How many names do you have on your ICQ list? How many do you actually talk to? How many have you ever met or even spoken to on the phone? Do you have any friends in this business? Have you formed any partnerships? Who are your oldest associates? How’s that going?
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"You may be independent but no adult webmaster is an island." |
The adult Internet is so great because it enables people to become their own boss. You can join the ranks of the completely self-employed or just make some extra cash. You don’t need inventory. You don’t need to lease real estate or pay for business permits. You can make a living, set your working hours and answer to no one. With online porn you change into a self-sustaining entity. Selling cybersmut brings independence. Working in online porn brings autonomy so why speak of relationships and affiliations? Because the truth is none of us work alone.
We all work together to make this industry what it is. Granted, this business is competitive. There are some pretty ruthless players out there. Nevertheless, our willingness to cooperate and assist each other is real.
The message forums, the webmaster resource sites, the tutorials, the traffic trading. You won’t find those types of open exchange in any other profitable commercial sector. Do you really believe that those in the adult film/print/club world have free seminars on how to open a xxx venture? Would the CEO of some major software company post dirty pictures on their corporate website? Can you ever imagine a renowned retailer taking a smaller company under its wing without a hostile takeover? The adult Internet is strong because we communicate and cooperate with each other.
We also judge each other by the company we keep. The self-policing nature of this profession often leads to messy discussions in open forums. Most of us never actually face each other so we depend on the news carried by rumor, BBS and ICQ logs perhaps more than we should.
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Not long ago an adult Internet company suffered a great deal of negative publicity because some webmaster posted incriminating video of one of the owners on a message board. What the owner did had nothing to do with the porn trade. However, the captured act was considered so distasteful that the company forfeited their booth at a major trade show. The customers that transacted with the company left in droves. The company’s reputation is seriously damaged and now no one wants to be allied with their name. Who we deal with matters.
As important as it is to learn whom to avoid, it’s more important to learn whom to trust. When determining the reputability of a possible partner or company, you need look no further than your ICQ list or webmaster message board. Our open forum atmosphere lends itself to such questions. Ask your ICQ buddy what they think of your potential associate. Ask the regulars at your favorite board. Email an expert in your niche about their opinion on a sponsor or traffic trade. Sure, you’ll receive some silly replies but quite often you’ll get the answers you need to decide your future.
If you are fortunate enough to have built strong and trusted associations with adult Industry professionals, treasure them. Nurture those alliances. Spread the word of their credibility. Talk them up when the opportunity arises and defend them when they’re unfairly attacked. There have been many instances when a disgruntled webmaster tries to slander a good person only to find their efforts foiled by that person’s defenders. There could come a day you might need defending. Who will stand up for you?
In spite of our individual independence and the natural anonymity of the adult Internet, we’re still a pretty tight community. We watch out for each other. We inform each other. We become stronger through partnerships and mentoring. We have to. There are many lawmakers and supposed moral leaders who want us to disappear. There are a lot of people who would like to see us fail. The more we work in harmony; the better off we’ll be in the future.
Find a partner. Find a trusted associate. Find a friend. You may be independent but no adult webmaster is an island.