(11-06-2015, 04:23 AM)Verad Wrote:(11-06-2015, 04:18 AM)LiadansWhisper Wrote: However, as I pointed out in a previous post, I know other people in the industry, at least one of whom is also a phone sex operator, and she honestly found the entire thing laughable when I spoke to her about it. Â So why should I put Umi's opinion on the subject above that of my friend of over a decade?
Because that says your assessment of the argument is based on longevity and how much you like the person making it. We're all prone to that, but we at least maintain the polite fiction that we view things based more on evidence than anecdote.
As for who represents the industry, that's the bugger of it - it's hard to represent the industry because the industry is silenced for fear of retribution from legal authority.
Assessing the material conditions and attitudes of sex workers is more sociology than my own field, but if you would like a larger picture of the issue, then I will find what I can.
This doesn't really answer my question, however.
Why is Umi's opinion more accurate and important than that of my friend, who works in the same industry and even performs the same job that Umi performs? Why does one person's opinion on the matter hold more weight than the other?
Here's the thing - if you want to change the nomenclature, or change society in general, y'all gonna have to organize. Until you do, the only thing a thread like this represents is the opinions of individuals. And while individuals are absolutely welcome to their opinions, it is disingenuous to claim or purport or allow others to believe that those opinions represent more than the feelings of an individual. Because they don't.