“Oz, got some questions that I’d like you to address for your next article,” said Judd, the intrepid YNOT News editor. We were having one of our little long distance chats that I cherish so much. It sounded like he had some female company giggling in the background.”Oz, got some questions that I’d like you to address for your next article,” said Judd, the intrepid YNOT News editor. We were having one of our little long distance chats that I cherish so much. It sounded like he had some female company giggling in the background.

“I’m a little busy right now, so I’d like to submit some general questions to you in email. Think of it like a verbal Rorschach inkblot test.”

I squinted and scratched my noggin. Judd picked up on my uncertain pause.

“Just tell me what you think, Oz!” Judd was usually patient, but obviously his mind was elsewhere. “Like an interview, but just elaborate.” I heard a high-pitched squeal of laughter. “Okay, gotta run!”

I hung up. Damn that Judd! He always lives it up. I strolled over to my laptop, clicked on my mail client, and checked for Judd’s email. There it was…

Oz, here are the questions I had for ya. Some of ’em came through the grapevine from others. Rock on! “After your 5 or so years in the industry, how far have we come in being able to police ourselves?”

Oz: Not very far, really. It’s actually a subject which depresses me. Nothing is too extreme, no content too obscene, no marketing method too slimy to be tried. Spam is still a big problem. Bogus resellers are still running rampant. I don’t feel good about dealing with so much fraud in the industry in which I do business. But at the same token, there are some excellent companies out there. I still believe that the government is going to sweep in and take care of the mess we’ve created.

“Are you pleased with the industry’s progress? What aspects? What are you displeased with?”

Oz: There’s some pretty cool technological innovations that can be attributed to adult. I wonder how many RealNetworks video/audio clients are used almost exclusively for porn! Probably most. As an industry, we run the coolest applications, the highest-traffic websites, etc. I like that.

I’m not so pleased with the way the content model is working out. I’m referring specifically to the fact that we’re all using the same 3rd party content in our adult paysites. The only solution is to simply have more than the next guy, so we buy tons of content all the time. It’s a tough problem, but in the end it IS our collective problem. The surfers are getting the same product at every site. I have some plans to help change that in the works, at least insofar as how my company is involved.

“What would you do if you were now entering the industry, i.e. what niche would you go for with your site, would you use an AVS or TGP, would you even get involved?”

Oz: That’s a good question. As recently as 6 months ago I was still answering that I’d be happy to get into this industry if I was starting all over again.

Now? Well — there are two answers to that question. Yes, I still believe this industry offers an enormous amount of potential return to a hardworking, entrepreneurial type person. That will probably never change. For the people who have made it in this industry, and no other, I’d say that we’re enjoying an extremely abnormal type of success. I have friends who are attorneys, land developers, mail-order company owners, signage-company owners… they just can’t believe that someone can walk into adult and make money the way many in this industry have. It’s very typical to lose money for many years with a traditional business before it starts paying off.

The second part of my answer is that, despite the opportunity that still exists, the legal climate for online adult is very bad. I know that we have yet to see a thundercloud above our collective village, but it’s simply inevitable that our industry will be dealt a pretty serious blow. I’m not sure I’d want to get in right now knowing what our current Presidential Administration and Attorney General think of online adult.

“Are you pleased or displeased with the cohesiveness of the industry? How far or how little has the industry gone in combating the dregs of this business?”

Oz: There are some standout examples. YNOT has always been a shining light in online adult – there is no tolerance for the ‘dregs,’ as you put it. There has also been good work done by ASCAP , and a number of ethical adult companies who are willing to be satisfied by a great profit margin without selling their souls. I’m not sure what more we can do to push the unethical companies out. Webmasters will still do business with a new company that comes on the scene with an unrealistic promise, and then be dismayed when it doesn’t come through. I truly believe that the best way to go is to stay true to the people who’ve proven themselves to you. I’ve never strayed, and I’ve never been bitten as a result.

“Finally, and most importantly, Oz, what is your favorite Led Zeppelin album and why?”

Oz: Of course the answer to that question is ‘Houses of the Holy.’ It all came together on that album. A real classic, and some of the best examples of Zep’s musicianship rolled into one tidy release. I know it’s not really considered a perennial fave, but I also love ‘In Through The Out Door.’ There will never be another Led Zeppelin. (sigh)