Words are words. By themselves, they have no real power. They are merely symbols for the tangible and intangible things in our lives. Just the same, most humans take words very seriously. They attribute meaning and authority to these ambiguous collections of squiggles and lines called words. Some words encourage harmony and peace. Others incite hate and violence and all words can be broken down into the combinations of zeros and ones known as Hexadecimal code.
In the adult Internet we come across all kinds of words that take on new meanings when applied to our industry. The words "real world" imply the physical plane and they still do but those two words suggest so much more now when contrasted with the words "cyber world". In the past, the "real world" was where you could see, touch and smell. The "real world" was compared to the unproved and unseen "spiritual world". Now, the "real world" can be cited as the opposite of the "cyber world" which is just as real as the "real world". Things change. Words change and the adult Internet has a whole set of words that have their own definitions.
As a new adult webmaster, you've probably puzzled at some of the words you've come across. You have probably cringed at the word "teen" or pondered the exact meaning of the word "mature". Take heart newbie. I shall try to explain the meanings of some of the old words that -because of the adult Internet- are now new words:
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Softcore
What is softcore? Does softcore mean strictly non-nude imagery? In the adult net, softcore is a word applied to images and video that are of a less offensive nature to the faint of heart. Softcore can include nude images of women, men and any combinations thereof. Softcore means adult content but is content that does not contain insertion shots or genitalia close-ups.
Hardcore
Hardcore primarily means images and video of fucking. Then again, pics of penises in mouths or images of dildos in twats fall into a grey area. Some net porn mongers think a series of pictures of a single model with a vibrator to be more softcore than hardcore. Others believe a penis in the picture is only hardcore when it's inserted in a mouth, ass or vagina. In the "real world" a penis automatically constitutes hardcore content and to be safe, this is a good rule to follow even in the "cyber world". A good guide when defining hardcore content is this: If there is insertion or genitalia in the picture, then you're probably viewing hardcore.
Teen
In the "real world" a teen would be a child whose age fell between 11-19. On the adult Internet, the word "teen" has a vastly different denotation. On the adult net, the word "teen" refers to models between the ages 18-19. In reality, most of the models for "teen" content are usually over 21 and are dressed and displayed as if they are younger. Just the same, the word "teen" when applied to online porn should never be confused with words like "lolita" or "young". The two aforementioned words are descriptives for content that is neither legal nor acceptable among reputable adult webmasters.
Fetish
The word "fetish" is used often incorrectly in online porn. The person who has a fetish is one who becomes sexually aroused by an object or body part. Many confuse the word "fetish" with the word "bondage" or the term "BDSM". Bondage, Domination, Sadism, and Masochism are activities, not "fetishes". A person who gets off on being whipped by a dominant partner may have a fetish for the shoes of their dominator but the act of being whipped is not a fetish.
Niche
In the "real world" the word "niche", used to mean a nook where one hid treasures. The adult net has taken the word "niche" and applied it to types of porn that are not as popular as straight male porn. The word "niche" can be applied to "teen", "gay", "interracial" and "fetish" imagery. Basically, a "niche" is a collection of adult content that is more defined that simply "hardcore" or "softcore".
As you can see, online porn has taken certain words and reconfigured them to fit it's needs. While the above list is comparatively short, it's a good beginning reference for the new adult webmaster. To learn the definitions of more words and terms used in online porn, visit the Cozy Dictionary. On it you will find a great and growing list of words and their definitions in the "cyber world" of the adult Internet.