We’ve ranted and raved about the cam model-centric social media site Sharesome, and now we’re diving into the pros and cons of Switter.
Truth: You might find the cons are few and far between for this one. Switter is seriously worth looking into if you’re a cam model in need of social media promotion.
What is Switter?
Switter is a Mastodon-hosted social media platform for sex workers and cam models.
According to Switter themselves, the site was created as an alternative to Twitter and other social media sites “in light of the FOSTA/SESTA bill and the recent shadow-banning of our [workers’] accounts.”
The main difference between Sharesome and Switter is that Sharesome was focused entirely on cam models, whereas Switter supports sex workers from all industries. Switter also openly supports the new escort platform Tryst.
You must be 18 years or older to join and use Switter. It’s available for iOS, Android and a few other platforms.
The website is almost identical to Twitter in form, replacing “tweets” with “toots.” Statuses cap at 500 characters, and the hashtag system is exactly the same as Twitter. Heck yeah, sexy Twitter!
The Pros of Using Switter
Oh, how there are pros to this social media network! These pros may be simple, but they make all the difference for cam models who need to network and promote themselves.
1. Pay-free, baby.
First and foremost, it is free to use. It doesn’t get much better than that. There aren’t any “premium” versions or memberships available, but there really isn’t much of a need for them.
According to the site’s “What is Mastodon?” page: “Mastodon is not a commercial network. No advertising, no data mining, no walled gardens. There is no central authority.” This is fantastic for cam models that are just starting out and don’t really have the cash to market their work.
2. The rules help cam models instead of hurting them.
Switter’s rules, which are made clear on the site itself, are also quite well-done and protect the integrity of the site as well as the livelihood of sex workers who use it. Some of these rules include:
- No excessive advertising of products unrelated to sex work
- No bots
- No racism, sexism, homophobia or discrimination of any sort
- No posting of content not produced by yourself or by someone you were given explicit permission to use
Twitter is pretty well-known for being somewhat lenient on harassment, so having a new social media network that is truly dedicated to creating a safe space for sex workers is awesome.
3. Anybody can use it without struggle.
Switter is pretty user-friendly for newbies who don’t want to deal with too much of a learning curve. The visual aspect of the site differs a bit from Twitter — think if Twitter and Amino meshed together to create a whole new website. It just takes a bit of tinkering to get used to.
The Cons of Using Switter
There aren’t many cons to Switter, but nothing is perfect, is it?
1. Rare email bugs.
Some users have reported that it can take quite a while to receive their confirmation email, but this writer had no issue with receiving one immediately.
2. Exclusivity.
Of course, Switter is only really useful for marketing oneself to other Switter users. This echo chamber can make it fairly difficult to find fresh new clients or broaden one’s already established audience.
Still, there are quite a few users on Switter (currently around 200,000 and steadily growing) so there are ample opportunities to market yourself. Since so many other cam models use Switter, it is also a great place to network with other performers, companies and paysites.
We Say: Go For It!
It’s easy to use, full of other cam models and patrons, and it’s totally free. Make an account ASAP, we say!
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Em Casalena is a queer sex positive writer and professional protective mom friend. Email them at em@ynotcam.com.
Switter logo via Switter.at.
[…] Read Em’s in-depth assessment of Switter right here. […]