@CuddleDuncan it wasn’t attacking and the response to this person has been the opposite of supportive. It’s been the actual attack going on here.
g
Can I say 123 not it?
Lol, gotta get back to work.
All I know is that not patting someone on the bsck and saying awe poor you there there doesn't always mean that you are being a meanie. I'm tired of the insistence that we coddle grown ass adults as though they are helpless children who don't know how to manage their emotions yet . Not being overly sensitive towards people who are triggered by every single detail of life doesn't make you insensitive. People can post as they wish so long as it doesn't break the TOS , and that includes disagreement and criticism.
And now, I poops
@pmvines .... I'll have to add "logical" to your adoption ad AND that the poop obsession is clearly defined now. Also, did you see that Aladdin coin in that bid for you... GD...people think you're snazzy.
@bobear. Like everything else we want and need, we pay with $$ or with our time, effort and sometimes obligations.
@BashfulLoner some people just seem to enjoy being gatekeepers.
To what a woman’s body?! Because yeah. I’ll gate keep the ever living hell out of that so… my body my rules. Applies to everyone. It feels so ridiculously narrow for this to be a thing but here we are. Would you want to give your body to someone because they think they deserve it? No?! Then why are we talking about this?! This is light weight predator culture this seems to be advocating for….
@stormydaycuddle i think your reading something into that, i can’t see how you came to the conclusion he was talking about anyone’s body.
@BashfulLoner then what are we gate keeping? I’m sorry. I’m missing something. Paying =gate keeping to cuddles?
I’m not sure, but i know i wasn’t discussing a woman body so he couldn’t have been referring to that when he tagged me. That’s why i was surprised by your comment.
I think the OP is probably talking about the number of pros, not the price. Of course that number has gone up. A lot of pros found out about this site only because they read some article (or watched a video) describing this as a way to make some extra money, so they came here and signed up with precisely that motive in mind. A few years ago, back when pros weren’t allowed on the site, most of those people would have no incentive to join here in the first place, and wouldn’t bother.
Another thought that keeps running in my mind is capitalism putting a basic necessity for life out of reach of many in the world.
Clean drinkable water.
@KYtransplant And food, and shelter, and free time for things like rest, healing, relationships.
Remember my friends, when you are dreaming of, focusing on, and working towards amassing wealth what is really happening is you are doing all of those things to escape the functions and restrictions of capitalism.
If you're not worried about price, then why worry about the proliferation of pros? If pros were charging $1 an hour, would OP have the same complaints? Yes, the number of pros has grown, because demand has grown. If there was no business and they were making no money, they would have quit by now.
@WriterGF The OP stated their concern was sincerity. This is why the mods left this thread up, because the concern was never about pricing.
~ Sunset Snuggles
@SunsetSnuggles and I almost get that. It does feel insulting to pros who aren't that way. I just spent a free hour this morning with someone who had a loss. I do hear what you're saying. All the hugs ever!
@SunsetSnuggles - I misread it. All this time I thought the OP was complaining about the prices going up 10x... I was like "wtf is he talking about?"
@stormydaycuddle I can certainly imagine how offensive it would feel when bad Pro's give good/all Pro's a bad name. hugggs
@Mike403 I think most misread it and that's why everyone saw red and jumped down his throat. Thank you @Sideon for takin' it slow.
@stormydaycuddle - You are so awesome. It's feels so good when I hear about pros on here who actually cares about people and not just the almighty dollar.
I think one of the most problematic things comes in the form of…
I just came back on this site after few years and I am horrified
And then doesn’t post another word to clarify his thoughts or intentions when people are asking questions.
I feel like *it is beneficial for OP to at least check into clarify. (Especially when it is a thread that isn’t about cute kittens 🤣 wink wink @stormydaycuddle )
*edit for verbiage
For me, the complaint about the number of pros and about the existence of paid cuddling at all (vs cuddling being non-transactional) is a complaint about the prices as they are passing moral judgement upon those who wish to be compensated for their spent time and energy, knowledge, education, and skills. It is the equivalent of complaining about massage therapists charging (how DARE people charge for providing pain relief and relaxation, those are basic human rights and should be free!), or charging for childcare (also a necessity! Parents have to work so childcare must be free!), or [insert whatever service the complainant views as necessary].
Just because something is necessary does not mean the person providing it should not be fairly compensated. Unfortunately we live in a capitalist society that is ruled by money, so until our basic needs are met by universal basic income or we return to a barter society, we are a bit stuck. In an enthusiast relationship, it is an equal partnership that is equally exchanging time, energy, and mutual cuddles. In a professional relationship, there is an imbalance: usually the client does not wish to or cannot expend the same amount of time and energy an enthusiast would require, so they compensate with monetary payment. The professional also often brings additional experience, training, education, and a focus exclusively on the client's needs rather than on mutual benefit - which is further compensated for monetarily with higher rates.
The existence of paid professionals is necessary because of a need and people's willingness to provide for that need with fair compensation. If they were not fairly compensated, the relationship would be one of abuse and/or charity depending on if the receiver were taking their share by force/manipulation or if the giver were giving freely without expectation of reciprocation. To expect every current pro relationship to become equal is unrealistic, and to expect them to become charity is an unreasonable demand.
We will never have an end to paid service work even if every person who needs the services gets their needs met as the dynamics are just completely different.
@cuddlefaery - Unlike those other professions, this site was made for enthusiasts who just love to cuddle. The pros are like an add-on that came later.
@Mike403 Yes, because, as you know, there are not and never will be enough female enthusiasts to meet the demand.
@sillysassy It seems to be fairly common that people start a topic, make a complaint, then never post in it again. Hard to tell if they just needed to vent and didn't really want to discuss or they're trolling.
@Mike403 - no, that's not correct. Pros were not an add-on. They are a deliberate and intentional and planned part of the community: enthusiasts, Pros, clients, and all the above.
@Sideon - Really? @Mark once made a forum topic back in the day asking about pros joining.
I get bored sometimes and just search for random things on the forums.
https://www.cuddlecomfort.com/forum/discussion/235/your-opinion-on-having-pro-cuddlers-on-this-website/p1
@Mike403 - this is not a difficult concept. In 2015 he asked for feedback from the community. The majority were for it. The community expanded into multiple groups after that.
@Mike403 just because something is added later does not mean it is not intentional and Integral.
And as a reminder: CuddleComfort, as great as it is, is not THE end all, be all of platonic cuddling. It does not have a monopoly on or control/gatekeep the cuddle community. The vast majority of platonic cuddlers likely aren't even online yet, judging by how I started and the numbers of communities I've interacted with outside of CC. There is a whole world of cuddling outside of CC.
I think often times people get defensive of their position no matter what it is, while forget two things can be true. It can be true that professional cuddles are needed and necessary while there is a need for a non transactional fulfillment of these needs is also needed and necessary. There is nothing wrong with either of these positions. Like all things there is a spectrum. You can belong to your camp while another is in their own and not hinder each others existence.
I stand firmly in the belief i have and have no issue with anyone else’s. Example: i firmly believe all people should have access to clean drinkable water freely, while understanding municipalities need an operating budget, water bottle companies need to make profits and everything in between them and my drinking glass need to also flourish. I don’t call the water cleansing systems names, i don’t discourage those who drink Aquafina, i don’t boycott nestle. I just fulfill my needs the best way i can and leave everyone else to their devices.
I’ve said it before, i don’t think anyone needs to defend their position or critique another; just share your opinion and and live. No need to police anyone’s language in how they express their perspective, it may be the best language they have to convey the message. Keep in mind the way you hear the message is completely informed by your experience, just like the way the shared the message is completely informed by their own experience.
I understand what I’m suggesting is not absolute, but i do believe in most cases it’s practical. I’ve tried, over the last few comments, to share perspective without sharing my own in a defined way. Because i don’t have an absolute perspective of cuddling, it’s fluid. I’m rigid about a few things, but you wouldn’t know unless i told you, i probably wouldn’t. Why because if i like my steak medium or double well done doesn’t benefit you in the least.
Kuumba
@sideon I refuse to be put into a category!!!! lol. I'm just going to continue being weird...