Last week’s big story was the attempt to shut down Backpage made by Tom Dart, sheriff of Cook County, Illinois (i.e. Chicago) and accomplice to Swanee Hunt in her unceasing endeavors to torture whores and clients. Since Backpage has broken no laws, every lawsuit against it has failed; Dart simply circumvented due process by convincing credit card processors to stop processing payments to the company (just as federal “authorities” cut off funding to Wikileaks). Backpage responded by making adult ads free for the time being, thus thumbing its collective nose at Dart and the other opportunists who were pretending that his grandstand play would magically shut sex workers down. But even had the company not done so, it was still possible to pay for ads via bitcoin; several tech-savvy sex workers and allies have been giving advice on how to use it, and because of that I may have finally succeeded in learning how to use it myself (I’ve been attempting to arrange that since last summer). In the next few days I should be adding a button to allow donations via bitcoin, but if you don’t have any fear not; I still take them via PayPal and Square.
One last note: due to an extended visit with a friend over the previous weekend, I won’t be stopping in Denver on the way out, but rather in Casper, Wyoming instead. I’ll still be in Wichita on the 28th, and will return via Denver in August.
Has cash come out of fashion?
Since it’s not safe to send cash through the mail, most people who donate to support my writing & activism prefer electronic payment methods. But if you want to send me. a check or money order, I’d be happy to provide you with an address.
Just one remark on Bitcoin: It is not really anonymous, even if it may seem so at first glance. Researchers have managed to track payments to a high degree and hence the NSA will be able to do so as well. The FBI/DEA/GeStaPo can then be made aware of the findings and their agents can lie under oath to courts (with no risk to them) on how they found that information.
Other than that, it is perfect for legal payments that some authoritarians try to prevent by underhanded tactics.
I just visited the Backpage escort section in my hometown and the activity seems to be quite heavy. Funny how free stuff brings the ‘victims’ out of the woodwork.
It’d be great if this backfires in Dart’s face!
Maggie, I hope you’ll bitcoin experience and tips for use once you figure it out.
[…] Credit card payment providers are making it harder to do business. Maybe cryptocurrencies could offer an alternative? […]