Who ever said getting an adult industry trade group started would be easy? At a recent legal seminar I attended, one of the attorneys present commented that trying to organize adult Webmasters is a lot like trying to herd cats.Who ever said getting an adult industry trade group started would be easy? At a recent legal seminar I attended, one of the attorneys present commented that trying to organize adult Webmasters is a lot like trying to herd cats. In other words, adult Webmasters are inherently individualistic. Admit it, part of what attracted you to the adult Web site game was the chance to work for yourself and to kiss the days of bosses and time clocks goodbye! While I can’t speak for everyone, one of the reasons why I’m so comfortable with pornography myself is because I don’t generally put much faith in what the morality police have to say about sexuality. I trust my own experiences and observations, and question the assertions of others.

The problem with the adult industry, however, is that it always has had (and always will have) an organized opposition. Those who oppose pornography usually do so for irrational reasons – they buy into claims that pornography wrecks marriages, they find their husband looking at porn and think this makes them inadequate, they fear that pornography breeds sex criminals, they believe pornographers target children, they’re jealous that others enjoy uninhibited sexuality when they themselves do not or cannot, or their spiritual leader informed them that looking at porn is harmful in some vague spiritual manner. People who tend to think in these ways are ideal candidates for group organization – plainly put, they often want somebody to “show them the way,” so to speak. For some people, letting others make decisions for them is the only way they know how to live. Since adult Webmasters generally don’t fit this description, if they are to organize it will have to be because they share a common goal and understand that goal’s importance.

American society is essentially a democracy, and while there are safeguards to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority, those safeguards are weakened and/or challenged with each passing season. However, when it comes to opposition to pornography, the majority really isn’t the problem. Organized groups simply can and do exert considerable influence on the policies of the American system of government. In fact, organized groups can be so powerful that they can actually be used to force the will of the minority into the unorganized, unsuspecting lives of the majority! If sales numbers are any indication, opponents of mainstream pornography are outnumbered, outgunned and outmatched. Yet shame can be a powerful weapon, and “family values” groups and conservative politicians have used shame effectively throughout the years to keep supporters of pornography silenced, divided and fragmented. I’m not here to tell you that this unfortunate fact is about to change anytime soon. I am here to tell you, however, that it might not have to change.

Something that I’ve come to accept over the last two years is that the online adult industry will never universally organize. Yet this isn’t a bad thing – diversity of thought and opinion is a sign of a healthy democracy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – when we all start thinking exactly alike, that’s when I’ll be heading for Canada. There has been much spoken lately about the polarization of the country’s politics, and certainly few would doubt that a political divide of gargantuan proportions currently exists in the United States of America. Still, what I have also learned over the past few years is that it doesn’t take an army of millions to build a single house. There is room for dissent, even in the online adult industry; there are plenty of like-minded individuals who, if willing, can accomplish a lot of good for the sake of their own businesses.

If you aren’t concerned with Free Speech, well, then if I may be so bold to state the obvious, a Free Speech organization probably isn’t something that you would want to help support. If you are concerned about Free Speech, however, the thing to know is that there are a lot of other people out there who are just like you in that regard. One goal of the Internet Freedom Association (IFA) is to champion the Free Speech rights of adult Webmasters and fans of adult Web sites. While I have long since given up on the hope that the entire adult industry will magically band together under one flag, I am more optimistic than ever that the IFA is on the right track. The organization has learned much in the past two years, and now finally stands ready to step into the ring and make a significant difference.

The most recent development for the IFA was the launch of its brand new Web site on Sunday (i-freedom.org). While there are still sections of the Web site that are being developed, the structure is nonetheless in place, and adult Webmasters concerned with Free Speech issues now have a dedicated home on the Internet. Staying informed about important Free Speech issues is of significant importance, and the IFA is now furnishing a tool that will help Webmasters in this noble purpose. The Web site offers Free Speech news alerts, the opportunity for user comment on stories and issues, information about the IFA, some legal resources and a variety of other content for concerned Webmasters. Use of the Web site is absolutely free, the site is updated and maintained by IFA volunteers, and joining the IFA as a full Member is extremely affordable at just $25 per year.

Of course Free Speech isn’t the only issue that concerns the IFA. Yet I’m focusing on the Free Speech issue because I believe it’s an extremely important one, and perhaps even more so during election years. The “indecency” crackdown coupled with recent obscenity investigations and indictments have many adult Webmasters rightly concerned. The IFA’s new Web site is a destination that Free Speech advocates will certainly want to bookmark and visit often. When you do visit, make sure that you register for a free user account so that you can comment on news stories, vote in opinion polls, submit news stories, and engage in a number of other free site features.

At the end of the day, there’s simply no telling what percentage of this industry will step forward and do its part to protect the right to produce, display and possess adult erotic content through the Internet. Obviously the more Webmasters and surfers who support the IFA the more power the organization will have to act on behalf of industry interests. I would like to encourage you to visit the IFA site, sign up for a free user account, take advantage of its services, consider joining as a Member, and put up links to the site from your own adult Web sites. Whether the IFA turns out to be a small organization or a juggernaut, it’s clear to me that all adult Webmasters and porn fans stand to benefit from its continued existence.

http://www.i-freedom.org/

Connor Young is Editor-in-Chief of YNOT News. He is also on the Board of Directors of the IFA, and Editor-in-Chief of TheAdultWebmaster.com.