PUBLIC SITE F.A.Q. - PLEASE READ THOROUGHLY

Keeping Your Computer Clean

1. What do you mean by "keep my computer clean"?
2. Detecting and Removing Spy-ware
3. Anti-Virus Software

General Site Information

1. Should I read the FAQ or just send an e-mail?
2. What Customer Service is available?
3. When I try to log in I get a "403 Forbidden" error. Why?
4. What does it mean when I get an error that says "569 - No Data"?
5. Why do I keep seeing pages about "Internet Optimizer" when I try to access the site?

Message Boards - General Information

1. What is the difference between the public message boards and the paid member message boards?
2. What areas do your message boards cover?
3. Which message board should I post on? What is the right board for me?
4. What are the terms & conditions for using the message boards?
5. What are the general guidelines for using the message boards?
6. What can happen if I violate the terms and conditions?
7. What information is collected about me?
8. What are cookies? And why shouldn't I be concerned about them?
9. Why should I include my e-mail address in posted messages?
10. I posted a message and my real name showed up. What the hell do I do now?
11. I posted and there is someone else's name after mine, how do I fix this?
12. What happens if I use someone else's computer to make a post?
13. There are known problems with AOL and displaying "old" material, how do I make sure I'm getting the latest messages?
14. What is so important about refreshing my browser?
15. Why does my browser cache affect what I see on the screen and how do I fix it?
16. There aren't any new posts to the message board, what is wrong?
17. I'm an AOL user and the messages don't refresh properly, what's wrong?
18. Why did my message get deleted?
19. My message got deleted, can you restore it?
20. How does BigDoggie.net decide what is fair and what isn't?
21. There is a poster on the message board who is abusive towards women, what can I do about it?
22. Someone posted a phony message about me, how can I have it deleted?
23. I don't like another poster, can I have them banned?
24. Whenever this "other person" posts it makes me very mad, how should I respond to them?
25. Someone posted a very mean message about me, can I flame them back?
26. I suspect that a certain post is either a self-review or otherwise phony, do I report it or flame the poster?
27. What is a flame?
28. Is there a glossary of common terms used?
29. How do I register or login? And why?
30. What's the difference between being a "free" member and a "paid" member?
31. Do I have to register for the public message boards even if I'm a paid member?
32. What username should I use?
33. What password should I use?
34. How do I change my password?
35. I've lost my password, how do I get help?

Using the Message Boards

1. How do I read messages?
2. How do I post new message?
3. How do I post a review?
4. Should I post my review to the review database or the message board?
5. How do I post looking for information or "in search of"?
6. How do I add a link or URL to a message?
7. How do I reply to an existing message?
8. How do I edit a message I posted previously?
9. After I made the edit I went back and looked and the edit didn't show up, why?
10. How do I delete a message I posted?
11. How do I search the message base to find something?
12. Who is the moderator?
13. How do I contact the moderator?

Review Database

1. What is the Escort Review Database?
2. Can anyone use the Escort Review Database?
3. What is the difference between the public review database and paid member searchable review database?
4. I'm an escort. How do I link directly from my Website to a list of my reviews?

Using the Searchable Review Database

1. What do I need to be able to use the searchable Review Database?
2. How do I post a review?
3. What are the guidelines for posting a review?
4. How do I edit a review I submitted previously?
5. How do I see the review I submitted?
6. How do I search for a specific review or a list of reviews in my city?
7. How do I search for a specific time frame, i.e., last 30 days?
8. How can I become a paid member so that I can search & read all the submitted reviews?

Advertising

1. Why should I advertise on BigDoggie.net?
2. I'd like to advertise on BigDoggie.net, how can I do this?
3. Why do the banners rotate?
4. What does it cost have a banner advertisement?
5. I only want a Directory listing, can I do that?

Customer Service

1. What is your level of commitment to customer service for visitors to BigDoggie.net?
2. What Customer Service is available for the Public site?
3. What Customer Service is available for paid members?
4. Is customer service available 24/7?
5. I still have unresolved issues even after reading the FAQ, what should I do?
6. My e-mails don't get answered, why?

Keeping Your Computer Clean

If any of these links are broken, please contact support so that we can get the links fixed ASAP!

Q: What do mean by "keep my computer clean"?

A: We mean "clean" as in "no viruses, no spy-ware, no browser hijackers". Viruses can cause all sorts of things to not work properly in your computer, and the spy-ware and browser hijackers that are out there aren't much better.

Worse yet, ongoing audits and scans reveal that its not a small problem either; some studies have found that over 90% of Windows computers are infected with at least one piece of spy-ware, and an ongoing EarthLink Spy Audit shows an average of 26 pieces of spy-ware on each machine scanned.

If you find that you have intermittent problems accessing BigDoggie.net, we strongly recommend that you check your computer to make sure that it is clean. The majority of problems that our users are contacting us with are directly attributable to viruses or spy-ware that are installed on their computer.

Related links:

• Sick of Spam? Prepare for Adware, Wired Magazine, May 7, 2004.
• PCs 'infested' with spy programs, BBC News, April 16, 2004.
• Earthlink Spy Audit

Q: Detecting and Removing Spy-ware

A: If you think that your computer may be infected with spy-ware, we recommend that you use one of the following sites/tools to diagnose and fix the problem.

Websites:

• DOXDESK has an online spy-ware detection utility which works in Internet Explorer, and will detect many pieces of spy-ware. DOXDESK also provides lots of reference material on the spy-ware packages out there.
• SpywareInfo is an online reference site with information on spy-ware packages.
• Microsoft has a page with information on Spyware, along with a link to a Knowledge Base article that talks about what types of behaviour you can expect if you've got spy-ware installed on your computer.

Free Anti Spy-ware Software:

• LavaSoft Ad-Aware. The original and still one of the best packages out there. Click on the "download.com" link to download the free Personal SE Edition.
• Spybot Search & Destroy was rated "World Class 2004" by PC World.
• EarthLink SpyAudit detects installed spy-ware.
• Microsoft Windows Defender (-=BETA=-)

Q: Anti-Virus Software

A: As long as we have Windows we'll have viruses, its just one of those facts of life (like death and taxes). If you don't already have any anti-virus software installed on your computer you should install some NOW. If you do have it installed, you should make sure that you keep it up-to-date as these days new viruses can spread in a matter of hours much less days.

Anti-Virus packages:

• Norton AntiVirus from Symantec.
• McAfee virusscan.
• Sophos anti-virus Small Business Edition.

General Site Information

Q: Should I read the FAQ or just send an e-mail?

A: You should read the FAQ prior to sending any e-mails to BigDoggie.net. The FAQ is comprehensive and covers the most Frequently Asked Questions that we've encountered in the last three plus years. E-mails that are received by customer support where answers are given clearly in the FAQ will largely be ignored.

Q: What Customer Service is available?

A: The extent of the customer service available to the free public access members is this FAQ. We feel that all of the questions anyone may ask are addressed here. There is no e-mail support for the free public boards, or the free public site. If you want the benefit of customer support via many different options, please JOIN NOW.

Q: When I try to log in I get a "403 Forbidden" error. Why?

A: You most likely have some "browser hijacking" software installed on your computer, such as "Internet Optimizer" or "Fun Web Products". These products "optimize" your computer by taking control of your browser and showing you pop-up advertisements or bogus error pages instead of actually letting you surf the Internet. We've had several users say that they were unable to access BigDoggie.net (among other sites) after installing these packages.

Please refer to "Detecting and Removing Spy-ware" above for more information on how you can rid your computer of these applications.

Q: What does it mean when I get an error that says "569 - No Data"?

A: This is a problem with AOL, and appears to be a problem with their proxy servers, but only if you are running Internet Explorer. Users that run Netscape, Opera, or Mozilla do not seem to have this problem.

You may be able to press "Refresh" in your browser and get past this problem; some users have said that this helped, although it didn't help all the time.

Q: Why do I keep seeing pages about "Internet Optimizer" when I try to access the site?

A: At some point you installed "Internet Optimizer", which is a known "browser hijacker". It attempts to "optimize" your Internet connection by hijacking your browser and periodically redirecting you to their own advertisement pages instead of the website that you were trying to access.

Please refer to "Detecting and Removing Spy-ware" above for more information on how you can remove "Internet Optimizer".

Message Boards - General Information

Q: What is the difference between the public message boards and the paid member message boards?

A: The Public Message Boards are just that - Public. They do not require a membership if you just want to read the boards. They do require that you sign up for a free public access membership to be able to post. Because these boards are open to everyone, you'll find quite a diversity of opinions about different topics. Sometimes diversity is good - many times it's just noise. The member's message boards were created to give the serious posters a "refuge" from the noise on the public boards.

Q: What areas do your message boards cover?

A: BigDoggie.net has added message boards for every single U.S. State, and many of the major cities (where warranted). In addition, there are also boards for the Canadian provinces and several of the European countries, as well as several specialty boards. The list of all of the message boards can be found by clicking on the "Boards" link on the menu bar.

Q: Which message board should I post on? What is the right board for me?

A: That depends on the purpose of your post. Generally, ISO posts should be made to the local board closest to you. Posts relating to general topics might be better off on the National Discussion Board. Take some time, read the boards and get some idea of the kinds of posts there before you post.

Q: What are the terms & conditions for using the message boards?

A: A link to "Terms and Conditions" is clearly posted on all of the message boards. Please read them before you post - they clearly govern what will and won't be allowed on the BigDoggie.net message boards.

Q: What are the general guidelines for using the message boards?

A: The general guidelines are described in the Terms and Conditions.

Q: What can happen if I violate the terms and conditions?

A: If you violate the Terms and Conditions, you can expect that your post will be removed, and in extreme cases your username will be banned.

Q: What information is collected about me?

A: Nothing more than you provide, however you should be aware that each time you post, or reply to a post, the message board software records your IP address and hostname. This information is kept strictly confidential, and is only used by BigDoggie.net in the event that it would become necessarry to report threatening or harassing posts to appropriate authorities, and in aiding our moderators in tracking down the identities of "problem" posters.

Q: What are cookies? And why shouldn't I be concerned about them?

A: Cookies are small files that store information about settings on the website that are specific to you. They are stored on your computer and are created or updated when you enter the site. Cookies can only be read by the domain that issued the cookie, hence we can only retrieve cookie information left on your computer by BigDoggie.net. The cookie from BigDoggie.net stores your registered username and places that you visited last time your logged into the site. We ONLY retrieve this information for purposes of tracking your registered username and automatically inserting it into your post. We do not (as some popular myths would have it), compile personal information about you - or use the cookies in any other way.

Q: Why should I include my e-mail address in posted messages?

A: Two reasons. First, you are more likely to be taken as a serious poster, and not a "hit-and-run" or "fly-by-night" poster. Second, and especially if you are asking for any information - especially specific information - you will increase your chances of getting a response greatly if you include an e-mail address. Many of the posters that can answer your question may not want (for whatever reason) to post the information on the board, but may be inclined to provide the information via private e-mail.

Q: I posted a message and my real name showed up. What the hell do I do now?

A: E-mail the board moderator and ask him/her to remove the message. You can find the moderator's e-mail address by looking at the top of the message section for the link 'Contact Moderator' on all local boards and also inside any opened post. Additionally, you may look for any post from the moderator on the message board. The moderators name shows up in red letters, so it's relatively easy to find. MAKE SURE that you include details as to which post you would like them to remove and why. E-mails that say "Can you delete my post", are usually ignored simply because we don't know what you're talking about. If you can't find the moderators address (after you have done an exhaustive search, then and only then can you send an e-mail to support@bigdoggie.net. In this e-mail you MUST include, the name of the board, the subject for the post and the date that it was posted.

Q: I posted and there is someone else's name after mine, how do I fix this?

A: You don't - and it shouldn't happen unless you're trying to use more than one screen name - or if you're posting from someone elses computer who ALSO uses BigDoggie.net. The "other name" appears because it is stored in a cookie - and any time you post, the message board software expects that you'll be using the same name, and automatically inserts it for you. Even if you delete it and type in a different name, the name that shows up when you click Post, or Post a Reply, will be included next to the new name you type in.

Q: What happens if I use someone else's computer to make a post?

A: Then your name is going to end up next to theirs where it says "Posted By" on the message. The only way to avoid this is to clear the cookies on the machine before and after you post. Otherwise the person whose computer you used will end up with your name next time they go to post.

Q: There are known problems with AOL and displaying "old" material, how do I make sure I'm getting the latest messages?

A: The best thing to do is REFRESH every page after it loads. In order to help minimize their bandwidth useage, AOL caches (stores) local copies of page within their own system, in addition to the caching that your browser does when it stores local copies of pages on your hard drive.

Q: What is so important about refreshing my browser?

A: It's important to REFRESH your browser to ensure that you are seeing the latest version of the page.

Q: Why does my browser cache affect what I see on the screen and how do I fix it?

A: Often, the browser will pull up an old copy of the page stored on your hard drive instead of the most recent copy on our site. This is especially problematic with Internet Explorer and even more so with AOL.

Q: There aren't any new posts to the message board, what is wrong?

A: If it's not a terribly active board, it could just be that there really are no new posts. If it is an active board, and you don't see any new posts than you are more than likely looking at a cached page. Click REFRESH or RELOAD to see the latest version.

Q: I'm an AOL user and the messages don't refresh properly, what's wrong?

A: Welcome to AO-Hell! As explained above, AOL does their own caching in addition to the regular browser caching. There are two things you can do to improve the situation. First, you can clear your AOL cache - click Settings, Preferences and WWW. Second, you can try running Internet Explorer outside of AOL. Just minimize AOL and click on the "E" icon on your desktop to start Internet Explorer. You DO NOT have to use AOL's built in browser (a hybrid of Internet Explorer). Every computer with Windows comes equipped with Internet Explorer.

Q: Why did my message get deleted?

A: If your message was deleted it's because the moderator felt that it violated the Terms and Conditions, or was not germaine to the substance of the board or otherwise not useful to the community as a whole.

Q: My message got deleted, can you restore it?

A: No - once messages are gone, they're gone - and chances are that if your message was deleted it was done for a reason and we wouldn't change our minds and restore it even if we could.

Q: How does BigDoggie.net decide what is fair and what isn't?

A: BigDoggie.net decides what is fair and what isn't based on the posted Terms and Conditions. If you're looking for a reason as to why your message was deleted, you should start there. However, remember, that BigDoggie.net is the final arbitar as to what is fair, and even though this is a public message board, we reserve the right to decide what is and isn't proper on the boards.

Q: There is a poster on the message board who is abusive towards women, what can I do about it?

A: Chances are that the board moderator has seen it - and if the board moderator hasn't deleted it, then it may be a difference of opinion as to whether or not the message is indeed abusive. If you are unsure, please e-mail the board moderator to bring it to his/her attention.

Q: Someone posted a phony message about me, how can I have it deleted?

A: If it is in fact a "phony" message, then please report it to the board moderator. However, if it's just a message that's not particularly flattering towards you, or one that's critical, that is not enough justification to have it removed.

Q: I don't like another poster, can I have them banned?

A: No, you can't. We don't ban posters based on whether they are liked or not liked. If a poster is banned it is because of a violation of the Terms and Conditions posted on the site.

Q: Whenever this "other person" posts it makes me very mad, how should I respond to them?

A: The best way to respond to someone that bothers you is to NOT respond. All you accomplish by doing this is feeding the ego of the poster and letting them know that you're easily rattled. Best to leave it alone - without the attention from other posters, the problematic ones usually go away.

Q: Someone posted a very mean message about me, can I flame them back?

A: You could - but all that would do is perpetuate the thread and help it to remain visible to the readers longer than it needs to be. Before you "flame" anyone, consider that you may start a war that will go on forever. If you believe someone posted something that's factually incorrect, you may address the factual issues (and even that's not a good idea) - but flaming will surely only yield more flaming.

Q: I suspect that a certain post is either a self-review or otherwise phony, do I report it or flame the poster?

A: Please report it. You could be wrong - and the post may be legitimate. Before you embarass yourself, let the moderator check into it.

Q: What is a flame?

A: A flame is an inflammatory post - one that essentially serves no purpose other than to "inflame" the situation. It's also become synonymous with a post that is hurtful, or mean.

Q: Is there a glossary of common terms used?

A: Yes - you can find it under the "Newbie" menu - it's called, aptly enough "Glossary".

Q: How do I register or login? And why?

A: At the top of each message board there is a "Register" link. Click it and then choose the type of membership you want. You have the option of becoming a free, public site access member, or a premium paid member. NOTE: WHEN YOU SIGNUP YOU MUST use a valid e-mail address. An e-mail will be sent to that address with your password. NOTE: if you fill out an incorrect e-mail address and do not receive the confirmation, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER THE NAME AGAIN. Please save this e-mail as it contains your username and password. Make sure you DO NOT use your real name for your username (unless you don't mind if everyone sees it). You MUST sign up for a membership to be able to post on any of the boards, to be able to search the message base of any of the boards, and to be able to create or read reviews in the review database. Membership is system-wide, so once you've signed up you will be able to use the same username in all of the public areas, and all of the member's only areas (if you've elected to sign up for a paid membership. You are NOT required to be a member to read the boards. If you are going to post, you will HAVE TO login first. (if you haven't logged in, the "post new message" or "post reply" links will pop up a dialog box asking you for username and password).

Q: What's the difference between being a "free" member and a "paid" member?

A: Free memberships have some limitations on them. For example, you can not make more than 5 posts per day with a free membership. In addition, the length of your posts is limited, and the number of results returned on a search of any of the message boards is set to 25. In addition, you will only have access to the public version of the review database (without all the "nitty-gritty" details), and you will not see some of the information available in the Directory listings (pictures, tour dates, discounts for members). The best option is to sign up for a paid membership. To do that, you can membership. To do that, you can Join now for Escort Reviews and Escort Listings If you already have a free membership and you're interested in upgrading to a paid membership, please choose Upgrade now for more Escort Reviews and Escort Listings.

Q: Do I have to register for the public message boards even if I'm a paid member?

A: NO... registration is system wide - you only need one BigDoggie.net membership.

Q: What username should I use?

A: That's up to you - the only guideline would be DON'T use your real name. Your registered name (and password) will be required everytime you post.

Q: What password should I use?

A: Your initial password is sent to you by our system. After that, you may use the "Change Password" form on the "Support" page to change it to whatever you would like.

Q: How do I change my password?

A: On the "Support" page you'll find a link to the "Change Password" form.

Q: I've lost my password, how do I get help?

A: On the "Support" page you'll find a link to the "Retrieve Lost/Forgotten Password form.

Using the Message Boards

Q: How do I read messages?

A: To read a message, just click anywhere on the subject line EXCEPT where the poster's name appears. If you click on the poster's name, it tries to open the message in "edit" mode (you can only edit your own messages - it requires your username and password and you can NOT edit messages that are older than a few days)

Q: How do I post new message?

A: To post a message, click the "Post Msg" link at the top of the main board index. You will be prompted to login (if you have not already logged in during this session). Once you've logged in, you'll be taken to the "Post Message" form with your username filled in. At your option, you can enter an e-mail address (This is recommended, ESPECIALLY if you are expecting anyone to be able to contact you about your post - however e-mail addresses are NOT required to post). Type a subject line that will give the readers some idea as to the purpose of your post. There are several conventions for subject lines that you should try to follow. They are described below.

After you've filled in the subject, type the body of the message. The message should be clear and concise. DO NOT type in all capital letters. In the online world, that's the equivalent of shouting and considered very bad form. Try to use proper punctuation and paragraphs - it's very difficult to read one big block of text on-screen and if the post is long, the reader may give up before they ever get to the point of your message.

When you're all done, RE-READ your message. Correct any mistakes, and then click the "Post" button at the bottom of the form. ONLY click the Post button one time. It could take from a couple of seconds to a minute or more for your post to go through. Be patient - if there's a problem, you'll get back some kind of error message. If everything went through smoothly, you'll get a message back saying that the post was successful. Click on the link to the Current Page to go back to the main message forum and see your message. NOTE - DO NOT click your back button to go back to the forum. If you do, the page will not have refreshed and you will not see your message.

Q: How do I post a review?

A: Click the "Post Review" link at the top of the message board.

Q: Should I post my review to the review database or the message board?

A: Please only use the message boards for short summary type reviews, or to direct people to a new review that you posted in the review database. For detailed, longer reviews please submit them to the review database using the review submission form.

Q: How do I post looking for information or "in search of"?

A: ISO at the beginning of the post means "In Search Of". Generally that means that you're looking for information about somebody. For example:
RIGHT: ISO info on Cindy from Top Shelf Escorts
WRONG: Cindy??????

A subject line like the first one clearly shows the readers that you are looking for information about someone named Cindy that works for an agency called "Top Shelf". The second one is just about guaranteed not to yield any results other than some nasty remarks from some of the more experienced readers. In addition, BEFORE you post, make sure that you have searched back through the messages. Odds are that your question has already been asked and answered - and probably more than once. No one is willing to help someone that doesn't put in the basic effort required to do a search before they post. (Please see the detailed section on "Searching the Message Base".

Q: How do I add a link or URL to a message?

A: There are boxes below the message body area called "Link URL" and "Link Title". Use these if you want to include a link in your message. For example you might be ISO of information on a particular provider and want to include a link to her website (in fact you should). In the space for "Link Title", type in a text description for the URL - in this case something like "Tiffany's Website" would be appropriate.

Q: How do I reply to an existing message?

A: With the message open, click on the "Post Reply" link on the top of the message. Everything about replying to a message is IDENTICAL to posting a message.

Q: How do I edit a message I posted previously?

A: You can only edit your own messages. To edit your message, find it on the main message page and click on your posting name. This will bring up a screen similar to the one that you use to post or reply to a message. Type in your password, make whatever modifications you need to make to the subject or body of the message and then click the post button. When you go back to look at your message MAKE SURE that you refresh the message to see the current contents.

Q: After I made the edit I went back and looked and the edit didn't show up, why?

A: Probably because you need to refresh the message. Click the REFRESH or RELOAD button in your browser.

Q: How do I delete a message I posted?

A: You can't - you can edit out all of the message content, but you can't delete the actual message - only board moderators can delete messages.

Q: How do I search the message base to find something?

A: You can search through the messages by clicking on the "Search" link at the top of the message list. There are several options that you will need to fill in to search for messages:

SEARCH PATTERN

is the word or phrase that you are searching for. For example, if you want to find posts about someone named "Tiffany", just type "Tiffany" (without the quotes) in the Search Pattern box.

SORT THREADS BY

Allows you to choose in what order the results are sorted when they are returned. To sort most recent to oldest, leave this option set to the default choice "First time post in thread"

INCLUDE CONTENTS OF ALL MESSAGES

check this option if you want the entire message to display, instead of just the subject line. Note that if you do a broad search that is going to return a lot of results, it may take some time to download all of the messages. For that reason it IS NOT recommended that you choose this option.

MATCH ONLY THOSE INCLUDING IMAGES

check this if you only want to see results that contain images.

POSTING DAY RANGE

in the "From" field, fill in how many days back you would like the search to start. For example, if you want to go back one year, fill in 365 days in the "From" field. In the "To" field fill in how many days back you would like the search to end. For example if you wanted to look for posts that were made in the 30 day period between 90 and 60 days ago, you would fill in "From 90 days ago to 60 days ago". If you wanted to see posts made within the last 3 months, you would fill in "From 90 days ago to 0 days ago. NOTE: If you only have a free public site access membership, the number of results returned on any search will be limited to 25. In order to get around that, you would need to either refine your search (make it less broad), or cut back on the number of days you are searching.

When all of your options have been filled in, click the submit button. Depending on the number of matches, your results could take from a few seconds to a few minutes to appear. Remember that the more specific you are about the information that you enter into the "Search Pattern" field, the less results you will ordinarily get. Searching is performed on the subject and author line of the messages - the body of the message is not searched. Keep that in mind when you are looking for information and remember that unfortunately not everyone does things the same way. If you are looking for an escort named "Jill" from "XYZ Escorts", you can try searching under "Jill", under "XYZ" or under "XYZ escorts". All three of those searches would return a slightly different set of results. Experiment doing things a few different ways until you get the hang of it.

Q: Who is the moderator?

A: The Moderator is the person responsible for ensuring that the message board stays "peaceful", and that nothing that shouldn't be posted remains on the board. If you are unsure who the moderator is, try reading back through some of the messages on the board to see if you can find one from the moderator. The moderator's name appears in red letters so it shouldn't be too hard to find one. Alternatively, you can use the search function to search through old messages looking for either "moderator" or just "mod". Be forewarned that a search for "mod" will turn up any results that have the three characters "mod" in the subject. For example, a post about "models" would show up as well as a post from "miami_mod"

Q: How do I contact the moderator?

A: The moderator ordinarily posts an e-mail address with his/her messages. Please find one and use the e-mail address provided.

Review Database

Q: What is the Escort Review Database?

A: The Escort Review Database is the best tool on BigDoggie.net for finding information about Escorts around the country. The Escort Review Database allows you to search for Escorts based on many different criteria. Depending upon how specific you are, you will find many Escorts who match your general criteria or only a few who match your specific criteria exactly.

Q: Can anyone use the Escort Review Database?

A: There are two versions of the Review Database - one for members and one for public site users. They are identical in their functionality.

Q: What is the difference between the public review database and paid member searchable review database?

A: The databases are identical and draw off the same reviews. The primary difference is that the public database DOES NOT display all of the fields - nor does it include any of the graphic fields or detailed reviewers narrative. To get the most out of the review database you should become a member: Join now for Escort Reviews and Escort Listings.

Q: I'm an escort. How do I link directly from my Website to a list of my reviews?

A: The best way to do this is to join the BigDoggie.net affiliate program. To become a BigDoggie.net affiliate, choose: Become a BigDoggie.net affiliate.

Once you have become a BigDoggie.net affiliate, you'll be given a special "Link Code" which you can use to link directly from your website to a listing of your reviews on BigDoggie.net.

Using the Searchable Review Database

Q: What do I need to be able to use the searchable Review Database?

A: The only thing you need is your membership username and password. Membership registration is available by clicking on the "Join/Upgrade" link on the menu bar, or by CLICKING HERE. Of course it would certainly help to have an idea of what it is you're looking for when you search (there's almost 30,000 reviews in the database).

Q: How do I post a review?

A: To post a review, click on the "Post a New Review" link. You can find this link at the top of the Search page, and also by clicking the "Reviews" option on the menu bar.

Q: What are the guidelines for posting a review?

A: First and foremost, the review must be a truthful, accurate representation of your experience. If you had a good time and report that it was terrible (or vice versa), your review is of no use to the community.

Q: How do I edit a review I submitted previously?

A: There is no facility currently for "self-editing" a review. If you made a factual mistake and need it corrected (ie. an incorrect URL or e-mail address), please e-mail the correction to reviews@bigdoggie.net. Please make sure that you specify the name of the person reviewed, your handle and the date that the review was posted.

Q: How do I see the review I submitted?

A: As soon as the review has been successfully submitted, it is available in the database. The easiest way to find it is to type in the Escorts name and select the state - that should give you a small enough set of results that you should easily be able to spot the review you just posted. To check the review itself, click on the hyperlinked name.

Q: How do I search for a specific review or a list of reviews in my city?

A: The search form is designed so that the more fields you choose, the more exact your match will be. For example, to find all of the reviews in "Tampa, Florida", just type "Tampa" (without the quotes) into the city box, and select Florida from the drop down list of States/Provinces. For some other cities, you may have to be a little more creative. For example, if you're looking for matches for "Ft. Lauderdale, Florida", you should recognize that not everyone may have typed the city in the same way. Some may have entered the city as "Fort Lauderdale" and some may have entered it as "Ft. Lauderdale" and other may have entered it as "Ft Lauderdale". To a database, these are really looked at as three completely different cities. That's why we've designed the Review Database to do "substring" searches. In the case of looking for reviews from Ft. Lauderdale, you may have more luck just typing in "lauderdale". Doing it this way will find all three variations of Ft. Lauderdale.

The same logic applies to searching for a particular escort. Not everyone may have spelled the escorts name the same way. For example "Jennifer", may appear as "Jeniffer", "Jennifer", "Jenniffer" or ever "Jenn". You can use the substring matching to help you find these reviews as well. If you search for "Jenn" or "Jen" you should get all of the different variations of "Jennifer", however you'll also get all of the "Jenni's", "Jenna's" and anyone else that has those 3 or 4 characters as one string in their name.

Q: How do I search for a specific time frame, i.e., last 30 days?

A: There are a set of radio buttons at the top of the search form that help you define the time period that you would like to search for. Just select the one that you would like to apply as criteria to your search (note, you can only select ONE of these options at a time), fill in the rest of your criteria and "Submit" your search. If you want ALL reviews from the "beginning of time", leave the default radio button "No time period specified" selected.

Q: How can I become a paid member so that I can search & read all the submitted reviews?

A: Becoming a member of BigDoggie.net is easy and fast. Just click the "Join/Upgrade" link on the menu, fill out a short form and you're finished. BigDoggie.net gives you the option of paying by Credit Card and having your account activated instantly - or paying by Cash, Check or Money Order. Note that non credit card signups are not activated until your payment is received. Join now for Escort Reviews and Escort Listings.

Advertising

Q: Why should I advertise on BigDoggie.net?

A: Because it WORKS! Advertising on BigDoggie.net is one of the most cost effective means available to put your name in front of your targeted audience. In addition to your advertising, only BigDoggie.net net affords you the opportunity through our Public and Member's Only message boards, to become a recognized "personality" in the community. That recognition, along with a regular advertising campaign have been proven to work time and time again.

Q: I'd like to advertise on BigDoggie.net, how can I do this?

A: It's easy - all of the details can be found under the "Advertising" link on the menu bar.

Q: Why do the banners rotate?

A: On the "old" BigDoggie.net the banners were stacked at the top of the message board pages. That meant that as soon as the reader started looking through the posts, the banners scrolled off the page. With the new format, your banner is ALWAYS in front of the readers. Our rotation system changes the banners every time the page is loaded - over time, all advertisers average the same number of impressions (an impression is defined as each time your banner is displayed). Early results show that banners are generating MORE click-throughs (a reader clicking on the banner and going to your site) than the previous system - and that's better for you as an advertiser.

Q: What does it cost have a banner advertisement?

A: Rates are different for Independent Escorts and Commercial Enterprises like Escort Agencies or Escort Listing Directories. In addition, there are "Regular" and "Premium" banner rates which are defined by the size and placement on the page. All of the details can be found under the "Advertising" link on the menu bar.

Q: I only want a Directory listing, can I do that?

A: Of course! If you're an Escort or an Escort Agency, you receive a directory listing with your BigDoggie.net membership. If you provide another type of service (ie. Escort Listing site, Web Design, Photographer) you can also purchase a Directory Listing, however this Directory Listing DOES NOT include access to the member's only areas.

Customer Service

Q: What is your level of commitment to customer service for visitors to BigDoggie.net?

A: We are committed to providing the highest level of customer service for our paid members. Free, public site users can find their answers in this FAQ.

Q: What Customer Service is available for the Public site?

A: If you're using the Public side of BigDoggie.net there are numerous tools available to you. First and foremost, you should read this FAQ. We've designed it to answer almost every conceivable question about the BigDoggie.net site. In addition there are an assortment of guides and articles available under the "Newbies" link on the menu bar including a Glossary of terms regularly used on the message boards. Invest the time in reading through this information - it should answer all of your questions.

Q: What Customer Service is available for paid members?

A: BigDoggie.net paid members are entitled to premium customer service. There are several options to choose from. The best way to reach Customer Service is to send an e-mail to support@bigdoggie.net. During regular business hours you will receive responses fairly quickly - sometimes immediately, sometimes within an hour or two, but always same day.

Please remember that when contacting Customer Service we require your username and registered e-mail address to verify that you are a member. In addition, please carefully and completely describe the problem that you are having. Sending a message that says "The message boards don't work" doesn't give us enough information to be able to help you.

Q: Is customer service available 24/7?

A: Technically, Customer Service is closed on nights and weekends, however we do make an effort, if possible to respond to member's Customer Service inquiries outside of normal business hours, so feel free to send an e-mail.

Q: I still have unresolved issues even after reading the FAQ, what should I do?

A: If you feel that there is something that was not covered in this FAQ, please send an e-mail to faq@bigdoggie.net. If you're a paid member, please feel free to e-mail the support address on the member's customer support page. If we feel that it's something that hasn't been addressed, or hasn't been addressed properly, we'll do our best to address it. If it's something that IS covered in the FAQ or Newbie Guides, we'll let you know.

Q: My e-mails don't get answered, why?

A: There are several reasons that an e-mail may go unanswered. If the e-mail is rude, discourteous or has no merit, chances are its been deleted. If the e-mail is one that would require no answer other than "got your e-mail" or "thanks for sending that", then it more than likely will not be responded to. For example, if you notify us of a problem, and we fix it, we don't always send back an e-mail saying "thanks for letting us know". Once we've fixed the problem, we're on to other e-mails. With the volume of e-mails that we receive daily, this is unfortunately the only practical way to handle it.