Editor's note: This is the eighth in a 12-part, "hands-on" series about the wonderful world of adult Website building. The resulting site will have been built by real people who have no Web-building experience and no inside experience in the adult industry. Their names have been changed to protect their real identities and their mainstream business interests.
Although adult Websites are not the instant money-makers they once were, those who have been involved in the business for some time say that if building and operating an adult site is approached with a spirit of adventure and a desire to have fun, the process still can provide a great deal of enjoyment and personal satisfaction.
Still, even the most experienced Web designers encounter difficulties from time to time. When they do, the first place they seek help is within their own community.
One of the best places to find aid, input, and new ideas is on Webmaster discussion boards (also called forums) maintained by resource and community sites. Although most sites require individuals to register as members in order to post to the boards, in most cases anyone can view discussions without participating. Some good ones to try are Adult NetSurprise (www.adultnetsurprise.com), XBIZ (www.XBIZ.com, formerly Helmy's 69spot), and YNOT Masters (www.ynotmasters.com).
A list of others can be found in the July issue of AVN Online and on the magazine's Website at www.avnonline.com/issues/200107, under "Links."
Although discussions can degenerate on occasion to sniping and name-calling, moderators usually try to keep it to a minimum. They also try to weed out spam as often as possible, except on boards specifically dedicated to that sort of thing. And while much of what is read on the boards must be taken with a grain of salt and investigated before a blithe jump is made into some of the opportunities presented, experienced Webmasters and newbies alike participate in discussions, so the chances of finding answers to almost any question really are quite good.
Many discussion forums also encourage new Webmasters to submit their sites for review and critique by others, and that can provide insight adult Webmasters might not be able to obtain anywhere else. The thin-skinned need not apply, however, because some adult Webmasters can be brutally frank in their evaluations.
The Webmaster boards also can be good sources for information about, and reviews of, new content offerings. Once again the "grain of salt" rule applies, though, because many content announcements are made by the companies who offer the materials, and they have a vested interest in enticing others to believe their content is the best of its kind.
For those who are not interested in joining discussions or sifting through what can be pages and pages of conversation in search of pearls of wisdom that apply to their specific situations, there's always the option of seeking information the old-fashioned way: in books. AVN Online reviews at least two volumes of potential interest to Webmasters in each monthly issue. Most of them can be ordered online from Amazon.com or from the publishers. Two of our favorite publishers, O'Reilly and Associates (www.oreilly.com) and Peachpit Press (www.peachpit.com), maintain extensive and searchable product catalogs online, complete with synopses and example chapters from each book. In addition, O'Reilly's Safari (safari.oreilly.com) and Peachpit's Visual QuickStart Online (www.quickstartonline.com) are subscription-based services that allow registered users to read selected manuals online at a fraction of the cost of purchasing the physical book. Peachpit also frequently hosts live chats with book authors, offering attendees the opportunity to get their questions answered by experts.
The Web itself lists many excellent reference sites for first-time site builders. Almost every major software company maintains a Website with extensive reference materials for its products. In addition, most companies also have developed "classroom" areas where inquiring minds at all levels of experience can improve their site-building skills. Colleges and universities also often maintain archives of site-building information and tips and tricks, usually created by students or faculty who have lived the newbie experience. Not to be outdone, enterprising individuals intent upon keeping others from repeating their mistakes have established virtual workshops for wannabe Webmasters. Free-Website communities like Yahoo!'s Geocities (geocities.yahoo.com) and Lycos' Tripod (tripod.lycos.com) and Angelfire (angelfire.lycos.com) are good places to look for such sites.
Regardless of how virtual the world becomes, one of the best ways to learn about the adult Internet industry and what really works in the realm of adult sites is to meet with others at conventions and other adult Webmaster gatherings. Internext (www.internext-expo.com) brings thousands of Webmasters and industry experts together in Las Vegas twice each year and offers myriad learning and networking opportunities. Adult Webmaster Events (www.adult-webmaster-events.com), a series of small regional gatherings in the United States, caters to newbies, offering fewer topics but in a more intimate setting.
A relatively new entrant on the conference scene, Adult Webmaster Conferences (www.adultwebmasterconferences.com), coordinates Webmaster gatherings and networking sessions in Canada. Other learning and networking opportunities are offered periodically by special-interest groups and support providers like third-party credit card processing companies. The events generally are announced on adult Webmaster news and community sites.
There's no such thing as too much knowledge or too much experience, especially in the adult Internet community. Technology and the nature of the milieu change rapidly, so even longtime adult Webmasters find themselves building their knowledge bases almost constantly. Keep that in mind as you begin your journey, and don't hesitate to ask questions, even of the "big dogs" in the industry. All of them were newbies once, too.
Next: Minding your Ps and Ts.
Previously: Design over matter.
