Have you joined the FSC? If not, why not?
 

With all that's going on in our biz these days...thought I'd post a poll and get some feedback from my fellow webmasters :)

Geez, these are trying times...has had me a bit...errrr...edgy lately :(

Anyway, the point of this poll is to see how many folks have joined the Free Speech Coalition. I've seen comments on several boards of folks complaining about the lack of a cohesive voice for the adult community. There's been mention of a union or some sort of a trade organization. Someone...ANYONE to speak on our behalf. To lobby for us in Washington...so hopefully shit like what's happening now gets stopped BEFORE it gets to the point of the current situation.

In reading the information I got from the FSC today...that's exactly their plan. I quote, "FSC will hire a federal lobbyist to monitor Washington activities and advocate for your free speech rights".

I assume everyone knows the FSC was founded for that very purpose...to be the voice of the adult entertainment industry. Take a look at their mission statement on their website.

One last thing...I know this may feel a bit like a membership drive. I've read a few of those posts...I was reticent at first too...for the same reason. But, after reading the FSC website and realizing that we already have a voice to advocate for us...I sent my membership fees in gladly :)

Jim & I jointly joined & based the amount on the income from the board (which changed about 2 days after we joined)

It is a good thing, but I get this feeling that unless you live near them where you can go to conferences & meetings & whatnot, you don't get the full benefit of it (the members area is nothing special & their board has 1 member)

And I do sorta wish they'd stop hitting me up to sponsor golf outings & whatnot :D

Not that I do not want to support it or you American guys as 99% of my friends online are American I have not joined because I live in Canada. Will I? Maybe...

I won't join, but I AM a free loading cocksucker. Plus, as Mr. Yum already knows, I can't take any organzation seriously that doesn't hand out free t-shirts or give away passes to theme parks or something. If they were the Free Tshirt Coalition, well I'd already be a member.

|waves| Fuck free speech.

Can you actually join online now?

When I first visited, I donated money, but I couldn't see a way to actually join online.

I'm getting mail and emails from them, so my donating money did some good.

I confess, I'd immediately join online, if they could take the join.

But right after giving my first donation I started reading about how their processor wasn't working, about how it was impossible to join, etc, etc.

Is everybody who is joining is sending in the fax thing? Very '80s.

Seriously, I'd give them a big chunk in the next few minutes if they could take my join online.

BTW, what do you guys figure - deductible, because it's a professional organization, or nondeductible, because it's a political contribution?

I'm thinking deductible.

Nah you cant join online, not that I saw, we called them, they faxed us the paperwork needed and we faxed it back.

Extreme Paychecks is lovin the FSC ;)

I am also in Canada and I have thought about joining but something just keeps stopping me. Not sure what thought... so I don't know if I ever will.

I'm in Australia but I'd like to join as an individual to support what they're doing.

Haven't joined as yet because their online signup form isn't working.

Geez, I did a post a poll and run thang :D

Very busy day...preparing just in case...but still building too...biz as usual...so far...

Yep, their website sign up is down...something about needing to get a new processor...and they had no projected date when that would happen. So for those that do want to join, looks like telephone or fax is the only way to go.

So far, I haven't had much trouble contacting them on the phone :)

Bill, I would think probably not deductible as it's more of a political organization than a professional organization. I could be wrong though...some accountants can get pretty creative :D

UW, yea I DO know how you like your t-shirts and caps :D

Wow...in looking at the ol poll on the wall...looks like more have not and don't plan to than those that have or do plan to.

Any of the 'nays' care to elaborate as to why?

Purely a money thing?

Or, just don't think it's worth it?

I was one of those horribly negative votes, partially because I'm a dick and partially because I'm painfully honest. I definately believe that the FSC is a great investment, but I can't afford to throw cash at anything, especially considering I have based my entire business model around the use sponsor content and a great many of my sponsors are busy ramming cease & desist orders up my ass because they all seem to have been using content that even they can't get documentation for, let alone providing it to their dutiful affiliates. In other words, my limited sales are about to take a monster fucking leap into the worst toilet in Scotland (Trainspotting).

Jim said he was going to donate $1 to the Human Fund (Seinfeld) in my name.

I know the feeling UW...

While I've never used much sponsor content (a bit but not much)...a LOT of the paid content will have to go IF these regs go through. A few hundred free sites worth...thousands of dollars worth of content :( Yep, tried to contact the producer...yup, he's MIA...fucker |angry|

A bunch more content was purchased from producers in the EU...I've got some docs, but whether or not they meet the new standards is another story. One in particular that isn't responding to messages is very surprising...given that he's a well respected member of our community.

So yea, IF these regs are enforced...I'll lose several thousand dollars worth of content |angry|

All that said, and I KNOW there are those on this board that think I'm fuckin nuts...I'm still cautiously optimistic that these regs will never be enforced. They're SO far out there in left field...that I think the injunctions will be granted. And the DOJ will be told to fucking start over...just mho :)

Which is why it's biz as usual for now...just finishing up a bunch of new free sites actually...and yes, some of em are explicit :D

I have not joined and this is why:

It is not necassry.

But for anyone who has joined good for you!

I have never joined an organization based on what they claim to plan to do, and I'm not going to start now.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Answer me these and make your replies...

FSC will never get my money, sorry.

a) They still do not have an online registration method in place. This takes at most one day for a credible 501(c)6 organization to make happen.

b) Their pricing rates for "webmasters" and "mere performers" flip-flopped 180 degrees the very same day that they announced they would be filing an injunction.

c) If you take the time to read their own history you'll notice that since 1991 they have only done one (1) thing in the judicial process to effect any action, and that was in 2002 in an open and shut case.

d) Those of you who have paid attention will also note that in early 2003 the FSC *fired* the only person in their directorate, the First and Only Valid Executive Director, that had *any* clout in Washington. He was dismissed and replaced by puppets. And to this day, every executive of the FSC is merely a puppet.

e) They openly admit that they currently have ZERO lobbyists in Washington. They state that they will be hiring "A" lobbyist in the near future.

f) They have claimed that their injunction, that so far is merely smoke and mirrors with no backup - unless it sprouted legs over night, will ONLY protect FSC members. My learned legal brain says bullshit - ALL PARTIES involved in an injunction are affected, and in this case the DOJ is a named party. Meaning that while said injunction is being reviewed, etc. the DOJ's hands are tied firmly from any action on this "clarification" to existing law.

g) The FSC wants "webmasters", yes the "middle class" of the Adult Industry to foot the entire bill. $300 to sign up for a so far ineffectual "trade organization".
They are insane.

The AOPA - the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association only charges $39.95 per year to its members. And this Trade Organization provides legal advice, health and life insurance benefits, actual lobbyists (several), industry experts from Aviation, Legal, Medical, Forensics and several other fields - that *actively* work within the NTSB, the FAA and the various International Aviation governing bodies.
And! When you join you get a cool hat AND a subscription to their periodical AND a chance to win a $400,000 plane! For $39.95 per year.
FSC wants me to pay $300 per year? Why? What have they done for me today? Or yesterday?
Why did they swing their rates from $50 per webmaster to $300 per webmaster on the eve of 2257? I for one, will never succumb to extortion.

By the way folks ... FSC is NOT a fully qualified Not-For-Profit corporation. After 14 years they are still 501(c)6 - meaning that your contributions are NOT charitable or otherwise deductible outside of normal business deductions. They need, and by gods *should* have been able to gain a higher classification in 14 years which would have made them tax deductable. But, they have continued to operate as lobbying organization WITHOUT ANYONE LOBBYING!

As one wise man once said ... Follow The Money.

venturi - I was wondering if anyone else noticed that quick increase in fees :)

One interesting point that you brought up - the people on the board now - correct me if Im wrong, but didnt they just bring in people from AVN?

I suppose I should have qualified that statement - I know who is on the board of directors - and it is a diverse group ranging from Joan from ASACP to Mark K from AVN and a bunch of others and the exec director - hmmm I remember something a long time ago:
http://www.lukeford.com/archives/updates/000730.htm

I think this is because the sponsor doesn't want to give out the model's personal info OR they aren't allowed to by the content provider OR the content provider isn't producing the proper documents.

I don't think that any sponsor is just yanking content for shits & giggles.

Coming soon, new Goatse content featuring Useless Warrior

That's pretty much what I said.

I understand what you're saying, but I think it's one of 3 things & not just that they can't get the docs needed - I'm sure a lot of them will be 100% compliant within their inner workings, but they will choose to not release model ID's because of the potential stalker problem.

I would join the FSC but the membership is a little steep for me this month, especially because of me picking up $1k in content. If the membership was $50 I would join today, but they're under this impression that all webmasters can drop that kind of money without blinking. I'll consider joining next month though.

As for sponsors and content...A lot of my sponsors are making an effort to supply the needed info. Some are having issues though with content providers, who give this model info away for $5 on their content site, suddenly pretending like they care about model security. :D

FSC has priced themselves out of the market, and more importantly, they have yet to establish a real track record for doing the things that webmasters truly need.

They talk a good game, but I am not 100% comfortable with how things have turned in the last couple of years. The wholesale changes made within the organization seemed most oriented towards getting marketshare and little to do with actually getting to the end of things.

Further, I am not comfortable with a "webmaster organization" that will look to get an injunction against the new 257, but restrict that injunction to it's own members only. If they were working for the webmaster community as a whole, they would ask for an injunction for "all adult industry workers and corporations". Instead, they are using it as some soft of leverage to increase memberships.

I am not comfortable. When I am not comfortable, I am not spending.

Alex

a) they had online registration and had problems with it and are working to fix it and if they were really hell bent on stealing your money they would have fixed it already, they have bigger fish to fry right now (not to mention they were scammed out of a lare amount of money on their website, yet nodody in the industry offered to help them at all with designs, biling etc.)

b) you are right, but few webmasters have ever shown support for them, and everybody was running for protection once the revised regs came out... kind of like well now that we think you are worth something to me I will join up

c) the case they won was similar to the current 2257 fiasco in that it wasn't meant to protect children at all, it was government censorship, and if they hadn't fought it then a lot of teen content would be illegal to use today (and it was hardly "an open and shut case")

d) shit happens and so do dis-agreements... so who do you suggest is controlling the "puppets"?

e) it costs a lot of fucking money to lobby in washington... the FSC doesn't exactly have the money that the lobbyists like the tobaco and gun industry do, and they don't have millions of people stopping by every sunday to give their hard earned money away like the religious factions that give tons of money and have powerful voices in politics do...

f) i won't claim to know the answer to who the injunction will cover and i won't speculate either, i've heard arguments both ways with no overwhelming winner... i hope that they are not saying it to get more members as that would be a black eye for them

g) where else do you suggest they get their money? again the FSC doesn't exactly have the money that the lobbyists like the tobaco and gun industry do, and they don't have millions of people stopping by every sunday to give their hard earned money away like the religious factions that give tons of money and have powerful voices in politics do...

AOPA- i don't give two shits about airplanes and it has no bearing on anything (apples to oranges) and their membership base is probably huge compared to the FSC and i'm sure there are some rather rich airplane owners making contributions not to mention the airline industry.... they might have UW convinced with the free hat though I hear he only goes for t-shirts

EXTORTION? you are accusing them of stealing money then? that is a big accusation and also bullshit, if you can't afford it or don't want to pay it then don't join, but extortion is ridiculous IMO

contibutions when becoming a member of the ACLU are also not tax deductible, are they bad also?

by the way join the ACLU if you haven't done so

and they do have lobbyists, just not on the national level as of yet and seeing as they haven't had huge amounts of support over the years I can understand why (lack of funds)

not to mention that not one other orginaization has been vocal in saying that they will do anything to shoot down the regulations... if the FSC is so bad what are our other options? if you have some please let me know as lining up to try and comply just doesn't feel right to me

If they priced based on being more inclusive they would do better. Example:

100 people join at $300 they make = $30,000

1000 People Join at $50 they make = $50,000

They also then have an organization of people and not just a select handful. The more people you have the better, as they can actively spread the word to other webmasters, actively push an agenda. If the FSC really started showing signs of pushing our industry ahead...I'm sure most TGP owners, Most LL owners, could help push the FSC as an almost quasi-union for the adult industry.

It's just a thought thought though, but I know I would drop $50 today if that was the membership and not blink in doing so.

$50-a pretty good deal

$300-kind of a pricey upgrade

going to jail for up to 5 years for doing nothing wrong-PRICELESS

believe it or not it takes money to fight with the gov't and we are the only ones who are going to give the FSC any money... there is no public outcry to protect porn, the public doesn't even know what is going on, and when you explain it to them there reply is "that is just stupid"