Perhaps I need more coffee, but maybe folks are overthinking or making this much more complicated than it needs to be.
Let's say Pros and enthusiasts connect online and get to know each other over a period of time. Maybe there's a mutual case of the feels. Maybe one or both want to explore friendship. One or both parties is freaking out that they could violate the TOS and somehow can get in trouble, because that Sid and the other mods are "power-hungry liberal snowflakes and don't want anyone ever to have a good time"... oops, sorry, I digress.
Book and mutually agree to a virtual session. Exchange contact info. You're both consenting and there you have it.
CC is a nexus. CC is a place where connections happen. If connections weren't plausible or possible, I'd not have stuck around here, ever. I don't quite understand the angst in this thread, honestly.
@Sideon It makes sense to me that either a pro or an enthusiast might want to message each other for friendship. Or even to ask where one or the other bought the hat they are wearing in one of their photos. Right now a pro can do that, but unless I missed it somewhere, an enthusiast can't. An enthusiast can only contact a pro for booking. If we want to facilitate communications between pros and enthusiasts that's not related to booking, then there should be messaging ability on both sides.
That said, if people are really upset by receiving messages from pros, the solution first proposed by @iserGuy3000, and then @BmoreBruh, and then @JasonCuddles would seem to solve the problem. Add a "pro contact okay" opt-in or opt-out button to the profile set-up.
Full disclosure: I was messaged once by a pro and it didn't bother me. But I'm an old guy. Perhaps it would be a greater problem if my inbox was constantly full because I was young and cute.
@homeboy I know our “message” button says “request to book” but you actually don’t have to book with a pro in order to start a convo. You can actually message and chat with a pro if you want! I wish they would change that to say “message” honestly… I’ve probably missed out on so many awesome conversations because of it.
@pmvines So just curious but this is just a single website. If this website ever goes down and doesn't come back up, do you have a way of getting back in touch with sheena? If not, then I suggest you book a virtual session with her asap and exchange contact info. You don't have to ever use it...its there for emergencies only kind of thing. To assume that this website will always be there is foolish. There is no guarantee of that. Its like someone who backs up all their photos to an external drive and thinks that's good enough.
Flirting online is about as lame as it gets. Even lamer is bragging about it.
@Sheena123 I'm sorry. I should have added that yes it is definitely possible some pro cuddlers just message people because they like talking to them and not because they want money from them. I apologize for making it sound like that. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings or anyone's feelings who is reading this thread.
I know sometimes I just like someone’s picture and I want to say some thing about it. Or maybe I see a really interesting destinations they are at, and want to find out more about it. Or maybe their profile is amazing but I don’t see ever cuddling them because they’re so far away. Or maybe I wanted to tell @pmvines how adorable he was with @OhioMike at the meet and greet. That doesn’t mean that I’m trying to solicit for Cuddles or trying to get $40 virtual sessions out of people. I’m just a friendly person lol so I’ve been told.
@snugbuddy where do you see anybody bragging about flirting? All I see is discussion about people conversing with pros or not
@Melancholy so what does that have to do.with whether or not, as you put it, that a pro will only speak you if they want your money ? There are many peole.i speak with here and some I speak with offline where others I dont . If we want to speak offline we know know to do it . Its not that deep. It sounds like you got mad over something and are again using the forums to stir the pot with a rant. But I'm just being mean and condescending. So if spinning your wheels with the rhetorical pot stirring makes you feel better , then wear those tires til they fall off my guy .
@KozyKim, I've done the same thing. The difference being that I'm an enthusiast, and so I'm allowed to reach out to anyone, at anytime by CC's rules -- but as a pro, you're not? Very odd.
I just edited my profile to indicate that I welcome contact from pros and enthusiasts alike. I understand that CC's rules are still what they are, but I would never turn someone in or be annoyed by a friendly message of introduction. Even if the ultimate goal is to get me to pay for a session, I'm fine with that.