Princeton U.: COLUMN: In flagrante digitalo.

(From University Wire)

Byline: Matthew Schonfield

World's oldest profession, meet the world's newest technology.

Sex has long been at the forefront of technological development. Not long after their invention, some printing presses turned from Gutenberg Bibles to somewhat less sacred fare. The earliest VCR buyers were guys looking to move from seedy theaters to the privacy of their homes. Many of the Internet's pioneers (or porn-oneers, if you will) were erotic entrepreneurs, developing profitable business models way ahead of the pack. And now, the sex industry has invaded the world of online networking.

Web sites like Match.com have been a boon to those tired of traditional dating. These sites offer a quick way to search for desired qualities, locations, ages or other traits. The seamier underside of this has been explosion of what one might call freelance prostitution. At sites like Craigslist the same technology used to set up date partners is used to set up johns and working girls. Nowadays, a freelance prostitute can enter the profession with only a computer, Internet account and means of transportation. From the comfort of her home -- and without any pimp, madam or brothel -- she can post her profile, pictures and contact info and wait for the calls to roll in. A site on Google even advertises tips on how to "start your very own escort agency," and even within close proximity of Princeton many thousands have.

Many college students as well have engaged, to differing degrees, in such "extracurricular activities." In 2001, the BBC found that 60 percent of the sex workers in the major British city of Leeds were full-time students. In our own Ivy League, a group of Brown University students were busted in 1986 for operating an escort service from campus. Think how much easier running a student harem would be today using the Net than it was in the glory days of Wang Chung. (Note to cash-strapped Tigers: This is an observation, not a suggestion.) There are risks, of course. My personal favorite story comes to me by way of my old friend Sam, a student at the ...