Pros and Cons of Camming

[passmeawhiskay]

Hello ladies and gentlemen! New to the site, quick background on me and then on to the discussion.

I started camming on Chaturbate in 2015 after I got myself into a legal bind, (DUI, dont ever get one, crazy expensive). I felt desperate and was not making enough money with my normal job or my military school benefits.

I figured there is a market for sex so, why not. I cammed for about a year and got a decent following of mostly men obviously, and a few women. I was making great money and it helped alot with the legal fees. But then, I started to get cold feet. My followers were growing and my room attendance was way up. I started to see and be told by my mods that videos of me were all over the place.

I figured it would happen at some point but It stopped me cold. I was worried someone would see something I didnt want them to see. I was also doing a horrible job of keeping my real identity/real life away from my viewers. I never did anything "Gay for pay" but still, I dont want some disgruntled viewer messaging my friends videos or something from webcamarchiver.com or something.

Anyway, fast forward to 2 days ago where I got verified again on a new account on CB. My reasoning behind this was that the internet is forever. I will never be able to get those videos off from behind those paywall sites anyway. So why not just continue making good extra income for something that I enjoy doing? Right? lol I would also feel better if my shows were couple shows but no one has invented an app to find female cammers in my area. It seems more acceptable for a woman do do solo stuff then men, plus i'd rather be having sex anyway lol.

Which leads me to my question/topic of discussion. How can I limit my exposure? DMCA is obviously useless. What are the pros and cons ya'll see of camming? Money is good, but the longer you cam, the more exposure you get and the more videos of you will be out there. I guess I may be getting cold feet all over again. Does one just have to embrace the fact this is what they do and it will follow you forever? I wont be able to ever work for the government again I can tell you that.

 

[Gia_Xo]

The first time my bf searched my CB name, I nearly had a heart attack. I did expect it, but it was another thing to see it out there. This just simply is not the business to be in if you don't want to ever be found out. The only person I care about finding out is my kid, so I have blocked my home state on CB, but that's not even fool proof.
I am an adult, and as long as my partner is ok with what I do, then my family will have to deal with it unless they want to pay my bills for me. I have been camming since September, and only two of my friends know what I do so far.
Pros for me so far: money is good, work from home, work my own schedule, no boss, it's fun, and I love it!
Cons so far: I am lying to my family and most everyone else about what I do, the money is decent but the shit days- I once worked for four hours one day without one token- are SHITTY and it's tough not to take it to heart or think 'what's wrong with me?'....but that's all so far.
I am totally embracing what I do, and will tell my family eventually. My plan, though, is to do this so I can save up and start a fashion business with my friend. Since my plan is to not ever really enter the traditional workforce again, it does not bother me that this will be out there forever. I think that's maybe the most important factor to consider...as you said, you won't be working for the government again.
Gotta outweigh the pros and cons man! I am not made to work for someone, or to work a 9-5 in a cubicle. It killed my soul.

 

[NerdyZoey]

Hello ladies and gentlemen! New to the site, quick background on me and then on to the discussion.

I started camming on Chaturbate in 2015 after I got myself into a legal bind, (DUI, dont ever get one, crazy expensive). I felt desperate and was not making enough money with my normal job or my military school benefits.

I figured there is a market for sex so, why not. I cammed for about a year and got a decent following of mostly men obviously, and a few women. I was making great money and it helped alot with the legal fees. But then, I started to get cold feet. My followers were growing and my room attendance was way up. I started to see and be told by my mods that videos of me were all over the place.

I figured it would happen at some point but It stopped me cold. I was worried someone would see something I didnt want them to see. I was also doing a horrible job of keeping my real identity/real life away from my viewers. I never did anything "Gay for pay" but still, I dont want some disgruntled viewer messaging my friends videos or something from webcamarchiver.com or something.

Anyway, fast forward to 2 days ago where I got verified again on a new account on CB. My reasoning behind this was that the internet is forever. I will never be able to get those videos off from behind those paywall sites anyway. So why not just continue making good extra income for something that I enjoy doing? Right? lol I would also feel better if my shows were couple shows but no one has invented an app to find female cammers in my area. It seems more acceptable for a woman do do solo stuff then men, plus i'd rather be having sex anyway lol.

Which leads me to my question/topic of discussion. How can I limit my exposure? DMCA is obviously useless. What are the pros and cons ya'll see of camming? Money is good, but the longer you cam, the more exposure you get and the more videos of you will be out there. I guess I may be getting cold feet all over again. Does one just have to embrace the fact this is what they do and it will follow you forever? I wont be able to ever work for the government again I can tell you that.

If you’re feeling this worried and scared it’s probably not the job for you. Not to be mean or anything just realistic. If you haven’t checked out this forum I suggest you read it:
https://www.ambercutie.com/forums/threads/reality-check.1123/

If you’re uncomfortable being outed. Stop now, because it will happen.

Cons: slow days happen, sometimes people cross lines you don’t like, it takes a lot of hard work it’s not just showing up.
Pros: you’re the boss, can work from home, all hours work, it can bring in great money, the community is awesome

 

[AmberCutie]

"Do the benefits of camming outweigh the risks?"

Only if you make enough money from it. If you can make more than you'd make at another vanilla job doing the same amount of hours/effort, then I think it can be worth it. But if you're just making enough to equal about minimum wage or a basic salary at another job that you could acquire, I'd say it's not worth it.

 

[Gen]

"Do the benefits of camming outweigh the risks?"

Only if you make enough money from it. If you can make more than you'd make at another vanilla job doing the same amount of hours/effort, then I think it can be worth it. But if you're just making enough to equal about minimum wage or a basic salary at another job that you could acquire, I'd say it's not worth it.

This, and to expand on the thought: make sure you’re considering ALL your time spent on cam-related activities when you consider your hourly/daily/weekly income. If you spend two hours a day on social media/Snapchat/editing your website, then two hours on cam, and make $40, that’s $10/hr, not $20. Obviously a lot of the offline work is relatively easy but on the flip side, many vanilla jobs let you clock out and forget about work - you aren’t constantly having to tweet, reply to Snapchats, etc. There’s a lot of factors!

(It’s also good to track how you spend your time so you can say “wow I spend 2 hours a day on Tumblr, is it really giving me much return?”)

 

[KattySteel]

[QUOTE = "Gia_Xo, post: 985369, miembro: 47812"] Creo que es el factor más importante a considerar ... como dijiste, no volverás a trabajar para el gobierno. [/ QUOTE]

@passmeawhiskay I am totally agree with @Gia_Xo. that videos are forever at internet, and you will never put it out. Just make things on cam that flows with your beliefs and thoughts, embracing them and focus on the positive purpose that your work has, not only for you, also for your followers and you will find the strength in it to stand firm at the time of being discovered that your work is a normal and necessary work for society, even the prejudices of it.


Many successes.
KattyS

 

[passmeawhiskay]

Hey everyone, thanks for all the insight, I think I will stick with it. There are already plenty of vids of me out there so if I was going to be outed it would have happened in the last 3 years. I dont do anything I dont feel comfortable doing on cam, I like being my own boss and I make on average 200 dollars a day camming for 2-4 hours. After two days of camming I have 450 dollars. Multiply that by even half a month and thats good solid money. I know thats laundry change for some female cammers and male cammers who are willing to do more but, when I think about putting in the hours everyday for a month and receiving some 3000-4000 dollars I think its worth the risk. Of course there are going to be slow days and no tip days but, maybe I can supplement with Twitch, when I get bored of the camming because Im a big gamer.

Anyone on here try and get their followers to support them on Twitch? How did that go? Id fear that its not what they are really interested in so if you're not gaming naked then they will not come.

 

[AmberCutie]

I like being my own boss and I make on average 200 dollars a day camming for 2-4 hours. After two days of camming I have 450 dollars. Multiply that by even half a month and thats good solid money. I know thats laundry change for some female cammers and male cammers who are willing to do more but, when I think about putting in the hours everyday for a month and receiving some 3000-4000 dollars I think its worth the risk

Yeah that sounds good!

 

[AmberCutie]

maybe I can supplement with Twitch, when I get bored of the camming because Im a big gamer.

Anyone on here try and get their followers to support them on Twitch? How did that go? Id fear that its not what they are really interested in so if you're not gaming naked then they will not come.

Twitch is a whole different beast than adult camming. Don’t expect to find the same process and result there. It’s a huge mainstream clusterfuck.

 

[passmeawhiskay]

Twitch is a whole different beast than adult camming. Don’t expect to find the same process and result there. It’s a huge mainstream clusterfuck.

Yeah, getting a solid following on Twitch is nowhere near as easy as camming. I've tipped for sexy things, I would never pay someone money to watch them play games when I can just play them myself. Would love to make money doing it though.

 

[IsabellaSnow]

This, and to expand on the thought: make sure you’re considering ALL your time spent on cam-related activities when you consider your hourly/daily/weekly income. If you spend two hours a day on social media/Snapchat/editing your website, then two hours on cam, and make $40, that’s $10/hr, not $20. Obviously a lot of the offline work is relatively easy but on the flip side, many vanilla jobs let you clock out and forget about work - you aren’t constantly having to tweet, reply to Snapchats, etc. There’s a lot of factors!

(It’s also good to track how you spend your time so you can say “wow I spend 2 hours a day on Tumblr, is it really giving me much return?”)

And to add to these points even more so, remember that all the time you spend camming you aren't really adding anything to your CV/Work experience which can get you a well paid job once you leave/if you decide to leave. You can earn good money for the short term, and in my case the gift has kept giving way after I basically left camming. But... If you then decide to go and do something else as I have done, you may start to realise how depressing your CV and work skills are if you've spent so much time focusing on earning online. If you have a career outside the cam world which you're continuing then this may not be an issue, though there's always the risk of being "outed" there.

 

[AmberCutie]

I would never pay someone money to watch them play games when I can just play them myself. Would love to make money doing it though.

I think you may need to get yourself out of that mindset if you want to profit from it.

"I'd never actually PAY these people, but I would love for them to pay ME for doing it!"
You can see how that's a bad thing right?

 

[Pia]

Cons: ...do you want money that day? you better work. Is not like having a xmas box just because you are in the roster but secretly you sleep in the bathroom most of your workdays.
Pros: ...you can go to work wearing pajamas.

 

[ElaySmith]

when I think about putting in the hours everyday for a month and receiving some 3000-4000 dollars I think its worth the risk.

Don't forget you will need to set aside roughly 25% for taxes. Not setting aside enough seems to be a common newbie mistake that comes back to bite you in the ass.

 

[MicaVerano]

To OP: I see a Brazilian flag behind you in the avatar, are you also Brazilian? The amount of money you are making for Brazil’s Real conversion is a real good amount right now, since it’s 1:3-4 reais? So I guess, for you question about risks, it definitely outweighs them, specially if you don’t have anyone depending on it.

I also would suggest to not dream too much about Twitch. I’m there and honestly I only stream every now and then for fun, when I’m feeling like I’m getting burnt out of camming and also in need to talk about non sexy things. I don’t even show face anymore because of their thot patrol mentiality these days. I’m there not to stress and I don’t don’t even monetize/try to anymore. I just want to play and chat.

 

[passmeawhiskay]

And to add to these points even more so, remember that all the time you spend camming you aren't really adding anything to your CV/Work experience which can get you a well paid job once you leave/if you decide to leave. You can earn good money for the short term, and in my case the gift has kept giving way after I basically left camming. But... If you then decide to go and do something else as I have done, you may start to realise how depressing your CV and work skills are if you've spent so much time focusing on earning online. If you have a career outside the cam world which you're continuing then this may not be an issue, though there's always the risk of being "outed" there.

Im studying to become a Scuba diving instructor and havent worked since I left the airforce so I already have a pretty solid CV minus the 4 years of unemployment. I know they dont like to see gaps in employment that big, but scuba diving shops just care you have the certifications, but its true, for certain people it could be a negative. Thanks for commenting.

 

[passmeawhiskay]

To OP: I see a Brazilian flag behind you in the avatar, are you also Brazilian? The amount of money you are making for Brazil’s Real conversion is a real good amount right now, since it’s 1:3-4 reais? So I guess, for you question about risks, it definitely outweighs them, specially if you don’t have anyone depending on it.

I also would suggest to not dream too much about Twitch. I’m there and honestly I only stream every now and then for fun, when I’m feeling like I’m getting burnt out of camming and also in need to talk about non sexy things. I don’t even show face anymore because of their thot patrol mentiality these days. I’m there not to stress and I don’t don’t even monetize/try to anymore. I just want to play and chat.

Hey no I dont live in Brazil, I live in Texas lol. My roomate is from Argentina and he just has a lot of different flags all over the apartment. Good to see you're making good money with the conversion rate tho!

 

[passmeawhiskay]

Don't forget you will need to set aside roughly 25% for taxes. Not setting aside enough seems to be a common newbie mistake that comes back to bite you in the ass.

Yaaaaah, about that, has anyone gotten in trouble with the IRS? I didnt in the last 2 years but I only cammed for a year and it was an honest mistake. I quit months before tax season and didnt even think about it. They never came for me, cross my fingers they dont now, but I guess thats the whole thing about the #THOTaudit right?

 

[passmeawhiskay]

BTW yall I just had a 350 dollar show in 2 hours, I think my cold feet are all warmed up now. I'm definitely sticking around. lol

 

[passmeawhiskay]

I think you may need to get yourself out of that mindset if you want to profit from it.

"I'd never actually PAY these people, but I would love for them to pay ME for doing it!"
You can see how that's a bad thing right?

I think I see where you are coming from, but I think sexy cam work and Twitch are apples to orange comparisons. I realize you arent comparing the two but I will obviously pay other cammers to see things I want to see cuz I cant do or see them unless I do tip, where as video games I can play myself, would like to, and if others want to pay to watch me play then fantastic.

I dont know if that makes sense, it sounded better in my head, maybe you can tell me why you think it's a bad mentality if I want to profit on Twitch?

 

[AmberCutie]

maybe you can tell me why you think it's a bad mentality if I want to profit on Twitch?

If you missed the point in my last post, I'm afraid there isn't much point in discussing it further.

"I'd never actually PAY these people, but I would love for them to pay ME for doing it!"

That explains it all right there.

 

[Gen]

@passmeawhiskay if you can’t see the value in the product you’re selling, it’s a lot harder to sell.

Also re making more money than “vanilla” jobs, keep in mind if you’re camming, you don’t get benefits, vacation days, paid sick days, pension, etc. These aren’t part of every vanilla job but certainly worth considering as part of your overall comparison between cam and vanilla work.

 

[MicaVerano]

Hey no I dont live in Brazil, I live in Texas lol. My roomate is from Argentina and he just has a lot of different flags all over the apartment. Good to see you're making good money with the conversion rate tho!

Oh no I don’t live in Brazil either, but in the US(I don’t disclose state because of weirdos). But I do have family who lives there so I keep up with things related to BR.

It’s cool that your friend likes flags and even cooler that an Argentina that has a Brazilian flag! Soccer fans will understand why!

 

[passmeawhiskay]

@passmeawhiskay if you can’t see the value in the product you’re selling, it’s a lot harder to sell.

Also re making more money than “vanilla” jobs, keep in mind if you’re camming, you don’t get benefits, vacation days, paid sick days, pension, etc. These aren’t part of every vanilla job but certainly worth considering as part of your overall comparison between cam and vanilla work.

That makes sense, I guess thats what @AmberCutie was saying, but it seemed cryptic to me. But thats a good way of saying it in a way I understand, thank you.

BTW, love the Bobs Burgers reference on your profile lol

 

[passmeawhiskay]

Oh no I don’t live in Brazil either, but in the US(I don’t disclose state because of weirdos). But I do have family who lives there so I keep up with things related to BR.

It’s cool that your friend likes flags and even cooler that an Argentina that has a Brazilian flag! Soccer fans will understand why!

Oh yah, im sure they are big rivals lol

 

[AmberCutie]

@passmeawhiskay if you can’t see the value in the product you’re selling, it’s a lot harder to sell.

I am glad you could post in a way that he understands better. Sorry @passmeawhiskay I thought it made sense. To expect people to pay you for something you would never pay for yourself just seems backwards to me.

 

[paige_orion]

I think I see where you are coming from, but I think sexy cam work and Twitch are apples to orange comparisons. I realize you arent comparing the two but I will obviously pay other cammers to see things I want to see cuz I cant do or see them unless I do tip, where as video games I can play myself, would like to, and if others want to pay to watch me play then fantastic.

I dont know if that makes sense, it sounded better in my head, maybe you can tell me why you think it's a bad mentality if I want to profit on Twitch?

I think perhaps my views are colored by past visitors who have held similar opinions, or perhaps the initial statement was worded a bit poorly, so I apologize if I am reading more into said statement than you intended. Gen raises a super awesome point, but another aspect to consider about this mentality is the fact that it comes across as a bit demeaning to other gamers who work hard for every tip they earn.

It feels akin to a cam-model saying, "I would NEVER pay for porn, but I expect others to pay for mine." It devalues the work of everyone else and the industry as a whole, or at least... It appears that's what is being implied. And it makes that theoretical cam-girl seem as if they feel they are better and worth more than their peers. Or even as if they are better than their members, the community that enjoys and supports them and makes it possible to pay the bills. None of that makes ANYONE feel good. It doesn't matter whether the entertainer is doing sexy stuff or silly stuff - the shows may be apples and oranges, but when it comes down to it... The product is still the same. It's all entertainment, y'know? And it all takes an incredible amount of hard work to produce for the enjoyment of others!

Again, perhaps my views have been influenced by past people, but many people who say similar things tend to hold said view because they don't feel the work is actually worth paying for. Which makes it all the more frustrating and boggling when they still want to make a career out of a job they don't actually respect as a job - when other people do it. But still expect compensation when THEY do it. But why should anyone pay them if they would never even consider paying another gamer?

There's a reason why so many cam-models practice what they preach. They respect and value the hard work of others, just as they enjoy their hard work being valued and respected too. That's why many cammodels don't pirate their porn. That's why so many of us buy each other's work, tip each other when we are entertained. We know how much work goes into creating such enjoyment, and we know that they deserve to be compensated when we enjoy their services. How can we expect others to pay us if we don't feel others are worthy of being paid? How can we look down upon our fellow community members?

It's one thing to say, "I don't have the money to tip other gamers, so I don't solicit their services, but I may in the future." Or, "When I enjoy participating with an entertainer, I prefer the cam-variety over the gamer-variety." But making a blanket statement that you'd NEVER *pay* another gamer-performer to be entertained comes across as you seeing they are not worth being paid. Perhaps it was just poor wording or perhaps it is just me reading too deeply because the initial statement borders so closely to statements from past people who actually held such views...

But that's just how it comes across at first glance, and I apologize if that's not how you intended it!

I just know that it isn't unusual for new people to hold similar views inside of them, deep down inside. They don't always respect their coworkers as much as they will in the future, simply because they haven't had to build their own career yet. Which means they don't realize how much hard work actually goes into building their business. It is especially easy to hold these inner views when the world around us says that it isn't REAL work, y'know? And I think that's not the best mindset to be in to hustle your hardest and really reach for success. Especially at the beginning! It's so important to reflect on your views of the work and the community, and come to terms with any internalized beliefs, so you can be the best entertainer you can be, be it of the vanilla or the smutty type!

 

[HiGirlsRHot]

It is worth pointing out that twitch business evolved a lot. Initially the idea was just letting people lifestreaming their lives. I don't think they envision anybody would want to pay for watching it, but they could get advertisers. Then when twitch pivoted to focus on video gaming streaming the idea was that video gaming company would sponsor the streamers (which is still true). The concept the individuals would directly pay streamers came pretty late to the twitch platform, as opposed to indirect payments via a share of ad revenue, or sponsorship.

So while I spent a small fortune on porn (almost all for camgirls) over the years. I have never felt any need to pay streamers because I know there are other sources of revenue available to them. I also very seldom watch twitch streams live.