Grouchy Retired Nova wrote:
I was just looking through some epic threads from 2008-2009. There was so much activity that those threads could grow by 50-100 posts an hour.

And the people! They were hilarious, in various ways. I wonder what happened to some of them.

One right here. Came back last week. On hiatus since 2008

Engel Schrei wrote:
*sticks head in, waves*

...and I remember you

Webspinner Studios wrote:
yes. it was cool in 2006.

I was originally here in 2007, but I was a model then. I went by ShivaKitty. I had so much fun here, and met so many wonderful people. I still keep a model account (which is what I started this thread from), but never use it. I only use my photographer account here to troll around,  and occasionally waste time reading threads when I have 15 minutes to spare.

To be honest, the good ole days of MM was one of the best times of my life. We laughed. We cried. We did online drinking games. Those were the days.

Al_Vee Photography wrote:
To be honest, the good ole days of MM was one of the best times of my life. We laughed. We cried. We did online drinking games. Those were the days.

same. i cant even begin to fathom or describe the resulting influence this place had on my life and the lives of those around me.

Alexandra Vincent wrote:
Now it reminds me of a town I passed through once in the Utah desert.

It had buildings with boarded up swinging doors, and a sign that announced, "Population of 10."

I remember

Al_Vee Photography wrote:

I was originally here in 2007, but I was a model then. I went by ShivaKitty. I had so much fun here, and met so many wonderful people. I still keep a model account (which is what I started this thread from), but never use it. I only use my photographer account here to troll around,  and occasionally waste time reading threads when I have 15 minutes to spare.

To be honest, the good ole days of MM was one of the best times of my life. We laughed. We cried. We did online drinking games. Those were the days.

I remember well, the ShivaKitty

It's lovely to see you, albeit in a different guise.

Nat the droid wrote:
I came back to find out the glitch where when you edit your profile your hips reset to 0 still exists

What a time to be alive

Hahahaha

Al_Vee Photography wrote:

I was originally here in 2007, but I was a model then. I went by ShivaKitty. I had so much fun here, and met so many wonderful people. I still keep a model account (which is what I started this thread from), but never use it. I only use my photographer account here to troll around,  and occasionally waste time reading threads when I have 15 minutes to spare.

To be honest, the good ole days of MM was one of the best times of my life. We laughed. We cried. We did online drinking games. Those were the days.

It was great in the good old days.  Now it feels like the Twilight Zone and we are frozen in time.

Modelphilia wrote:
Then again, today I contacted a model from Texas with no plans to come to Hawaii. She called me tonight, and is planning to come out for an extended shoot at the end of the month! Every so often the magic still works.

EDIT:  Two days later, out of the blue, another very skilled model, whom many of you would know, got back in touch. Some months ago we had been planning for her to stop here in Hawaii for an extended stay while she was on her way to Asia. That trip had to be delayed then but is now back on, and so I will be hosting her here for much of July. Suddenly it's like pre-Covid days again!

That's wonderful news!

Just months before Covid hit, I was still actively touring as a model. Today, only 3 years later, that whole life feels very alien to me - like some kind of weird dream I had, then woke up from.

The world has changed a lot. There are days when I doubt my own memories of my pre-Covid life as a professional creative. I know it all happened, but in some part of my brain, it feels so far away and unrealistic that I must have just imagined it.

Al_Vee Photography wrote:
The world has changed a lot. There are days when I doubt my own memories of my pre-Covid life as a professional creative. I know it all happened, but in some part of my brain, it feels so far away and unrealistic that I must have just imagined it.

You didn't imagine it, and I've got the images to prove it!

Al_Vee Photography wrote:
Just months before Covid hit, I was still actively touring as a model. Today, only 3 years later, that whole life feels very alien to me - like some kind of weird dream I had, then woke up from.

The world has changed a lot. There are days when I doubt my own memories of my pre-Covid life as a professional creative. I know it all happened, but in some part of my brain, it feels so far away and unrealistic that I must have just imagined it.

I don't know what your modeling work looked like, but your photography portfolio is very interesting and well done. Congratulations on having that second life!

Modelphilia wrote:

I don't know what your modeling work looked like, but your photography portfolio is very interesting and well done. Congratulations on having that second life!

Thanks.

My traveling model life consumed approximately a decade and a half of my life, so it was a long time.

Garry k wrote:
I remember when this place was cool , funny , informative/uninformative  , weird , and nasty all at the same time

I joined in 2006 and it was vibrant and engaging.  The forums were filled with people who kind of got to know each other and would either love or hate on one another. Huge threads on escorts and Nikon v Cannon and lots of fun, funny people sharing their life and art. Then it got corporate and started changing the avatar rules every few months.  String tie bottoms on bikinis are 18+ now. We used to display our best implied nudes as avatars.  IG now has it where you post basically what you want and a more interactive experience in many ways.  And FB photo/model groups took over in most locations as the place to meet.

I still use MM a lot, because I like to shoot models from all over and I travel some, and MM is the best place to locate models and photographers who are not from your area. 

With the great camera phones and editing apps available to everyone, people who want to model can take their own photos and post on IG, or go for money by posting on OF.  Someone has to figure out how to make this site more interactive and relevant, and how to use it to make money.  Friends here mean nothing.  But I guess its too old a concept to change now. 

But......let me tell you youngsters.....there was a time this was the cool place to be.

HOTTIE SHOTS wrote:

I joined in 2006 and it was vibrant and engaging.  The forums were filled with people who kind of got to know each other and would either love or hate on one another. Huge threads on escorts and Nikon v Cannon and lots of fun, funny people sharing their life and art. Then it got corporate and started changing the avatar rules every few months.  String tie bottoms on bikinis are 18+ now. We used to display our best implied nudes as avatars.  IG now has it where you post basically what you want and a more interactive experience in many ways.  And FB photo/model groups took over in most locations as the place to meet.

I still use MM a lot, because I like to shoot models from all over and I travel some, and MM is the best place to locate models and photographers who are not from your area. 

With the great camera phones and editing apps available to everyone, people who want to model can take their own photos and post on IG, or go for money by posting on OF.  Someone has to figure out how to make this site more interactive and relevant, and how to use it to make money.  Friends here mean nothing.  But I guess its too old a concept to change now. 

But......let me tell you youngsters.....there was a time this was the cool place to be.

I first joined in March 2007, not long after you. It was a really fun, carefree time for folks meeting here, making art, making friends. It was great back then.

Grouchy Retired Nova wrote:
I was just looking through some epic threads from 2008-2009. There was so much activity that those threads could grow by 50-100 posts an hour.

And the people! They were hilarious, in various ways. I wonder what happened to some of them.

Many of them were pompous as hell. Like MM was their little club and the majority of the people were unwelcome.

Omaroo wrote:

Many of them were pompous as hell. Like MM was their little club and the majority of the people were unwelcome.

Hard to believe but that was 14 and 15 years ago.  A few have died since then. Many simply moved on.  There are so many distractions now with all these other social media platforms that people are connecting on.

Omaroo wrote:
Many of them were pompous as hell. Like MM was their little club and the majority of the people were unwelcome.

... and they left in a huff when they didn't get 'their way'.

Some of them tried to create competitive sites, other created "MM bashing forums" on social media sites where they could gang up and talk about MM members behind their backs 

I found out later that one such person even kept on threatening ME on one of those sites... he never was man enough to actually send me a message or let me know that he thought I was an @$$hole...  he just wanted to be the 'cool kid on the block' by bullying someone in front of all his playground  buddies. Funny thing is, I never knew the guy, never met the guy, or never had any interactiion with the guy.  Hell, I didn't even know who he was until someone sent me the link to his thread.

They were all chicken shits that liked to beat their chests.  With all the chest pounding and no substantial topics, they all quickly failed miserably.

NakeyPiX wrote:
what's even funnier is often when they leave, they kept on warning people that they're leaving. 
Warning after warning after warning instead of just leaving.
I guess they were hoping some fair maiden would step in and say "oh, please don't leave. we cant survive without you".
Ironically, sometimes people would say something like that.

I find it stranger (and funnier) that some of those people pop back in to MM every once in awhile to remind everyone that they used to be on this site often but left because it sucks, and to tell everyone how wonderful life is by not being on MM.

I guess they too are just hoping people will butter them up by saying "oh, this place is nothing without you".  Sadly, some people fall for it and send 'em the compliments that their egos are craving.  Personally my feeling is "don't let the door hit your ass on the way out".

The internet has always been a forum for people with very large egos to prove how fragile those large egos actually are. Doesn't matter which site, social or app you're on. It's always been a reality of the terminally online.

Al_Vee Photography wrote:

I was originally here in 2007, but I was a model then. I went by ShivaKitty. I had so much fun here, and met so many wonderful people. I still keep a model account (which is what I started this thread from), but never use it. I only use my photographer account here to troll around,  and occasionally waste time reading threads when I have 15 minutes to spare.

To be honest, the good ole days of MM was one of the best times of my life. We laughed. We cried. We did online drinking games. Those were the days.

"Holy cow, Batman!  I remember ShivaKitty!!"     Yes, we had loads of fun!  The forums were so busy (active) that a controversial post could be up to several pages in a matter of hours before the Moderators could even check it out.  The drinking games?  We had a blast!  Oh, but I'm not supposed to remember that stuff.      

Those were the Best Of Times!"  As Dennis DeYoung of Styx sang on the Paradise Theater Tour which is still in a top favorite concert of all my memories.

Webspinner Studios wrote:
it was super cool. i remember. I shot over 200 people and moderated the place.

Taking a walk down memory lane .. yes, I remember you!  And it was super cool!   

Alexandra Vincent wrote:
Now it reminds me of a town I passed through once in the Utah desert.

It had buildings with boarded up swinging doors, and a sign that announced, "Population of 10."

"Holy Cow, Batman!"   Yep, I know you by your AKA .. and this is another epic post like from the past.  We had some good times!  I just checked to see if OneModelPlace still has my profile in lock down until I pay Ransom $$$'s!   The OMP website was my go to before MM launched.  OMP changed hands a few times while going down hill. 

There was also something called Non Nude Forums .. which was active before MM when the "teen model" subscription sites were able to get credit card processing.  I had my own CC processor that I had paid a company to create.  I provided processing for non nude sites for a short time.  Was making money providing billing for a few of those type of websites.  This was back in the very early 2000's up until the mid 2000's around the time MM started.  Subscription websites for non nude teen models are almost all but extinct now.  It's not because it's illegal, but because of our government stamping out credit card processors with regulations. 

In the early 2000's, Oprah brought a teen model with a NN subscription website on her show. Of course the models manager mom and an uncle who was the photographer were on the show with her when Oprah subjected them to a nasty ambush by making the show about how horrible it is to be "exploiting" the teenage daughter by putting her pictures on a website that makes way more than babysitting money from perverts that pay for subscriptions.  These "non nude" websites of underaged youth were then considered gateways to grooming girls into getting into porn as they come of age, and giving pedophiles bait. The outrage from the Nationally televised show (Oprah used to be popular) cause such a panic from the conservative lawmakers that they had to do something. 

People will argue about what is illegal, what is porn, and even about Brooke Shields past work as a minor aged girl. Brooke is not 58 years old, nearly my age!       Arguing over what is allowable and what is not created a heated discussion on art.  So Congress did the best thing they knew how .. shut down the many credit card billing providers which I was one of.  Paypal and CCbill saw the writing on the wall, and strategically got in a position with the help of our government to set up with one taking the "Adult" content and products while Paypal was bought by Ebay in a very smart move!  I did not have nearly enough money to compete, so I got shut down.  I could write a book about that era of change thanks to digital technology! 

There are times when I get nostalgic for the analog era.  Things were different when I shot film starting in 1979.  Talent agents put me in contact with models who needed zed cards, and actors who needed a headshot.  I would get this content printed at Supershots in LA. while making money at it.  I also shot weddings, and portraits.  What was the most fun was taking my cameras into concerts.  The pay wasn't good, but once I learned the ropes, it was so much fun. I worked for print media at the time, and got in free because of that .. plus knowing the right people.

I can still get in to do concert photography, but I wouldn't dare post a picture of a 15 year old girl in a bikini even though I see the 15 year olds doing it all the time on Instagram!  Having an age requirement was a smart move for MM, where as OMP didn't have such and got slammed for allowing all ages including very young children.  I don't know if they still do, but probably not anymore?  Heck, I used to photograph minor aged musicians back in the day, but now even if they appeared on AGT, I wait until they are 18 to work with them.  Better to be safe than sorry.  These are crazy times.

Alexandra Vincent wrote:
The parody threads were probably the best. Evar.

Yes they were!

Al_Vee Photography wrote:
Just months before Covid hit, I was still actively touring as a model. Today, only 3 years later, that whole life feels very alien to me - like some kind of weird dream I had, then woke up from.

The world has changed a lot. There are days when I doubt my own memories of my pre-Covid life as a professional creative. I know it all happened, but in some part of my brain, it feels so far away and unrealistic that I must have just imagined it.

So relatable. Ironically, I'd just announced plans to pick up my touring. 2020 was going to be the year I traveled to a whole bunch of places I hadn't visited in a while.

I've just started to really start booking again, but the way it used to be definitely feels like a dream.

Alexandra Vincent wrote:
Now it reminds me of a town I passed through once in the Utah desert.

It had buildings with boarded up swinging doors, and a sign that announced, "Population of 10."

Sounds like a potentially useful location....reminds me of a TV documentary I saw featuring "ghost towns" in the Chilean Atacama region. They used to mine saltpetre there at one time. The extremely dry climate preserves everything, human bodies included.

Michael_S_Photography wrote:
Started 17 years ago, definitely weird coming back after being gone for so long, few people I knew are still around.

This is my 19th year. *hides*

Model Sarah wrote:

This is my 19th year. *hides*

Yeah, me too.

December 20, 2005.

HOTTIE SHOTS wrote:
String tie bottoms on bikinis are 18+ now.

Untrue.

Model Sarah wrote:

This is my 19th year. *hides*

18th anniversary coming up. Didn't realize it's been that long.

As far as how "awesome" or "cool" the forums were back in the day, I recall a lot of the cool kids (those who posted A LOT or who had been around a while) having quite the clique. Piling on was rampant.