15

I've been looking for get this website done for a long time.

I thought with a well organized write-up of what I wanted, as well as having clear examples done in photoshop of faux pages to give an idea of the vision, and no hidden surprises, I would be a programmer's dream job.

Unfortunately, no company will touch the website. There is nothing illegal about it or even remotely offensive. It's an adult listing for professional Dominatrices. I don't see what the big deal is, when there are way worse and more hard-core sites out there, and this is just a listing. Pro Domination is a legal occupation in the USA and most of the world. People just don't want to touch the site. It's really strange. I have all of the information and details of the site laid out perfectly and clearly. I just either get no response or people who tell me they won't touch anything remotely adult.

Is there a reason for this?

Improve this question
15
  • 4
    Just got finished typing this answer when the question was closed - 10 minutes after it was asked. So here goes
    – Ross Patterson
    Mar 1, 2013 at 22:42
  • 13
    Part 1: Basically, lots of professional programmers don't want pornography on their resumes. The "adult industry" drives lots of innovation on the web, but they get no credit for it. For many years they were the only companies making actual money on the Internet - they pioneered many of the small-payment systems everyone else uses today. For years they were some of the network hardware manufacturers' largest customers.
    – Ross Patterson
    Mar 1, 2013 at 22:42
  • 13
    Part 2: I won't say nobody wants to do this stuff. But most folks don't want it to be their full time job. It taints everything it touches in some peoples' eyes. As a hiring manager, I've received resumes that had vague descriptions of technical work that, when I asked, proved to be from that industry. I personally couldn't care less, I wanted to know the technical details. But the candidates were genuinely embarrassed to have done that work, and it got in the way of their search for more work.
    – Ross Patterson
    Mar 1, 2013 at 22:43
  • 9
    I've created several (legal) adult websites. Can't say I'm enjoying the gap in my resume.
    – yannis
    Mar 2, 2013 at 5:42
  • 5
    I would say that the fact that you have an incomplete profile, especially anonymous, entails a part of the answer to your own question. Secondly I'd say that it depends on the cultural background of the community you've asked service to. I for myself would not be ashamed of such labour even though I'm not into Domination :-)
    – Arnaud Meuret
    Mar 2, 2013 at 13:12

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
35

I just either get no response or people who tell me they won't touch anything remotely adult.

Pay more.

You might think that you're offering a competitive rate, but the fact that you can't get anyone interested means that the people who've looked at the job don't agree. It may be that you haven't factored the stigma associated with your industry into your pay rate, or it may be that there's just an abundance of interesting projects in your area right now, or a dearth of qualified developers, or whatever. The precise reasons that nobody's interested don't really matter that much; your task is to sweeten the deal enough to attract developers (and not just any old developers, but people who really know what they're doing).

Improve this answer
1
  • 4
    +1 This is the simple answer. Pay enough (the right amount) and you will attract someone regardless of reasons.
    – Smalltown2k
    Mar 3, 2013 at 0:04
15

Basically, lots of professional programmers don't want pornography on their resumes. The "adult industry" drives lots of innovation on the web, but they get no credit for it. For many years they were the only companies making actual money on the Internet - they pioneered many of the small-payment systems everyone else uses today. For years they were some of the network hardware manufacturers' largest customers.

I won't say nobody wants to do this stuff. But most folks don't want it to be their full time job. It taints everything it touches in some peoples' eyes. As a hiring manager, I've received resumes that had vague descriptions of technical work that, when I asked, proved to be from that industry. I personally couldn't care less, I wanted to know the technical details. But the candidates were genuinely embarrassed to have done that work

Improve this answer
13

Nobody wants to have this "project" show up later in their resume or portfolio. And apparently nobody wants to do a project they can't later mention in public.

Pro Domination is a legal occupation in the USA and most of the world.

Not everywhere. Don't ask Turkish or northern African (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco) programmers to build you one (being Muslims they'll even get offended). It's also not that much legal in eastern Europe (Ukraine, Russia) to be engaged in distribution of such content (which building the website would constitute).

But mostly, the gaps in your resume is a killer. People assume it's either something illegal, government-related or you had a bad run with a company and you just don't want them to call it for a reference. They'll just prefer to pass over you. Here you go, a job from the bottom of the barrel.

Improve this answer
3
  • 3
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pornography_laws.svg - This illustration may help your point. There are some unexpected countries on the banned list like Iceland. I should also point out that it's legal in Turkey and not all Turks are Muslims, nor are all Muslims going to be so perturbed about it, same as Christians or Jews or whomever.
    – user28988
    Mar 2, 2013 at 17:19
  • That is true certainly, it's a sensitive area though. Personally, unless I knew somebody in particular who were okay with it I wouldn't ask openly in a Muslim community "who can build me a porn site?".
    – guest
    Mar 2, 2013 at 17:30
  • 1
    Yes, this is exactly it. I once worked on a windows screensaver project that was sold to me as something to be bundled with pictures of flags and puppies and other innocuous things. A year latter, while on a job hunt, I discovered that not only had the guy started selling softcore porn, but he'd put my name into a "thanks to" section, resulting in google hits. I demanded he pull it down immediately. It's not something you want a prospective employer to run into.
    – Gort the Robot
    Mar 2, 2013 at 18:07

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.