Every provider should have their own website. Seriously. Every single one of you. In this day and age it is just silly not to.
Now I said this before to people, and lately I have providers respond: “I would, but I’m worried about FOSTA/SESTA.”
I understand that. But guess what? It is insanely simple to have a FOSTA-proof website. I mean it. It is so easy to have a website that does not violate any laws. And it’s cheap. Heck, you can actually create one for free. No violating FOSTA, no violating any hosting service’s terms & conditions, no breaking of any laws in any jurisdiction. Yup, you beautiful sex workers can all have totally legal websites that will serve you well no matter what happens with FOSTA.
Have I got your attention?
Good. I am trying to help you out.
We live in very uncertain times for our community. While there are plenty of good legal arguments against FOSTA, we have no way of predicting how lawsuits are going to go. And even if the courts rule favorably for us, the politicians will likely try again. In the mean time there is no way of knowing what websites will stick around. The ones we are using today could be gone tomorrow. The FBI and DOJ shut down Backpage without even using FOSTA. Same thing could happen to other websites.
So now is a good time to create your own permanent online property. And if you make one that doesn’t violate any laws, you’ll never have to worry. You’ll have a home on the Internet that you control, and that can be a bridge between other websites and you. IF clients lose your phone number, they’ll have a place to find it again. If you lose your number or need a new one, you’ve got a place to post it. Your own website gives you another tool to use for screening (if you want). But most importantly, it gives you a place where you are in charge.
If you are wondering how hard this is to do, let me put you at ease. I know almost nothing about how websites or the internet works. And I have a website. I’m not a web designer, a programmer, or a graphic designer. I built my website on my iPad and an old laptop. It really wasn’t that hard. And it got even easier after I watched a few YouTube videos (I should have started with those!). You do not need to be good with computers to create a website. And if you are still unsure, I’m sure you can find plenty of gentlemen who do this sort of thing for a living that would be glad to work with you.
And creating a FOSTA-prof site is easy too. In fact, I created a fake website for a fake provider in about 45 minutes. For free. I did this using WordPress. That is that hosting service I use for The ValleyScott Blog. The fake website I created I did for free. As a result, it doesn’t have it’s own domain name. But I could have done that for as little as $48 for a year.
Here is a link to the website of my fake provider, Miss Janie Doe. [I stole a certain model’s pictures off of the Internet for the site. Shhh! Don’t tell her!]:
Janie Doe’s Fake Website
This site makes no reference to escorting, sex, money, services, or anything else. It’s a few pictures, a short bio, and a contact page. That is all you need in order to be FOSTA proof. Depending on where prospective clients find your web address, they’ll know what you’re about. You could even add a travel schedule or calendar and still not be breaking any laws.
It really is that simple. For a basic website like my example, you can do it in a really short time using any of the existing services that advertise “building your own website”. And you’ll find that you can get your own personal domain name and hosting for really cheap. $48 a year is the lowest I’ve seen, though there could be lower. Even at higher rates, it can still be cheap. Simple Google searches for building your own site will bring you to plenty of choices.
As I’ve said, I’m not a web designer or a programmer. I’m new to all of this stuff. This blog is my first real attempt at a website. And I’ve done pretty darn good with no training or experience.
If your desire is for something more explicit, something that might violate FOSTA or other laws, you might want to look into other hosting services than the basic ones. There have been some hosting services that cater to sex workers. You might also want to consider hosting outside of the United States. As for the question of whether or not that will actually provide you with legal protections, I cannot answer. I understand the law to a certain point, but am not actually a lawyer. My best advice is to create a FOSTA-proof site. If you are interested in having a personal website that is more explicit and perhaps not FOSTA-proof, here are a couple of articles to check out about hosting of such websites (I have not vetted, nor can I endorse any of the discussed hosting services in these articles):
http://www.uncensoredhosting.com/best-adult-web-hosting/
FOSTA-proofing Your Website
This is actually really easy.
First, don’t mention—in any way—sexual services. Don’t state or elude to being an escort or other type of sex worker. Don’t use euphemisms like “date”, “play”, or other terms. Don’t use acronyms like GFE, BBBJ, or any other term you’ve used on other websites. If you want to talk about sex, do so in terms only related to what you enjoy doing. Telling the world that your favorite sex position is doggie-style is covered under the First Amendment. Saying you accept “donations for my time” may not be covered (which is highly debatable).
If you avoid the classic “escort language” you can easily have a website that is totally legal, and yet still provides an avenue for clients to get to you.
Don’t talk about money. At all. No money talk is a big way to avoid legal entanglements. And don’t use codes like “roses”. That doesn’t protect you.
Don’t use “come on lines”. Having a Contact Page on your website is totally legal. You just say, “If you want to contact me, call me at _____ or email me ______”. Nothing illegal about that. Saying “Call me, baby, for a good time” could be very problematic.
This is all you really have to do. Again, take a look at the example site I created. Nothing on that site would create an issue for our fictional provider (except the use of photos that are not hers).
Advertise Your Website, Not You
Find places to advertise your website. Nothing illegal about that. The ValleyScott Blog offers advertising space for websites. I don’t offer space for escorts to advertise their services. That would be a FOSTA violation. But just about anybody can advertise their personal website here.
Put up links to your website on everything you use. Social media, CTS websites, whatever.
Choose a domain name that is memorable. You want people to remember the name. I can’t memorize phone numbers. Seriously, I have about 4 phone numbers memorized. But I can remember website names. Pick yours so that people will remember it. That way, if the current community websites ever disappear, clients will still be able to find you. I can’t tell you how often I see people saying online that they lost the phone numbers of their references or favorite ladies when Backpage, NightShift, CityVibe, and other sites went down. But if those ladies had memorable website names and domains, they would be easy to find.
————
This is all very easy. It may seem like a lot, but it isn’t. It’s cheap. It’s fast. It’s painless. And it’s a good investment. If you need help, there are plenty of knowledgeable people online who would gladly help you out.
But this is something that every lady should do. Make your own website. It’s worth it.
==============================
The ValleyScott Blog 