I don't think there is much of an issue with links in profiles etc. It is actively offering and requesting that is against the rules in my understanding.
With that said, I am not a big fan of using your LH profile to sell something, whether it be sex related or otherwise. I'm sure that LH get plenty of sales and garner lots of publicity from such members though so it is in their best interests to let it be.
him'n'her wrote:
The "I'm masturbating as I read the forum" type posts are much more commonplace than they seemed in the past, which is something that makes me far less inclined to post my views on sex related matters here.
There is only 1 person on this planet who's masturbation fantasies I wish to appear.
It may be somewhat off topic but I have also noticed a steep decline in the last few months.
As you pointed out, there seems to be an abundance of the "masturbating as I read the forum" or "masturbating right now on chat, mmmmmm" type posts. Why on earth do they need to bring it to the attention of other forum members? Keep it on private chat, it clearly sends the wrong message about this place.
There has also been a large increase in the amount of sexual flirting and over-familiar comments between members (both sexes are equally guilty) which is supposed to be against the rules:
http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/community/forums/inside-lovehoney/295128-lets-talk-about-sex/
It seems that when someone makes a thread discussing a genuine experience or asking for help with a sex related matter they are now more likely to get a "mmmmm that's hot, tell me more" type reply than anything constructive. If I was a new member seeing the forum for the first time then I don't think I'd bother sticking around for long.
Lovehoney was once a place we could have frank and open discussion about all things sex related (and off topic stuff too of course!) it was the sort of place that people could open up about sex, perhaps for the first time, without feeling dirty or ashamed about it. Unfortunately though, creepy and seedy now seem to rule the roost, I truly hope it swings back in the other direction sometime soon.
illumine wrote:I disagree firstly with the first part of what you wrote, mainly because while there are many of these threads, they are not the fault of adult industry workers on the forum, lots of them are started by men.
and discussing everything to do with selling used panties or buying them or cam work is just that- discussing. It is a shame that the OP had not seen the previous thread aimed at this and written in it, nobody would be making a fuss.
It is true, the Lovehoney forum is about fun and not work, however when the work has a sexual degree to it, well it becomes a topic of some interest to some people on the forum.
I think it worth saying also that if Lovehoney were to 'ban' adult sex industry workers they would lose lots of custom. I only buy from here to fuel my cam site. Many cam girls come here to buy toys for their business, there was a thread relating to one a little while ago. Not only that but many cam girls advertise Lovehoney and their wishlists in the hope customers will buy them things. Many girls selling panties buy their sexy lingerie from here.
Also I am wondering what people view as being a job in the sex industry? There are many people on here that write blogs about sex, a few which I read and enjoy. Some people make money from their sexual blogs, and in my opinion that makes it a job related to the sex industry. Does that mean all sexual blog writers should be banned from the forum? I have seen blogs advertised many times on the forums, in various threads, but do not see people complaining about them. I suppose that some people would view reading to be less harmful than watching. There are many facets of the sex industry and it is nobodies place on this forum to discriminate against anybody, whether they like the trade or not
Illumine, I don't think him'n'her meant that the forum had gone downhill because of adult industry workers, it seems to me they were merely suggesting that the forum had generally gone downhill (seedy posts and such), much the same way I have