TampaYankee

>I haven't changed any >settings on my computer that I know of, it always worked >before. Does this include your firewall permissions? It is also possible that tech is updating software on that server. I will inquire.

>Thank you for your helpful reply...it really helped and it did >work. > I'm sure it helped and happy to see that your problems appear to be resolved but... In my experience none of the socalled antispy apps falls under the category 'One Stop Shopping'. In my experience no one package finds all spyware. Some are good for some kinds of malware and suck for other kinds. I have run several different apps in succession, some of which uncover previously undetected malware. None of which detected everything. Antispyware is only as good as its makers are smart, up-to-date, broad in their perspective and preservering in their quest. They are all human. A good extra is to check out housecall.trendmicro.com. They provide a free internet-based antivirus AND a 30 day free antispyware tryout. The first time i ran both was quite interesting. I don't mean to rain on your parade. Just hate to see people walk down the path fat, dumb, and happy in a world where misapprehension can put people (or their computers) in peril. P.S. I own SpySweeper, SpyCop, and ISP provided spyware. I have tried spyhunter and the trendmicro app and think the latter is good. Beware of trying demo spyware apps. They can be trapware actually installing spyware on your machine, escpecially if you dont buy their "Spyware'. Before installing anything always seek a known credible company or recognized third party review/recommendation like PC Mag, ZDNet etc. FWIW

It really disappoints me and frankly it irritates the hell out of me that some fail to read and heed. The opening scene of Red Storm Rising comes to my mind.

Why not? However, I have a question, for anyone who knows, regarding size units? How do shoe size measures/units differ among the continents/countries? How are shoe sizes quoted in Beijing or Bangkok vs Pittsburg or Peoria vs Berlin or Budapest? Anyone know about Uzbekistan or Mumbai? (Ok, I know the Pittsburg/Peoria answer.) This is a serious question in case there is any doubt? It has never occurred to me before. Awaiting input before I ask the tech guys to 'step on it' . :+

>There was an arrest in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. If this >person is guilty then I hope we have an opportunity to hear >from all those officials and pundits who felt that either her >Mother or Father committed the crime. Yes, if this is borne out then there is a healthy serving of crow for many to put it mildly. I haven't kept up but the investigators and DA deserved to be turned out over the singular incompetence characterizing that investigation. I hope they were. If they weren't then the citizens of Boulder deserve the excellent law enforcement they enjoy in addition to a interesting reputation for that community.

Um... i think I'd like to see a centerfold of Jon Bon Jovi.

I'm into foot fetish as well... I'm fixated on guys who throw their feet in the air behind their head. }(

> That just makes me swell with pride for my scottish ancestry >}( Speaking of swelling, it looks like he has plenty of pride too.

Yuck!! Disgusting YUCK! You have really fucked up pickes for me now.

Let me be the first here to offer my congratulations to daddy on his new venture. I hope the start-up goes smoother than ours did. Start-ups are a lot of work -- I know. I haven't seen the opening yet but I hope to drop by shortly. Again congrats to daddy and deej and any others involved. TY

Yes, I believe she was heard to say in a rarely heard cockney twang: "I feel like I'm a bit in a pickle, dearie."

>What's to stop an escort then from posting the review >anonymously or under another handle? Nothing. However, it is much like the difference between sending invitations to a party versus dealing with walk-ins. Walk-ins may show but it takes a increase in commitment and desire, or even the presence of mind to commit fraud. >Wouldn't it be better >for potential clients to read that Scott Adler wrote a review >(and decide for themselves if there was an agenda) rather than >the same review Scott might post as Myron Fellburger? >Certainly an agenda driven escort (whether posting his own or >another's reviews) will take this route due to the policy. Possibly if this were the only concern. There are other concerns too. Rather than start from scratch and present a tailored response I'll post broader response adapted from an email that I sent to the other escort who offered a review last week. Hopefully this will adress your questions and maybe some of Scott's that might have been unasked. [em] "It would be easy for you to post a disclaimer that states the reviews have been written by other escorts--it's highly unlikely that anyone is going to be filing a slander/defamation suit. You could include the stipulation that the majority of the content has to be about the subject escort and not the author escort." [/em] Yes, the reviews could be earmarked with a software change and the contributing escort duly instructed. [em] "You could also ask the author escort to include a number of details that the subject escort to has to corroborate to establish the validity of the review". [/em] This would not overcome my basic objection, that of appearance of conflict of interest, although it would mitigate some score-settling attempts. But what of a legitimate complaint? [em] "While I don't take offense at having my credibility called into question," [/em] I didnt call your credibility into question. ... I stated a general policy for a community. The same reason we pass laws against bank robbing -- not everyone is considered a candidate bank robber but there is a sufficient number to make the law. We shouldn't feel personally targeted. [em] "I am disappointed for taking the time to write a review..." [/em] I understand your disappointment and frustration. However, I have to manage a larger community with some members that aren't as principled as you .... I have to deal with issues in-the-large of perceived honesty and fairness. Some people sieze on issues just to create drama, turmoil and controversy. Lord knows you have seen plenty of that. I will never be able to please all of the people all of the time. Sometimes the community has to consider the least common demoninator in making broad community rules -- like bank robbing laws. [em] "I could have just as easily created a new account, left out the part about another escort being there, and reviewed xxxx like that". [/em] Yes you could and some do.... Some I catch, others get by. [em] "Would that review have been posted? It seems so, given the current policies you've detailed in your e-mail. Just keep in mind, it would have been a lie. [/em] Yes, it likely would have been posted... Yes it would have been the same information submitted under a pretense. I regret that. Your argument hinges on the fact that you are an honest honorable guy. I accept that. I also know that some are not. Some have agendas or scores to settle or a distorted sense of fun. If everyone was honest and honorable and of 'normal' attitude then this site would be run differently -- a hell of a lot easier for me. Society's laws usually aren't fabricated for the mentally healthy, honorable law-abiding majority. Should we lend our facilities to an escort that completely savages another? Or damns another with faint praise. Whose word do I take? Do we only take nice reviews? Or only from people that I approve? The view of many on the outside call that favoritism. So one escort gives another a rave review because the guy needs money but is not really into what is reported. Or because he wants to ingratiate himself with the other guy because he has the hots for him? Who calls the balls and strikes considering the umpire is essentially blind folded and has to ask the players what it was? Do I really want to insert myself into that scene? The headaches, the drama, the just plain bitching email exchanges. What is the real damage? Who is hurt? The hurt is to credibility. Our credibility is our currency. IF we make up reviews it will hurt us, as it should. Yes, others make up reviews. We try to perform quality control screening. Are we 100% successful? No and we never will be. But the fact that we fail some of the time should dictate that we throw open the doors and let anything go? Of course not. The issue always is and has been: Where do you drawn the line? Is is bright and easily measured. One bright easily measured line is recognizing that escort-on-escort reviews are inherently an appearance of conflict of interest, notwhithstanding that there are some honorable agenda-free instances. Trying to pick and choose escorts that deserve a platform to review colleagues from those that do not is a murky thankless process for the reasons I gave above. And the plain fact is that process is inherently pregnant with potential abuse. There is much more potential incentive, in the large, for escorts to abuse their competition than there is for clients to abuse escorts, exceptions notwithstanding. Escorts as a group have a potential financial agenda by the nature of the population of competitors. Clients as a group don't have an inherent negative agenda because they are not in a competitive situation. Client abuses reflect the aberrations of individuals. Again, these comments are meant for populations not individuals where there are plenty of honest and honorable men. ...utimately, our position must be based on dealing with the diverse characters we find in our community, not on individual-based interactions. We don't want a reputation, deserved or not, for favoritism, the headaches of umpiring fights between escorts and catching unending slings and arrows from the client base.

I love the tartan, especially when properly filled. :9 Compliments of caperboi.blogspot.com http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/659/183...tnm20051216.jpg For all you lucky one that get the red 'X', cut and paste the link: photos1.blogger.com/blogger/659/183/320/tnm20051216.jpg

So why should anyone ever submit a review? Why not post it >here? We aren't talking anyone in this thread, we are talking escorts and a forum for them to give an opinion on colleagues and competition. An interactive forum at the least provides an opportunity for discussion of the circumstances and maybe motivations of the comments. A review format offers no such opportunity. If the question is relative to the broader membership then that is beyond scope of this thread. To be saved for another thread and time.

There is a serious discussion underway. This cheap shot added nothing to it. In fairness this has not been the first one in this thred. I would pleased if it were the last. Please check it at the door and pick it up on the way out.

>Is there a way these fellows might be accomodated should they >wish to post a review? The are free, nay, they are encouraged to relate their experience in the Buffet. >And at what poin,should a worrking boy retire from his noble >calling,could they start reviewing? Ummm. I think the Federal Governement requires two years on the side line before becoming President of Lockheed. :+ It seems to me resaonable to expect some clear indication of retirement. There are different ways to probe their status. It is up to them to make the case IMO.

>I think what it comes down to is content. Escorts reviewing >other escorts shouldn't ONLY be a positive experience but as >an an escort I can see the fear the of retaliations for a >negative review. >... >So yeah, I reviewed Chris in Paris because he had no reviews >and people NEED to know about him. I intend on reviewing >Gabriel Sinclaire for our threeway. I have a couple others >that I'll probably review given our threeways as well. But as >I mentioned above, unless the experience is COMPLETELY awful >I'd probably opt out of writing a negative/mediocre review >because of fear of retaliation. IMO you make the poster-boy case for conflict of interest. Intended or not, it is the appearance of a conflict. Your stated motive is publicity, at least one of them. You mention that you will pull punches i.e. not review in certain cases. Your intentions may be completely honorable. The motivations may or may not be pristine. It cannot be devined from the outside. Escorts swapping PR notices, ingratiating themselves with another hottie for personal reasons, or possibly damning with faint praise. Or an escort relating a really hot time!. Who can tell? Some may know you as the salt of the earth. Others don't know you from Adam. Then there is the influence on the review by potential retaliation which you admit yourself. You may be able to stand up to it but how about another guy? How are we to know? These are the balls and strikes I dont think it is wise to try to call. Next thing you know charges of favoritism are getting thrown around. Escorts-on-Escort review is an inherent conflict of interest in fact and appearance. Escorts-on-Escort discussion in the Buffet? Acceptable fare. That is how I see it.

>>May I ask, how many reviews did you submit at M4M? >> > >One so far, which was accepted and should be published >shortly. > Congrats deej on broadening your activity scope to the reviews processing. >But I believe Scott may be overlooking the inherent >conflict-of-interest present when accepting reviews from >escorts who also advertise here. It can't be an easy situation >to be in. The operator is screwed no matter which way he >goes. I share with you that Conflict of Interest is a very real concern. Hence our policy not to get involved in calling balls and strkes in an area rife with conflict or the appparent conflict of interest. There really is no difference between the two from the outside looking in. That is the perspective of our readers and the one we have to keep in mind.

>it's been decided here that escorts aren't eligible to submit >reviews > >Oh well. Yes, that is true but is not that it is meant to be secret. I process all reviews at MER. Our policy is not to accept reviews by escorts because of confict of interest issues. Our software is set to decline reviews from MER registered escorts since we have a record of their status. You probably received an email to this effect. As a rule, I dont see them presently, thus I almost overlooked that in the response. Nonregistered escorts are processed manually like any other review. I have received only one review from a nonregistered escort, to my knowledge. It was submitted this week and declined in the wee hours this very AM. The escort identified himself with the submission and I recognized the name too. I explained my decision in an email which I will repeat here: [em] Hello XXXX, Thank you for taking the time and effort to submit a review of YYYY. Regretfully we must decline this review on the basis that we do not accept reviews of escorts by other escorts. The potential for abuse is just too great. There are some that would abuse the process to settle scores even with a positive but slanted review. Also, there are many cynical readers that will immediately dismiss such reviews and other will call it in to question. We feel it is a slippery slope to get into this area. However, I invite you to post your review in The Buffet Forum where escorts and experiences are discussed. No need for you to get embroiled in the discussion if you do not desire. I hope that you will consider it. Again, thanks for submitting it to us. Regards, TY [/em] Other sites may choose other policies. This is our policy. We offer a broader scope of discussion of escorts in our forums than some other sites. That is our choice. If escorts want to give kudos to colleagues that is where we prefer to publish them. As a follow up, I have received a response from the escort regarding my decision to decline. He puts forth an argument, which I haven't had time to read yet, why our policy should be changed. I will give his reply serious consideration.

>My reference to MER as inferior only referred to AMOUNT of >content. It never referred to this site itself as inferior >and feel anything but. The design is awesome and very helpful >and I look forward to seeing it too grow. I apologize if >anyone interpreted my remarks incorrectly and hope that my >clarification puts any of those assumptions to rest. The >creators and moderators seem to be doing an awesome job here >and hope they can keep it up. > Scott Apology accepted. No damage done. I admit I was a bit puzzled at first but your clarification resolved that is was only an unfortunate choice of words. You were correct that in terms of review numbers we were number two in comparison to the old HooBoy site. What the future holds remains to be seen. I certainly do not concede that we will always be second in number and more importantly in content. The number of chapters in a book is not necessarily a clear guide to the depth and breadth of content. Again, time will tell. Check back in a year or two or five. >Justin and I are friends and roommates. Nothing more. Both >he and I are drug free and how sad that Rico has NOTHING else >to report on that he has to make up ugly rumors that have not >even the most remote shred of truth to them. > I have never met Justin myself but I have a good friend (an excellent judge of character) that has known Justin quite well over an extended period, since his Orange Co. days. He has always spoken very well of Justin and has travelled with him on several occasions. I have no doubt about Justin's good character based on my friend's knowledge and experiences. I also have no doubt about my friend's judgement. It is good of you to take on the effort to stand up for Justin. Not everyone would put themselves out there for someone else. And thanks for coming here to explain your remarks. Much appreciated. TY

Great suggestion. I love member input.

I love it when they get that 'surprised' look on their face! }(

Many of us have 'known' each other in an online sense over several years -- before this site existed. In that time friendships, familar acquaintanceships, and acrimonius relationships were established. A lot of back slapping, nose tweeking and acting out has taken place in the past. Now many friends, acquaintances, and former antagonists have come together to establish a community to share common interests, differing opinions, dicussions, and on occasion humor. We have witnessed some willing to let the past remain in the past, ready to move on. Others come trying to overlook the past if it will be allowed. And others still drag the past in the door with them, softly treading though they may be. Nevertheless they brandish flashes of the past openly. There have been instances where members were unable to let go of the past. They wallowed in it or they manifested their investment in the past by baiting and then bitch slapping when the bait was taken. A few couldn't give up the past so they live in the past elsewhere, wherever they found its last refuge. Those that wish to remain in the past will have to find it elsewhere. IMO we have a very amicable community starting to grow. I get very positive vibes that bode well for the future. We are moving into that future. Thanks for making this a ccommunity where people want to gather. TY

Personally, I'm not a big fan of polls unless they determine something of signficance, like elections. I couldn't care less what people think about a subject when most don't know anymore than I about it and many probably a hell of a lot less. I don't like cable news channels that decide what to report based on polls. I tune out such programs immediately. If they rely on their uninformed audience to tell them what the important news of the day is, i.e. what they should be reporting to me... well I'm wasting my time relying on these people to inform me. In instances when I do care what people think about a subject, I want to know why. That is where there is something of value to be gleaned. This poll won't add any substantive insight aboiut this subject. If Rico wants to identify himself he has a platform.

>Hot pictures. At first all I saw was little red X's. I now >can view them . KYTOP, According to the Gay Lecher's Rules of the Road, I think those red x's are a warning: Slippery Curves Ahead Proceed at Your Own Lust