New Version of MER

[TotallyOz]

We are working on a revamp of the site. It will be our first major revamp since we started the site. We want to make it as user friendly as possible and give you as many new features as we can. So, what do we need to add? How can we make the site better for you? What features would you like to see? We would greatly appreciate any input possible. Thanks.

[Lucky]

My suggestion would be to consolidate some of the forums and get rid of those that have few entries. Furthermore, I think that Oz, TY, and Marc Anthony should throw a twink party for the rest of us, one with dozens of twink go-go boys.

[Guest lurkerspeaks]

First of all, its good to see you are still lurking around, Lucky.. Second of all, I sure hope i get an invite to that Twinkadelic party..and third, for my input.. how about allowing us "non-paying" people the ability so enlarge photos..

[TownsendPLocke]

A few suggestions-some of which you may not want to hear.

1)Give me the option of paying a small fee(say $15 a year)so that I can access this site free of the advertising. The huge ad for flirt for free takes so long to load and really makes me want to visit this site less and less.

2)The owners and mod's have to be much more invloved in making this site more active.There are forums here which have no posts for three plus months.Part of the charm of the old Hooboy site was the feeling that we were all in this together.Not so with"the other site"these days-and TO write your travel journals in the name you use on this site-it makes you more present on your own site.

3)give us an ignore button.So if there is an unplesant presence I can put him on my ignore list.

4)Make the click thoughs on the front page easier.If I have to click three times to get to a profile I am less likely to visit your front page.

5)If one of you contributers takes the time to private you guys take a minute and acknowladge that email./message-otherwise their is a doubt about whether or not the email/private went through.

[Guest Conway]

I'd love to see more active forums. Those who post here are intelligent and impassioned which makes for a great read more often than not. There's just not much volume of posts here desoite the quality of that which is posted.

I second the idea of allowing anyone to enlarge the escort photos.

The review function here is heads and shoulders above that available on any other site.

[lookin]

I’d like to be able to log in from anywhere on the site, or else get a contextual log in box. For example, when I tried responding to your post just now, I got the following error messages:

This menu has been disabled

Sorry, an error occurred. If you are unsure on how to use a feature, or don't know why you got this error message, try looking through the help files for more information.

The error returned was:

Sorry, you do not have permission to reply to that topic

You are not logged in, you may log in above

But I couldn’t log in above. I had to exit the error screen, go back to the main page, log in, come back to the Forums, go to The Pub, re-open your thread, and then reply.

On Daddy’s site, if I try to respond to a post while I’m not logged in, I get an automatic log in box with autofill, and am returned directly to the reply screen, without having to bounce around the site. Makes it a little easier.

Thanks!

[AdamSmith]

You'll hate this request.

In the site's private-messaging function, it is annoying not to have any record of messages that one sends.

This sounds like I am vastly enamored of my own words. Be that as it may, another reason is that, more and more, when someone replies to a message that I sent, I have little or no recollection of what I said to begin with.

One solution would be, when one sends a message, to be able to send a copy to one's own in-box on the site and/or to one's external email address.

At minimum, would it be possible to let message sequences cumulate, as normally happens when you hit "reply" to an email? So that the original message to which you're replying is automatically retained at the bottom of the new message you send, unless you manually delete it.

I realize this would probably entail that greatest evil: customizing off-the-shelf code. Where is the icon for "recoil in horror"?

[TampaYankee]

First of all, its good to see you are still lurking around, Lucky.. Second of all, I sure hope i get an invite to that Twinkadelic party..and third, for my input.. how about allowing us "non-paying" people the ability so enlarge photos..

We offer a path for non-paying members to avail themselves of free enlarged photos. Few take advantage of that option.

[TampaYankee]

My suggestion would be to consolidate some of the forums and get rid of those that have few entries. Furthermore, I think that Oz, TY, and Marc Anthony should throw a twink party for the rest of us, one with dozens of twink go-go boys.

Please make specific recommendations about which forums. Keep in mind that merging forums is probably not in the works. Thus we are left with locking certain forums or just deleting them without any previous history.

[TampaYankee]

A few suggestions-some of which you may not want to hear.

1)Give me the option of paying a small fee(say $15 a year)so that I can access this site free of the advertising. The huge ad for flirt for free takes so long to load and really makes me want to visit this site less and less.

Are you on dial-up? I haven't noticed a significant delay in loading the flirt ad so that is why I ask.

2)The owners and mod's have to be much more invloved in making this site more active.There are forums here which have no posts for three plus months.Part of the charm of the old Hooboy site was the feeling that we were all in this together.Not so with"the other site"these days-and TO write your travel journals in the name you use on this site-it makes you more present on your own site.

IMO your issue is not with the owners and mods but the members. We don't make the community, the users do. Oz often posts topics which wither on the vine. Me less so but occasionally. Maybe the topics are of little interest but that doesn;t keep others from creating their own interesting topics.

IMO there is just less interest in online exchanges these days as there is in submitting reviews. The participation energy inthe online community has diminished from several years ago. Maybe it has become old hat. I dont know why but I see the result. It is true at daddy's too. They have more particiption by some long term posters but it is still a pale shadow of former days. The old energy was driven by a core of very interesting posters or by controversy and conflict. We have gotten beyond the C&C. Most of the interesting posters have moved on. Few have come forward to fill in the vacancies. This is an issue for the community not the site admins, IMO. We cannot make people contribute.

3)give us an ignore button.So if there is an unplesant presence I can put him on my ignore list.

A nice option. However, I doubt we would seriously undertake an attempt to make custom alterations to the forum software. That would screw us on developer support and future upgrades. We could ask that the developer consider building that option into a future upgrade.

4)Make the click thoughs on the front page easier.If I have to click three times to get to a profile I am less likely to visit your front page.

Please be specific about your issue. Are you are referring to Favorites Persons, reviews, profiles, other?

5)If one of you contributers takes the time to private you guys take a minute and acknowladge that email./message-otherwise their is a doubt about whether or not the email/private went through.

Our private messaging system is a mess. I am not confident that I reliably receive messages. I know that I cannot always reply to messages due to software bugs. This was screwed up when the messaging function on the site was integrated with the forum messaging. We have never gotten it right and we have yet to get is straightend out. Hopefully a site rebuild will keep the functions separate.

[TampaYankee]

You'll hate this request.

In the site's private-messaging function, it is annoying not to have any record of messages that one sends.

This sounds like I am vastly enamored of my own words. Be that as it may, another reason is that, more and more, when someone replies to a message that I sent, I have little or no recollection of what I said to begin with.

One solution would be, when one sends a message, to be able to send a copy to one's own in-box on the site and/or to one's external email address.

At minimum, would it be possible to let message sequences cumulate, as normally happens when you hit "reply" to an email? So that the original message to which you're replying is automatically retained at the bottom of the new message you send, unless you manually delete it.

I realize this would probably entail that greatest evil: customizing off-the-shelf code. Where is the icon for "recoil in horror"?

We will look into what is possible short of customizing the code. Customizing code may leave us without developer support and may commit us to maintaining some else's code -- an intensive proposition at best. We have to live with what is available off the shelf. Else we go into the code development business, not the online escort information business.

[Guest FourAces]

Change the site's footprint or maybe resolution would be a better term. Many people are using large screen monitors nowadays and the sites "small size"on the screen looks outdated.

Put as many ads as you want on this site. It has never slowed my access and they create revenue to allow you to continue to offer the content. To date there is nothing on this site I would pay for to use but I might click a REV banner and sign up.

Forums to delete completely should be, Pornification, MER Chat, Word On The Street, Laying On Hands, Beyond Vanilla. Just zap them there is no content worth keeping in these mostly unused forums.

Try to reduce the number of navigation menus. There are too many of them makes the site look too busy and cluttered.

Change the look of each escorts reviews to a digital zine format. As an example, www.spin.com/digital or www.musicconnection.com/digital It would be really nice to have the stats ad pics on the left page, for example, and the review on the right. If I want the next review I simply turn the page ... keeping the stats stationary on the left page. btw the digital mag is a program that can be licensed at a very reasonable rate.

I feel Oz should start a blog that can e accessed from the index page. It would be nice to read about your weight loss, travels, and other ventures there. It would also be nice to see a link to the hottest porn blog on the net, www.ricoreporthq.com in the index page too Though I do miss the days when Rico would comment on sites and posters he was so funny.

And a quick thumbs up, this site still has the best reviews on the Internet. I know when I read a review on MER Tampa (who secretly loves me) has done his homework before it goes up.

PLUS what makes OZ so successful is this thread of his. He knows that its the visitor who should reasonably drive the site. He taught me that a while back in a email and I thank him for those words of wisdom.

[Guest StuCotts]

I'd love to see more active forums. Those who post here are intelligent and impassioned which makes for a great read more often than not. There's just not much volume of posts here desoite the quality of that which is posted.

I second the idea of allowing anyone to enlarge the escort photos.

The review function here is heads and shoulders above that available on any other site.

Who could disagree with you? Forums with more activity would be great, provided the quality you value could be maintained.

Why the relative scarcity of posters here? From exchanges I've had via private messages, I conclude that more people want to post on the other site because more people post there in the first place. Similarly, fewer want to post here because fewer post here. This is all about herd mentality. Quality of discourse isn't a consideration.

[Guest StuCotts]

This is with specific regard to private messages.

I agree with Adam and with TPL on how helpful it would be to have a recored of sent messages and/or an acknowledgement.

My own problem with private messages is that I can't send one from scratch. I have to send it as a reply to a received one whose subject has nothing to do with the new one I want to send. If I try to send a message via the individual's "Send a Message" feature I get a message page, type my stuff and click on Send. I get a page saying the message didn't go forward plus some impenetrable gobbledygook maybe meant to explain why. It's just easier to send my message as a reply even if it isn't one. If I want to communicate with somebody from whom I don't have a saved message, tough luck.

[Guest StuCotts]

One more timid observation: I would welcome any improvement in the situation whereby an escort can change his name immediately after a bad review, but it takes MER months to catch up with the situation. Such an improvement would surely also be appreciated by clients who make a practice of reading reviews before hiring and base their searches on specific names.

[Guest Conway]

Who could disagree with you? Forums with more activity would be great, provided the quality you value could be maintained.

Why the relative scarcity of posters here? From exchanges I've had via private messages, I conclude that more people want to post on the other site because more people post there in the first place. Similarly, fewer want to post here because fewer post here. This is all about herd mentality. Quality of discourse isn't a consideration.

Agreed that therein lies the difficulty of expanding participation in the forums. It seems to me, however, that there is forum interest here, but it exists on a more selective basis. People here seem to enjoy political discourse (see Oz's "I Am A Bad Liberal" post). Yet, we seem less interested with issues of pop culture or Trivia than those on the other site do. Certainly, the poetry threads here seem to gather substantive input from our participants.

[Guest Anton]

Hey,

I have a sugestion too. :-)

As it is now, the escort's contact information is repeated on top of each and every review. If anything changes in his contact information, let's say his phone number, then that information has to be changed several times (= on top of every published review).

I wonder if it's useful to keep the phone number that I used five years ago published. If a client calls that number then he won't reach me. No fun for me, no fun for the client.

I'd say that the current situation isn't even fun for the administrators, because if an escort's phone number changes, it has to be changed several times.

I can imagine that the site keeps track of old phone number of escorts to fight fraud, but would it be an option to keep that information invisible for the regular visitor? (Nobody wants to try to contact an escort through a number that the escort doesn't use any more and not get a reply to a voice-mail. )

My suggestion is to have the escort's contact information only once on top of his reviews, or even better: only once in his profile. In the last case the escort can update his information himself, which even releases the administrators from updating the contact information in the escort's profile.

Hey, is this a win-win change?

Warmest, Anton.

[Guest FourAces]

oops i forgot one ... video escort profiles. we live in a video age, youtube xtube www.ricoreporthq.com and so on

i don't mean a sex profile but it would be nice to see and hear a escort talk about himself, services and maybe show off his body some if he wants. i think regardless of the format you decide on that video profiles should be included.

[TampaYankee]

My suggestion is to have the escort's contact information only once on top of his reviews, or even better: only once in his profile. In the last case the escort can update his information himself, which even releases the administrators from updating the contact information in the escort's profile.

Hey, is this a win-win change?

Warmest, Anton.

This is something I have desired from the beginning. Unfortunately, it did not make it in the first version of the software. This would be a great time to do it.

However, giving the escort access to change any information in the reviews except for photos isn't in the works. We do recognize that every escort has implicit copyright to his photos. However, not every escort is happy with every one of his reviews, thus there would be potential for mischieviousness.

Obviously, the escort is the best source for his contact information if he is earnest and willing to supply it. Next to that is the client since, presumably, he was in direct contact with the escort. We cannot proactively confirm contact info with an escort prior to each review. Our review time-to-post interval would be shot to hell.

The latter point brings up a common sense solution to managing escort contact information. If escorts would just maintain single phone and email contacts it would eliminate the need to manage/update contact info on a review-by-review basis. Overseas travellers may need a North American phone number in addtion to their home country. Providing slots for two business phones seems worthwhile.

[Guest EXPAT]

I suggest that you accept all reviews (unless of course there is offensive or inappropriate legal risk in any review). I've stopped submitting reviews or even participating in the forum here because I have had two reviews rejected because they were not detailed enough. While I'm sure your sight would be more appealing if all the reviews were "free" porn stories, there are many of us who would prefer to give the basics and leave the rest private. But I won't bother if my approach to reviews are not acceptable.

[Guest Stephan]

I suggest that you accept all reviews (unless of course there is offensive or inappropriate legal risk in any review). I've stopped submitting reviews or even participating in the forum here because I have had two reviews rejected because they were not detailed enough. While I'm sure your sight would be more appealing if all the reviews were "free" porn stories, there are many of us who would prefer to give the basics and leave the rest private. But I won't bother if my approach to reviews are not acceptable.

I have to agree with Expat as well. This is not the first time I have heard this... Way too much details to give away...

I have several friends of mine that did stop the review procedure as it was way too long ... Just took for ever.. Few others has been rejected as it wasn't enough info...

This doesn't help at all.

If the review allows one to know if the escort lives up to his reputation or not, is just simply enough without the need of writing a novel.

Just my thoughts.

[TampaYankee]

Stef,

Thanks for passing along some comments from your clients. The following is meant for them and others with similar and with different views.

"I have several friends of mine that did stop the review procedure as it was way too long ... Just took for ever.. "

For those who feel this is the case please state what you recommend removing from the Review form in order to ease your burden. We need concrete inputs.

"If the review allows one to know if the escort lives up to his reputation or not, without the need of writing a novel."

My issue with this is: How do we know what the escort reputation is for if we know next to nothing about the services he provided?

This question gets to the nub of the issue IMO. What is the purpose of an escort review? Is it to provide the escort with nice notices of support or is it to inform potential clients about what they can/should expect from the escort?

The complaints about writing novels is a red herring IMO, if the comment applies to the 'experience' block. There are plenty of informative reviews submitted that are brief and to the point. This is a user input issue not a site requirement issue. We have no minimum word count for experience. I think the real complaint behind such 'novel' comments are the 'to the point' aspect. On the other hand, if this refers to the entire review form that mostly requires checking boxes then please be specific about what you feel is unnecessary and wish to see discontinued.

We wish to provide an informative website that also satisfies member interests. Do we emphasize substantive reviews for escorts or accept pretty much everything with many only nice notices of support? Are members willing to search through the notices to get at the reviews? Should we revamp our Review form into a Review Lite form? How will we differeniate MER from Daddys, as a review site? Is there no reason to offer something different?

Based on an empirical measure of participation a case can be made that a site mission change MIGHT increase participation. Of course, it might cause little substantive change too as a few more notices and participants won't change night into day. Nevertheless, the river will have been set on a new course never to return to its old banks. Recapturing the former site environment won't be possible as database information will become a subset of present data and it wouldnt be practical to segregate notices from reviews in the database. So any change will be permanent. Not a worry if the previous enironment won't be missed.

A final observation... This site doesn't exist in a vacuum. It costs money and significant time on a recurring basis to keep the site going. It is not supported by any charitable foundations. Thus business interests may dictate a change in the site direction irrespective of desired 'site mission'. This is only mentioned to stress that whatever decisions are made about style and content of the site, ultimately they have to be evaluated based on their effect on business realities.

If we are going to revamp the site software then that is the time to make any changes in the site direction too. The squeaky wheel gets the oil usually. Stand up to express your views or stay seated and let the views of others prevail. To paraphrase, in the Land of the Mute the Lone Voice calls the tune.

[Guest Stephan]

The squeaky wheel gets the oil usually. Stand up to express your views or stay seated and let the views of others prevail. To paraphrase, in the Land of the Mute the Lone Voice calls the tune.

Ou la la, You just lost me at the end

Anyway .. nevertheless, I have to say better be detailed than nothing at all... I don't think few lines of description is enough, not at all.... If a submitted review is brief but right to the point , it's just what this site need to pass along all the right informations.

[Guest EXPAT]

Tampa

With all due respect, your long winded answer was missing the point. My two reviews were rejected because whoever looked at them wanted a porn story and not the basics of what an escort provides and whether he lived up to his offer. If that is what you want that be direct about and I and others may move on. You clearly do require more words or more specific words as I have had very direct experience with it. I just recommend that when someone takes the time to submit a review the narrative should be accepted regardless.

[TampaYankee]

Tampa

With all due respect, ... My two reviews were rejected because whoever looked at them wanted a porn story and not the basics of what an escort provides and whether he lived up to his offer.

With all due respect, I looked at them and I did not seek a porn story just some basic facts to give SOME idea of the experience for others. I read them but all I got from them is that you were content. I could take the trouble to locate the emails describing my request for some basic factual material, not War and Peace, but that doesn't matter at this point.

As part of the site revamp we will add a 'Client Feedback' Section. It will be distinct from the reviews. It will be a semiautomatic operation. Limited info required. Vetting only to guarantee no personal identifying information. Info to include: Escort Name/Client Name, date, contact info, feedback text block/escort response block. The client supplies any other info he desires. No vetting of contributors beyond member email account, no minimum content standards. What is received is what readers will get.

This will provide a bare-bones platform for those clients who do not wish to write a review but who wish to offer a testimonial or recommendation, to say as little or as much as they want.

As this essentially will be totally contributor driven, we won't make any representations as to the validity or reliability of the feedback.

This will likely result in some reduction of the number of contributed reviews, which I will regret. However, it will offer a contribution vehicle to hiring members that find the review process too burdensome or intrusive..

P.S. The site rebuild won't happen overnight so any changes won't be seen for several months.