Saturday 22 August 2015

Consenting Adults !

Just three letters are said to be the motive force that drives the world - and those letters are S - followed by E - followed by X !   At the same time the Sex industry that underpins the world of advertising is something we claim to be disgusting - and the source of most of this world's troubles.

Of course, selling sex is said to be the world's oldest profession.  It even gets a mention in the bible and over the centuries strenuous efforts were made to stamp it out - to no avail.  In this more enlightened age it is still a crime in some societies and we have the peculiar notion in some countries that those offering sex are within the law, but those accepting that offer are the villains and who will be heavily prosecuted and fined if caught !

It was probably inevitable that inventive minds would couple the Internet with the task of connecting those seeking sex with a partner willing to supply their needs.  There was nothing unusual about that.  The  " Personal " column of most daily newspapers contains paid advertising from those both giving and receiving the favours sought in sexual dalliance.

What was unusual about a company named "Ashley Madison "" was that it specifically sought this interchange between those who were married or otherwise cohabitating with a partner.   It invited those bored with their sex life to consider "having an affair  " !

This broke absolutely new ground.  It promised sexual satisfaction without the compromise usually inherent in a steamy affair.  It would connect two people who both required sex to be discreet  and there would be no commitment after the event.  This company claims to have seventeen million  "clients "" worldwide, one million of them in Australia.

"Discretion "" was the watchword and access was by way of what is termed the "Dark Web " which requires a special browser.  For a while this tantalising  concept kept law and order at bay when a company named "Silk Road "  used it to distribute drugs openly through the mail by using untraceable "Bit " coins to pay for trade.

The Internet was conceived by intelligent minds, but it also spawned equally intelligent hackers who break through security screens and access information at both government and social levels.  It seems that hackers named "Impact Team " penetrated the Ashley Madison website and downloaded client files - which it is now publishing to the embarrassment of all concerned.

Many users were discreet and used a false name, but addresses and telephone numbers needed to be factual and to ensure a satisfactory match users were encouraged to reveal their sexual fantasies in clear detail.  All of this is now in the hands of the hackers.

It has caused a sensation and suspicious partners are trolling through the information freely available trying to identify the partner in their life who they suspect may be "cheating "' on them.

Despite the more open society ushered in by the computer and it's Internet companion, sex remains a preoccupation with many people and the notion that we may be sharing a lover with others - is enraging !    The notion that "Forbidden fruit is sweeter " still applies  - and sex is still writ large in the aspirations of humankind !

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