myredbook fantasies

I hear little voices in my little head. They tell me strange tales of conquests. I shall channel them to you throught the blogger api.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Are stock pictures evil?

What should be done about advertisers who use stock pictures?

First lets define stock picture, as a picture of a lady from a porn, model, escort, or other similar website. Now to the discussion points:

1. The main purpose of a photo is to give the prospective client a reasonable expectation of the actual lady they will see. Some unscrupulous advertisers have other motives, but as clients we all want to see clear and honest pictures.

2. The worse case is when there is complete misrepresentation. For example, using a picture of a supermodel and a being a wretched old hag in person.

3. There are varying levels of misrepresentation. A "fake" picture can be a picture of the actual person. A picture that is too old or overly photoshopped can be misleading.

4. Stock pictures are not necessarily bad. A stock picture can be helpful if it is a reasonably accurate representation of the actual lady.

5. Since real pictures can be fake and fake pictures can be helpful, the issue should not solely be stock or not stock. Rather, we should be more concerned with accurate or misrepresented pictures.

This information is in the review system: http://www.myredbook.com/showpro.aspx




That said, stock pictures are usually a red flag that there will be misrepresentation. There are several picture verification approaches:

A. site photographer.
Photos are taken by a myredbook contract photographer.
We could create a network of trusted photographers for advertisers to use. Although, if you've been here long enough, you already know which photographers you trust.

B. specific pose.
The person must hold up a sign with "myRedBook" written on it or must have a specific pose or gesture.

Nothing stops ladies from doing that right now on their own. Some actually do have photos with RB logo merchandise (Available from the SHOP link at the message board lobby) or next to a laptop with the RB home page. I suppose we could encourage this more by creating a new free advertising link page for anyone who takes such a picture. Hmm.

C. public vote.
People can click a form to vote their opinion on whether a picture is real or not.

Doesn't seem too useful, particularly since voters will not have seen the actual person. Each person has their own opinion on whether a picture is "obviously" fake. If 80% of votes say the picture is real, but you feel it is fake, does that change your mind? No, the only vote that matters is yours.




Sidebar: Chronic abusers.
Surely something should be done about chronic B&S houses?

It is a similar situation as 'well known' ROBs. The first issue is that there is no clear way to define the threshold for these low-service people. Just because YOU say so? The information is in the reviews, and you can make up your own mind whether or not to call them.

The second issue is that we have no power to change their behavior. We can delete their handle, but do you think these dishonest people will exclaim "good grief!" then go away? No, they will register a new handle, get a new phone number and continue their pattern of behavior. Such is their nature.

Related: Why don't you do something about member XXX?
http://forum.myredbook.com/dcforum2/DCForumID15/681.html




Recommendations:

a. Stick to well reviewed ladies. You'll get a better feel for picture accuracy and as a side bonus, her attitude and service.

b. If you would like to TOFTT, that is great, just keep in mind that there is a possibility of picture misrepresentation.

If you think you are good at spotting stock pictures, then skip over their ads. If your are bad at spotting stock pictures, stick with recommendation a. As the saying goes, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

c. If you set up an appointment and encounter picture misrepresentation, submit a review to document this.

We welcome your feedback on picture verification approaches as well as alternate recommendations. If you'd like to bring up any flaws or negative issues, kindly include your suggested solution to keep the debate flowing.