The Real Future of Sex – Humans not Robots
About a month ago at an the NWEN event, I pitched a product idea for an adult content site offering a platform and community for mature streaming video content called StreamHer.com. It was partly just for the shock value of being a woman pitching a porn site, but it was easy to find developers interested in working on the project for fun (including my wonderful husband).
The idea isn’t unique at all, it is an execution play and since I’m busily and happily working on another startup, it is really just a hobby of mine for the time being. I can’t say I mind the market research. What is interesting to me is learning what people want out of porn, and how this is different between women and men. Hopefully through understanding this, I can create a content site and content delivery platform that will cater to the growing market.
Violet Blues Speaks at LeWeb on Future of Sex
I think it is was interesting to hear Violet Blue speak today, and even more fascinating to watch the audience reactions than the talk itself as well as the tweets flying by. I say interesting and not enjoyable because the presentation lacked any emotion (it was read off the page basically) or apparent passion for the topic (not that she doesn’t have it, but I couldn’t see evidence of it). Sex is an incredibly important topic in human life, and something virtually every single person in the room cares about on some level.
While is is a curiosity to see all the technology available to serve any multitude of sexual needs, I’ve always thought that the future of sex – just like the future of the internet – would be more about people and less about gadgets. Just like in social media, the technology is just a tool, it is still the connection with other human beings that is the most important thing. To steal Chris Pirillo’s quote from yesterday’s talk here at LeWeb, “focusing on the tools makes you a tool”. I think the same can be said for sex.
Ra Ra Women, Really?
Last time I checked, sexual exploration was something for all genders. Yes, women are definitely playing catch up historically as we are now equally free to explore fetishes, fantasies and non-tradition ways of having sex. Freedom from religion and tradition is a huge part of this, and something that is still pretty unique to the Wester world. And, as Violet Blue points out, Oprah did quote the stat which I’ve been talking about quite a bit as we develop the concept for StreamHer.com, that 1 in 3 commercial porn consumers online is a woman now. But is this truly disruptive?
Humans, Not Machines
Violet closed her presentation with the statement:
“The future of sex isn’t written yet, but humans want to be the ones to write it”
Based on how things are going, it looks like we will. I mean, who else will? Personally, I’m interested in this history – it’s going to impact me in my lifetime, as well as my children (if I ever have any).