“Life is short. Have an affair.”
That’s the slogan for the cheating site Ashley Madison. The service is marketed at adults who are already in relationships but who might be looking for an extramarital fling or two. Naturally, Ashley Madison has been the subject of much scrutiny and debate, but as of October of last year, the website boasts just over 21 million members in 30 different countries. So, CEO Noel Biderman has evidently found a niche, no matter how amoral some people believe it to be.
The way the site works is pretty simple. A user creates an account by first answering what sort of adulterous shenanigans he or she wants to engage in, and then creates a cookie cutter profile, answering questions about body type, age, ethnicity, and how far they’re willing to take their affair.
The next page lets you choose your interests. And you won’t find things like “hiking” or “playing video games”. These are sexual interests, with options like spanking, bondage, and erotic tickling. After you describe your ideal match, your profile is finished.
After that, it works mostly like any other dating site. Interested suitors send you messages and you can choose to respond. However, if you want to start a conversation, that’s when you’ll have to pay. There’s no membership fee. Rather, Ashley Madison operates on a credit system. To initiate a conversation, one party has to pay 5 credits. After that, messaging is free. There’s also a chat function that operates sort of like a payphone—pay a certain amount of credits for however many minutes you want to chat.
As stated above, Ashley Madison is available in over 30 countries, with plans to launch their service in Singapore this year. However, the company has been banned from the country by the Singapore Media Development Authority as they believe the website disregards family values. Biderman isn’t so convinced. He’s stated that he believes that if someone from Singapore really wants to use his service, they’ll find a way.
But should they? If you’re craving extracurricular activity while still in a marriage, that probably means something is lacking in your bedroom. Before you sign up at a site like Ashley Madison, think about other options that could be available to you. If you still have love for your spouse but you’re just itching for more excitement, cheating will do irreparable damage to your relationship. Even if they don’t find out, you still have to live with the guilt.
Try working things out at a home first by spicing up your sex life. There are scores of ways to do this. Begin by talking with your partner about your needs and try communicating your fantasies to them. Bring sex toys into the bedroom for a little extra fun and to change your routine up. Get creative! There’s no reason you can’t have a fun, healthy sex life with your spouse.