Interesting points for debate again Chrisst. Being constructive and realistic is always going to be a more meaningful form of critcism and, I'd agree, it holds more hope of influencing insiders... but I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting for that even so!
No one is doubting your Fern facts if that's of concern. Anyone that posts straightforward info from a babe is to be applauded. It all adds to a general knowledge base surounding the shows. But there are areas of judgement for the punter (concerning things the babes are not likely to reveal or that they may be, most naturally, somewhat less than entirely candid about) that can lead to speculation. If we confined ourselves to absolute facts on this forum we would be a far lesser place IMO...
As you say in your conclusion, the operators don't really post here any more. They seem to have given up attempting to correct misinformation and rumour years ago. They'd see it as a waste of time no doubt. That is some indication of how opinions on this forum are regarded inside the industry I think. I imagine they are tutted, laughed at and disregarded as ill-informed for the most part. We should all just get on giving up our money is the general vibe when such things are commented on. If you search back for some babes' posts and twitter remarks on here you should find evidence of the same (there are exceptions to this of course).
This forum is largely ignored by these people because it's regarded, I think, as infested by over expectant freeloading malcontents. I'm sorry if this sounds cynical but if you read up on the comments and background articles that come from the inside in the past it's hard not to see it as a cynical industry - especially in regard to its opinion of this forum. This place is tolerated, I feel, only because it provides publicity for the shows.
Anyhow, moving on to the specifics of your list, here's my twopenneth:
1. Managers would mostly just be happy that their babe is in work I assume - although ryuken makes a good point concerning their client's prospective work away from the channels. (I'm not sure how many babes actually have managers btw. Anyone know of another babe that has one?) Producers: They care if it effects revenue. The way to get most revenue with the least effort seems to be, by and large, the babeshow nirvana (exactly which individuals are exceptions to this is up to each punter's judgement). "Porn" or not, customers should care and be expecting to have their desires fulfilled in a fashion that offers VFM. The differences resultant from these often opposing stances is fertile ground for discussion on this forum. Likewise, how much individual babes and producers care about the customer experience is open to debate.
2. Of course. The industry has to be founded on them. (Some specifics are in my old thread
here.) Whether a babe's poor stats can occassionally be subverted by an insider's favouritism has been speculated on on the forum in the past and was mentioned again by theProf just the other day.
3. It's a factor of course. Particularly for well established babes. But the babes themselves instigate some of the repetitiveness. Top babes like Fern manage to avoid the accusation by bringing a big vivacious energetic personality to the table on every session. All evidence points to other causes as the major reasons for Heather's downturn. Guys know the signs of old too.
4. Ofcom has intervened informally on occassion most likely. (What we know for sure of how they act against the channels is all in their thread btw.) It also seems highly likely that the operators and individual babes have used the regulator, on occassion, as an excusatory device. I don't get much sense of either of those applying in Heather's case though; 66's actions seem, at best, 'precautionary' this time out.
5. Yes, 66 are nervous of Ofcom. But the confusing part is that other babes are currently being allowed to step it up to near old Heather levels on days. Go figure. Heather herself has put the odd bit about what happened on her chat too. You might also care to speak to guys that have spoken to her.
6. Are you saying that Gallery doesn't always post in chatbox?
Didn't this thread conclude that some producers didn't use chat? (Punters not using it is usually a sign that they are bored shitless with what they are seeing in my experience!)
7. Again, I suppose so, but Heather's fall has been a rapid but steady decline (until yesterday). No one's judged her on one session alone AFAIK.
8. Wow, that would take all day to cover. It's also highly dependent on the individual punter - as I'm sure you realise. However, a babe just lying there all day is even disliked by Rammy, so that should be a little indication that some things are virtually universal to punters' tastes.
9. Are you suggesting constant voting? This would be highly divisive and unlikely to ever be definitive - to put it mildly.
I think the annual poles are enough personally.
10. Yes this has been said before many times. The shows are not meant to be watched for hours on end for sure. But that doesn't mean they can get off with offering subpar services and just say 'oh you regulars are over critical'. (In any case I might argue: Why shouldn't they be designed for longer viewing? It's only really the operators' lack of ambition for anything better that limits them so. The teleshopping designation was a thing of pure regulatory convience of course.)
By saying we must up our game and structured in our detail you are also defeating the implication of question 10. Either we should just chill and let them get on with it or provide your kind of detailed commentary on what we want from the channels? If this is just teleshopping then the former is implied. The latter remains my preference. And that's the basis of how I post mostly.
But then, we should also always remember that there's a decades worth of opinions on here, marshalled and otherwise... and look where that has got us!