alt.sex is a
Usenet
Usenet () is a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers. It was developed from the general-purpose Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture. Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979, and it wa ...
newsgroup
A Usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from users in different locations using the Internet. They are discussion groups and are not devoted to publishing news. Newsgroups are technically distinc ...
– a discussion group within the Usenet network – relating to
human sexual activity
Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) t ...
. It was popular in the 1990s. An October 1993 survey by Brian Reid reported an estimated worldwide readership for the newsgroup of 3.3 million, that being 8% of the total Usenet readership, with 67% of all Usenet "nodes" (news servers users log in to access the system) carrying the group. At that time, had an estimated traffic of 2,300 messages per month.
The newsgroup hierarchy below comprises several newsgroups, including (which is the biggest newsgroup in the hierarchy after itself), , , , , and . The former four newsgroups generally feature text and images similar to the type that can be found in mainstream adult magazines, such as ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' or ''
Penthouse''. The latter three newsgroups exemplify a set of sub-groups that deals in more "extreme" or less socially accepted topics. Other sub-groups include some with intentionally humorous names, such as , , and .
There are more newsgroups on the less mainstream topics or sub-cultures, although as of 1998 they were generally far lower in traffic than those that deal in the more mainstream sexual behaviours. In a 1993 analysis of the hierarchy, Maureen Furniss concluded that "sexually oriented boards act as a kind of support group for people who post notices to them, especially individuals whose sexual orientations are very marginalized (those who practice
sadomasochism or
bestiality, for example)."
The first usenet
BDSM
BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...
newsgroup, alt.sex.bondage, was created in 1991. The term BDSM itself was first recorded on a post in alt.sex.bondage in 1991.
The
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to "Uptown" Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also operates ...
in 1994 ceased carrying , , , and upon the recommendation of its ethics committee, which had expressed concerns that the content of those newsgroups may have violated the Canadian
Criminal Code
A criminal code (or penal code) is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. Typically a criminal code will contain offences that are recognised in the jurisdiction, penalties that might ...
.
is a Usenet newsgroup set up specifically to help combat
newsgroup spam cross-posted to the entire alt.sex hierarchy. The newsgroup is a simple "
spamtrap
A spamtrap is a honeypot used to collect spam.
Spamtraps are usually e-mail addresses that are created not for communication, but rather to lure spam. In order to prevent legitimate email from being invited, the e-mail address will typically onl ...
" – a trap used to collect samples of unsolicited messages that can then be acted on by an automated anti-spam system. According to its
charter, any message posted to may be
cancelled automatically.
The well-known mass-mailing
macro computer virus called the "
Melissa virus" was originally distributed via the newsgroup. It was hidden inside a list purporting to contain passwords to pornographic websites. The messages containing the virus were posted with message headers claiming that the post had been written using the
America Online (AOL) account of Scott Steinmetz, whose username was "skyroket". Kizza reports that the headers on the post were probably forged by Melissa's author, David L. Smith.
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
alt.sex Newsgroup FAQs*
alt.sex.bondage group on Google
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alt.Sex
Usenet alt.* hierarchy
Sexuality and computing