Tech Nerds: even though you think you're successful, you still need to pay to have a woman touch you.

uh, no offense - these postings are great and everything, but they have got ZERO to do with the valleywag theme and purpose, writing about people and companies in tech and the valley...it's more like a low-fi gizmodo or researchbuzz covering porn related topics...fun to check out these sites you cover, well written, but unfortunately totally off topic. PLEASE, get back to the companies and people around the valley and tell gawker to give melissa her own blog (under gawker that is)...just my opinion. take it for what it's worth.

flawless victory.

I disagree with the researchzilla, these posts are actually making VW much more interesting. Good idea to bring melissa onboard.

@ResearchZilla: The Valleywag home page used to say something like "You people don't care about sex, money, and greed enough to read a website like valleywag."

It's on-topic if people read it.

His Dentonship rediscovered the basic truth that guys like to look at pictures of hot chicks, especially if another hot chick is talking dirty. Just look at Melissa's article views every time she posts. Redheads in suds? I'll click that every time.

I kinda get the association with My Red Book and the valley:

"What is My Red Book?
myRedBook is the Premier Guide to Escort, Massage, and Strip Club services in the greater San Francisco Bay Area in California, USA. We offer two private Review Sections (Normal and VIP), a public Message Board and a Chat Room."

But isn't TER a Netherlands concern via Treehouse Park, S.A?

Melissa: I'm curious, what caused you to leave your career as a sex worker?

Some sex workers actually enjoy what they do, but others are using it as just an means to an end. You're promoting all these sites (eros-sf.com is probably next), and also promoting prostitution.

Which is fine, but if you left the trade because you felt "damaged," "used," or had emotional problems related to it, i.e. you were a victim, isn't it wrong to promote the business that victimized you? What about the Stanford girls, blowjobs, and craigslist? You know those aren't girls aren't the responsible type. How can you promote that?

now THIS is worth money. in stark contrast to this.

@sample032: I'm not sure if she's really 'promoting' these sites. The context and tone of her posts implies (at least to me) that she doesn't really approve or give much regard to the sites. I see it more like straight reporting with a touch of sarcasm.

I think they're great posts. I had no idea that this was so popular and for a gossip column about the valley its more than appropriate.

I'm curious to know how big of an industry (in the valley) this is. Multi-million?

keep posting, i'm reading.

Love that there is a yes/no box for whether or not someone's a transexual, right along with accurate and real photos, etc.

Screw you all! Bring on the booze and porn for the geeks.......We owe it to ourselves

I must say that I had pretty much given up all hope on Valleywag, then lo and behold, we finally get a writer with interesting material. Keep posting, Melissa!

entirely legit post. porn industry is huge.. why ignore it?

Shorter researchzilla: "These posts are great!"

so all the editors at Redbook are sex workers? woah, i'll totally look for erotic subtext next time i'm waiting in line at the supermarket

Don't confuse Redbook with MyRedbook. TER is a nationwide hooker message board, but there are others that are more regional/local like MyRedbook or Troothsayerz.
And sure, some sex workers enjoy what they do, some look like the girl in the picture above, but you could just as easily end up with three .357 slugs in the back from a girl like this:

Hey, Redbook is fascinating. And it also serves to change business models -- next up on the newspaper chopping block is ads for escorts in your local alt weekly!

My question is, in the electronic age are women and men doing it for themselves, or are there still pimps in the equation taking their cut?

Ahem: the implication that the cards are history is incorrect, only now they're likely to be moocards.

@sample032: While I will let Melissa speak for herself, I think it's highly unlikely she personally felt victimized, or she wouldn't be supporting the industry and agreeing to write for Valleywag. Instead, she'd be on some survivor's site and speaking to legislators about the evils of prostitution. Yes, there are many prostitutes who clearly ARE victims, who did something they hated out of necessity or because they were forced to, but I'm thinking she's not one of them, nor is she alone among women who enjoy this sort of thing.

I'm viewing this as more like the well-run BDSM community. Mind you, I don't have personal experience with any of the above, but have known those who have. And the Belle du Jour article was very eye-opening, about a normal college girl who got in the biz to pay the bills and discovered she really liked her job. Melissa could have gotten out of it for the same reasons "Belle du Jour" did -- she just got too old after awhile.

Again, this is speculation on my part and I do hope Melissa answers your questions herself.

@Blackjack: Denton wants page views, and he is telling all of his editors to make things more risque and/or push the envelope in order to up those page views.