I know that this will probably be an unpopular reply to this thread.
There are only two ways to truly address the need for a set of standards that could be designed to protect those of us that intend to participate in the business of online adult entertainment from those of us that choose to circumvent logical business practice in order to gain a "quick buck" from sub-standard practices such as those described herein.
Both solutions would have to rely on a central regulatory committee that would dictate standards and principles of practice to be adhered to by webmasters in order to participate in a sanctioned program for adult sites. The first method would be based upon attraction, and the second method would be based upon exclusivity.
As for the first system, a group could be formed, call it for lack of a better term "The Adult Webmaster Quality Guild". TAWQG symbols would be designed, and participating websites would have to adhere to a set of rules that would protect both Site owners and surfers from unfair business practice. "The Better Business Bureau" of the adult world would target sites that engage in unfair practices, embrace sites that engage in fair practice, and make it it's responsibility to educate the surfer and potential webmaster alike. This would take a great deal of funding for advertising, for staffing a group that would have to engage in the practice of insuring standards are adhered to, and would require a central database of approved and unapproved sites that could be searched through by surfers with the ability through administration to remove, add, edit and maintain this system.
The second system would be one of exclusivity. Much of what is being discussed here in this thread will be dealt with by the inevitabitility of a world-wide regulatory committee that will be created and tasked to enforce whatever world-wide standards that are set on the adult entertainment industry. The day will come when world-wide government agencies will attempt to remove pornography from the web alltogether, or at a minimum to regulate them and require fees and standards just as if you were a bar and you require a liquor license to operate it. The problem here is one of morality and ethical practice. Do we really want to allow governmental agencies to censor our work? The only clear action would be to devise a group that would set these standards, and beat the governmental agencies to the punch by lobbying in countries around the world for legistlature that would "protect" both the consumer and the site operators alike. This would take a great deal of funding, organization, agreement and solidarity to pull off - but it would allow existing site owners the ability to dictate the terms of such regulation rather than finding ourselves waking up one day to the big brother mentality of world-wide governmental regulation.
My personal choice would be the former, though I do believe that it is just a matter of time before the latter comes into being.
The key point in all of this is solidarity. I would be willing to participate in, and offer my time to, a governing agency based upon the idea of the creation of an entity that would promote sites that would carry a symbol of excellence and warn the unwary surfer of sites that engage in unfair practices. I would have to admit that this would become a full time job, and one would have to create a not-for-profit agency that would engage in the action of world-wide promotion, advertising, application development, prosecutorial action against SPAM, against child pornography, etcetera and would not leave much time for the running of an adult site for profit.
I, for one, am not here to make a "quick buck" but rather have chosen to leave my life as a succesful Corporate IT developer and attempt to build an organization that will stand the test of time, will feed my family, pay for the education of my children, and keep myself and my wife safe from the inevitable financial struggles that will face us in the years ahead while we age and pass from this plane of existence.
I think people need to think about several things when discussing this topic. How big of a task are we really talking about and what type of resources will it take to run this? Will this lead to the inevitability of paid licensing to a governmental agency that will dictate who can and cannot operate an online adult entertainment site? Will any amount of publicity save those of us that cherish our reputation from the loss of income due to people that engage in unfair business practices and drive potential customers from seeking sexual gratification via cyber media? Who among us will be willing to give up being a profitable entity in order to undertake the large magnitude of politics that this will require to be succesful? Who will foot the bill for all of this?
I will step down off my soapbox, and look forward to the myriad replies I am sure to receive via this board, email and ICQ in the near future.
I agree something must be done, but what will it be, and who shall be brave enough to be the first? I am willing to participate, who among you will I be working with?
Regards,
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Midnight
Excellence is not an act, but a habit - Aristotle