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The 2001 crash got one of my colleagues to cross the line. She had been bossing men around for next to nothing as a startup VP, so why not get paid more directly for it? She set up a basic website — thank you, Webmonkey — and listed it in three escort directories she found in the local alt.weekly papers. Eros Guide brings her well-off local clients, and richer-than-average visitors from out of town. But she learned an even better trick for landing the big fish.

She keeps a blog, and links her ad to it. She keeps talk about escort work and money off the blog —- the ad makes clear why she's there. As for client communications, email is easier to manage than phone calls, especially since she's still got a day job. Hushmail was the working girl's choice until some users' correspondences were turned over to the Feds a few months ago. Gmail plus Free Enigma for encryption is now more preferred. In 2008, with more whores than ever hanging out their shingles on WordPress, it's a wonder some enterprising former call girl hasn't started a social network solely for escorts and clients. Hmm, anyone want to discuss this over lunch? (Photo of South Bay escort Fatima, who may or may not have a blog, from Eros Guide)