It comes up often on the hooker message boards and it did again the other day. Someone posted a “Hey is anyone else on The Twitter” kinda post, in hopes of finding like minded folks to connect with and just as predictably some one chimed in with the typical “Twitter is bad for the escort community” and the simple request for like minded peeps jump the rails into a heated discussion about the pros and cons of hookers Tweeting.
The general con thought is that Tweeting is indiscreet and that law enforcement can read your stream. Both have merit until you delve a little deeper.
Discretion, well that can mean a lot of things. Escorts often have to walk a line between being “discreet” and self promotion. We have websites that advertise our business. I supposed having a site announcing I’m an escort to some might be indiscreet but i have a business and i need to hang a shingle to make money. So in an effort to be discreet, i don’t put on my site that of you pay me 600 bucks I’ll fuck you silly. My website is “fuck you silly implied” So its about how you use the tools at your disposal. Twitter is one of the top 10 most visited websites out there, that’s a lot of potential for connecting with potential business. Major corporations have embraced twitter, reputation management companies regularly scan hash-tags to keep an eye on there customers thoughts of their business. So why shouldn’t you harness the potential like everyone else? You’d be crazy not to at least try.
Now the Law Enforcement issue can be scary to some. “OMG the popo can read your tweeting!” yeah true they can. They can also read the 100’s reviews you have where men said they put their dick in your ass, mouth, pussy for money. They can also read that post you put on that hooker message board or review board advertising you fuck men for money, or your paid ad on a mall site where you put your rates for your by the hour service. They sure can read it, but they have to catch you breaking the law to arrest you. So either don’t break the law or screen your clients so the chance that you book a session with a cop is much lower. Twitter isn’t going to infringe on your ability to screen your clients.
Now pros of Twitter are many. More hits to your site if you link it, you can really get your name out there to a lot of people you wouldn’t normally, you can raise your profile and hopefully raise your business. You can help to polish your “persona” do you advertise yourself as a sex crazed nympho? Or a sophisticated educated courtesan? Either way you can help to solidify that image, shape and mold how you want people to perceive you.
But the best reason for escorts to get on and use Twitter is to connect with other sex workers. True there are ladies boards, big ad small regional and national and its wise to be a part of at least some of them to help you stay safe but what they all have in common is there’s always some bitch being a asshole. You cant filter her and her dumb-ass out because those board are for EVERYONE and many have no drama policies. With Twitter you build you own network, you follow ladies you like, you respect you want to interact with. You don’t follow someone who gets in your last nerve with their negativity and bullshit.
It’s no secret among women in this business that it can be very isolating. You lie to your friends and family about what you do. There is often no one to bounce ideas off with, or even just to vent about having a bad day to. You want to connect with other women who understand your very specific job and as a result you can (and i have) make BAD friendship choices because you get desperate to connect. Twitters a good way to avoid that, you can build your own network of friends specific to the sex business.
Now you might want to avoid tweeting about specific clients. Being a high profile hooker and Tweeter i have been accused of “twittering about my clients” However i don’t and i never have. I might tweet about guys i FUCK, cuz that’s interesting! I might tweet I’m going to an outcall, or that i have a new incall day. I do tweet about my business and try to make my stream interesting to my followers to read (they they follow a hooker they wanna know what life ls like for one). I don’t however tweet about my clients. Why? cuz I’m discreet! So you lying sacks of hobbyist shit who are running around back channel trying to imply i will tweet about clients, umm yeah keep promoting me, i need to buy a new car an your tongue wagging only raises my profile and brings me closer to that new car smell!
So is twitter for you? maybe, maybe not. But to dismiss it out of had is foolish and reeks of being reactionary. The technology age is moving forward at break neck speed, you don’t want to get left behind? You don’t wanna be left standing there shaking your fist screaming “get off my lawn” and “back n my day…” do ya?
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Great post, Jenny! I definitely agree that the best reason for using twitter is to connect with other sex workers. I’ve been able to network with lots of ladies who I otherwise would never have met.
Back in my day, if a courtesan wanted to advertise her services online, she had to visit every adult BBS on the world wide web; and they were all written one by one! In ASCII plain text! On a 56k connection! And that’s just the way it was, and we liked it!
Inimitable Jenny … you hit another nail on the head.
My job demands discretion as well, but its the CONNECTION to people who understand what I DO that’s made Twitter my favorite social networking tool.
Out of the dozens of boards I used to visit, there are only two that I visit regularly anymore and one is for the train-wreck feature, lol.
Once again, clap-clap-clap.
XOXO
B.
IM absolutely cracking up with that cartoon character of that ‘halitosis asshat’. Almost looks like that fat pompus loser-
Interesting… I was just wondering the benefits of continuing tweeting.
The reasons why I am considering discontinuing Twitter publicly, or tweeting much less are:
1- it’s 90% drivel, posted mainly when I’m bored
2- because it’s posted mainly when I’m bored, anyone can tell when I’m home- I could tweet from my cell, but usually I’m too busy to pay attention to Twitter when I’m out not being bored.
3- I’m a little paranoid that, especially since I’ve obtained a private residential incall (separate from my “real” home), that any tweeting could give away my being busy/not busy to any previously seen client who might know the secret location (and be under the mistaken idea that I live there). This is probably overstated caution, but I don’t know, I don’t fully trust…
4- My tweets have been mentioned by all of my cyber-stalkers (of varying degrees from harmless time waster to serious creep). It’s the finer fluff that they seem to latch on to like “I love coffee and NPR”, not the more general blog entries I write. I’m not saying that Twitter causes their crazy-ness, but I don’t think it helps them forget me and move on either.
5- No patron has mentioned that he found me on twitter or that he decided to meet me because my Tweets are just soooo interesting.
6- Why should I give lurkers who will never see me free voyeur material?
7- If there is a stigma that Twitter is indiscreet (for un-thinking assumptions or because many other ladies DO Tweet about clients, where they’re going, etcetera)… I want to, under this business name, avoid any question or association.
8- It may have made a shadower/copycat aware of me and encouraged such behavior (ie, similar changes in her site the day I announce mine, stolen wording before I protected it, etcetera). I could have run into this on any message board, but I doubt the updates would have coincided so immediately 🙂
Now, I could make my Twitter feed private, and kick off all guys… which would might be the best solution… if it weren’t for that my archived tweet feeds help me rank super high on keywords I am aiming for. Also, my public tweets reach the “mainstream”, which I believe is important…
Twitter has:
1- Helped me connect with really awesome national ladies (St. Louis seems to be a brain drain with a great economy- tour here if you can stand the morons lol)
2- Gotten me immediate feedback on certain site changes and on blog entries
3- by virtue of the twitter archiver plugin on my site, really helped to SEO it ALOT for certain words (which is why I hesitate to make the feed private, and instead just tweet less).
Ideally, because it is an unmoderated public forum, Twitter also accomplishes positive PR for ALL escorts and “the industry” in general. Hopefully, it humanizes those of us who choose this vocation. Housewives, civic organizations, artists, business owners… people of all kinds follow me and that is beautiful. I hope that this is one small step towards combating the dehumanization and hate that escorts so often face.
Ideally, twitter also brings pleasure-workers of all industries together, who usually don’t frequent the same forums or online places. I think it happened during that scandal of earlier this year, and has huge potential to be more productive.
Sadly, alot of ladies who tweet do cross that line of indiscretion. I know way too much about some than I should because of Twitter. Twitter is a tool, and it’s important to know how to use it effectively.
So… my feelings on Twitter remain mixed. It should not be dismissed as completely useless, but it definitely requires boundary and other kinds of high level awareness in order to deliberately make the most effective, safe, use of. I can totally see why even the most intelligent and self-aware don’t choose this communication and networking venue.
Sorry for the ramble– I got going and couldn’t stop– lol
The information hwy. is always expanding and new byways are opening up at a fevered pace. A lot of it is extraneous but every once and a while you get a gem that really advances cyber land and the lives of us mere mortals who are beholding to it.
Twitter is a useful marketing tool but in truth I am not all that jazzed by it. I see twitter as the platform or prototype for the next phase of interactive communication,sorta like pong was to video gaming. It’s a start but hurry up and get us to the next level.
Thanks for your perspective Jenny! 🙂
Just wanted to say that I love your blogs
and I think you RAWK!
🙂