Users of a Dublin-based casual-sex website describe their motives and experiences β and the addictions and hazards that are part of the scene. New ads seeking casual sex appear all day. The posters vary from curious first-timers to the openly unfaithful. Their ages range between 18 and 67; the locations span every county in the country.
Some submit phone numbers and intimate images; others offer money or solicit payment. The messages are usually frank, sometimes graphic, and often contain acronyms such as NSA no strings attached and DDF drug- and disease-free. Unlike sites offering similar platforms for casual sex, Craigslist is instant and anonymous, and relies on its users to flag inappropriate content.
Despite, or perhaps because of, this community moderation, browsing for a sexual partner is as easy as seeking a flatmate. But what motivates someone to post ads on the site? Who responds? Is it safe? The lack of apparent identity online, he explains, allows people to get straight to the point: once someone reveals where they are and what they want to do, and gives a number to contact them on immediately, little more needs to be said.
Robert is right about piecing together a complete picture. Of the hundreds of posters contacted on an intermittent basis over several months, few welcomed the opportunity to shed light on the subject. Barry, a year-old Dubliner, initially took to the site out of an interest in role-play β one he never felt comfortable discussing with girlfriends.
It took time to summon the courage to post something and, initially, most responses were from either prostitutes or men. But stepping into this subculture made him feel less alienated. Most set up separate email addresses with different names so nobody really knows who they are. But, for now, exploring his curiosity while single feels important. I think most people looking for casual encounters do it for similar reasons to me: they have something they are embarrassed about and will only reveal it anonymously in the hopes of meeting someone with similar interests.
