Exploitation by Clubs of SL Prostitutes

This entire thread smacks of social engineering in its worst form.

Post after post reads "OMG.. people are being EXPLOITED! We have to do something!"

BS! Anyone who signs on to SL and feels he/she is being "exploited" in anyway has a number of choices. He/she can simply sign off. An abuse report can be filed. IM's/chat/residents can be ignored. Residents can be muted. One can always simply fly-walk-run-drive away.

I could care less if anyone's sensitivies are offended by clubs, by virtual sex, by pretty much anything "all 'right-thinking' liberals" "SHOULD" be offended by. I assume people have the intelligence and gumption to be able to recognize their own options most of the time. Hell, mmost on/off switches are easy to find if it comes to that... and ALT-F4/CTRL-Q is not THAT much of a stretch.

SL is for adults. Despite treating people like adults, not all will act like such. Some will whine. Others will act as victims. Others will want to protect the victims from threats - perceived or real.

That's life. Get over it.

I don't happen to think SL needs a white knight charging in to save us from outselves/others.

This thread is about as pointless as the "Is War in Jessie upon us" thread.

Ok, after reading all the comments on this subject I have decided to take the reigns and do something about it. I will be starting Whores local #69. All whor....er escorts who wish to be protected financialy and in other ways just need to sign up. If your pimp aint payin the going rate then we strike. The local will also be active in pricing, work hours, and of course work guidlines. There will be dues payable each week for this protection of your labor rights.

Two dancers/escorts out of how many Hiro? You have no stats on that.

Have you actually been an escort in SL yourself? Or are you just going by hearsay?

Why not fight for higher wages for clothes makers or object makers in SL? Clearly they are all being exploited too?

I'm certain a lot of players who are "escorts" in SL are doing so because it fulfills a fantasy. I know I've been tempted. SL allows you to be whoever you want and because of that many people make the dream bodies they want and don't have in RL. If they like having people pay for simulated sex w/AVs, then let them.

I cannot understand why, all of a sudden, this is bothering you?

What about Siggy....there are free objects all over the world with his name on it....I think he's been exploited.....someone better tell him.

Again exploitation has little if nothing to do with money....people will do anything for whatever their price is at the moment. To truly exploit someone they have to be in a position where they have no or little choice. In second life we all have choices.

Well, originally I didn't think Hiro had any kind of case at all.

But having seen the website, where some people who have left the employment of a club are engaged in a postal to-and-fro with the owner and his wife, I have to say that I can now see where the argument about exploitation is coming from.

I'm still not sure it's a legitimate argument, but certainly some things struck me very forcibly about the situation as I saw it. There is the owner, who is bad tempered and intemperate in what he says. There is his wife, who is gentle, and constantly reminds those who have left how they were loved, and how they have 'betrayed' her. There is the constant mention of the 'family'. It seems to me that these things are established brainwashing techniques.

While 'brainwashing' might be too strong a term to describe what seems to be happening, there appears to be no doubt that a certain amount of emotional manipulation is going on.

Those who doubt would do well to read the other threads and follow the relevant link to read for themselves.

Two dancers out of approximately the ten I contacted and tried to get to comment. One or two more replied to me directly with something along the lines of "It's easy money" or somesuch. The rest apparently felt it wasn't worth their time to comment.

Surprisingly, when searching SL for escorts to comment, about 1/4th of them were male. Are they being exploited too?

First.. I read it. I thought it was a perfect example of what makes daytime soap operas so popular - drama! Sex! Victimage claims! And suddenly... on the horizon appears....
.
.
.
wait for it....
..
..
.
..
wait...
...
...
...
Hiro the Hero on his white stallion charging to the rescue of the oppressed and exploited! Wannabe-Heroes of the world unite under the banner of Hiro the Hero! Comeon! We can do it! We have BigBadJohn to beat up on! And there's not a thing he can say in his defense!

gimme a break.

(PS.. Hiro.. nothing personal.. the poetic license of the phrase begged for me to use the image... pls don't be offended. I meant the image in jest though I believe the picture I painted.)


Second, brainwahsing? Again. You gotta be kidding. Mindgames? Fine. But brainwashing? The on/off key is an arm stretch away.

Talen,
There ya go! local #69!

Camille & Mole
There are just two people. Consider
1. It was the middle of the night when I posted and few people were online.
2. The majority of people (especially newbies) don't read the boards.
3. Some people wouldn't be comfortable posting about this.

I'd say that's a pretty good turnout so far considering. I also got another IM about it after being online 10 minutes this morning.

Fallacy - appeal to ignorance - assuming just because you don't know something happens that it means that it doesn't happen. Just because they don't surf as much as forum trolls...

Korg,
Somehow I don't think "that's life, get over it" is something many people buy into. I do take your innapropriate mocking in a maturely discussion personally. Please keep it mature or leave.

Hmm... keep it mature or leave? AKA - agree with me or shut up? You KNOW what you can do with that thought.

You essentially called for discussion of this point/issue in your posts. I think it's a bogus issue that doesn't require attention. You don't agree. Great. You still want to be upset over it. Fine. Waste your time. You want to make it personal.. I could play that game if I wanted... My suggestion, however, is you go into Appearance mode and PUT ON A THICKER SKIN. Then go into Edit mode and make sure you enable the IntelligentAnalysisWhenFacingOpposingOpinions script. Reset it. Twice just to be sure.

Then and only then reconsider whether or not this is worth posting anything more about. Seems to be a waste of elections and braincell activity to me. Of course, bleeding heart mileage may vary.

You meant mature as in "adult only content". I meant it as in "treating it like an adult". Fallacy of homonyms.


You voiced your opinion, and have had nothing new to say. Troll, begone!


Continue to insult me and I will report abuse on you. Period. Your choice.


SO DONT READ THE FLIPPIN POST IF YOU DONT CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was exploited once...

I was in college...

Young....

Niave....

And needed the money...

I'm so ashamed. *sob*

Lucky bastard.

Ah.... take a chill pill dude.
You are obviously taking yourself WAAAAAY too seriously.
Personally I think you are the troll... even trolls are entitled to their misbegotten opinions however...so believe and speak as you want.
However, I haven't insulted you intentionally.. as a matter of fact, I specifically stated that part of what I was saying was a joke. If you can't laugh at the joke... well, don't. No skin off my nose.

Ooooooh. Caps! I am impressed. You found the key. Good for you.
Now. Take a deep breath and click it again.. that's it.. Caps lock off. Now... don't you feel calmer. Good for you.

As for abuse reporting me.... go for it. There's nothing that I have said that can seriously be taken as a forum TOS violation. You want to play victim. Go ahead. Waste you time and that of the Lindens.

Though we have met in world a couple of times and I felt you were at most harmless but interesting, here in the forums you are definitely a different individual from there. I am not sure I care for this Hiro. That one is simply easy to avoid/ignore since we rarely see each other and can so easily walk away if we do.

Do you even know what a troll is? Trolls don't start threads, they hijack them.

riiiiiight.

So don't read my posts. Are you deaf? I have a right to post here, you have a right to not read.

Actually, I think trolls start more threads than hijack them.

Holds up mirror to Hiro:

Korg, I STARTED this post, dude. You came and read it. I have not come into your thread and trolled that. WTF are you smoking?

So what happened Hiro?
Get turned down by one?
Or did you apply for a job as one and get turned down?

It just seems like you are wearing this point rather thin.

As I so rarely agree with anything Mole posts, you know I really must feel strongly about this to quote him.

It's called the trolls hijacking the thread. Before they came it was a serious mature discussion. Sad.

Yeah, hijackedness. Back on topic. I've played the escort game before, for a few clubs. Yeah you ARE exploited in a way. What do all the club dwellopers mention in their event post? "Dancers, escorts, and free money!" Escorts are used as a draw to the club, with no more importantce than that scripted sphere throwing out cash.

Now, as to pay. No club owner I've met pays their club dancer/escort....yet, approach one about the job, they'll talk of the thousands and thousands of lindens their escorts make in tips. Well, over 4 clubs, tips and all, for two months....I made $75 for escort, and maybe $200 in tips. So yeah, big money huh?

Sure, I feel dancers and escorts are exploited and lied to by club owners. Tis one of the resons I retired from the whole club scene. Anywho, that's my two cents for a first forum post.

Actually I did ask and comment seriously in the beginning of this thread.
But you have made it more of a trolling thread than anyone responding to your posts.

I did post the last one sarcastically because you seem very keen on this subject and not open to other peoples ideas on it.

Normally I read you posts with interest but not after today.

Man O man where do i sign up LOL

in order for people to "stay on topic" people have to grant your premise.

your premise is neither certain nor absolute.

but your requirement of being on your topic renders discourse impossible.

if the topic were: "do clubs exploit people?" then perhaps this would be a discussion rather than you preaching at people.

it could be, but you fail to show your point.

eh. I said in the beginning to discuss this - I think that was pretty clear, rereading my first post. Some people have given reasons why it's not happen, and then there are people who have simply trolled in saying "oh, I don't care" or whatever. There's a big difference, yannow?