When Kris, a thirtysomething office manager at a technology start-up, first posted nude pictures of herself on the Web, she was tentative, wearing sunglasses so as not to be recognized. Less than a year later, "The Shy Exhibitionist" has launched a "club" of interested members who pay US$9.95 per monthly issue of photographs and stories chronicling her public exposure. "It was out of curiosity that I got started. I liked the looks I got at restaurants when I'd show a little more than people are used to seeing. But when I saw what other people were doing [on the Web], I thought I'd try it," Kris says.
Her first few postings on Usenet generated so much reaction that The Shy Exhibitionist decided to post more. After the group deteriorated to little more than ads for pornographic sites, she decided to put up her own Web site. Then the traffic got so heavy that her ISP was going to hit her with a big bill. Instead of taking her site down, she decided to start a fan club that would let people access her Web site for a fee, while also involving them a little more in the activity. She even has plans to announce live appearances to club members.
"Without the Web I don't think I would have known about my interest in exhibitionism," Kris says. "It didn't happen all of a sudden," but rather slowly over a period in which she tried a little, and then, encouraged by the response, tried a little more. The Web's ability to offer control over the degree of anonymity let her move at her own pace. "At first I chose the Net because you know people are looking at you, but you can't see them. Now, when I go on photo shoots, I actually enjoy some brief moments of eye contact."
Chris Miller, who runs Bianca's Smut Shack, a Web site that encourages sexual exploration and discussion, agrees that the Web encourages the dropping of boundaries. "There are two factors: anonymity and disinhibition. Putting a computer between us allows us to be more loving and more hateful. We can make friends and lovers more easily, ask good questions, and get honest answers. But it's also easier to be flamed or be negative. A lot depends on the online environment."
