Characteristics of Successful Personal Ads in a BDSM On-Line Community

The bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism (BDSM) community today uses online personal ads as a major way for members to meet. Such communities have designed their on-line experience around the format of the once prevalent newspaper/magazine personals ads and often feature physical descriptions, personal pictures, and special interests listings. This study examines personal profiles posted on an on-line BDSM community, which allows for the examination of the type and content of these ads that may be the impetus for them to be “successful.” As such, this approach goes beyond traditionally studied aspects of personal ads from other mainstream groups (Paul et al. 2010 Paul , Jay P. , George Ayala , and Kyung-Hee Choi . 2010 . “Internet Sex Ads for MSM and Partner Selection Criteria: The Potency of Race/Ethnicity Online.” Journal of Sex Research 47 ( 6 ): 528 – 538 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Rajecki et al. 1991 Rajecki , D. W. , Sharon B. Bledsoe , and Jeffery Lee Rasmussen . 1991 . “Successful Personal Ads: Gender Differences and Similarities in Offers, Stipulations, and Outcomes.” Basic & Applied Social Psychology 12 ( 4 ): 457 – 469 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Strassberg and Holty 2003 Strassberg , Donald S. and Stephen Holty . 2003 . “An Experimental Study of Women's Internet Personal Ads.” Archives of Sexual Behavior 32 ( 3 ): 253 – 260 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This is achieved through an experimental approach of creating profiles to see which attract the most viewers; such an approach is fairly unique, although not completely new (Goode 1996a Goode , Erich . 1996a . “Gender and Courtship Entitlement: Responses to Personal Ads.” Sex Roles 34 ( 3–4 ): 141 – 169 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Sitton and Blanchard 1995 Sitton , Sarah and Sharon Blanchard . 1995 . “Men's Preferences in Romantic Partners: Obesity vs Addiction.” Psychological Reports 77 ( 3 Pt 2 ): 186 – 241 . [Google Scholar]; Strassberg and Holty 2003 Strassberg , Donald S. and Stephen Holty . 2003 . “An Experimental Study of Women's Internet Personal Ads.” Archives of Sexual Behavior 32 ( 3 ): 253 – 260 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Content-analysis is also performed on the viewers of the experimental profiles in order to gauge common characteristics/content that users have on their profiles for the purported purpose of making themselves attractive for more views.