I'll post a review tomorrow of a visit with someone in my rotation, not so much to convey any new information or details, but to make sure that prospective clients who aren't aware of her are made aware, and to remind guys who already know her name that she's worth a visit.
Originally Posted by Sir Lancehernot
As far as the reminder theory you suggest: For someone new, or if she's been away for a long period -- probably review > what she does on her own (website, showcase, ads, strategic participation in discussions, etc.). A lot of prospective clients are skeptical of what might be self-serving fluff and overstatement, and want some validation from a third party. But reviews are still not absolutely necessary. For someone who is well-established -- hard to tell for sure, but probably the utility to prospective clients and thus to her of an individual review has dropped dramatically and quite possibly review < what she does on her own. Some guys prowl reviews for ideas of who to see, and then check out her ads etc. to close the deal. Some guys prowl ads and discussions to make the initial choice, and then check reviews to make sure she has some.
The limitations of reviews:
chacun à son goût, so may not be helpful if by someone who doesn't have similar tastes/preferences. How much the reviewer enjoyed time with her tells me damned little about whether I will. (I can only think of one other guy of whom I would say the odds were 70% or better that if he really enjoyed time with her, so would I. And he didn't review often.)
Often poorly written and not very informative
unless you have particular out-of-the-ordinary interests. (A detailed blow-by-blow account may be good wanking material, but in terms of information? Gee, she provides enthusiastic BBBJ, CFS, and kissing - just like 400 other ladies. It's helpful to eliminate ladies who don't provide the standard, but doesn't distinguish between those who do.)
Given "promoters" or guys trading reviews for discounts or assholes - how sure are you that the particular reviewer is credible? Hell, I don't even recognize 90% of the handles.
And it's still just one review out of many. If X doesn't review her, one of the other 20 guys she saw this month will. And if she has 50 reviews,
collectively that offers some comfort to prospective clients, but any
individual review has little independent value.
The limitations of what she can do herself:
May need to supplement with checking a few reviews at random - or maybe just check to see that she has a lot of "Yes" reviews without reading them.
And some ladies aren't sufficiently skilled, or aren't willing to invest the time, to promote themselves effectively.
I used to review a lot, for the same reason you mention. After awhile, I tired of it and made it known that I would review if the lady requested one but not otherwise (unless there was a problem). And very, very few indicated any interest in a review. (Some who did may just have thought, erroneously, that I would appreciate the ego-stroke of being asked.) Sure, that could be because my reviews were considered to be even less helpful than average. But it may mean that most ladies get along quite well whether or not any particular client reviews her. I suspect the latter is a big part of the answer.
My perspective/best guess -- YOMV.