Webmasters Who Behave Like Surfers - What Are Your Thoughts?

[Harlan]

*LOLOL*

"win the dubious distinction of being the last Sigma Chi standing at the keggar..."

omg, harlan - you have SUCH the way with words

Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady...You say the nicest things!

[gaybucks_chip]

There I was thinking that people actually went to talk business, make new contacts and find new business. Im sure some of that must go on as well, no?

At the same time that all the shit goes on, it's *still* an unbeatable way to meet and get to know people in the industry, find new opportunities you might never have considered. and learn about what others are doing in the industry.

I've gotten an amazing amount of advice, suggestions, and ideas from conversations at the conferences, as well as made a lot of friends that I talk to all the time to bounce ideas off of.

Other things being equal, I would rather do business with someone I've had a chance to meet, talk to, and have a sense of who they are and how they conduct their business than someone I've only talked to over email. Of course there are exceptions, but you really can't beat the shows for the business opportunities. For us, it's just a matter of looking at them as opportunities to improve our business, not to party... but I know a lot of people who do both and are quite successful at it.

[Harlan]

Sounds like these webmaster events are more like drugged fueled gangbangs than about business... maybe best to stay away after all!

There I was thinking that people actually went to talk business, make new contacts and find new business. Im sure some of that must go on as well, no?

Chip responsed to your comments in a very fair and balanced way telling you both sides of the story. Like Chip and AJ, we are at shows to do buisness and our behavior represents that. I think fondly of many times GayBucks & PrideBucks have mixed together in everything from quick lobby hellos to sponsored sit down dinners to big parties. We are not alone there.

As in life in general and definitely in the gay world, there those whose lifestyle contains a lot of substance consumption, abuse and man chasing. Add to that the number of social events, the free flowing booze and scantily clad boy toys a plenty and you have a real tempest in a teapot. Some poeple, usually to their detrement, get out of control and act inappropiately as indeed, I do think some use our industry as an excuse to for a lack of self control. Nothing begins totally in a vacum; these people are likely acting that way back home, just in any other settings or professon, I doubt most of it would be done in front of peers, bosses and colleages.

Like anything in life, it is the scandal that gets the headlines and the tounges wagging the next day. Many of us go to the shows to work and get work done we do. Joe, David and I met a show and without having had the a few days of both work and yes, fun together offered by the show, its unlikely we would have developed the relationship that led to the forming of PrideBucks. We also met Rainey at a show who we know can not imagine PrideBucks without. Many many of the deals that have proved the most lucrative and satisfying, as Chip was relating, have also happened because of the face time shows provide. At the same time, there are alos people added to the list you would never trust to handle if your traffic if they can not even handle their libido or their liquor as opposed to those that can mix business and pleasure with class.

Bottom line for me, shows have been wonderful vehicles for establishing partnerships that have lasted for years. Meeting Joe, Dave and later Rainey at shows has literally grown into something that forever changed the fabric of our life. Are we the lucky ones? Absolutely. Do you hit the jack pot at every show? Of course not - but there is gold in them there hills, but you are unlikely to find it if all you are looking for is piece of ass and not all of us, thankfully, are afraid to look above the waist or beyond the bar.

[Squirt]

Can we all stop putting judgement on eachother and just relax and have a good time?

Seriously

Let's network, make some money, have a few drinks, and enjoy life

pretty simple