Re: Questionable content

At 02:21 PM 06/09/2000 -0400, Chuck Fields wrote:
><snip>
>I have no problem with the e-commerce stuff.  I can write my own shopping
>cart if I decide to.  (I am primarily a programmer).  So what is the
>problem?  Well she wants to sell massage oils and sex aides.  She insists
>there will be no nudity, but I wonder why then she wants a warning page
>about sexually explicit material on the site.

Nowadays with everyone being so politically correct and sex being the evil 
Internet step-child out to corrupt all children the moment they log on, it 
is probably important that she does have some sort of disclaimer or site 
entry requirements to protect herself.  Last I checked oils and toys were 
not illegal - only subjective in regards to each person's POV.  Some folks 
may feel that this stuff is sexually explicit based on how it will be 
used.   More importantly, I think you need to be concerned about how doing 
this site may impact your business image.

>None the less, the site
>sounds very interesting if it were just going to sell some other kind of
>widgets.  What do you think?

We have been approached to do adult and porn sites and I have declined due 
to the perceptions it could lend to our business.  Heck, when I bought a 
new car last year, in the little town I live in within 48 hours the "rumor" 
was I paid for it by doing porn sites.  This certainly was not the 
case.  The rumor did not negatively impact us because we have been here 
since '96 and are firmly established with an great reputation.  The folks 
who start rumors like that generally are not very "edumacated" on the whole 
online gig (plus being in a downtown retail district where they really, 
really, would prefer an antique store be in our place, lends to the 
creation of such mistruths).  The fact this was a "fib" caused it to fizzle 
rather quickly and not have any impact on our business.  Actually, it has 
become something we joke about on a regular basis.  "Time to lock the doors 
and shoot some film!" ;-)

The point being, if you do the site be ready for the possible ramifications 
that this may have in regards to how your business is perceived - right or 
wrong it could happen and cause some potential customers to not come your 
way.  Look at me - all I did was buy a new car!  ;-)

HTH!


Virtually,
Judi

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