Etiquette for an Unseemly Profession: Part #2
  Written By Titmowse

Like different cultures have different methods of proper social behavior, different professions go about interacting differently. An example of how two cultures enact socialization in separate ways would be the simple public greeting. In America, people look each other in the eye, reach out their hands and grasp and shake. In Japan, such an approach would be horribly insulting. The Japanese greet each other humbly and bow their heads to show this. Americans consider eye contact a sign of trust. Japanese consider it an assault.

The Internet has adopted certain acceptable forms of proper social courtesy. For instance, typing in all capitol letters is translated as yelling. The adult Internet has rules of etiquette.

In my last treatise on this subject I covered three rules.

1. Ignorance of spam is no excuse:
Basically, this means that even if you are unaware you are spamming, you will still be found guilty of unauthorized advertising and will be told so.

2. No statement is retractable:
When you announce a promise or declare a fellow adult webmaster of unprofessional conduct, you better follow through with action or proof. Your statements will be remembered and might come back to haunt you.

3. Judge not lest ye be judged:
When you claim to the world that someone is a cheater, a dubious promoter or even a bigot keep in mind exactly what profession you're in. You sell smut and riding a high horse can look a little silly.

The above three are described with greater detail in the previous article I wrote on this subject and if you've not read them, it would be wise to do so. I shall cover some new rules in today's article and here they are:

Trust No One:
I may be an X-Files fan but nevertheless, this is a cardinal rule for adult webmasters too. The Internet is an anonymous world. You never really know who it is you're dealing with when you're in cyberspace. A person can claim or say anything they want and many do. Tons of adult webmasters have been screwed out of money and time because they believed a hollow promise of services rendered. Just because someone claims to be a big player doesn't make it so. Just because you had an enjoyable instant message chat with a person does not mean they are honest. Approach every potential dealing as a potential scam and protect yourself accordingly.

Expect No Sympathy:
Your gallery didn't get listed. Your sales efforts are getting you nowhere. Your free host is redirecting your pages. Your dog just died. Nobody cares. Everyone has their own problems and no time to hold your hand. If you have a problem do something to fix it. Ask for solutions, not sympathy.

Read the TOS:
That small print that people barely scan through is there for a reason. If you buy content or sign up for a sponsor, read the damned rules. It's so much easier for you to get along in this market if you comply with a company's Terms of Service. Many an adult webmaster who bitched and moaned because a particular sponsor didn't pay them or dropped them from the program were shown that they broke the rules. If you encounter no rules or vaguely written ones, don't deal with that company.

This is a harsh and viciously competitive business now, more than ever. Very few of your peers will selflessly help you. If you don't know this by now learn it here: You are on your own.

Fortunately, Cozy Academy stands out in our desire to teach the new adult webmaster. We are one of the few places where help is given freely and without conditions. We don't believe in the idea of anything for a buck. We believe there is plenty of green to go around and we love showing you where to get it. When you are ready to tackle this beast of a market, we are here for you. No strings, no terms of service and no charge. In cold world of cutthroats, scandalmongers and anonymous faces take faith in knowing that when you come here, you'll always feel COZY.