[PhoneSexChick]

Hi everyone,

::official delurk::

I've been reading the threads on 2257 for quite some time, and finally decided it's time to offer a different perspective.

I started out back in about 97 or 98 doing BDSM sites, for fun, because I'm into it in real life. It was more or less a blog, before blogs existed, with info about BDSM, etc. Then I threw up a gallery of pics (I thought "public domain" but now I realize they were just plain stolen and swapped around) and somehow one of the links lists found them, and my traffic went nuts. (I was using Tripod, LOL) So I threw up some Amazon books and made a few bucks. Then added a couple of sponsors and made more. It was just pocket money, but I saw the potential.

In my other life, I am self employed and make a fair living, though occasionally there are dry spots. This adult sideline began to fill in the gaps, plus give me a little seed money. I bought some domains, and even started a bondage pay site. It did pretty well, but since it was just a sideline thing, it never grew into my main source of income. It was just me and my computer, and I was buying content legally.

Then the new Visa rules hit, things had slowed down some, and I didn't want to shell out 3 grand to the processors. At that time, I accidentally stumbled into the phone sex world. It's been a cash cow for me, though it's still not my main source of income. In reality, I could probably give up my other work, do phone sex full time and at least triple my income. But I like my other work, so it's still part time.

Now I'm using my domains to promote my phone sex. Since I keep my regular life and phone sex life separate, I use bought content for my characters. It's my voice, but model pics.

It's all been pretty smooth sailing, plus it's fun to do! Along the way, I've met (virtually) a number of other phone sex workers who are fantastic people.

So that's my background...now onto my perspective on 2257:

My content is legal, and I've got all the paperwork and even the IDs (the content I've bought has always come with it). The record keeping that the feds seem to want is a huge pain in the ass, with cross referencing and all of that.

The problem is this: putting my real name and home address on my 2257 statements. It's total bullshit and there is no possible way I'll be doing that. Here's why:

Some of these phone sex guys think it's a dating service and they want to hook up in real life. Some of them think they're in love. A tiny minority of them are stalker types. I've had two guys so far fall into a spooky area. They've checked the whois info on my domains (where I used a PO box of a male friend - his box was an old one he rarely used, and was located about 1500 miles from me) and said things like "Where in Maine do you live?" I've since switched to private registrations. Another guy tried to surprise me by flying to the fake town in which I supposedly lived and wanted to buy me an expensive gift. I've gotten other gifts, but most are paid cash through the system. The few real items, I've taken steps to hide my location. This guy started out claiming he was going to have the gift shipped to my "home," but it became apparent he wanted to purchase the gift at a department store and I should go pick it up. It was obvious that he thought I would be stupid enough to go to that store, and then he'd surprise me. Uh huh. (I got the gift, but only because I badgered him into sending me the CASH through the system)

I'm already tied to my websites through my phone sex characters, because I sell galleries of "me" to the guys, and they go to the sites to view the pics. Even if I stop that and use another system to sell the galleries, a lot of guys know my sites. Imagine the one or two nutballs if I put my friggin home address (not to mention real name) on the site. Good god.

Most of the guys are decent and know it's all fantasy, but there are always a couple of them that think it's real life, and that because they've spent some money, you belong to them. It's that handful of guys that makes it impossible to put my personal info on my sites. Period.

(Sorry this is turning into such a long post...I'm making up for all the reading and not posting I've done.)

Now, my hope is that there will be an injunction issued, but the reality is that this administration is hellbent on stamping out porn. La-di-da. Even if a TRO is issued, changes are here, and the feds will adapt. My first instinct was to yank everything down. (I didn't, but I thought about it) What I'm doing is going softcore. The one problem I have is that I like doing free galleries to drive some traffic, and because I know BDSM, that's what I do. (My phone sex characters are into BDSM as well and that's how I market them.) I don't do any other niches, just BDSM. Obviously this kind of stuff is problematic, so I haven't come up with a solution yet, other than softcore stuff in a lot of leather and latex. Then I can do a 2257 statement on why I'm exempt.

The other problem with real name/address....the last thing I need is for someone to google my real name and come up with my adult sites. Jesus. My two lives are totally separate. But what a great way for the feds to try and drive a number of people out of business by forcing them to go public with what they do on the side (or those who do it full time, but the church and family don't know)! There are a lot of phone sex workers just like me who keep it secret.

I know it's been said a million times already, but the new regs totally blow. And not in the good way.

PhoneSexChick