With two million would-be Japanese adulterers signed up for the cheaters dating website ashleymadison.com, we can only wonder how its Hong Kong launch will go down this week. The outraged moral majority have had their say, lambasting the site for all the predictable reasons. So let's take a calm look at whether this is the end of civilised society as we know it, or formalising what already goes on.
Founder Noel Biderman arrives here tomorrow, so I asked him a few question, to see how it really works.
First off, how much does it cost and do women and men pay the same?
Joining AshleyMadison.com, creating a profile, searching for other members, uploading photos and sending winks is completely free, says Biderman. Once you start personal communication you buy a package of Credits. "Our starter package with 100 credits costs 360 HKD and allows a man to initiate contact with about 20 different women. The credits never expire and once you are in touch with a member all ongoing communication thereafter is free. For women, the entire service is 100% free."
Wow, it's like girls-drink-free night in a bar. I don't know about you guys, but to me that sound rather unequal and odd.
Do people use aliases and fake or no photos?
Yes, says Biderman. "AshleyMAdison.com is 100% anonymous, so our users can pick an attractive username (alias)."