I just noticed that we're getting traffic from a big escort community as they have linked to Cuddle Comfort from several different forum threads discussing whether it's worth coming here looking for sex from the pros.
One person posted, "was wondering if anyone has seen any of the girls on the cuddle comfort site? Some look like some of the same girls who post on seeking arrangements."
So I wonder how much harm is being caused to this community due to some professional cuddlers here also maintaining profiles on websites relating to sex work. It's definitely making me reconsider the rules.
I guess that accounts for the influx of profiles with high prices and sexy pics. There is a well known adult film actress with a pro profile on the site but she doesn't hide that fact and in my opinion if she is offering platonic cuddling then there is no reason why she shouldn't be able to advertise her services here. The problem is the ones that come from other sites and try to offer extra services on the down low. I contacted a pro cuddler last week and she said that for the base price she would come to my hotel room and if I wanted something extra that could be discussed in person. I pressed a little bit and she said that some clients liked extra stuff but that had to be discussed in person. So she was careful not to say anything but to me it was obvious she was angling for sex services. A while ago I was flat out offered sex for a price but she was soon gone. We hear all the time when pros on this site complaining about guys asking for more than platonic cuddling and now a wave of pro cuddlers that are coming from the escort community, so in my opinion a need is being met. But that is not good for this site because if allowed to fester then CC can be overrun by pros offering adult services and go in a direction that was never intended and ruin it for the people that really want platonic cuddling.
I'm concerned things could spiral out of control in regards to external misconceptions. Pros coming here for the right reasons that happen to have public sex profiles elsewhere will act as confirmation for those who cannot believe this place is not a front for sex. That idea will spread across escort communities and not only cause an increase in troublesome clients but also bring in new Pros that come for the wrong reasons. It's a vicious and expanding circle.
I think the poll reflects that the members here are typically very tolerant and accepting people. We have an inclination to resist anything that may close the door to anyone.
However, I do feel that in this case it might be sensible to sacrifice the ideal in order to protect the purpose and image of this website from potentially irreversible damage down the line. Furthermore, since this topic was created, the law regarding this type of activity has become far more serious for website owners. That is something to be seriously considered independent of the sentiment here.
^^^ +1,000.
We could easily list several "cuddle sites" that have degenerated into advertising pages for escort-type services. I think it's hard to close that particular barn door after the horse is out. Letting this site send "mixed messages" about what pros offer can't possibly do any good. My gut feeling is that you'll lose two or more platonic members for every known non-platonic pro you let in. An influx of guys seeking adult services, an influx of women offering them, and an exodus of people who were here for the right reasons --- the character and reputation of the site could flip very quickly.
As an aside, this issue also touches on people (regardless of gender) who choose not to have a profile picture: If the site goes south and becomes like some of the others, I definitely don't want a picture of my face associated with it.
If the site takes a cut from someone who is doing sex services the potential liability should be researched
I have no intent to shame sex workers for what they do, and I believe they should be allowed to provide this service if they aren't using it as a backdoor to get someone to pay for extras. That said, it's very idealistic.
I'll tell a story here, I have a friend who is a high-end escort. She started offering cuddling because she wanted a buffer from constantly being hired for sex and to her this was a very thoughtful thing to provide. Didn't really work out for her... On the site she was listed on, a number of clients who also frequented escort review boards recognised her by tattoos alone and were trying to seek sexual services. So what @Mark is saying is entirely correct, that the sexual hobbyist communities are already aware of us, and are using sites like CC to try and hunt for sex, particularly for a better price.
So, because of this, I want to say no. It just won't attract the right crowd, but then again there are plenty of cam girls, escorts strippers etc who are more clandestine. I think the issue lies in whether she is easily recognisable through her sex work. Hobbyists who have been around the board will know who is who no matter what though, and this is where the danger lies.
My friend is still on one site, and though she isn't taking clients there for anything and is no longer offering cuddles due to too many violations of boundaries, she is able to tip me off about who is definitely not on CC with pure intentions. We have already caught out several people over the months together and just got another one recently.
In short I think sex workers need to be asked or at least made aware on a case by case basis how their advertising may affect perception and add to the stigma that already exists. We already have issues with trying to get folks in the mainstream to understand. Platonic and sexual must have clear distinctions from one another. For instance, do not allow pros who are also sex workers to use the same face shots as in their advertising for sexual services. Or only allow sex workers in who blur their likeness on other sites. This would be nearly impossible to enforce though.
Also:
We could easily list several "cuddle sites" that have degenerated into advertising pages for escort-type services.
I'm down with this. I'm currently doing some googling and research into a few sites for a piece on this on my blog. Part of that research includes showing where the clicks to these sites are coming from, and more often than not, it's sex forums and review boards.
Thank you everyone for such valuable and thought provoking feedback.
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I agree wholeheartedly with this decision and the thought process behind it. I don't judge people in the industry and think it is a needed service as well and should be legal, but we need to protect this community from spiralling even further from it's intention. There's already enough issues here with people seeking (and selling) non-platonic services :-/