Slashdot Mirror


The Man Behind Online Porn's 'Steve Lightspeed'

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "'In the online pornography business, just about everybody has heard of Steve Lightspeed,' who runs a network of sites, reports the Wall Street Journal Online. 'But few in the porn world know much about Steve Jones, the 39-year-old married father of two behind the Lightspeed persona -- and that's the way he wants to keep it.' In WSJ.com's profile of Jones, tension between his job and the rest of his life is evident: 'He said he and his wife mostly socialize with others inside the porn business, in part because it avoids the awkwardness of explaining his line of work. "Most of our friends tend to be in the industry," he said. Relationships with family members can also be tricky. Mr. Jones's mother works for Lightspeed Media, handling customer service duties, but he said some relatives don't know about his work and likely wouldn't approve.'"

19 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. pr0n... the $14 billion business by xtal · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ..nobody seems to know anything about

    --
    ..don't panic
    1. Re:pr0n... the $14 billion business by StarvingSE · · Score: 4, Funny

      I can see it now... pr0n.google.com

      beta of course

      --
      I got nothin'
  2. Wall Street Journal by geeber · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cool. The Wall Street Journal is submitting their own articles to Slashdot now. Nothing like a little free advertising.

  3. P0rn News by run4ever79 · · Score: 4, Funny

    now there's some news for nerds.

    --
    Linux : Hotrod :: Windows : Yugo
  4. Obligatory Futurama-quote by October_30th · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Lightspeed fits today's active life style, whether you're on the job or having fun. Lightspeed Briefs - style and comfort for the discriminating crotch."

    --
    The owls are not what they seem
  5. This is news? by TheLinuxSRC · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am unsure as to why this is news. Subject X works in the Y industry, an industry not looked upon with great respect by a majority of the public. Because of this X does not want his family to know he works in the Y industry and generally associates with people from the Y industry so as to avoid embarassment due to his profession.

    1. Re:This is news? by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yah, I don't want my family to know I work with computers either. In order to avoid the embarrasment, I tell them I'm a piano player at a brothel.

  6. Click here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You know you want google to always remember you searched for Tawnee Stone. How old is she now, like, 25?

  7. Slashdot can keep a secret! by suv4x4 · · Score: 4, Funny

    "But few in the porn world know much about Steve Jones, the 39-year-old married father of two behind the Lightspeed persona -- and that's the way he wants to keep it."

    Have no worries, your secrets are safe with us.

  8. Naive parents. by Funkcikle · · Score: 5, Funny
    "My kids have no clue what we do."

    Yeah right. And Steve Ballmer's children have never touched an iPod or used Google.

    They'll have an idea something is not quite right. Moving house because the neighbours won't let you play with their kids? Not at all suspicious.

    Keep up the good work though, Superdad! Shame you can't get that bumper sticker "Your AP kid gets DP'd by my kids".

  9. This being slashdot... by thepotoo · · Score: 5, Insightful
    ...this is something that a lot of us are interested in.

    I have no problem with WSJ submitting one or two articles that we might like now and again, but if it happens more than a couple of times, I'll start getting really worried.
    Bottom line: The occasional submission; OK, regular submissions; they're using us.

    --
    Obligatory Soundbite Catchphrase
    1. Re:This being slashdot... by kevin_conaway · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Carl Bialik" from the WSJ has had dozens of stories accepted. Who cares? His summaries are usually concise and accurate and the linked articles are informative as well.

      I have no problem with him or the WSJ submitting articles to Slashdot

  10. I can just imagine the kids' conversations... by cliveholloway · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...when they become teenagers.

    Joe Ordinary: "I found my dad's secret porn stash - four copies of Hustler!".

    Lightspeed Jr: "*cough*, well..."

    I have a feeling they'll be very popular at High School :)

    --
    -- Trinity in high heels carrying a whip: The donimatrix - there is no spoonerism
  11. Re:I just love the smell of hypocrisy in the morni by hackstraw · · Score: 4, Informative

    As his children get closer to adulthood, he said, he'll explain what their parents do. "I wouldn't mind if my kids get involved in this business," he said. Then he added: "Behind the scenes."

    These statements are in no way contradictory or hypocritical. Steve is behind the scenes, and is recommending the same to his children.

    There may be more to Steve Lightspeed than I know, but I've seen some of his work and it was primarily very young and young looking girls doing naked dances and/or heavy petting with another similar girl. Jordan Capri was/is his star model, and she is extremely cute. AFAIK, there is no guy/girl stuff or hardcore, just cuties being cute.

    In my eye, its not even porn. But there is no clear definition of porn at this time.

  12. Re:Slashdot by Zone-MR · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Combined with Google, yes.
    "But few in the porn world know much about Steve Jones, the 39-year-old married father of two behind the Lightspeed persona -- and that's the way he wants to keep it".

    Some relatives don't know about his work and likely wouldn't approve.

    Except shortly everyone Googling for his name will know who he is and what industry he works in. Nice responsible journalism. Why not ruin someone's life so you can write an interesting article.
    "A few years ago, Mr. Jones relocated his family after some neighbors learned of his profession, and forbade their children from playing with his. "It was kind of heartbreaking," Mr. Jones said. He added: "My kids have no clue what we do."

    The media stooped lower than usual this time. The least they could have done was shown some slight respect for the guy and his kids, and obscured the names.
  13. Family values by mariox19 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Mr. Jones said he has been particularly worried about shielding his children. The Joneses installed software to block illicit content on both of their kids' PCs, and Mr. Jones has password-protected his and his wife's computers.

    And it's as simple as that, even if you yourself are in the porn business. If only more parents would take the time to do this, we wouldn't suffer the spectacle of holier-than-thou types demanding that the government step in and place the entire Internet under a giant, child-proof cap.

    --

    quiquid id est, timeo puellas et oscula dantes.

  14. Re:Slashdot by Alex+P+Keaton+in+da · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wouldn't know, I only read the Wall Steet Journal for the articles...

    --
    And All I Ask is a Tall Ship And a Star to Steer Her By
  15. Re:WTF? by smooth+wombat · · Score: 4, Insightful
    But back to the other guy, it would be nice to be surrounded by nude models all the time...

    Yeah, you'd think so but really, after a while they all blend together and the enjoyment ceases.

    I'm saying this not as someone who works in the industry but rather from every story I've ever read written about people in the industry (the adult industry as a whole, not just online). To a one they all say the same thing: it's just a job.

    Sure, looking at cute/hot girls seems like it would be great. They come in and you get look them up and down without fear of them calling the cops on you. But you're not looking at them and imagining all the lascivious things you could do with them (well, maybe a little) but rather, do they have the look? How do they react in front of the camera? Can they follow directions? Anything about their body that might turn people off (big feet, hairy butt, etc).

    When I was getting my photography degree we were required to do sketches of nude models. Both male and female. I can assure you that when the model is on the stand you're not thinking, "Whoa! She's hot. Wonder if I can take her out to dinner or something else, hint, hint, wink, wink". Rather, you're thinking, "Holy shit, how am I supposed to draw her elbow in that position?", "Dammit! Why can't I get that shadow around her hip right?", "It would be nice if I didn't have to see her fingers in profile" Repeat for every session you drew a nude model.

    For the record, in case you were wondering about getting a programming job for an adult website, check my journal for a lengthy article about what the reality is like. You may have to go back a bit to find it. It's called, 'Getting a tech job in the adult industry'. It was never accepted which is why it's in my journal. After all, why would the editors accept a story about programming and porn.

    --
    We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
  16. Then there's San Francisco by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then there's San Francisco. I stop in at a bondage shop to see a friend who works there and find the manager, a striking blonde who's been in several pornos and is unashamed about it, working the cash register. She usually has her clerks doing that, and I ask her where everyone is. "Oh, they're at dildo training".