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But since they already have a stable of hoes and demand hasn't really subsided they'll probably just switch to another website.

• lmm 9y ago
  Effective demand has subsided. Some people who used Backpage will find another site, but for many finding one won't be worth the effort and they'll find another way to amuse themselves that evening.
  • c22 9y ago
    Perhaps you're right. I didn't know Backpage was a thing until this news cycle, I guess I assumed that people who knew about it also know about other sites. Was this the only site online facilitating prostitution? Apparently not, since craigslist also shut down their personals section. Some of the stories by sex workers talk about using Backpage to network and vet Johns which implies to me that most users were regulars. I suspect regulars will not find something else to do this evening but will instead start by calling up past providers, rebuilding their connections, and likely end up on another site with even more features and less oversight operating on TOR.
    • lmm 9y ago
      > I didn't know Backpage was a thing until this news cycle, I guess I assumed that people who knew about it also know about other sites. Was this the only site online facilitating prostitution? It was the big name. It was the only one I'd heard of other than craigslist, and I thought craigslist shut down that section years ago. > Some of the stories by sex workers talk about using Backpage to network and vet Johns which implies to me that most users were regulars. It implies most clients of the kind of sex worker who participates in these discussions were regulars. It wouldn't necessarily be the same for trafficked women and children which is the case we're actually trying to stop. And even if it is, presumably there's some level of turnover; making it harder for new people to get into unconsenting sex slaves is still a win even if it does nothing about the existing client population. > likely end up on another site with even more features and less oversight Sounds like no oversight would be better than the oversight backpage had, if all that oversight did was hide that ads for children were for children while still letting those ads run. > operating on TOR I very much doubt it. Tor is a massive faff to use; maybe some people will move to a hidden site but it will be a big barrier to entry if so.
      • c22 9y ago
        I don't know enough specifics about this case or the industry to go much deeper into this. I don't know to what extent Backpage facilitated child trafficking or whether Johns are split between discerning and unconscionable groups who use different pimps. What I do know is that removing the middleman from a dark market while leaving the consumers, providers, and demand is often a high profile easy win, but rarely does much to curtail the actual problem. If Backpage execs were truly vicious scoundrels then fuck them, I'm glad to see them get theirs, but regardless it seems like a poor direction of our "stop sex trafficking" budget. Also tor is as easy to use as downloading an installer, running it, and then using a modern browser interface. Anyone who is at the level of "installs their own software" is eligible, which may not be every last pedophile sex pervert, but likely the motivated ones.