Doomsday Prepping

[Lucy Kitten]

•  

Six Rentboys On Life After Rentboy

A small glimpse into the lives of six Rentboys users about life and business after the feds shut down their site. What happened to Rentboy was a damn shame and I worry about the side affects. Backpage is still up but not nearly as useful as it used to be and I am sure many ladies have suffered a similar fate as the Rentboys. When the biz takes a hit we all suffer but those that rely on the income really suffer the most. When TOB was transitioning and experiencing serious growing pains that was rough. Advertising was clunky and some (me at least) were unable to post and so a for a few days advertising was very frustrating. Two sites that weren't really working for me and hoping that it would just magically resolve itself left me feeling slightly defeated. I can't imagine waking up one day to find my resources totally gone.

I worry sometimes that we put too much stock into certain products and not just the we here but the we's everywhere that have their own sites and don't rely on much else. TNA and ECCIE are similar in nature and serve very specific areas and in both areas business would go to shit if they lost their sites. TOB didn't even go away and we saw users crumble over the loss of what they had on the old site. The transitions was rough, I get it, but I can't imagine how dumbfounded the majority of TOB users would be if one day it just wasn't there and it wasn't ever coming back.  What would we do?

I have been thinking a lot about that lately, not in a paranoid sort of way but more of a how do I become more self reliant sort of way. It feels almost like doomsday prepping, a lot of work for something that will more than likely not happen but on the off chance that it does you want to be fucking ready. I have a list of ideas, some I have already put into place and some I am sure other ladies have done for a while and I am just slow catching on.

• Keep copies or snapshots of all your reviews, shit happens but you can keep them safe by keeping copies
• Direct all your business to your website and there provide links to your other info, burn your website into the brains and make that be the go to place for "all things you". It boosts your numbers and you want people to remember where to find you
• Join social media! I know this isn't for everyone but the scope of social media is just massive. You can connect with clients and providers from all over the globe, it's a great way to test the waters if you want to travel, it's like free advertising 24/7 or just a really fun way to connect and display a personality.
• I know that many ladies do this already but do join every site you can especially if they have a national-ish presence or is for a place you may like to visit in the future (learned this lesson the hard way)
• Encourage guys and gals to check out and actually use other advertising venues. At the very least be aware of their existence and maybe use them from time to time.
• Keep better track of names, emails and numbers of the people you want to keep in touch with. (I am notoriously bad at this, I rely on saved emails and texts and hardly ever save contacts).

I really just want to know that "Lucy" could survive the demise of her advertising venue. Does anyone else have a long-winded contingency plan? Interested in branching out or would you just kind of give up if your resources dried up?

 

• Learn to work "offline" because online resources and people even aren't always available for you 24/7

[pitbull]

You express many of the exact same concerns that I find in my widget business. Fascinating. I agree that you need to stay diversified in your advertising attack. It's never a good idea to become too reliant on any one thing. Good luck!

[Lucy Kitten]

You express many of the exact same concerns that I find in my widget business. Fascinating. I agree that you need to stay diversified in your advertising attack. It's never a good idea to become too reliant on any one thing. Good luck!

I was taking for granted more than was reasonable. This is after all a business but it's too complicated for me to deal with at times. What I really wished I had done after all these years was keep stats. On everything. I have been trying to get better at that but I am kind of lazy and I'd like to think it's all in my head. So since you were the only one that responded I have a question. What does it take to get guys to shift their focus?

I was hoping that this would actually get some replies but hope in one hand shit in the other.

[Guest]

 

I was hoping that this would actually get some replies but hope in one hand shit in the other.

The topic actually fascinates me, and I was watching with interest, but other than throwing some chocolate, cigarettes, nylons, condoms and lube into my "bug-out bag" (yes I really have one and you should, too) I didn't feel qualified to answer.

The most likely scenario you face is loss of an individual website.  The likelyhood of TOB, P411, EROS, ECCIE, and TER being shut down at the same time is low, so that would suggest you should have eggs in all those baskets.

Then there is social media, which seems to risky for me so I don't partake.

If there is a complete loss of internet, we most likely will have bigger problems.  And if I've survived fighting off the spikey-haired mutants long enough, and I want to get laid, I am looking at the contents of my prep bunker to help.

So, I don't know how dire a circumstance you want to plan for, but you should at least consider what value you would put on bartered items.  You know, like the how Chicken Ranch earned its nickname during the depression.

So lets try an experiment, Lucy.  You go without smoking and eating for 3 days.  I'll show up with 2 oz of silver, a case of cigarettes,  6 jars of canned tomato juice, and a haunch of freshly butchered goat.  Lets discuss how much time that will get me.

[Lucy Kitten]

 

So lets try an experiment, Lucy.  You go without smoking and eating for 3 days.  I'll show up with 2 oz of silver, a case of cigarettes,  6 jars of canned tomato juice, and a haunch of freshly butchered goat.  Lets discuss how much time that will get me.

You're funny!

You're also qualified to answer because the gents are part of the equation. You too are stuck in a similar place. If TOB went down for a month and there were no reviews and no ads my guess is that you probably either stick with women you know or not bother at all because you really have no idea who is available and when. It's not too bad for the ladies who have a good bunch of regulars but that's not true for everyone and we know how some dudes just prefer their variety. If TOB was no longer an option where would you go to next if anywhere at all? It's not like we have to make a decision as a group but having an idea of where traffic might shift to would be ideal. I am a member of most big sites but here they do me no good because you guys don't really use them. The ladies (brace yourself) aren't so cohesive but I would imagine that when any big site goes down the providers scatter. But if you follow us all on Twitter you know where to always find us

Social media is no more or less risky than anything else. It has been an amazing tool as a provider, I have connected with people from all over and have been exposed to like minded women (I know right there are more of us!) I have read countless blogs and seen unbelievable acts of kindness from providers to their peers. Twitter really seems to be more popular by the day for ladies and lots seem to also use it as place to anonymously blow steam. It's also where you're going to be able to find the most information and the goings on of the biz on the larger scale. It would seem to me anyone who chooses to not at least take a glance at Twitter isn't really interested in what's going on. But I am also a whore for knowledge and this is my livelihood so I like to try and keep current.

I guess I should have explained the offline thought a bit better. I am not worried about an internet outage. What I was trying to say is that it would be ideal if ladies had a system in place that didn't have to rely on the internet. Sometimes you're in a hotel with shit wi-fi or you haven't paid the bill or maybe you broke your computer and all you have is a crappy phone to use. The internet and the tools it provides are great but not always and you can do a lot from your phone but not everything. It also really ties into that self reliance thing. One of the other dangers in relying too heavily on products is not listening to your gut. Intuition is still the sharpest tool in the box but only if you regularly maintain it.

[Guest]

If there is a complete loss of internet, we most likely will have bigger problems.

I agree. It would be nice to have some kind of peer-to-peer way of hooking up.

Or we could build a mesh-network:

Edited September 29, 2015 by Leonid

[pitbull]

I wish I could help Ms. Lucy, but I don't feel qualified. I have been fortunate to essentially do no marketing, and I get plenty of business -- mainly because I sell something completely different, and people come to me when they need me. And when they need me, they need me.  As such I don't know much about marketing. I can tell you that the single biggest marketing tool for THIS world is a good review and the words "newbie friendly." 

Edited September 30, 2015 by pitbull

[ValeriaTaiz]

I think all that you are doing is good, 

It isis important to have a presence online, where anyone who search you will find you just by your name (name and last ame), phone #, email address, and/or tweeter account.  

the name and last name is important because with only one name the search results will bring a bunch of different providers, but once you combine it with a last name it becomes more personalized. As a result easier to find you. 

Also, for the newbie providers the less common your name is the likelihood you'll be on the first large of the results.

Obiously be in the major nationwide sites, and the largest review board. I know a lot of providers don't like it, I include myself there, but if you are there people will definitely find you.  

[boink36]

I wish I could help Ms. Lucy, but I don't feel qualified. I have been fortunate to essentially do no marketing, and I get plenty of business -- mainly because I sell something completely different, and people come to me when they need me. And when they need me, they need me.  As such I don't know much about marketing. I can tell you that the single biggest marketing tool for THIS world is a good review and the words "newbie friendly." 

This depends on where that good review is located. if it's on a well known review site I agree. if it's on a providers web site, not so much.

[Lucy Kitten]

I wish I could help Ms. Lucy, but I don't feel qualified. I have been fortunate to essentially do no marketing, and I get plenty of business -- mainly because I sell something completely different, and people come to me when they need me. And when they need me, they need me.  As such I don't know much about marketing. I can tell you that the single biggest marketing tool for THIS world is a good review and the words "newbie friendly." 

This depends on where that good review is located. if it's on a well known review site I agree. if it's on a providers web site, not so much.

I suppose it's not just marketing, or at least a part of the marketing is hopefully being able to anticipate where the shift in traffic might be. Reviews are helpul but only to a point as Boink pointed out. If the site that has all my reviews goes kerplunk are new potential clients going to take them seriously on my personal site? The same however goes for those who rely on the reference sites.

Where would you go if TOB went away?

[2Big]

Old Chinese saying:

Man put all business in one basket, basket eventually float down river like Moses in Egypt. Bye bye!

[Guest]

Old Chinese saying:

Man put all business in one basket, basket eventually float down river like Moses in Egypt. Bye bye!

While the point is well made, I think you are mixing your metaphors.  You know.  Kind of like "Shooting from the seat of your pants."

[Bit Banger]

 

Where would you go if TOB went away?

I would point out that many of us did just fine getting P4P nookie before the Internet.

How did I get any after the demise of Decadent City? Or Big Doggie? Or...

[Lucy Kitten]

I would point out that many of us did just fine getting P4P nookie before the Internet.

How did I get any after the demise of Decadent City? Or Big Doggie? Or...

Care to expound on that? Obviously before the internet days are behind us and that's just not possible.We evolved as an industry with the internet and to go backwards would be silly. All of the sites you listed were before my day so I am unfamiliar with them. Today we have lots of options but they're not all good. Of the many available the folks here in Colorado maybe rely on two of them. TER and ECCIE and if TOB were to go up in smoke there would already be division. TNA eliminated it's Colorado section to focus on the PNW. TER is not a free service and ECCIE is somewhat popular but not used often because just about everyone in CO looks at either TOB or P411 and I guess sometimes BackPage. With the many available what would you move onto next?

 

[Bit Banger]

I would point out that many of us did just fine getting P4P nookie before the Internet.

How did I get any after the demise of Decadent City? Or Big Doggie? Or...

Care to expound on that? Obviously before the internet days are behind us and that's just not possible.We evolved as an industry with the internet and to go backwards would be silly. ... With the many available what would you move onto next?

 

Perhaps my point can best be summed up by, "Where there's a will, there's a way."

Yes, regressing back to Yellow Pages ads and street trade would not be a good thing.  (One of the reasons the street trade dried up is that the cream of that crop moved to CL & BP.)

But even within the Internet Age we have seen things evolve, new boards spring up to fill voids.  ECCIE evolved when ASPD bit the dust, just as SoWet evolved as Decadent City circled the drain.  There would be pain & suffering during the transition (Like there was during the transition of TOB to this new format.), but we (clients & providers) would find a way to contact each other and hook-up. 

I haven't checked TNA/CO lately, but TNA/AZ was thriving last winter.  Last winter TOB was useless to me except for keeping track of friends in the CO area.  I expect it will be again in this year's winter quarters. It looks like BP will become my source as even P411 providers are sparse there.

BTW: I laud you for looking ahead, for planning.  I carry a 'bug-out' bag in each of my vehicles; not enough for a ZAmmy(*), but I should get through that blizzard on the plains OK.  There's a similar bag hanging in the closet right next to the front door.

 

 

* ZAmmy = Zombie Apocalypse event 

[boink36]

While the point is well made, I think you are mixing your metaphors.  You know.  Kind of like "Shooting from the seat of your pants."

I hear next month there is a metaphor shower.