to form an opinion without knowing and simply by judging by my post then oh well.

Have a great night and if u have anything that u wanna tell me or give me advice then im all ears .. u can pm me too ...

smooches
Lex DD's

Maybe instead of banning or pointing or closing the threAds, offending ladies should lose their Sig line sections for a week at a time.

Or delete their ads in the ad section for offending posts....

It is a little out of hand....