Erotic Sites

This WebDNA talk-list message is from

1997

It keeps the original formatting. numero = 10350
interpreted = N
texte = To leave this talk list send an email tomacjordomo@smithmicro.comwith BODYunsubscribe WebDNA-Talk---------------------------------->As the adult erotica industry seems to be on the leading>edge of web commerce I was wondering if you could fill us in on some of the>more interesting features you developed for this site and how doable they>are by the average WebCat2 person like myself. Also info on how profitable>the site has been using micropayments. TIANotes on www.studio69.com:1) We REALLY did not want to host this site, for various obvious reasons, but in this case we had to come up with some creative financing to extract overdue payment from the customer. And yes, the site owner really is the person depicted on the front page.2) If you want to duplicate this site's functionality and you already own WebCommerce Solution, we will sell the templates and the license agreement for $12503) Almost all of the features of the site can be accomplished using WebCat2 + WebMerchant, except that it requires 2 copies of each (that's one reason for the extra $1250 license). One full WebCommerce Solution deals with credit card stuff, while the other WebCommerce Solution deals with 'tokens' that were purchased with a credit card.4) There is a very complex interaction that authorizes the credit card, and once that goes thru it sends a message to the other WebCatalog instructing it to increase the number of tokens a user owns. Once the use purchases individual photos, their tokens are decreased (instantly, because no call to the bank) in a user database that has username/password/email/#tokens information. The site is filled with lots of lookups based on [username] and [password] so that each page can tell the user how many tokens they have left.5) We used PhotoMaster (of course) to generate all the thumbnails and full-size JPEGs from the original PhotoCD images Melissa sends us. A 10-20 line AppleScript automates the process of rotating the originals and saving them in the proper folders. To prevent stealing, we use WebMerchant's StockRoom facility to create 24-hour time-limited aliases to the files so the customer can't just figure out some URL where all the originals are.6) To reduce hits on our main server, we put all the images onto a spare NT box that is multihomed with the main web address. The Mac logs onto the NT's file server to get the original files for web delivery, but all thumbnails are served directly from the NT box.7) So far we have made very little money from this. Marketing is key here, so you really need to figure out where best to advertise, and how to draw customers in. We think the fact that these pictures have never been seen before, plus the webmistress has some name recognition from being a Penthouse Pet, plus the images are high-quality direct PhotoCD scans from the original photographer's film, should have some advantage over lower-quality sites. But it does no good if no one knows you're there. Photo stealing is rampant, too, so I recommend at least some kind of watermarking to help track misuse.8) Micropayments as we have implemented them are quite profitable, because we pull all the money from the customer's credit card immediately. If it takes them a year to use up all their tokens, we really don't care because we already have their money.Grant Hulbert, V.P. Engineering | Tools for WebWarriorsPacific Coast Software | WebCatalog, WebCommerce Solution11770 Bernardo Plaza Court, #462 | SiteEdit, SiteCheck, PhotoMasterSan Diego, CA 92128 |619/675-1106 Fax: 619/675-0372 | http://www.smithmicro.com Associated Messages, from the most recent to the oldest:

Re: Erotic Sites (Rob Schmidt 1997)
Erotic Sites (Grant Hulbert 1997)

To leave this Talk List send an email tomacjordomo@smithmicro.comwith BODYunsubscribe WebDNA-Talk---------------------------------->As the adult erotica industry seems to be on the leading>edge of web commerce I was wondering if you could fill us in on some of the>more interesting features you developed for this site and how doable they>are by the average WebCat2 person like myself. Also info on how profitable>the site has been using micropayments. TIANotes on www.studio69.com:1) We REALLY did not want to host this site, for various obvious reasons, but in this case we had to come up with some creative financing to extract overdue payment from the customer. And yes, the site owner really is the person depicted on the front page.2) If you want to duplicate this site's functionality and you already own WebCommerce Solution, we will sell the templates and the license agreement for $12503) Almost all of the features of the site can be accomplished using WebCat2 + WebMerchant, except that it requires 2 copies of each (that's one reason for the extra $1250 license). One full WebCommerce Solution deals with credit card stuff, while the other WebCommerce Solution deals with 'tokens' that were purchased with a credit card.4) There is a very complex interaction that authorizes the credit card, and once that goes thru it sends a message to the other WebCatalog instructing it to increase the number of tokens a user owns. Once the use purchases individual photos, their tokens are decreased (instantly, because no call to the bank) in a user database that has username/password/email/#tokens information. The site is filled with lots of lookups based on [username] and [password] so that each page can tell the user how many tokens they have left.5) We used PhotoMaster (of course) to generate all the thumbnails and full-size JPEGs from the original PhotoCD images Melissa sends us. A 10-20 line AppleScript automates the process of rotating the originals and saving them in the proper folders. To prevent stealing, we use WebMerchant's StockRoom facility to create 24-hour time-limited aliases to the files so the customer can't just figure out some URL where all the originals are.6) To reduce hits on our main server, we put all the images onto a spare NT box that is multihomed with the main web address. The Mac logs onto the NT's file server to get the original files for web delivery, but all thumbnails are served directly from the NT box.7) So far we have made very little money from this. Marketing is key here, so you really need to figure out where best to advertise, and how to draw customers in. We think the fact that these pictures have never been seen before, plus the webmistress has some name recognition from being a Penthouse Pet, plus the images are high-quality direct PhotoCD scans from the original photographer's film, should have some advantage over lower-quality sites. But it does no good if no one knows you're there. Photo stealing is rampant, too, so I recommend at least some kind of watermarking to help track misuse.8) Micropayments as we have implemented them are quite profitable, because we pull all the money from the customer's credit card immediately. If it takes them a year to use up all their tokens, we really don't care because we already have their money.Grant Hulbert, V.P. Engineering | Tools for WebWarriorsPacific Coast Software | WebCatalog, WebCommerce Solution11770 Bernardo Plaza Court, #462 | SiteEdit, SiteCheck, PhotoMasterSan Diego, CA 92128 |619/675-1106 Fax: 619/675-0372 | http://www.smithmicro.com Grant Hulbert

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Erotic Sites

1997

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