Monday, July 24, 2006

What the world needs now: a porn browser

Sometimes, I just have to shake my head and wonder.

Because current browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Safari were clearly unable to effectively manage the growing torrent of pornography, some geniuses decided to create a porn browser called Heatseek. Here's some background on this dubious technological milestone.

[Pause to consider the idiocy of this.....There, let us continue.]

What exactly is a porn browser, you ask? Good question. It offers a range of security features and, um, consumption enhancements to make it easier to view and manage all those smutty downloads.

Rest assured I have no intention of incorporating this new product into my docket for analysis at work. Something tells me enterprise IT managers wouldn't be too pleased if this started showing up on the hard drives of corporate PCs.

Try as I may, I'll never understand the world's addiction to pornography. Or why the technology sector seems to be such a focus of development for this utter crap. Oops, I swore. Sorry. It's a writing week - my next column publishes in Tuesday's paper - and I'm already wound up.

Your turn: Your first thought upon hearing about this product was...? Why does the mere existence of a pornography-focused browser upset me so?

But wait, there's more (and it has nothing to do with Ginsu knives): Written Inc.'s crack research team has discovered a Firefox extension known as Pornzilla that, in the words of its creators, "...make it easier to find and view porn, letting you spend more time looking at smut you like."

Lovely.

24 comments:

manababies said...

Personally, I don't understand why anyone would go through the trouble of creating such a thing, seeing that it is so easy to find porn on the Internet without even intending to. A perfect example of a waste of space, if you ask me. But then there are probably millions of people out there who would disagree.

MsT said...

Hmm, no thoughts on the porn gizmo - but I do have sleep advice! Tighten and relax every part of your body strating from your toes and working up to your head. Deep breaths help too - imagine yourself sinking deeper into the mattress. And don't be thinking about the war or exploding laptops or any other worries - rest your mind. Michele says sweet dreams.

Rhodent said...

Sad commentary on our society, I guess. Has there always been such an interest, or is the computer age just bringing it out into the open to smack us all in the face a bit more? Does the availability create more interest and maybe more addicts?

Star said...

Imagine what these same "pioneers" could accomplish for the GOOD of mankind if they so chose.

Florence Forrest said...

I don't like porn it deadens the imagination rather than the other way around. I'm lucky I don't come across it very often, I wish I could avoid it completely. I wish there was a firefox extention that made finding good art easier! Now that would be an extention. ditto that for A-grade film on YouTube.

Sandy J said...

I believe that it helps to contribute and create an immoral society.

But everyone has their own opinion.

Anonymous said...

i think that this pornbrowser will be ideal in the hands of the addicts. which? not great. i know someone whose husband is addicted to porography. it's so so sad. actually, now that i think of it i know two other women whose husbands are or were addicted to internet porn. it ruins families. but now there is a browser to help! good!

Rene said...

ummm...I can't believe anyone really needs a browser specifically for porn. Heck, I type in "18th century literature" and I get porno sites. I think this disturbs you because there are actually people that will use these things. No matter what spin others may try to put on it, the bottom line is porn is exploitive, purient and depressing. That there are those who enjoy it so is a sad commentary on society.

Karen said...

Here's my thought about this: If it would segregate the porn so that innocent searches wouldn't give us porn results, then more power to them. I, for one, would like to see a whole other side to the internet where those looking for porn (and won't there always be people doing this?) can look to their heart's content. Then, those of us with children could block that area of the internet. But I'm being idealistic and the porn-mongers will always find their way back into our world. Sorry, this depresses me....

Anonymous said...

okay, help me understand.... theres a browser built just for PORN? Not sure why there needs to be such a thing. I am sure I could find better things to put money and time towards.
And I am not against porn being out there, whatever floats your boat as long as its adults looking and making. BUT why create a browser for just porn?
now you have my mind thinking too hard for this early.
I could see this being a good thing if porn was ONLY available on this browser and took all porn off the other browsers. That way I could let my daughter online without breathing down her neck every 30 seconds.
HMMM.... Carmi, you've got me thinking..

Shan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dale Challener Roe said...

This is about the 5th review I've seen of this browser in the last week--it's been a favorite of the techno review sites.

The sad fact is that the pursuit and exchange of porn has always been at the forefront of the internet. This will probably remain the case because the aim of both are similar: instant gratification. I get frustrated at the amount and insidious nature of porn on the internet as well.

BUT, as twisted as the initial intent of the browser may be it does serve a purpose. Perhaps future versions of Firefox, for instance, will include secure browsing so that if I buy my fiance a gift online I don't have to spend 5 mintes clearing caches and history, and cookies and saved form info so that she won't discover my surprise gift.

Unfortunatly I can't use Heatseek for that, because according to another review, the free version of the browser has a unchangeable porn-laden homepage page.

Ontario Emperor said...

I'm not sure why people are so surprised that a porn browser has been developed. Any business market is going to develop products that meet the needs of its users, and there is a good chunk of Internet users who are interested in porn. So Heatseek has developed a product optimized for this market, and probably hopes to earn a number of $20 bills from it. (For all I know, they may have other sources of income via partnerships with content suppliers.)

A gambling browser will probably be developed very shortly.

Anonymous said...

Good gracious I don't even know what to say about this.
I'm still sitting here with my mouth hanging open..

HRH Courtney, Queen of Everything said...

Honestly, Carmi, it made me laugh. Technology often marches in directions we never dreamed it would go. Oh well.

kenju said...

My first thought is that it is so very sad that people get dependent on p*rn.

My second thought is how easily can it be blocked fromacces by children?

Anonymous said...

Well, you know, they say that "The internet is for porn!"

Are they right??

I saw another report on the national news last night on CTV that the Government is cracking down on porn, pedophiles and abused children, this is not surprising in the least, that child porn and the likes are under fire, these browsers are just making it easier to track users because of download data. If you have to subscribe, user data is collected.

Sadly, you could imagine the search parameters I get on my blog and the amount of pornographic spam I get each day (in the hundreds of hits) daily, porn generators, search engines and now browsers just tell us that the porn industry has found new ways to attract users.

I don't appreciate the traffic but "being me" attracts all kind of sick sites and sick people. I don't see the value of creating such a browser, I mean, just how much time during ones day can you fixate on sex?

Anything to take more money from unsuspecting pervs and those totally willing to put their personal data into a browser - that like many - collect personal data.

I don't talk about porn nor do I write about it and surely would not use a totally dedicated browser for smut. That's just not what I need or desire.

I think it is detrimental to child development and poses a real threat to the minds and lives of younger people who can fall prey to this kind of activity and thereby, putting themselves out there for pedophiles and abusers to find.

In the U.S. they stepped up their attack on porn websites and the transmission of data within the contiguous land area. Many servers were just moved out of the country to places where they could operate freely without "minders" from the U.S. checking up on them or restricting their data sharing capabilities.

Canada is cracking down on this kind of smut, and abuse of children, and I think, in the coming months and years we will see Canada changing the way the internet operates HERE based on the sheer volume of children being (Saved) because they have been and are being abused by porn folk and being shown on websites.

Anonymity only goes so far as the report states, but a single link to a "someone" on songbird browser, this will lead some "bodies" of legal action to put the pieces together and this little venture might backfire - I guess we shall see, right?

I don't think young people need any more distractions in their lives with browser technology like this. It is hard enough raising great kids to be great adults, we have to fight the distractions as well.

UGH !!

Peace
Jeremy

Kara said...

my first thought, amusement...think about it. Police are using the internet more and more to crack down on sexual abusers....now they (police and offenders) can all gather in one place making things so much easier...ha, yea, it's a covenience for both if you ask me.

Anonymous said...

What a sad commentary on our society, that the demand for this internet smut is so high and the availability is so great. Internet porn is dangerous because it's readily available and, therefore, viewed by folks who might otherwise not want to be seen purchasing it. With that anonymity comes the opportunity - opportunity to victimize others. For every guy that just wants to take a look now and then there are dozens of pedophiles and other sex offenders that are able to fuel their desires.

Jeff said...

No photo to illustrate this post Carmi?


:)

Jezzy said...

First thoughts? It's funny that men are continually trying to make porn more and more easy access. But it's sad too - there are too many frustrated men/boys out there who are trying to find a way to feel (pun not intended!) and who are going about it the wrong way. It makes me want to yell at them to get out of their rooms and into the world and see the real beauty that's out there.

Shephard said...

They should be working to develop ways to protect children. I'm sure they are... but it just doesn't seem like there's a lot of progress. Our politicians are so busy trying to control everyone with red-herring issues, nothing gets accomplished.

Addicts are addicts. You can't outlaw all alcohol because there is a portion of society that abuses it. Control is needed. People would recognize this if they could separate religion and state, and make children the priority, not adults. And I do wonder if people wouldn't be so addicted if America wasn't so puritanical. Lots of debate on that.
Protect the kids, control addiction, and let adults make their own choices. That's just my two cents.
~S

Anonymous said...

Perhaps it is the way of the world now. Even YouTube has a porno clone.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/07/25/youtube-has-porn-clone/

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Well, al I can say is...nothing that happens in this insane nutty world we live in should surprise us...BUT, it does! Good Lord, Help & And Save Us....! And who is the one who says what is "porn" and what is not???? A slippery slope if ever there was one, don't you think dear Carmi?