Reason.com

Print|Email

The Economics of Online Porn

Jerry Brito of the Mercatus Center has done a podcast with a researcher who gave his body to save our souls. Or, more accurately, studied the security and economics of online porn. Move over Rover, and let Jerry take over:

I talk to Gilbert Wondracek, a postdoc security researcher who did a study on the security and economics of online porn. He developed a database of over 30,000 porn sites (says he could have gone on for years), and operated 2 porn sites himself (in the name of science). He talks about how he did all of this, the structure of the industry, etc.

Interesting finding: Of all the sites he looked at, only 3 percent were trying to install malicious code on your computer. And of those, 90 percent were doing so because they had been hacked themselves, not because their proprietors were trying to be malicious.

Listen in here.

Speaking of online porn, here's a video about the idiotic obscenity case against adult filmmaker (and friend of Reason) John Stagliano, who thankfully beat a rap he never should have been charged with.

Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment or disable your ability to comment for any reason at any time.

An Unthinking Person|8.5.10 @ 4:51PM|

If you use online porn, I'll insult you.

-|8.5.10 @ 4:53PM|

Video-still caption contest!

"It was, like, huge!"

An Unthinking Person|8.5.10 @ 4:57PM|

Preparing to blow the Invisible Man.

Anonymous Coward|8.5.10 @ 6:45PM|

"So I said to him 'there's no way you're putting that thing anywhere near my butt.'"

Gary Hart|8.6.10 @ 2:14AM|

Thanks!

Lord Ballsac|8.6.10 @ 9:47AM|

I'd put it in her prudish butt.

¢|8.5.10 @ 5:00PM|

"Extrapolating from shadows, Reason's resident forensic pornologist estimates the height of the fountain in tubgirl.jpg."

|8.5.10 @ 5:04PM|

Did he check out the measurements on goatse?

PantsFan|8.5.10 @ 5:11PM|

People still pay for porn?

|8.5.10 @ 8:24PM|

The truly free stuff is scattershot with respect to quality, and some of us haven't sunk to such depths of depravity that we would steal porn. I for one always come by it honorably.

Hugh Akston|8.5.10 @ 11:02PM|

I for one always come by it honorably.

Standing at attention, Battle Hymn of the republic playing in the background.

Jeff P|8.5.10 @ 5:48PM|

I'd rather have some hard numbers on how well the line "I'm doing a study on the security and economics of online porn" worked on chicks.

beavis|8.5.10 @ 5:54PM|

hehe hard...

Dylboz|8.5.10 @ 6:08PM|

Hard numbers?

Like 5 to 9 inches on average.

|8.5.10 @ 5:55PM|

Links????
Really, I expected a link to the filthiest site on the intertubes, or maybe the top ten (and by top, I do not mean gay, not that there is anything wrong with that) not because I am interested in looking at porn, but merely to support the right of adults to free inquiry...and looking at tits.

Caleb|8.5.10 @ 6:07PM|

I'm pretty sure a lot of online porn is safe to watch on your computer.

What upsets me is that you the incidence of malicious code being installed and how interesting the porn is (gangbang, anal, anal gangbang, banganal gang) correlates like a mothafucka.

Caleb|8.5.10 @ 6:10PM|

Muthafucking porn is also likely to install malicious code.

G Mc|8.5.10 @ 6:41PM|

I'm no libertarian, but I love me some online porn.

qwerty|8.5.10 @ 6:58PM|

If interracial double penetration with anal creampie doesn't tickle my funny places, then you can't have it either.

So spake the moral guardians.

rctl|8.6.10 @ 7:35AM|

rctlfy.wordpress.com

See me spoof head!

rctl|8.6.10 @ 8:03AM|

spoof,you are a piece of chicken shit!!!!!!!!

advertisements

Get Reason E-mail Updates!

Manage your Reason e-mail list subscriptions

Site comments/questions:

Media Inquiries and Reprint Permissions:


(310) 367-6109

Editorial & Production Offices:

3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 391-2245