do you use LinkedIn? I find it very handy for business networking and creating contacts. But apparently they don't like legal prostitution businesses using their services.

Earlier this week the site updated its user agreement and informed its more than 200 million members that prostitutes were no longer welcome on its social networking site.

http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/prostitutes-hit-back-at-linkedin-ban-013549696.html

If the business is a legal entity, then why should they deny it?

Because it's their website and they can do whatever they want with it

And don't prostitutes use craigslist.... Not that I would know.

Because it's their website and they can do whatever they want with it

Thank you Captain Obvious.

But apart from that they are running a very public business site so do you think it's good business sense to ban a particular business stream. Or is it the start of indiscriminate banning based on a specified standard.

Is this a good thing to do for such a site like this?

the site get's write ups in Time magazine along with the likes of Facebook and the recent edition of 100 most influential people in the world. I think it would be in line with their underlying conservative spheres of influence.

just like you wouldn't see the science journal Nature print a big pair of high res titties on the front cover just because they happened to be perfectly symmetrical with identical nipple spacing's and whatever else made these particular titties appear to be a scientifically perfect pair if some peer reviewed paper found it to be so. it's just known that Playboy is where it's at.

Actually this matter was just dealt with in the Court of Appeal where a hotel owner banned a prostitute from working out of the premises. It was found to not be discriminatory, and that the hotel owner is entitled to decides who conducts business at the premises.

I am sure LinkedIn doesn't want to become known as that prostitute directory site.

This should prevent those awkward moments where LinkedIn encourages me to publicly endorse the skills of prostitutes in my network.

If it's a legally registered business then yes they should allow it.

Not at all, they should be able to do what they want with their business providing it doesn't break the law. Let the market decide if they think LinkedIn is better or worse without prostitutes.

shouldn't they just ban all women then?

This will bring the prostitution community to it's knees.

Not sure if the author is calling hooters girls prostitutes or not..

^lol, yeah, the f*** is there a pic of hooters girls?

do you use LinkedIn? I find it very handy for business networking and creating contacts.

I've blocked their emails due to the number of Indians hitting me up for work opportunities.

@work the guys women in HR think I am one or two peeps on there with the same name though, which is actually kinda funny. It has it's benefits ;)

I'm not going into work on Monday... they're lucky to have me. They'll survive XD

Won't this just drive prostitutes to use another more ambiguious description for their profession? Secondly who searches LinkedIn to find prostitutes?

Thought I'd test your theory and typed in 'cum dumpster' and the first result was 'Staff Engineer at VMware - San Francisco Bay Area'

we are all whores metaphorically speaking

so its a bit hypocritical not letting professional whores on linkedin

Pretty much a clear cut case of discrimination under Australian law, too bad it's hosted offshore.

so then is it discriminatory for ebay to prohibit sex related items from its listings?

so then is it discriminatory for ebay to prohibit sex related items from its listings?

?

No it's not . 'Lawful sexual activity' is a protected attribute a person can possess ie being a sex worker. A dildo is just a dildo.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/adult-only.html

Items that can't be listed at all:

Services that include any sexual/adult activity

It would only apply in QLD and ACT and only if Ebay Australia was hosted in QLD and/or ACT and also whether or not said prostitute wanted to fight it.

You said items not services, but I guess that was an honest mistake and I see what you mean now.

Anyway, I don't see this as discrimination because there are plenty of places where prostitution is illegal, so I guess places like linkedin and ebay just want to cover their ass for that reason.

It also really defies the nature and vibe of linkedin, which is a professional networking site and yeah.. i don't see how a hooker is a professional job.

Isn't prostitution illegal?

Case closed?

Edit: Apparently it's legal and regulated in QLD according to this nifty world map from Wikipedia.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Prostitution_laws_of_the_world.PNG/800px-Prostitution_laws_of_the_world.PNG

The legality of prostitution and brothels around the world: The green areas are places where prostitution is legal and regulated; the blue areas are regions where prostitution is legal but unregulated and organized activities such as brothels are illegal; the red countries are places where prostitution is illegal. Gray areas signify lack of data.

--

LinkedIn is a US company though, so it's ilegal where they're at. Also, it's their company/website they can rightfully choose what types of things go on it in their terms of service/trade, don't think it really counts as discrimination.

well, there goes half my contacts :(

Edit: Apparently it's legal and regulated in QLD according to this nifty world map from Wikipedia.

I'm surprised you thought it was illegal. I think I vaguely remember the point in time that it switched from blue to green.

I would love to see that Wikipedia image cross referenced against a world map of "people engaged in prostitution per capita" or similar, I have a strong suspicion (mostly from watching COPS) that some of the red areas (particularly the US) might show up as shining beacons of hypocrisy.

"Selling is legal. f***ing is legal. Why isn't selling f***ing legal? Why should it be illegal to sell something that it's perfectly legal to give away?" -- George Carlin

Good old USofA

Ah, I found such a map. Haha @ China and USA

http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=10544

i don't see how a hooker is a professional job.

Regardless of 'how you feel' about someone exchanging goods for a service, the sex industry is one of the oldest.
As long as people have been willing to pay for sex (and I mean lets face it, we all /pay/ for sex on some level) it's a profession.

According to Dictionary.com

pro·fes·sion
[pruh-fesh-uhn]
noun
...
2. any vocation or business.

3. the body of persons engaged in an occupation or calling: to be respected by the medical profession.
...

Sure it's not 'highly regarded' as such, but if Linked In are going to ban this, then they should just as soon get rid of f***in lawyers and politicians... in all three cases it's people being paid to f***; the only difference is, when a hooker is finished, typically the customer has a smile on their face.

Next thing you know they'll be banning professional drug dealers.

good old Wikipedia, is there anything they can't tell you?

I think I vaguely remember the point in time that it switched from blue to green.

yeah sure, "vaguely" huh? right.......i think there's more to your expertise in this subject matter ;-)

Sure it's not 'highly regarded' as such, but if Linked In are going to ban this, then they should just as soon get rid of f***in lawyers and politicians... in all three cases it's people being paid to f***; the only difference is, when a hooker is finished, typically the customer has a smile on their face.

lawyers and doctors are really the last proper professions.. a profession is different to a trade or a vocation. A hooker is certainly not a profession, ie one that requires training, expertise and a code of ethics

excellent point taylor

isn't it "the world's oldest profession"?

lawyers and doctors are really the last proper professions.. a profession is different to a trade or a vocation. A hooker is certainly not a profession, ie one that requires training, expertise and a code of ethics

auditors, dentists, accountants, pyschologists, real estate agents, auctioneers, nurses... you could narrow a bit if you called the training a Bachelor's degree.

^ dude, you can't be serious about real estate agents?

isn't it "the world's oldest profession"?

Yes, but Taylor is here to tell us otherwise

f***ing retard. I believe a 'professional' is somebody that gets paid to do what they do.

Eg amateur sports person doesnt get paid, professional dose.
Hooker gets paid in exchange for sex, hence its a profession. This taylor dudes a total f***wit.

Isnt there that joke in the heart break kid where ben stiller's GF tells him her job/career doesnt pay her and he replies that makes it volunteering, not a job.

As dav0 said, I reckon world-class athletes would meet the strictest definition of the word profession as well.

^ dude, you can't be serious about real estate agents?

all the careers i quoted have a code of ethics and professional association - professional athletes don't have ethics lol - actually jockeys do

It really depends what definition you use. You can be a professional dole bludger, like fpot, for example. How bout you use a dictionary :

A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply objective counsel and service to others.

A hooker is not a profession, neither is a waiter you douchbags or anyone who 'gets paid'

professional athletes don't have ethics lol

Yeah they do.

http://www.rugbyleague.com.au/nrl/nrl_code_of_conduct.pdf - for example. Doesn't necessarily mean they follow them though :P

And uh oh, he's starting to follow me around in threads like a lost little puppy trying to jive me. Are we approaching full meltdown soon little buddy?

You're actually following me around, commenting on every post I make and putting me down. You're already well beyond meltdown stage.

Ethics means you follow them. Simple.

Taylor, you said yourself that it depends what definition you use, then go on to give only one possible definition and call everyone douchebags because they do not use that single definition. This is not the logical thought process expected of someone who attempts to emulate a Vulcan.

As you said, how about use a dictionary:

pro·fes·sion·al [pruh-fesh-uh-nl] Show IPA
adjective
1. following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain: a professional builder.
2. of, pertaining to, or connected with a profession: professional studies.
3. appropriate to a profession: professional objectivity.
4. engaged in one of the learned professions: A lawyer is a professional person.
5. following as a business an occupation ordinarily engaged in as a pastime: a professional golfer.

The very first definition most certainly covers a prostitute. This is how words and language in general work, nothing is clear cut, and people aren't douchebags just because they're not referring to the exact definition you have in mind at the time.

If this Taylor account isn't just one massive troll I swear I will eat my hat.

im really sorry i was mean to anton now :(

Hookers aren't really professionals in the context of LinkedIn though. It's pretty obvious it's for business professionals.