Interview with pornJester
So who is this pornJester guy? What do you really know about the man behind the site you happen to be reading at this very moment? I was talking to pornJester on ICQ the other day and thought it would be a cool idea to give his readers a little insight on who he is and what hes been up too. Take a few moments and get the behind the scenes scoop in this candid interview.
Derek: Tell us a little about yourself and where the name pornJester came from.
pornJester: Well, when Im not working I like to hang out with my friends, play some video games, hit up local bars, meet girls, pretty much regular guy stuff. As for the pornJester name, it actually was somewhat of an accident that this became my industry identity. I first made myself known on GFY and I used to have another handle but I couldnt remember the password to it. I created pornJester as a temp account without really thinking much about the name and ended up just sticking with it.
Derek: You dont look a day over 21. How old are you and how long have you been in the biz?
pornJester: Ill take that as a compliment, I have gray hairs you know! Im actually 23, quickly approaching 24! I started in the adult biz in late 1999 doing freelance design work and then started my own website projects around May of 2000.
Derek: What was your first project and how did you get involved?
pornJester: My first website projects were a TGP, a toplist, and some search engine feeder sites. I was a newbie and didnt know much about anything so this seemed to be the easiest (and cheapest) way to start. Ive definitely come a long way since then but I still learn something new almost every day. I got involved initially because this was about the time that the mainstream dot-coms started dropping like flies, and the adult industry was a way to keep making money at what I liked to do.
Derek: I was talking to you recently about a new exciting site that youre launching called Operation Spring Break. Can you tell me about this site and what makes it unique?
pornJester: Operation Spring Break is a paysite within the public nudity niche, mainly focusing on Spring Break, Mardi Gras, and similar events. I think whats unique about it is that weve added a reality site storyline within our main tour, which I dont believe has been done to content in this niche yet. I think it works better to draw the surfer into the site and increase sales.
Derek: So in addition to your paysite projects, you also run Webmaster Vault and GayAW, that must keep a guy pretty busy! Do you run anything else that I may not be aware of?
pornJester: Those are my main projects, but I do still build free sites here and there and submit TGP galleries when I have time. Also I run a message board for adult webmasters at http://bbs.underwearlounge.com. I like to dabble in many areas so I can keep a well rounded perspective on the business.
Derek: With all of your responsibilities, what would you say is your primary focus?
pornJester: My primary focus is profitability, like any business, but also I keep a strong emphasis on quality. Im always looking for ways to give more to my advertisers when it comes to Webmaster Vault and GayAW, and to my members when it comes to my paysite projects.
Derek: How do your friends outside of the industry view your employment in the adult internet?
pornJester: My friends are a pretty liberal bunch and are cool with what I do. I still get joked with from time to time about it though.
Derek: How important do you feel it is to have a solid, visible presence on the industry boards?
pornJester: I feel networking is an intricate part of what I do, so I think its important that Im out on the boards, meeting people, and letting people know who I am. Also I find it much more productive to arrive at an industry event and already know a bunch of people from my conversations with them online. I like to do business with people that have a good reputation, and I feel the boards help in developing this on certain levels. While there are also many facades and lots of BS to weed through, I think that I know enough at this point to do so effectively.
Derek: What is the biggest misunderstanding made by non-webmasters about you?
pornJester: Some people that dont know me Im sure draw conclusions about my character based on the general publics view of pornography and pornographers. But when it comes down to it Im a business man. Most of these people probably have larger personal porn collections than I do (I know many of my friends do). People need some type of scapegoat to focus their negative energy on and the adult industry is an easy target.
Derek: Ok, lets play a quick game. Youre allowed 5 seconds per question. Answer as fast as possible...
Q: Favorite message board?
A: GoFuckYourself
Q: Biggest influence/who taught you the most?
A: A partner I used to work with. We both shared alot of good ideas which I believe helped us both grow in this industry.
Q: Would you ever go back to mainstream?
A: Sure I would if the adult business didnt work out in the long run for me. There are several areas of the mainstream that interest me.
Q: Could you ever be content?
A: I dont think thats in my cards. ;-)
Q: Ever get fucked over in the industry?
A: While I dont believe Ive been outright fucked over yet, Ive had deals not work out the way I expected them to. Most of these differences have been ironed out but I am definitely more careful about current and future dealings.
Q: Favorite trade show to date?
A: My first Internext back in January of 2002 was a blast. Definitely a totally new experience at the time!
Q: The first name of the girl you lost your virginity to?
A: A gentleman doesnt kiss and tell!
Q: Are you man enough to admit you jerk off?
A: If I didnt, I wouldnt know the first thing about this business!
Q: Explain your adult webmaster experience in three words.
A: How about four? Hard work pays off.
Derek: Can you offer some tips and hints from your vast experience that could help others out?
pornJester: Whats kept me going is the expectation that money isnt going to come quick in most cases. If you have a quality site and/or product, your business will grow if you keep working at it and are smart in the way you do business. Also take time to educate yourself as much as possible, theres always something new to learn.
Derek: Where do you see the future of adult internet, and where do you see yourself?
pornJester: I see the industry currently going through what I call a cleansing process. This is mainly the result of new rules and regulation both in government and corporations such as Visa and MasterCard that dictate the way we do business. I believe in the long run this will benefit the greater good and eliminate many of the shady business practices that have been proliferating in our industry for years. As for myself, I imagine Ill probably still be around in the years to come, but with the future one can never tell. ;-)
Derek: Thanks pornJester for taking time out for this interview. Ill see you in Vegas in January!
