Vampire classified ad pages
1. Personal ads for blood-drinkers, psychic vampires, and people interested in them:
2. Personal ads for role-players:
3. Miscellaneous vampire-related ads:
4. Classified ad sites with what I consider confusing systems of categorization:
The above sites group ads into catgories like "Vampires Seeking Vampires," which include everyone from RPGers to real-life blood-drinkers, and "Mortals Seeking Vampires," implying a belief that vampires are immortal. To me, it would make far more sense to group people by interest category, e.g. "Real-life blood-drinkers and people interested in them," "RPGers," etc. This would help eliminate a lot of confusion! The present categorizations not only lump people together inappropriately, but also create a generally out-of-touch-with-reality feeling about the whole scene -- encouraging posers and pranksters, it seems to me. But, be that as it may....
Now for some advice:
1. For people posting or answering ads pertaining to "real vampires": Here are some Warning Signs of (Possible) Fakes/Posers/Gamers, as given by AngelBitMe on her Vampire Information and Education Website. Also, if you either call yourself a vampire or are looking for "real vampires," give some indication as to what you mean by the word "vampire." Different people use "vampire" to mean so many different things that the term has become almost meaningless, leading to a ton of misunderstandings, disappointments, and accusations of "posing."
2. For non-vampires seeking to meet "real vampires": Before you post an ad seeking to be "turned" or "embraced," be advised of the attitude of the online vampire community toward such requests, as explained in the following articles:
3. For everyone posting or answering ads: Remember, there are some nuts out there. Observe basic safety precautions like: Get to know someone first by E-mail, then by phone, before you meet them; and make sure some friend of yours knows where you're going when you do meet them.
4. For people creating new classified ad sitss: First, avoid words like "human" and "mortal" as synonyms for "non-vampire." This terminology insinuates a belief that vampires are immortal/non-human, thereby attracting posers and creating a general lost-in-fantasyland atmosphere. (I do not mean to rule out the possibility that very long-lived vampires exist, but, in the absence of proof, it is quite inappropriate to use terminology which assumes that all vampires are immortal/non-human.) Also, I would strongly suggest not asking your users to classify themselves as "vampires" or "non-vampires" in the first place, given the lack of agreement on the meaning of "vampire," and given that many people are uncertain whether they are "vampires." Instead, it makes far more sense to group advertisers by interest categories such as the following:
5. Keep kids off your site! Register your site with various makers of Internet blocking software.
More advice will appear here as I myself learn more.
Comments? Please write to Amy Krieytaz, akrieytaz@hotmail.com. Thank you.
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