My Hobby History: Part II, 1996-1999 (The Internet Changes Everything)

[TinMan]

That’s a great observation, Lance. That studio list of mine from the nineties JUST COVERED TARRANT COUNTY. Dallas had many more...go up Preston to 121 and you pick up even more. I’m not sure the entire DFW area today has more than Tarrant County had 20+ years ago.

I used to think it was solely a result of LE activity (or development, if you count the northern territories), and maybe that was the main driver. But, maybe it’s a little more complicated than that...women didn’t need the studios anymore, so they might have dwindled in numbers in any event. Goodness knows LE has never succeeded in eliminating the hobby at any other time in history.

The continued existence of AMPs at pretty much the same level as when I started may also support this argument. It’s not like the state hasn’t tried to shut them down. The workers there don’t have the same means to take control of their scene as US native-borns, so they pretty much have to rely on the studios for their livelihood.

Exceptions to all this exist, of course, but you get my drift.

[icansmile]

thanks Tin. I, and my wallet, curse the day I stumbled across ASPD and my world changed forever. Providers became PEOPLE and I was toast. But man, what a ride. No pun intended.

[mikehammer002001]

Used to post to WSG also, then slowly saw it took longer and longer for my post to show then stopped completely, at the time was a great reference

[TinMan]

There’s been a bit of chatter on these threads about the Texas Services Mailing List and Dick O’Stone. I’m not the authority on it, but I became a subscriber.

Dick was a very visible contributor to the ASP newsgroups. He was articulate, thoughtful, and very interested in finding ways to improve communication among similar-minded people. For him, this wasn’t all about the acronyms or getting a cheap fuck. He was looking for something more from the hobby. I liked him and his approach from the start.

Dick’s greatest achievement was the TSML. I don’t think he was first with the idea (he may have copied some of the script from Florida), but he was instrumental in trying to bring some structure to the proceedings. Here is his call to arms from 1997:


Ladies and gentlemen, the Texas Services Mailing List needs your help. The TSML is a network of correspondents engaged in a cooperative effort to exchange information on ladies and establishments in Texas. Its goals are to provide gentlemen with quality information before they commit to a relationship, and to steer business toward those ladies and establishments who provide superior companionship and away from those that do not.

And it works. Several deserving ladies have received business via TSML recommendations, and both they and their customers have been very pleased with the results. We've also received several reports of services that can only be characterized as rip-offs.

Generally, to become a TSML member, gentlemen must first clip and send me a Statement of Innocuous Intent (see below) AND send a first-hand report of an encounter with a lady in Texas. Ladies who wish to provide information about their services, prices and availability may do so without meeting this requirement, but they are encouraged to contribute in other ways. They may provide pointers on how gentlemen should conduct themselves over the phone, for example, or they may provide tips on how to overcome the initial tension and establish an environment that will lend itself to an enjoyable encounter for both parties. Or they may provide any other insights into the business that they feel are worthy of our attention.

If you would like to participate, the procedure is simple:

1. Return to me a Statement of Innocuous Intent (see the appended note).

2. You must then contribute! To receive the mailing list contributions, you will have to contribute your own info. (See contribution procedures below).

3. You will automatically receive contributions made by others to the mailing list.

As far as content goes, I'd like to have as much of the following information as possible:

Name of the lady
Incall or out? If in, was the environment clean and comfortable?
Agency or establishment (if appropriate)
Phone number where she can be reached
Days and hours when she's available, if known
Description, including length and color of hair; skin color; approximate height, weight and measurements; descriptions of any tattoos or piercings; and approximate age.
How was she attired? Did she look like she just came from a boardroom, from K-mart, or somewhere in between?
Services and price: How much did you pay for what you got? Was what you paid more than what you were led to believe the final price would be over the phone? Did you receive any indication that the lady might not provide the same services to other individuals, or that she might provide more on later visits, since you would then be a known quantity?
A review of your experience: What services did she provide? What wouldn't she provide?
Was she especially good in one particular area? What were her attitude and personality like?
Overall evaluation: Would you use this service or lady again?

Please take this offer for exactly what it is: I have no agenda other than to help all of us make better, more informed decisions when deciding whom to call.


You can see many of the elements of the now ubiquitous review templates at play here: the basic information first, followed by details of the encounter (the “Rest Of the Story”). Members would send in reports. Dick would strip off identifying headers and forward to members of the group.

The mailing list was well-established by the time I was invited to join. Membership eventually topped out at over 130 members, based on one of the last posts I found on the subject. Dick became the go-to guy for any and all info relating to the DFW hobby scene, and even had a network in other parts of the state. Ladies were aware of his influence and in some cases solicited appointments mainly through the group, figuring these guys were already screened (there was no P411 back then, and precious few resources for a lady to screen other than her gut).

It all came crashing down, it seems, during the winter of 97-98. There were rumors of police infiltration of the group, LE pressure on ladies frequented by members, etc. The mailers stopped coming and Dick went underground, and eventually disappeared entirely.

In later years I heard other stories as to why Dick vanished. It seems he broke the cardinal rule of the hobby: don’t confuse the Illusion of Passion with the real thing. This much I’m pretty sure is true: he fell for a well-known provider of the era, gave more of himself than just $ for play, and when he figured out he was just another trick, things got ugly.

As I understand it, both were outted to friends, family and/or employers. It doesn’t matter who fired the first shot, it’s inexcusable behavior for a guy to get himself that deep with a provider. It’s Hobby 101, and Dick should have known better.

Here is where I’ll admit to being a bit of a hypocrite. I’ll speak more fondly of DOS than any number of guys who have been accused of lesser crimes. It’s for a selfish reason: he was always helpful to me at a time I was spreading my hobby wings. My conflicted feelings for DOS and his alleged wrongdoings led me to one of my early lessons in this lifestyle, which I have repeated from time to time....

You’ll never know the whole truth to anyone’s story other than your own. Everyone here has an agenda. The best you can do is associate with folks whose agendas appear to be similar to yours.

[cage196]

great post

[TinMan]

Thanks.

[Sir Lancehernot]

Wow, TinMan, you've been doing some serious research in Google groups!

I can fill in a few gaps here, as I knew DOS (as we referred to him) pretty well and still touch base every now and then. (He later used the moniker Popparatzi (sp?).)

Originally Posted by TinMan

Dick became the go-to guy for any and all info relating to the DFW hobby scene, and even had a network in other parts of the state. Ladies were aware of his influence and in some cases solicited appointments mainly through the group, figuring these guys were already screened (there was no P411 back then, and precious few resources for a lady to screen other than her gut).

Not just the state. Remember Farmboy, who introduced us to Rene of Indiana? She even made a trip to Dallas to meet some of the local guys and was feted at a party at The Lodge. I'm sure there were others around the country who got some support from "the group," but can't recall any others, save a woman in the Cincinnati area whose name escapes me but whose cover was providing "relocation assistance" to guys moving to southwestern Ohio.

One thing the TSML did was allow some women to operate truly UTR. I don't mean UTR like it's currently used (I can't figure out how you can review a girl on a whore board and her be UTR; either she's not UTR, or you just outted her); I mean UTR as in no public presence. A few girls, usually part-timers, had their income needs met by working exclusively within "the group" or by coupling TSML referrals with referrals from their other clients.

Dick was also a pioneer, through the TSML, in organizing socials. Some were coed, like the party for Rene; others were just a few guys spending the afternoon at The Lodge, drinking and shooting the shit. Someone would have come up with the idea sooner or later, but, in the early days of the Internet and email, the ability to organize such an event was new.

Something that seemed to work pretty well, at least for a while, was the use of code words. A guy would review a girl and, in his review, include a code word or phrase for other guys to use. A girl who was contacted by a guy using the code word therefore at least knew where the guy had heard of her. For some, that was all the screening required; others may have wanted more information. I remember a girl named Bettina whose code word was "champagne."

There were rumors of police infiltration of the group, LE pressure on ladies frequented by members, etc. The mailers stopped coming and Dick went underground, and eventually disappeared entirely.

I recall that allegation of infiltration being made in connection with the arrest of one prominent Dallas provider at the time, but I don't recall it ever being substantiated. I'd be curious to know more, as I consider it to be an open question from that era. Certainly Dick's screening process left something to be desired, but contact information for most of the women mentioned on the list was available elsewhere.

In later years I heard other stories as to why Dick vanished. It seems he broke the cardinal rule of the hobby: don’t confuse the Illusion of Passion with the real thing. This much I’m pretty sure is true: he fell for a well-known provider of the era, gave more of himself than just $ for play, and when he figured out he was just another trick, things got ugly.

He posted a long-winded eulogy to the relationship in the TSML and on ASPD. IIRC, the issue wasn't that "he was just another trick"; the problem was that he wasn't a trick. He saw her quite a few times over a few months. But, outside of their initial meeting, when she accompanied him on a business trip, she would not see him BCD, all the while professing a certain amount of affection for him.

So there he was, reading and forwarding every day reports about how great a fuck and what a wonderful person she was, while being denied access to the same type of companionship. He beat himself up unmercifully, wondering why he wasn't good enough to enjoy her in the same way anyone else could. He was in bad shape for quite a while; I didn't hear from him for a few years.

For those of you who weren't involved, a few names I recall from that era mentioned on the list: Krissi-with-an-i, Terri Brice, TabithaToy, Diana of Dallas, Krissy-wih-a-y (Diana's sister), the aforementioned Rene of Indiana, Nicky of Houston and her stop on "The Circuit," Chelsea ....

A few of the more prominent members were Nightowl, who always concluded his reviews with a description of the cigar and alcoholic beverage he consumed afterwards; Farmboy, mentioned above; Triptime ....

Great memories of a time when, overall, it was a little less complicated. The TSML had the feel of a club, a feeling of camaraderie you can't get on a board.

[GinaXXX]

If anyone remembers the EscortAmerica message board and BigDoggie's top 25 list (1997), I was Kelly in Colorado and quite active on EA, and on TBD when it first got going. I started TheOtherBoard (Colorado) after getting the boot from Ragtop's message board/site.

Diana of Dallas was my idol (never had any contact with her, I was just enamored with her website and marketing prowess).

Always,
Gina

['TUNACAN']

Krissi-with-an-i, Terri Brice, TabithaToy are all old school ladies from 21 plus years ago. Reminds me of Robin of Dallas and her roommate, her roommate's name started with a C and they advertised in the Dallas Observer.

Diana of Dallas was featured on TV. I can't remember if it was 20/20, 60 minutes, or ?? but Diana of Dallas was one of the very first to have a online website, offer out call services thru out the US, and have a upscale condo in call in Arlington, Texas where the new AT&T Stadium is built. That was in my early internet days when I was with Flash-net which was dialup that made those funny noises.

[aRandyOne]

I count it a high privilege that not only did I know DOS but that he knew me. I got familiar with a few names I recall from that era mentioned on the list: Krissi-with-an-i, Terri Brice, TabithaToy, Diana of Dallas, Krissy-wih-a-y (Diana's sister), the aforementioned Rene of Indiana, Nicky of Houston and her stop on "The Circuit," Chelsea ....
I remember one fond afternoon at the Lodge with Diana of Dallas and Rebecca (nee' Chelsea). Rene of Indiana and Bettina were also favorites and the ultimate femme fatale was Sandi that broke DOS heart. All of these became a foundation for a database of experiences that I compare my present encounters with.

In those days we were also wordsmiths, crafting the reviews and writing, editing, re-writing with care and we began to recognize one another's style often emulating one another. I often wonder what happened to Nightowl, Farmboy, and Hannibal the Village Idiot - probably here somewhere in the ether in another guise.

[TinMan]

Ah, yes...Diana of Dallas. Probably the most legendary local provider of the internet age.

Diana was everywhere. She had ads in ANE and similar adult publications. Big ads, with pics. Professional photos of Diana in swimsuits and lingerie. She was active in the newsgroups. Later, she was among the first with banner ads on the early hobby websites. Diana was more than an escort. She was a star.

Diana was a hot buxom blonde. She showed her face, which was uncommon in those days (hell, you hardly had any women publishing their own photos back then). By all accounts, she gave a fine session, but where she really excelled was TCB.

Diana treated her business like a business. As I recall, she had set hours in the morning when she made herself available to take calls for appointments. She didn’t have a handler, and was consistent in responding to email. I don’t remember how she screened, but in those days the known providers could ask guys for personal info and we would give it to them. We weren’t known; she was.

As noted above, she travelled and was adept at using the newsgroups to announce her tours. She’s the first provider I remember that had her own site: dianaofdallas.com.

Alas, I never got to experience this for myself. I travelled a lot myself in those days, and I scheduled a session one evening after a quick trip to Midland or Lubbock or some such. The usually reliable Southwest Airlines let me down, and I remember calling from the airport to tell her that my flight was late. I left the message on voicemail, and called again once I landed. No answer. I had blown my chance with the great Diana.

Postscript: Lest you think we oversell Diana’s influence...

https://www.dmagazine.com/publicatio...l-and-the-cop/

[Sir Lancehernot]

Diana was adopted by one New York City fire station as its "mascot," if you will. The firefighters had pinups of her in the station (back then, you could do that), and she paid them a visit when she toured NYC.

Minor correction: She had help in scheduling and correspondence from her husband.

[TinMan]

That shouldn’t surprise me, although she was adept at keeping it on the DL. The volume of calls and emails coming in would have been impossible for her to keep up, and she (or he) almost always responded to every inquiry.

[mikehammer002001]

Nothing about the car girls of harry hines?

[Sir Lancehernot]

TinMan doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who'd cruise up and down Harry Hines looking for car dates.

There was one girl on ASP who gained certain amount of acclaim. She was easy to find, driving a red Mitsubishi Eclipse.

How the hell do I remember stuff like that?