Finding a Consensus - Is It Possible?

[Seska]

I have been following the recent threads on the FSC and organizing as webmasters and listened to last night's show (in the archives because the show coincides with my weekly webcam show) and it got me to thinking about some of the different issues we face.

I think that different people in the porn business are interested in defending the online porn industry for different reasons, ones that are based on their own motivations for being in the industry to begin with (or their current motivations - these things can change over time). No one group or website or set of instructions can effectively address and reflect all of these issues. Heck, some of these issues are in direct conflict of each other.

Still, I do not think that stops us as individuals to try to affect change or defend our rights to be pornographers or to make a living from pornography. Maybe setting up an all encompassing group to represent all webmasters or trying to find consenus among even a dozen webmasters is not the way to go.

Recently, I took part in a project where different sex workers from around the world got together and examined the current state of affairs and developed tools to affect change. There was lots of difference in opinion even though we all shared the same goal. The debate got personal. Reaching a consensus was near impossble.

I think we can expect much the same thing to occur if webmasters decide to organize around the legal issues we face. Many people will not be happy about who ends up having the power to speak for us. It will come down to cliques and power struggles. Some people will opt out.

Obviously, I am not very optimistic about the process. Still, I am going to keep my ears open, read what I can, and be open to suggestions, but I think my efforts will be concentrated on where I feel I have the best likelihood of getting results - which at this time seems to be with using my own websites and my own work to push my agenda (and we all have one even if we do not write it up manifesto style).

Let me end my little speech with a question. Does anyone have successful experience with reaching a consensus when the parties involved come from different backgrounds and have different goals? It could be from your family or dealing with other wordly or corporate issues.l

[RawAlex]

Seska, let me just say this:

The issues of personal protection and such that comes with being a sex worker are very different from the issues and situations that face the adult business as a whole. Attempting to create a single forum and a single voice to cover all of those issues would be likely between impossible and unlikely.

I personally think that those people who are web models / sex stars / internet models need to form their own group for the purposes of advancing what is important to them vis-a-vis that part of the business. There are major issues that I appreciate there, and they need to be looked at carefully and championed by the people who are most affected by them.

Personal website operators (especially those who choose to do it outside of the mainstream) don't need a "walmart" porn company dictating to them how to operate their business. At the same time, the "walmart" porn company cannot change it's business practices to satisfy a small but vocal minority.

Here is my suggestion in all of this:

Each "area" needs to regroup itself (and many people would be in more than one group) and bring people forward as the spokesperson for thier stuff. Those people could then be brought together under a sort of coalition of adult businesses and performers, which would have all of the voices together. Each group could work by itself to champion the issues that are important only to itself, developing and expressing ideas and concepts that are important to it's group. Within the whole, those ideas could be put forward in a meaningful way that would assure that all sides are heard.

We don't all have to agree all of the time, but we have to have the respect for what other people do. That won't happen if you attempt to jam everyone under one tent and hope that a war doesn't break out.

Alex

[emmanuelle]

I'm not certain that even breaking into groups will work. As in most political situations, the ones who jump into the spotlight, or are put forward as potential candidates (usually because of that visibility); are seldom acting out of the goodness of their hearts, and moreso to further their own personal agendas and not as a true representative of a group. There are too many individuals in every bunch who will naturally resent "___" speaking on their behalf and will want their own voices heard as well.

[Mr. Blue]

People are focusing way too much on the difference in the various avenues of porn when they should be focusing on the big similarities. Work on the big issues, the smaller issues will sort themselves.

No one in adult wanted the 2257 regs to stand as is...last night's show brought up model safety, but what about webmaster safety. I have TGPs, Very raunchy personalized blogs, galleries, freesites, and I would have had to put my information on the net for all to see.

So, you see, we're more alike than people realize, we have very similar concerns, and it seems to me ridiculous not to focus on the bigger issues we can agree on. Instead we focus on the small issues that prevent us from forming any cohesive unit. There's the adult industry for you

[Trixie]

I think it would be easier to reach consensus if we were talking face to face over 3-5 days in an organized fashion with very specific goals in mind. Jbeing in a room together and people seeing each other as actual human beings would make everyone feel more cohesive and respectful towards one another.

A lot can be achieved on message boards, but if people are really serious about accomplishing something and formulating something the majority of people can get behind, I think it needs to be done in person at a roundtable type of event. You know, the kind of thing you (Seska) are fantastic at organizing . I know you are in Canada so a lot of the issues impact you in different ways (or not at all), but yeah.

I don't mean to say that it's pointless to talk about it on boards, just that it's obviously easy for people to become distracted, for a few people who post a lot to appear to represent more people than they actually do, etc.

It would be nice to have people with experience and knowledge of teambuilding, educating, and actually leading people to help structure and organize these kinds of discussions.

[Wazza]

When you boil it down to base principles there is only one issue which affects all online and offline adult businesses equally.

"That what we do is not obscene, it is protected by the Constitution and this has been affirmed by several Court decisions. As such, what we do is legitimate."

Strategies for defending this principle and answering our many critics may vary, but they aren't contradictory.

Rather than fucking around in some perpetual committee stage, how's about someone do something and put it up for comment.

* If you want a common statement of values page - write the fucking thing and post it.

* If you want a page educating parents on how to enable the filters in their browser - write the fucking thing and post it.

Our enemies aren't standing still brawling over who's more pious than the other, or who's a bigger hypocrite, or whatever. All this is doing is causing rifts in our community that will only weaken us when the day comes. There is a common enemy here, I suggest we focus on them, not each other.

[Ms Naughty]

Good point Wazza. Individual action is a good step.

Although it needs to be accompanied by:
1. Public Relations
2. Lobbying of government
3. A show of united force

There's also the issues of:
1. Who represents us to the FSC
2. Who represents us to the public.
3. Who the hell "us" is
And 3 is where we've had a few problems LOL

Don't tell anyone, but a few years ago I was involved in politics. I gave it up, because most meetings were a waste of time, with people arguing over petty points and forgetting the bigger picture. It was always a Life of Brian situation:

LORETTA:
I agree. It's action that counts, not words, and we need action now.
COMMANDOS:
Hear! Hear!
REG:
You're right. We could sit around here all day talking, passing resolutions, making clever speeches. It's not going to shift one Roman soldier!
FRANCIS:
So, let's just stop gabbing on about it. It's completely pointless and it's getting us nowhere!
COMMANDOS:
Right!
LORETTA:
I agree. This is a complete waste of time.
JUDITH:
They've arrested Brian!
REG:
What?
COMMANDOS:
What?
JUDITH:
They've dragged him off! They're going to crucify him!
REG:
Right! This calls for immediate discussion!
COMMANDO #1:
Yeah.
JUDITH:
What?!
COMMANDO #2:
Immediate.
COMMANDO #1:
Right.
LORETTA:
New motion?
REG:
Completely new motion, eh, that, ah-- that there be, ah, immediate action--
FRANCIS:
Ah, once the vote has been taken.
REG:
Well, obviously once the vote's been taken. You can't act another resolution till you've voted on it...

So in the end, nothing happens until Judith rushes out and does something herself.

We do need 1 or 2 people to stand up and be the "action figure" as it were. It can't be me because I'm an Aussie, but I'm happy to support anybody who is willing to put the time and effort in, doesn't matter who it is.

OK, time for me to stop gabbing about this, it's completely pointless and getting me nowhere.

[Seska]

Very good observations grandmascrotum. Your Life of Brian quote resonates with me. Right now all the energy I have is for individual action. Unfortunately, like so many other activists the group efforts have turned me off of that kind of work for a little while. I am recharging my batteries.

By the way I am enjoying your new blog set up and posts.

[Ms Naughty]

Ooh, thank you Seska! Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading my blog at all, so you've just made my day

[GenXer]

Yep grandmascrotum your blog is right-on. Everyone's opinions are different but yours makes perfect sense with me