IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Connor Young is the Editor-In-Chief of theAdultWebmaster.com. He’s been an adult webmaster since 1997 and is also now a regular contributor to YNOT News.IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Connor Young is the Editor-In-Chief of theAdultWebmaster.com. He’s been an adult webmaster since 1997 and is also now a regular contributor to YNOT News. Connor never misses an industry beat — he always stays in touch with the industry beat. Because of his extensive knowledge and writing abilities, The Adult Webmaster has transformed itself into one of the most well-read industry publications. Let’s get to know Connor…

YNOT: What made you decide to become an adult webmaster?

YNOT: Was it difficult for you to learn how to become an adult webmaster or would you say that you’re technologically superior to most average Joes?
Connor: Well, the experience I had running a BBS proved to be very valuable, so no, it wasn’t very difficult for me to get started on the Internet. I’ve found that most people who have a hard time getting started do so because they rely too much on others to show them how to do everything. I’m not afraid to ask questions when I’m stumped, but I firmly believe that you first have to fail if you’re to learn how to succeed. Does that make sense? Sometimes you have to stumble around and fall on your ass a few times before you can learn how to walk.

YNOT: What are your sites and what kind of sites are there?
Connor: Well, I’m mainly working with Oz on AION sites now, including TheAdultWebmaster.com, TrueCash.com, LoadTime.com and WebmasterIQ.com. TheAdultWebmaster.com is a business magazine for adult Webmasters, with daily articles, resource listings, interviews, educational site reviews, etc. TrueCash.com is an adult sponsorship program which pays up to $35 per sign-up or 60% of the sales plus recurring. LoadTime.com is a video magazine plug-in for pay site owners with full-length exclusive movies, video clips and a totally customizable interface. WebmasterIQ.com is a search engine for adult Webmasters. We have a few new projects in the works as well, but at this time they’ll have to remain nameless. I have way too many personal sites to list, but my favorite is probably Nakked.com, which is a softcore pay site. But by far the site I’m most proud of is TheAdultWebmaster.com. I put a lot of sweat and blood into that site.

YNOT: How long have you been Editor at theAdultWebmaster.com?
Connor: I started writing articles for TheAdultWebmaster back in March with the idea of taking over the Editor-in-Chief duties, which I did shortly after. I believe it was June when I officially started wearing that title.

YNOT: How did you land that gig? Did you know Oz before then?
Connor: I didn’t know him personally, but I knew of him. I’ve been attending tradeshows and conventions for a while now, so I was familiar with TheAdultWebmaster.com and TrueCash.com. I guess I realized back in January that I had all these goals I wanted to accomplish without the personal means to make them happen sooner rather than later. So I decided to try to hook up with an established company — but not just any company. I wanted to find a company in which I might be able to make an impact. TheAdultWebmaster.com was the first Web site that I thought of. I struck up a dialogue with Oz by email and he liked what I had to say. I found he was very open to any ideas I had to improve TheAdultWebmaster.com, so we agreed to take things one step at a time and see how it worked out. So far I couldn’t be happier with the results, and I’m on the verge of seeing some of those ideas come to fruition. That’s gratifying.

YNOT: What do you think have been the biggest stories of this industry for the year 2001?
Connor: Hmmm, that’s a tough one. The nomination and confirmation of John Ashcroft is certainly up there, as is the Supreme Court’s timing in their decision to review COPA. I have been trying to keep up on what’s going on with Mike Jones and his legal battles. Certainly the virtual child porn law stands to affect us all if not defeated, as does VISA’s recent announcement of improved card security measures. I also think the September 11th terrorist attacks have significantly impacted the industry. That was tough to deal with emotionally for many of us, and it spawned a dangerous new wave of legislation that may very well come back to haunt us. The TGP2 movement is pretty under-rated right now. Other than that, the biggest news of the year has to be Nina inviting me to dress up like Darth Vader to her Princess Leia and star in a pictorial for her site titled “Leia Feels the Dark Side.” (LOL)

YNOT: Any improvements to the industry in the last year? Disappointments?
Connor: I’m disappointed that there hasn’t been a larger swelling of support for Mike Jones. That’s probably my single biggest disappointment. I’d like to see an auction or fundraiser held on his behalf at one of the tradeshows. It’s a little upsetting to think that despite all the great people who work in this industry, if you run into unwarranted trouble you’re on your own. As for improvements, I think the TGP2 movement is a serious step in the right direction and I hope it gets everyone’s support. I also was impressed by the mature tone of the June InterNext show. I certainly don’t want to see the parties and the fun stop at InterNext, but I was happy to see that companies generally toned down their approach because I think it means they’ll be here longer if they don’t spend too recklessly. Financial responsibility is also starting to spill over into the sponsorship programs, and that’s also a good thing. It may upset Webmasters in the short term, but they’ll be happy three years from now when sponsorship programs are still around because of the changes they made now.

YNOT: Do you think the future of adult websites is age verification only? If not, why not?
Connor: No, that’s never going to happen. Even if COPA should be upheld and enforced, Webmasters who live outside of America will not be affected and will continue to offer free porn without age verification. It’s also likely that many Americans would ignore COPA and continue to operate as they have been operating. Just look at all the warez sites and music swapping services that are in operation today. Now I don’t think that age verification is a bad thing, and I wish more adult Webmasters would take it upon themselves to place explicit materials behind some kind of age screen. It’s good for business and it’s the socially responsible thing to do. But legislation will never succeed in cleaning free porn off the Internet. If parents are concerned about what their kids have access to while on the Internet than they really need to monitor their children’s online activities. Don’t give them Internet access in their bedroom. Make them use a computer that’s in plain view of adults. Just as I wouldn’t let a child roam unsupervised in New York City, I also wouldn’t let a child roam free on the Internet if I was concerned about what that child might access. Like it or not, the Internet is mainly an adult toy, and no amount of wanting will change that fact.

YNOT: Should webmasters be scared of Ashcroft and looming obscenity prosecutions?
Connor: Absolutely. With Ashcroft, the history is there. We all know he has a beef with porn. We all know that previous Republican administrations have been hard on the adult industry. There’s no reason to think Ashcroft will be different. If Bush gets through a full term without an assault on adult entertainment then I’ll relax my stance a little bit. As we stand right now, it would be very difficult for Ashcroft to prosecute adult sites for obscenity due to a lower court ruling in the COPA case that basically invalidated community standards as they apply to the Internet. So until the Supreme Court reverses that lower court’s decision, Ashcroft and his army are probably on stand-by.

YNOT: Care to make any predictions about what the Supreme Court will decide on COPA?
Connor: I’m not sure how this one will go down exactly, but when hearing verbal arguments the Supreme Court made it pretty clear that they feel the Internet can be regulated. I’m not sure they will confirm COPA exactly, but I’m positive they won’t allow obscenity on the Internet to be untouchable. That means reversing the lower court’s decision which stated that the community standards test could not be applied to the Internet. It’s possible that they will replace “local community standards” with “national community standards,” which at least would be a step in the right direction for us.

YNOT: What do you enjoy about this industry?
Connor: Well, the obvious answer is the women. I’m a big fan of nude photography, and I’ve always had a weakness for the ladies. I really enjoy meeting new people who work in this industry. I believe in a liberal sexual lifestyle, and I don’t mix well with people who are judgmental about the sexual activities of others. It’s also possible to make a decent living in this business, which is not a bad thing. And I think that the adult industry provides all of us with an opportunity to express ourselves, whether that be through modeling or Web site design or articles or whatever. It’s important for me to feel like I’m expressing myself if I’m to stay satisfied with my work. I could never be one of those guys who stuffs envelopes for a living or directs traffic.

YNOT: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Connor: My favorite non-sexual activity is taking a road trip. Unfortunately it’s hard to find the time for a decent road trip, but I’m probably at my happiest when I’m roaming around the country. I’m a baseball fan and have followed the Dodgers since 1981. Like everyone, I enjoy movies. If I have enough free time I also like to cook, especially Chinese and Japanese cuisine. I’m half Italian, so I’ve got some pretty good Italian recipes that have been in the family for ages. Finding time to read lately has been problematic, but I do try to read whenever I get a quiet moment. So many classics, such little time.

YNOT: What were you doing before you got into this biz?
Connor: I started my sites around the same time I started I working for a virtual reality software firm. We made simulation software for the military. I eventually decided to leave that field and focus on this one. More ladies in this industry.

YNOT: What do you hope to see at Internext? Are you looking forward to it?
Connor: I always look forward to InterNext. I’m really looking forward to seeing friends that I only get to see a few times per year. It’s also nice to put a face to some of the names I see online every day. Other than that, InterNext is an opportunity to find business partners, and we’re always looking for companies and individuals who want to work with us to make some more money.

YNOT: How many conventions have you been to? How do you stay interested in conventions after going to so many?
Connor: I’ve been to about eight conventions now? Maybe nine. I always stay interested in conventions because the players always change. There are always new faces and fresh ideas, and you can’t beat that by staying at home and logging on to the Internet. Plus, everyone needs a chance to get out of Dodge for a few days and have some fun.

YNOT: Will you be partying at Internext?
Connor: As often as business permits. I like to have fun, but I certainly can’t keep up with Danielle and Laurie. Laurie is like an absolute party beast. Danielle can be virtually unstoppable. Now we have Nina to add to the mix, so I might be a little tired by the time InterNext comes to a stop. At least I hope I am.