Porn Surfing 101 > Legal, Health, Privacy

The pornography industry in the United States earns revenues of over $10 billion annually. Of that amount, over $2 billion is spent on porn websites. Baby Boomers and subsequent generations have played a major role in fueling this spending. As avid participants in the sexual revolution of the 1960's and 70's, Boomers helped to loosen the taboos that permeated sexual life until that time. Porn DVDs, pay-per-view movies, adult cable channels, the phone sex industry and membership sites all contribute to overall revenues.

At the same time the rights of adults to view adult-oriented material have been hotly debated in the media, all levels of government and organized religion. Dramatic changes in the public attitude toward explicit material have been driven by a loosening of restrictive moral strictures, an acceptance of sexual fantasy as healthy and by the spread of these materials throughout the media. These changes have stoked the fires of a highly profitable industry.

Magazines

Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine was one of the first to take adult material into the mainstream. In 1953 he obtained a calendar photo of Marilyn Munroe for $500 and featured it in his first issue, selling more than 50,000 copies on the newsstands. The second anniversary issue of Playboy sold 400,000 copies. Many imitators followed, the most notable of which were Penthouse and Hustler. These magazines definitely pushed the envelope for explicit photography and content. They were also sometimes considered degrading to women.

By the mid 60's stars like Jane Fonda, Shirley McLean and Elizabeth Taylor had appeared in Playboy. In 1971 Hefner's worth was pegged at $168 million, and in 1973 Roger Ebert wrote a profile for Esquire Magazine of Hefner's daughter Christie when she became the Chief Executive Officer of the Playboy empire.

Magazines catering to a gay clientele were clearly in evidence by the 1950's. After Dark, published in New York was a glossy entertainment magazine that featured lengthy articles and tastefully revealing photographs on choreographers, dancers and handsome young actors in the early stages of their careers. Robby Benson and Jean Michael Vincent are just two of many who were featured.

On the opposite coast, in Los Angeles, Physique Pictorial also began in the 50's. Muscular young men in "athletic" or playful poses filled its pages. Photographers such as Van Gloeden and William Day published portfolios of frankly erotic photographs. In the 1970s gay pornographic magazines took their places on newsstands. Of course gay men read them only for the articles!

Adult Movies

Movie loops and underground film footage were in wide circulation in both the straight and gay communities by mid-century; however by the early 70s mainstream films such as Deep Throat, starring Linda Lovelace and Behind The Green Door, starring Marylyn Chambers took pornographic movies into the mainstream. Male stars such as John Holmes and Harry Reams received notice for their own unique talents. In recent times, porn stars Ron Jeremy and Traci Lords have crossed over into mainstream films and television. Sexual themes, plot lines and images have now become common in all of the mainstream media.

The VCR

The advent of the videocassette recorder in the late 1970's caused a sea-change in the adult movie world. The VCR allowed millions of consumers who would never be caught dead in a porn theater to enjoy adult films in the privacy of their own homes. The adult video industry exploded. Today, over 10,000 new DVD titles a year are released, a star system has developed and there are industry associations, trade fairs, and a multitude of publications and guides to the adult film world.

The Internet

The development of viable personal computers in the early 1980's started the revolution we enjoy today. Color monitors with improved screen resolution and greater graphics capabilities coincided with the development of File Transfer Protocols, which allowed files to be transferred between computers using a remarkable piece of hardware called a modem. Despite the fact that the early modems were slow, and the transfer of large files over long distance lines was expensive, the earliest computer bulletin boards were a huge success. The Bulletin Board Services (BBS's) became a repository for large numbers of explicit images scanned in by willing contributors.

In 1989 a computer scientist named Timothy Berners-Lee created a set of protocols for linking documents that would allow personal computers to talk to each other. He called it HTML, or Hyper Text Markup Language and it was the single most important milestone on the road to the World Wide Web. Because of the need to be able to move around between and inside a website, the first Web browsers appeared in 1991. Then came Mosaic, a browser that allowed more than one type of information to appear on the screen at the same time, combining graphics, text color and sound.

The need to broaden the reach of the Net became quickly apparent. Universities and governments operated the first servers and access to the Web was very limited. Soon more and more commercial servers opened up, allowing customers with PCs to access other PCs via the growing Net.

In 1994 the development and mass marketing of Netscape Navigator boosted the number of Internet users to 2 million. Individuals and businesses began realizing the potential of the Internet and started setting up their own sites. In the mid to late nineties, Internet traffic grew exponentially.

By the late 1990's large and small advertisers were spending billions a year on Internet advertising. Advertising of adult sites represented a significant percentage of that amount, demonstrating the economic potential of the Net. Pornographers made early use of online shopping mechanisms such as catalogues and credit card use, monthly site fees and provision of extensive free material as a lure for potential customers. In just a few years, the Internet changed the way we all interact with the world.

We applaud the operators of porn sites for their early recognition of the Internet's potential, their creativity and their willingness to portray frank sexuality in all its many facets.

Copyright

The most flaunted laws on the Internet are those governing copyright. Copyright begins with the creator of a work and continues through that author's life plus 50 years. Only then is that work in the "public domain". There is therefore virtually no erotic photography on the Web that can be considered to be in the public domain.

Anyone who puts up a site with photos they download elsewhere off the Internet is infringing someone's copyrights. The same applies to individuals who trade videos and photos on the various file sharing services. You don't have to be making money to infringe on copyright.

"Sharing" files also poses a security risk as the files may contain viruses or worms that can harm your computer or spyware programs that can record your computer activity.

Part of the Terms and Conditions of any pay site is a proviso barring the redistribution of pictures and videos that you view on the site. Redistributing the media is breaching a legal contract.

Sermon over!

Illegal Materials

There are, floating around the Internet, materials that are illegal to possess or distribute in most jurisdictions, specifically sexual depictions of anyone under 18 years of age, sex with animals or sex with violence. Usually the case is that the content is tolerated (though still technically illegal) in the jurisdiction in which the server is located. It remains illegal to download and distribute such materials in the vast majority of countries and many police forces actively pursue and prosecute violators.

The adult industry actively cooperates with law enforcement agencies through the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).

Protecting Minors from Adult Content

The right of free speech must be balanced with the right of children to use the Internet without being exposed to graphic depictions of sex. Preventing minors' exposure to sexual imagery is the main thrust behind government initiatives to regulate the adult Internet.

The adult industry in general is interested in placing barriers to access by children, but there is no perfect method to accomplish this goal. Net filtering programs installed on children's computers do help but are still flawed in that they fail to block some porn sites, while blocking other sites that aren't pornographic. Ultimately it is the responsibility of parents to regulate their children's Internet use.

Sexual Health

While there is a preponderence of health information available on the Web, don't act on medical advice unless you are confident in the source and - even then - only in consultation with your physician.

Here are some reliable sources of health information for gay men:
GayHealth.com has a comprehensive section on sexual health as well as general health concerns of gay men and lesbians. Its sponsors are, not surprisingly, the major drug companies.

The following are excellent sources of information on all aspects of HIV/AIDS:
Gay Men's Health Crisis
AEGIS (AIDS Education Global Information System)
The Body

AIDS and the Net

We believe that the stubbornly high HIV infection rates among gay men in North America are partially related to the ease of hooking up via chatrooms and personals websites for unsafe sex.

Many men do not know their current HIV status and make assumptions about their partners status; that is the main reason new HIV infections occur.

Bareback porn, depending on how it is presented, can also reinforce the message that condomless fucking has no health consequences. It does. Only by using a condom when fucking can you minimize your chances of contracting or passing on HIV. Please take care. 

Viagra, Cialis & Levitra Online

Internet pharmacies can save people time and money and the service has, in fact, been condoned by Consumer Reports. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that many Internet pharmacies are lawful enterprises that genuinely offer convenience, privacy, and the safeguards of traditional procedures for prescribing drugs.

There are, however, unethical sites that sell unapproved products or sidestep established procedures meant to protect consumers. Refer to the FDA's web page, Buying Medicine and Medical Products Online before considering a purchase.

We strongly advise you to consult with your doctor about the use of Viagra, Cialis or Levitra as they are not recommended for everyone.

Pricing: One-Two-Three

The pricing of online prescriptions vary widely, so shop around before making a purchase. It gets more complicated because there are three components to the final price; different pharmacies may charge separately for each component or combine them all in one flat fee.
The Physician's Consulting Fee
Erectile dysfunction drugs must be prescribed by a real doctor, regardless of whether you order online or not. You have to answer several health related questions which are then reviewed before the doctor approves the prescription. The consulting fee may be good for only a one time purchase, or it may last for several prescription repeats.
The Drug Cost
In addition to the consulting fee, you must - of course - pay for the actual drug.
The Delivery Charge
Delivery costs are usually around $20 for overnight courier.

Viagra, Cialis and Levitra are powerful medications which should be taken with caution. Never use poppers when using these drugs. Men with angina or active coronary artery disease should avoid these drugs. You should not take them if you are taking medications that contain nitroglycerin. Men with congestive heart failure or high blood pressure should use these medications with caution. Lower doses are often prescribed for men who are taking protease inhibitors for AIDS. If you fall into any of the above categories - and even if you don't - consult with your physican about the safe use of erectile dysfunction drugs.

Penile Enlargement Scams

Your cock is beautiful! Unless you've been diagnosed with the medical condition known as micropenis, your cock size is just fine. Sure, if you could just snap your fingers and have a bigger one, you might add an inch or two, but it just isn't that simple: most methods of penile enlargement are completely ineffective. That doesn't stop Internet charlatans from playing on the insecurities of men about their dick size: sex-surfers are constantly being bombarded with penile enlargement schemes.

Never fall for claims about pills or herbal concoctions that can make your cock bigger: they simply do not work. Websites that sell these products are frauds. Don't waste your money or your pride.

Urologists agree that exercises (known as jelqing), wearing penile weights or using vacuum devices will not lengthen the penis. Surgery to increase penis length is not endorsed by the American Urologic Association and should only be contemplated if your penis is less than three inches erect.
 

Mental Health - "Internet Addiction"

All pleasurable activities can be overdone and that goes for Internet use, particularly sex-related Internet use. In the late 90's some psychologists went so far as to label extreme usage as "Internet Addiction Disorder" (IAD).
Whether it is useful to label Internet overuse as an "addiction" is debatable. The impact of Internet use on your physical health, relationships and occupation is important, but the real issue is the underlying reason behind the excessive use.

Today few psychologists or psychiatrists would make "Internet addiction" a primary diagnosis, but would instead explore the underlying reasons for spending too much time online. If you or those close to you believe you are spending so much time online as to negatively affect other aspects of your life, ask your doctor for a referral to a counsellor.

Just a guess, but we assume you probably prefer to keep your online sex life private. Most everything you do online, whether it's visiting a website or sending e-mail, leaves a trail of personal information. Some of it remains on your computer and some is transmitted to third parties. Here are some steps you can take to protect your privacy.

Anticipate your nude photos will be shared

Anything you post on the Internet, whether it's to a personals site, an amateurs site or your own personal site can easily be copied, reproduced and disseminated all over the Net. Webcam sessions can also easily be recorded by cyber-tricks. Therefore, before you post any revealing photos or get naked in front of your webcam you should ask yourself whether or not it would matter to you if a boyfriend, family member or business associate or client were to see them. If you forsee a potential loss of or irrevocable damage to a relationship that's important to you, it's best to be cautious and save the nakedness for in-the-flesh encounters. Alternatively, make sure you either have your face in a photo or your exposed dick - not both together.

Don't mix business with pleasure

Don't conduct any sexually related Internet activities on company time. In most jurisdictions your employer has the right to access your computer's files at any time, to monitor your web surfing and to read your e-mails. Most company's will tolerate a little web surfing and e-mailing for personal business, but have zero tolerance for sexually related material, as it's considered inappropriate in a work setting. Depending on your company's policy, if you're caught punishment can be anything from a reprimand to dismissal.

Keep your e-mail private

If you're going to partake of matters sexual via e-mail, you should use an e-mail address that is separate from your regular work and home e-mail addresses and that doesn't include your real name as a part of the address. You can set up a separate free e-mail account with any number of Web-based e-mail services.

Usually when you sign up for one of the Web-based e-mail services, you will be asked for some personal information which the service guarantees to keep private. Some of the more popular of these are MSN Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail

A directory of over 1000 Web-based email services can be found at theFree E-mail Address Directory

Computer Security

Make sure you have a good firewall

If you have high-speed Internet access such as DSL or cable-modem, your computer is a target for hackers. Make sure you either turn on your Windows Firewall or install a third-party firewall.

Get an antivirus program

If you download and run software from the Internet, or receive e-mail attachments, there's a good chance of being attacked by a computer  virus. There are also instances where hackers find vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and are able to plant viruses on a computer from a Web page.Virus protection programs scan your hard drive for viruses and delete them.

The programs below offer firewall and virus protection:

Norton Internet Security 
McAfee Internet Security
Zone Alarm

For more information, see Microsoft's Protect Your PC site.

More on Electronic Privacy and Security

Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC) is a project of the Fund for Constitutional Government, a non-profit charitable organization established in 1974 to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working in the public interest to protect fundamental civil liberties, including privacy and freedom of expression in the arena of computers and the Internet.