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I am going to have to disagree with what is being said in this thread. Firstly I have never used CL to find SPs or MAs, but I realize a lot of people did use it, and even many of its detractors here admit that it was not all bad. The issue, as I see it, has nothing to do with economics and much more to do with the fact that it was shut down by government pressure to make a "statement" about sex work in general. They trotted out the same arguments they have been making in the Bradford case. For the most part they are lies and exaggerations designed to create moral outrage and win votes from the unthinking or unaware populace. They paint all sex-workers and the sex trade as seedy, overrun by lowlifes and criminals. Remembering the differences in US and Canadian prostitution laws, (it was easier to shut down in the US) they had to make the case that CL was overrun with exploited children, human traffickers, and the slave trade; and those that read it were using it to stalk and do harm to the sex-workers. That is outright BS, but it plays well with the Soccer-moms at home reading about it in the Globe. If anyone thinks that a stalker or someone who is meaning to do harm won't use newspaper ads, boards like this, or advertising sites like E-C or others to find a victim then you are mistaken. There maybe a bit more security, but not enough to stop someone who is determined to do evil. As for the Human trafficking angle, not all of those cases involve people being forced into sex-work. In fact I would wager there are a lot more people being exploited into sweat-shops, domestic work, and other low paying jobs than those forced into prostitution. I would say a much higher percentage. Why are they not being looked at by the government? Because it costs them votes in the various ethnic communities. For example, just look at the last two boatloads of people from Sri Lanka that landed on the west coast. From what I saw, there was a large number of men and families in that lot. Not a lot of people who could be exploited in the sex trade. Why are they not tackling that problem? Because it will cost them votes with various communities. In my opinion this is the government starting to fire back after having lost the court case in Ontario. They know they have a losing argument from a legal and ethical standpoint, but that they can win in the court of public opinion if they approach it right. To hell with the truth, lets exploit the public's fears. What worries me is that this is not the only step they will take. This was an easy one for them. I don't think I am being to far-fetched to say that the may start targeting boards like this and other forms of print and electronic media in the near future. They will make the presence of these boards known, and once again start to vilify and attack them. Watch the fear-mongering get worse folks. Sorry to be a "gloomy Gus" but I think any upside that people see in the demise of the CL erotic section, will be soon overshadowed by the fact that we in this world, (Providers, clients etc) are at war with the Government and the "morality-police", and that this is just the first very public shot. They won a victory folks, we didn't.

Personally... I could not be more happier to see it gone! It was making a bad rap for the whole industry. UN-Moderated ad sites like that are just a welcome invitation to crooks, scams, pimps, underage escorts, etc... Sure lots of good ladies were on craigslist as well hidden within the mess of bait and switch ads and scams but it needed to go and I am very happy to see it gone myself. Before CL people used sites like Escorts Canada Lyla.com and Red Zone (The original canadian escort sites who have been here through thick and thin since the beginning!) craigslist was taking a HUGE chunk of the traffic that these other sites deserve to have. These are credible paid advertising sites (and moderated to ensure as few bait and switch, scammers, underage, etc... Keeping off most of the Bad People for this industry) Down with CL! CL was just KILLING this industry from the inside out! Good day for me as it probably means I will still have a job in 5 years and the future of escorts advertising online in Canada looks a little brighter for out industry! Craigslist was counterproductive! All the years we have spent online trying to give our industry a POSITIVE look and to break the stereotypes and CL was single handedly killing it for us! Giving the scammers a safe haven! I could not be more happy!! Anyone who values the industry and enjoys the more positive image the media has recently taken of prostitution in Canada should raise a glass and give a cheer on this day! The only problem now is the scammers now have a taste of what online advertising can do so my job may be more secure but they will be looking for other places to go for sure. Thankfully no other site with that kind of traffic and power in the world allows people to advertise for free and not moderated!! and after all this... no one will ever build a site like that again as we all know what will happen so it would be a very bad investment!

I am glad to see it go as well. When I came back to escorting last spring, I felt I had no choice but to use CL and I also felt I had to bow to the pressure of offering half hour appts which I had never done in the past. I don't mind them but I felt CL was a step down compared to where and how I used to advertise in previous years. I gave in and waited with baited breath to see the outcome. It wasn't as bad as I thought especially only working in the day time. Nevertheless, I did meet some very nice guys who used CL and have become regulars. They were not weirdos or drunks but I will not miss the incessant calls at 3 am from some intoxicated wassup type guy or the ones who would make fake appts, waste your time and call back 2 weeks later thinking I wouldn't remember them. Yeah right. The shutdown of CL will not stop human trafficking but it will help cut down on places for them to advertise. After having advertised with CL for so long, these outfits will not want to pay for more mainstream adult advertising. This will most likely result in a better prices/rates for SPs and eliminating the whole $80 services which will go back underground or back to the streets or on chat lines as they did in the past. While CL fared out well with the collapse of the U.S. economy as well as some rough times in Canada, I don't think professional SPs will have to compete with women offering half services or 15 minute appts. I predict this will all end. Sure, there may be another free or low rate classified site comparable to the design of CL but as Mod said, no one will make the mistakes Craig's List made. They set a precedent but as you can see many negative things such as a woman being murdered in the U.S. happened as a result of opening the erotic section. Had that section in general been moderated from day one, it could have had a different outcome and perhaps the Canadian Gov't may have not had it out for this site. I came from an SP era where there was no Craig's List so when I had to begin using it, it felt foreign to me and at times frightening. I used to advertise on E-C and another board in Toronto and that's what everyone else did as well. I think a lot of new SPs feel they can't live without CL but having gone without it for many years and then using it, I would rather see it gone. I always knew it never represented the ladies especially services providers who prided themselves on offering a good service and proper presentation to their clients. I felt the whole experience of making a date and seeing client was gone. There were no more emails from clients introducing themselves and gaining a better understanding of the SP through exchanged emails. Some CL clients even though they were clean and polite just wanted a quickie and they were gone. They may have come back weeks later or never again. It was a different way of doing business and I had to adjust to it. So now, the way I see it, is a new beginning for this industry and perhaps it will thrive. There will be alternate places for SPs to advertise and will definitely cut out the rif raff. No more 15 minute appts, no more tire kickers or weirdos who feel they can remain anonymous. I'm sure many SPs will advertise themselves differently as well on such sites as E-C as it does not have a cheap vibe to it. I know I am going to revert to how I used to advertise in previous years. I can recall when the Ottawa Sun announced that they were eliminating their escorting ads and everyone was freaking out. That's when the internet began to take off and Sun ads almost became useless and more expensive. Craig's List was just another venue to advertise on and it is not the be all end all. Prostituition is the oldest profession and I'm sure the clients will find the women and vice versa. Just give it some time and everything will fall into place. Hopefully for the better. Amen.

I think the problem was that cl took a totally "hands-off" community moderated strategy. This played into the hands of criminals & fraudsters, and was often used against legit advertisers. I advertised with them and will now need to find an alternative to their convenient "enroute" advertising that worked so well for me. But overall, I'd rather see our advertising handled by responsible professionals. I never paid a cent for my cl ads, but they took their toll on me in so many other ways.

There is a definite stereotype about sexworkers. I know a couple of sugar daddies who avoid professionals not because they think they are above seeing a professional because they don't want to be manipulated and part of the sexworker misperception is that we are gifted grifters. I do not understand the mentality of people who think they are above being a prostitute because we all prostitute ourselves at some point. Whether it's going to a job everyday that we hate, marrying someone for financial security or any other situation that you are in that you are only there to get something out of it. People feel the need to reassure themselves of their self worth by finding others to look down on, we are just a convenient group to look down on. cat

Too bad! too sad!boo hoo!..I really don't care about cl gone, I know this statement may piss off some ladies the are legit and use cl, but this is my side of the issue. I have successfully met so many great women right here on Cerb and also on EC may they be local or touring ladies. There was just far too many B & S crap on cl years back and still today!!! look there was/is women stealing other women photo's!! A couple of rip off artists that were stealing from the men-(customers), it was noted here,and on CK's diary. Those scammers and shit disturbers will only end up using local ads in the Ottawa Sun newspaper I'm sure. It took me twice, to learn the hard way when I started hobbying (got horrible service and was scammed) so since then, it has always been here and EC. There may be an influx of more women on here and EC, that must prove that they are legit and not scammers, which is good for everyone all around. That said, if there is more advertising here and on EC I think the men will come as well.

I don't believe that anybody thinks that closing this site will end human trafficking however there is plenty of documented evidence that this site was a major contributor to the problem. In comparison I recently donated $50 to World Vision now I don't believe that my $50 dollars will end world hunger but I do believe every little helps. Yes the government but pressure on them to either clean up (moderate) or close the site clearly they took the easy way out. The problem with the site is clearly a lack of any moderation. There is a post here in Halifax that I have flaged/reported every day for the last 15 days and it has still not been remove. Here is a small ex cert from that post that is still up. "........... does coke and yes she is very tiny as well to the herpes i went down there bareback and nothing yet . also being uunder agedshe kinda looks young but that was all the more pleasure for me . the girl is good at what she does thats all that matters . working for that goof ........ who fucking cares your with the girl shes doing what you like you enjoy it whats the problemo dudes .?!??? " So they either are ignoring my flags or they think that this slime ball bragging about having unprotected intercourse with a underage escort who has a pimp is OK? Either way this is a perfect example of why and rightfully so IMHO that this site was shut down.

:shock:Well some people might be happy that it is gone, but for me it is how I got into this hobby, and is like losing a part of it. I do not want to steer this thread in a different direction but I was wondering if there are any other sites that you can find out these services. Just because I like to keep many options open.

I find it too bad, but mainly because I can count on two hands (and maybe a couple toes, lol) some great regulars who find it easier to surf CL at work etc or while coming into town. However I'm happy that I have told them all in our encounters about Cerb and a few of them have joined....this may evoke more of them to join and be part of this great community! part of me is pretty happy to not have to plug in ad after ad competing with the roster of "horny as hell with no restrictions..cum see me" type ads that certainly create a bad name for anyone in this business. Unfortunately I dont think this will end trafficking...in fact i actually think this will push things further underground with less tracks for these people to leave online, possibly causing more problems...and that CL is washing it's hands clean of a problem that they dont feel they can properly moderate ( part of me doesnt blame them). I just hope that the politicians out there dont think that this is the best they can do to prevent trafficking and violence in the industry and think that by removing this section that all their problems are fixed by doing so. By removing easy access sections like this, it may push those with criminal intentions to other less survey able or dangerous options. I definitely am saying a prayer or two (or three) that this doesnt happen.

How typically stupid of the government to pick on CL -- how many other websites advertise SPs?? As if anything will be solved

I don't understand why people need to be in judgement of anyone. Who in life is so superior that they can look down in judgement at someone else. And why is it that society in general looks down at someone who is a sex worker. I try my best to be judgement free of others, and even in pre hobbying days I didn't judge ladies who were/are sex workers The important things in life are how you treat others, are you a good, honest and ethical person, and to not hurt others...long and short, treat others as you want to be treated Don't know whether this post applies to this thread but posted anyways RG

Sweet Madison is a sub and subs should not be categorized as liking it rough. Your role is to ensure the sub is treated with respect and you must earn her trust. After all its not all about you its about understanding that to please a sub is to allow her to please you not to be subject her to something she does not want. Well That's my Rant. Cheers and good luck

I loved giving oral - in fact it's one of my favourtie activities but "forced gagging" to me is one of the most despicable things someone could ever ask or expect me to do. I don't know too many people who think choking is fun. I do have an open offer that no-one has ever taken me up on though. If you allow me to stick a dildo the size of your erect penis down your throat and thrust it for five minutes, I'll return the favour! I believe there are ladies who may enjoy this - I can't imagine why, but nonetheless, good luck. Being rough is something I believe is built over over time - trust between an SP and her client. I for example, do not permit "hair pulling" on a first date so to speak. To be looking to play rough would raise red flags for me. I believe it is possible to find, but don't expect too many pleasant replies from the ladies on here. To the OP, you can ask questions but apologizing for being offensive doesn't make your post any less offensive.