This is the second of a series of threads I plan to start concerning my history in the hobby. My reason for investing the time and a discussion of my pre-internet start in whoring can be found here:
https://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=2496963
Newsgroups changed everything, at least for me.
I wish I could remember how I discovered Usenet in 1996. I’m not a tech guy, but being tech-curious and horny somehow led me to discover the exploding world of online sex.
I had a new desktop computer and a dial-up connection through whichever ISP Southwestern Bell contracted with at the time. This was before Google and other search engines where you could type a subject and the world would be made available in a nanosecond.
As best as I can recall, ISPs were offering readers for Usenet newsgroups that had become the first broadly available equivalent to today’s discussion forums. If you’re interested in how these discussion groups were managed and accessed, search “Usenet” on Wikipedia and you can get the details. If you want to get a feel for how the alt.sex.prostitutions newsgroups worked, I was able to find this FAQ (old timers in particular may appreciate the trip down memory lane):
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/alt-sex/prostitution/faq/
I probably familiarized myself with newsgroups trying to learn more about a non-hobby subject, like travel. There was a logical hierarchy to the system, but since there wasn’t a search engine, you had to browse the news groups to find what you were looking for.
So, one day I started browsing the alt.* hierarchy and found alt.sex. Browse a little further and I found alt.sex.prostitution. My hobby fate was sealed.
All of a sudden, I had a place to go to ask about the ads I was seeing, the extras that might be available in studios, etc. My spending dramatically increased, since I was less likely to get busted or suffer blue balls.
I came up with a handle when I created my hobby email account (believe it or not, I still use that account more than 20 years later). I liked the whole “TinMan doesn’t have a heart” idea, which was the only connection I had to the character.
I lurked for awhile, at least 6 months, before I introduced TinMan to the world. Here is what appears to be my first post, from 1997:
Dick O'Stone has inspired me to "come out" with some of my experiences....
I've gone to most of the "jack shacks" in Tarrant County because I often have a short window of opportunity for this sort of endeavor and can't arrange an in-call visit in such a short timeframe. I'll apologize in advance for not being able to give specific addresses in most cases.
Arlington scene: They're plentiful along southeast quadrant of Hwy 360 and I30, but take note of the city ordinance prohibiting the private rooms from having doors. This obviously makes it less likely you'll get much beyond the standard show. In no case should you expect to get full service unless you invest a LOT of time and money. My impressions of some particular parlors:
Fantasy Nights (Due North of Lace nightclub a few blocks): It has been awhile, but the girls here were solid 8's and they didn't try to screw you out of too much money ($75/session). Strict no touch.
Dreamscapes (Galleria Dr.): Pricey ($250/session), but at times have received a little hand or between the-breast action. Girls here are 7's and 8's.
XTC (across the street from Six Flags Mall, on the east side): Been here once. Paid $75 for a standard show with a girl who would rate about a 6. Haven't been inspired to go back.
Xotic T'z (Galleria Dr.): The granddaddy of the D/FW jack shack scene. Used to be cheap and strictly no touch, but based on a recent experience in the Ft. Worth shop (see below), I haven't wanted to step in the place.
Fort Worth Scene: Only two places left, to my knowledge. At least they have doors at these places.
Xotic T's (N. Main, south of the stockyards): I walked in here one recent afternoon and and saw a woman so unattractive, I turned around and walked out. A couple of years ago, when I last visited the Arlington location, I noticed the girls were dropping to the 5 and 6 range; this one was no better than a 4.
Golden Goddess (S. Freeway @ Rysinger): My favorite. Girls are reasonably attractive (7's on average), and they stick around long enough so you can get to know them. Don't expect full service, but you can get some pretty heavy action from some of the girls, particularly after a few visits. Down side is the price: $250, but several of the girls put on a good enough show that you'll almost think its worth it. Ashley, Cheyenne and Chastity have been there the longest. You can call 817/568-6833 to find out which dancers are scheduled.
Hope this helps. If nothing else, you'll know what to expect (or not to expect) when you walk into one of these places.
Keep in mind this was a fairly small world when I joined. If you peruse the old posts that are still available (I used Google Groups for this purpose...not sure if they are archived elsewhere), you can see where most of our “leads” came from: alternative weeklies like the Dallas Observer (“Backpage” really was a back page back then), rags like Adult News & Entertainment (found at all your finer adult book stores and titty bars), and even the want ads of the dailies. The newsgroups were useful for decoding the ads (the DMN was a family newspaper after all), finding out which adult establishments might provide more than visuals (“jack shacks” were pervasive), and finally gave the ladies a means to start controlling their own careers.
Most of the acronyms we use today were popularized, if not coined, by the participants of this forum. It was just easier to type a few initials than use the jargon that was common on the streets. Out went “half and half”; in came “CBJ, CFS”. And even then, we were debating the meaning of GFE.
There are a number of stories I want to cover during this relatively brief period of my hobby career: the World Sex Guide, my immersion in studio life, Diana of Dallas (the first local provider to really exploit the internet), TSML, and the first legendary DFW hobbyist: the controversial but important figure Dick O’Stone. I’ll be exploring each of these subjects in depth with subsequent posts to this thread.
In the meantime, maybe some of the other old timers will provide their own remembrances, and correct the record where my memory may have failed me.