Direction for Male Escort Review

[TotallyOz]

TampaYankee and I have been having a philosophical discussion and trying to come to terms with the best direction for MER. We have been doing this for a while and we love the site and will continue for many years. However, we want to make decisions that is best for the members here and also ones that encourage others to come and post. That being said, we have been discussing the value of the Reviews on the site.

When we first started the site, the reviews were our main focus. We tried to get many escorts to post profiles as well. We were trying to be an all in one place. It wasn't as successful as we hoped and the reviews are very few and far between. We could do as other sites do and post short reviews that we normally turn away but is that of any relevance to members? How much "vetting" should we be doing?

It is obvious we need to make some changes on the site. I am willing to do this and TY is open to ideas that make the site better as well.

So, have at it guys! Let us know what you want from us? More concentration on Review standards or less on that area? More work in trying to get escorts to post profiles? What if we opened the site up to allow all members to create profiles and made the escorts the main focus but offered more to others? What about the name of the site? Do you want another name that is sexier, shorter and more fun? Do you like the way we have been going?

In all honestly, PLEASE be honest and don't tell us what you think we want to hear. Tell us what we can do to make this site better, larger and more relevant to others!

[Guest FourAces]

For me the reviews are not very important. However, I think to do less vetting and post garbage would not create a larger visitor base.

These days so many escorts jump in and out of the business the review section can begin to look very stale after a short time. Plus if I am thinking of hiring an escort that six month old review has no meaning anymore. I am headed to the forum to ask others what they know about the escort.

The two most important features of the site, to me, are the Forum and Escort Profiles.

I would encourage you guys to spend time on the escort profiles to be certain they are still active. That face photos are no more than 6 months old. That all other details to the profile are still correct. After all in most cases the escort has a free ad I would hold him responsible for keeping it fresh. I would continue to feature different eye candy on the home page somewhat like you're doing now.

The forum is awesome. I know that the current contest has created some additional people to contribute but still not enough. One or two people leave and nobody is in the wings so to speak to replace that poster. I would suggest that you find gay boards that accept ads and push the forum even harder.

I would like to see the forum topics even broader than escort based. Maybe create a Entertainment forum as an example. Anything that is of interest to gay men should be accepted.

Member profiles are a nice idea. I don't know how many of the current group of regulars would join in but I think as word got out those who have profiles on other sites would add one here as well. However, once member profiles are added then a direct and easy way to communicate between members and escorts needs to be created.

From my profile page I should have access tot he forum, escorts and other members. A solid searchable database will also be important so people do not have to wade through 100 profiles of old men to find that twink.

I would like to see a feed of Gay news or have somebody write a column each day. I like the idea of reading articles related to our culture and lifestyle.

Lastly the name is a mouthful but I would only change it if the direction of the site changed, i.e. no more reviews.

Well these are my thoughts I know others will view things differently.

Good luck OZ TY!

[JKane]

I see no point in posting a review on the other site, more than once by the time it finally goes up (more than a month after submission) the escort I reviewed has left the business! Then there's the politics and favoritism over there, I never dug too deep into it but even to the casual onlooker it's fairly obvious.

So I appreciate the reviews here, wish there were more, but on the other hand, I skip 14 out of 15 reviews on the other site whereas here a new review is noteworthy and usually better quality...

[Guest EXPAT]

I do think you could ease up a bit on the review scrutiny. I got really frustrated when I first started to review here because it took several iterations before the moderators were happy with the reviews. I was convinced they were just looking for juicy sex stories to amp up the web site and it really turned me off from providing any further reviews. I think more trust in what the reviewer chooses to include should be observed because I'm certain it has turned away reviewers including me to do any more. But I agree that a two sentence review is not enough either. So I'll leave it up to the moderators to decide how to do it.

There are a number of profiles that are way out of date. And this is partly because the guys go in and out of business so often that no one keeps up with it. I wonder if you set up a profile that it deletes if it is not updated in 6 months or something. At least that way clients will know the profile is at least under 6 months old.

The forum is really good in my view. I like the posts and the categories. So in my view there isn't a lot to do there other than getting more posters. Hopefully that will continue over time. . .

[Guest hitoallusa]

I remember submitting a review once a while back and I think it was Oz who asked me to write in some more details.. I was a bit shy to write explictly about my encounter so my review didn't get published I was so innocent then.. Time flies.. Whatever Oz and Ty decide to do, I'm for it.

[Guest lurkerspeaks]

Here is an idea for you.. don't know if it is feasible or not.. Is there anyway to tie the reviews in as part of the forum.. like a section of reviews" then a drop down menu for various states, countries, etc..

With the current number of reviews, I dont think it would be too busy for posters to keep up with. And then if the escort has a profile on this site, provide a link on his profile to his reviews.

And I agree with trying to draw in more people.. Not sure how much if any advertising budget exists, but maybe some sort of tradeout with various gay publications to exchange ads.. like an ad on this site for Frontiers in LA, in exchange in Frontiers for this site.. or on a bigger scale.. in the Advocate, etc..

[OneFinger]

I rarely read or submit reviews any more (either here or the other site). I really appreciate the swiftness of posting reviews here. The other place has a wait time that is totally unacceptable.

I like Lukerspeaks' suggestion to make the reviews part of the forum.

Quite frankly, I'm sure there are a lot more things I could do on this site. But, 99.99% of my time is in the forums.

A while back I believe you were toying with the idea of getting rid of the policital forum and combining it with this forum. So glad that didn't happen. In my mind, expand the forums (including reviews) and keep things separate so I can ignore what I don't want while quickly finding what I do enjoy.

And, while we're speaking of improvements, there is a feature on the other site that I really do like. When going to a thread, I have the option of going to the unread posts in that specific thread. Makes it so much easier to get past what I've already read. The software here makes navigation very difficult and it really frustrates me.

[AdamSmith]

Second the suggestion of creating a dedicated Entertainment/Arts forum (not THOSE entertainments!) for TV, film, music, drama.

[Guest FourAces]

Second the suggestion of creating a dedicated Entertainment/Arts forum (not THOSE entertainments!) for TV, film, music, drama.

Just to highlight this I think regardless of the site direction it would be a good idea to add this type of forum to the mix.

[JKane]

Second the suggestion of creating a dedicated Entertainment/Arts forum (not THOSE entertainments!) for TV, film, music, drama.

But then again, if you take all those posts out of general and move all the political to that forum, what's left?

[AdamSmith]

But then again, if you take all those posts out of general and move all the political to that forum, what's left?

Well, a vacuum (waiting for sniggering and sucking sounds from the peanut gallery to subside... ) which, as we know, nature abhors.

That is to say, I happily glut myself on TVLand and oldie rock but most of the contemporary TV and music discussed here bores me shitless. My loss, but still. Point is, if more white space opened up in the Hooboy Lounge, I and others might feel more urge to fill it. Who knows?

[Lucky]

Well, I am not saying that it bores me shitless, but, I did say:

22 March 2012 - 04:13 PM

There is room for 28 threads on the main page of the Hooboy Pub, which is the face of MER to the world. If someone were looking at this site for the first time, this is the picture that they would get.

Of the 28 threads, 20 of them involve Hollywood or sports celebrities. One could be forgiven for mistaking the site for a Perez Hilton imitation.

If I were coming to the site for the first time, I would move on within seconds. I simply don't care for Hollywood trivia. I am looking for a site of interest to adult gay men. Yes, I know some of them are into this aspect of celebrity, but I am not.

Since the site has changed its focus so much, my interest has waned. If I did want Hollywood stuff, you cannot seriously argue that other sites don't do it better.

But I don't question the right of management or the site members to take the site in a different direction.

I feel that someone has to note that this is not the MER it was when I came here. It has limited interest to me these days. If that changes, I will be happy to post more often. And no, it is not up to me to change it. The members have made their preferences known, and I don't like uphill climbing!

[Guest lurkerspeaks]

I just came up with a thought... re: reviews on the forum.. How about anytime a new review is submitted/approved, it appears in a forum such as "New Reviews".. it stays in that forum for a week or so, and then gets moved to the review archives (what you have now for reviews) so it is then stored in a database that can be searched by name, location. etc..

[Guest CharliePS]

And, while we're speaking of improvements, there is a feature on the other site that I really do like. When going to a thread, I have the option of going to the unread posts in that specific thread. Makes it so much easier to get past what I've already read. The software here makes navigation very difficult and it really frustrates me.

One CAN do that easily here. If you look to the left of each thread, there is a blue dot or a star. Click on it, and it takes you to you next unread post.

[Guest CharliePS]

As others have suggested, please, please PLEASE start a forum for topics of popular entertainment. I seem to scroll endlessly through the Pub trying to find subjects about which I care, and it's not singers or TV characters. The Pub will be much smaller and more manageable then.

[TampaYankee]

Some good ideas we need to think through, keep em coming. I haven't spoke to Oz yet as we still collect ideas but I think it is pretty safte to say that the Arts & Entertainment Forum is in our future. There is has been lots of interest in shown in various aspects including: theatre, books, TV & movies, pop cullture icons and more.

It will free up the main forum for sports, recipes, neighborhood gossip and other items current interest.

[AdamSmith]

Well, I am not saying that it bores me shitless, but, I did say:

You know my pinching your idea was the sincerest form of flattery.

Credit to Lucky for first pointing out Gresham's Law of Posting and its operation here. Good to hear management likes the notion of sequestering the currency in question.

[lookin]

This question titillates me and frustrates me every time it comes up. (Not unlike the erection on a college wrestler. ) Titillates because I love trying to figure out ways to achieve objectives and frustrating because the objectives are never clearly stated. I get the idea of 'more', but more what? And how many more? And what are you willing to spend to get more?

Not that there's anything wrong with not having your goals clearly stated but it is, in my experience, unlikely that anybody can tell you how to get where you're going if you haven't told them where you want to go.

In the meantime, here's an idea that I think will bring you in some new eyeballs, encourage relevant posts and reviews, and help return the site to its roots; it will also cost you a few thousand dollars:

Sponsor An Evening with ShaunRoss (and other escorts as time goes by), in which the winner is selected by the escort himself based on either a review that the winner has submitted (can be for any escort but must be from the past 30 days) and/or a post that the winner has made on why he wants an evening with ShaunRoss. The escort gets to pick the winner and can give his reasons if he wants to. The site pays all expenses for the escort to travel to the client anywhere in the U. S. and spend an evening. The escort puts a blurb on his website that he's been chosen for the "Evening With" contest and links to MER. After the ball is over, the winner writes a review. Everybody goes home happy.

If it works, do it again, with flourishes like letting posters vote for the escort who's going to be the 'prize' in the next contest.

If it doesn't, let me know, and I'll keep working on it.

[OneFinger]

One CAN do that easily here. If you look to the left of each thread, there is a blue dot or a star. Click on it, and it takes you to you next unread post.

It's not the same as at the other site. I believe that shows me ALL yes ALL new posts.

I only want to see new posts within ONE (not a whole entire SITE).

The features here for navigation are very far INFERIOR to what is available at most sites.

[TotallyOz]

The features here for navigation are very far INFERIOR to what is available at most sites.

On this I disagree. It may be that we don't know what to direct you in order to get what you want, but Invision is the name of the board software and it is far superior to other boards out there. By far. IMHO

Do you ever go to the bottom of the forum and click the Mark All Read? That will then show you the posts that are new in threads that you have not read the next you you visit. If that is not what you are looking for, please give me a step by step of what it is you are trying to do and I'll try to assist.

[Guest CharliePS]

It's not the same as at the other site. I believe that shows me ALL yes ALL new posts.

I only want to see new posts within ONE (not a whole entire SITE).

The features here for navigation are very far INFERIOR to what is available at most sites.

Let me make sure I understand you. Do you want to see only unread posts within a particular thread? If so, the blue dot or star next to the title of the thread in the list of threads for that forum take you to your unread posts in that thread. The panel at the upper right of the page that says "view new content" shows all new posts in all fora since the last time you logged on to the site. If what you mean is that you want to see only the new posts in a particular forum, I'm not sure how or if one can do that.

[MsGuy]

Well, if one of the goals is to drive more traffic, I found the perfect solution buried in a thread on this very site:

I think I titled the thread Ping Pong Pussy and because of that I saw a spike in traffic. We were getting thousands of hits from people who were surfing the web looking for Ping Pong Pussy. One night, there were over 100 reading that thread alone. (attributed to Oz)

Variants on that type topic heading posted once a week should work wonders. TY could stash the new topics down in the Sandbox, thereby corraling possibly undesirable new visitors from the outset and simultaneously breathing new life into a moribund forum.

[TampaYankee]

Well, if one of the goals is to drive more traffic, I found the perfect solution buried in a thread on this very site:

Variants on that type topic heading posted once a week should work wonders. TY could stash the new topics down in the Sandbox, thereby corraling possibly undesirable new visitors from the outset and simultaneously breathing new life into a moribund forum.

LOL... The old 'bait and switch' baited with the promise Tuna. May drive many to the site but with how many spam posts? Or maybe even Tuna posts. lolol

[Guest FourAces]

The features here for navigation are very far INFERIOR to what is available at most sites.

I really disagree with this. Its so much easier to use this board than most others. I don't think you've looked around much. As for reading all new posts in one thread its really simple, click on the blue dot next to the subkect of that thread ... how much easier can it be?

[OneFinger]

Let me make sure I understand you. Do you want to see only unread posts within a particular thread? If so, the blue dot or star next to the title of the thread in the list of threads for that forum take you to your unread posts in that thread...

Charlie, that blue dot is EXACTLY what I've been looking for!! Thank you.

But, to the Admins, how in the world would I know to click on that blue dot?? On other sites, that option doesn't appear as a blue dot but has text that clearly states it will direct you to unread threads.

I really like the feature but have spent months of frustration on this site because it wasn't OBVIOUS to someone with limited knowledge like me.