I have no crystal ball, but some suggestions based on alot of observations:
- mikesouth, run for the board of directors and get elected. The board needs passionate people like you who really do care about the porn industry (like connor and tom) and can communicate and share that energy with others.
- the larger adult companies are taking care of themselves. they have the revenue, the offshore coverage and offshore banking. in following the 80/20 rule.. there is still 80% of adult businesses out there that make up a large number, but don't make the combined revenue of the bigger boys. i say have ccbill and epoch raise processing rates by 1% and have that 1% be contributed to FSC.
meaning..if you are being charged 12% from CCbill/epoch, you would be charged 13%. Before you start crying about losing money, if you are making $500,000/year, the 1% would cost you $5,000 in a year. If $300M dollars processed in a year were charged 1%, that would give the FSC $3M to really do the PR and legal defenses.
As loki brilliantly posted: the brick and mortar companies STARTED the biz NOT US, WE are the "new kids on the block" and WE as a collective have done more HARM then good since our birth.
Those that have paid FSC dues and made contributions, truly do understand that money is necessary to fund the fight . The problem is that the greater majority do nothing and wait to others fund the fight which there is little in the coffers.
.XXX (start evil background soundtrack here) would have placed a "tax" on all adult businesses that had the .XXX domain, and that money might have gone to (ironically) help the adult industry with much better funding.
Porn taxes like what California was trying to pass would have done nothing to help the adult biz out. It would siphon money out of adult and into government pet projects as "found money". Don't forget there have been several congressional bills suggested for a porn tax of like 25%.
By forcing those who do not have a merchant account, to have to pay their contributions to fund the industry trade association, is a very small price to pay. I feel that some webmasters may grumble about the 1% and try to threaten (bluff) that they would leave ccbill/epoch, but the reality is these two companies are at the top of their game for a reason, they have their credibility and time spent in the industry. If some upstart comes in to charge less (which many have already), business owners would need to evaluate who is going to keep paying them their money and not fold up like so many processors have.
The motto "united we stand, divided we fall" is very much with rosy-glasses.
The reality is adult business are following the motto: "divided we stand, divided we fall", in thinking they will take care of their own problems.
But federal laws, current and pending, have a broader chilling effect, that the future is more like "divided we stand, united we fall".
Fight the 1 if by land, 2 if by sea!
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