43 lines
2.5 KiB
Plaintext
43 lines
2.5 KiB
Plaintext
X-RATED: THE JOYS OF COMPUSEX
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ONE OF THE MORE BIZARRE ASPECTS OF AMERICA'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE PERSONAL
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COMPUTER IS THE GROWING POPULARITY OF COMPUSEX. THIS IS A NEW FORM OF EROTIC
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ENTERTAINMENT IN WHICH CONSENTING COMPUTER OWNERS EXCHANGE X-RATED MESSAGES
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OVER THE TELEPHONE LINES. ANYONE WITH A HOME COMPUTER CAN PLAY, BUT THE MOST
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ACTIVE ENTHUSIASTS ARE FOUND AMONG THE 110,000 SUBSCRIBERS OF COMPUSERVE, THE
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COUNTRY'S LARGEST COMPUTER NETWORK. "EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, IT WAS MOSTLY
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LIGHTHEARTED FLIRTING," SAYS DAVE PAYTON, A COMPUSERVE REGULAR FROM WEST
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VIRGINIA. "NOW PEOPLE COME OUT WITH ALL SORTS OF OBSCENE PROPOSITIONS RIGHT
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ON-LINE."
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THE ACTION BEGINS AT 6 PM, WHEN COMPUSERVE'S RATES DROP FROM $12 AN HOUR TO
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$6, AND IS LIMITED TO THE SO-CALLED CB CHANNELS, THE COMPUTER VERSION OF
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CITIZENS BAND RADIO. EACH WEEK THOUSANDS TUNE IN TO CB TO CHAT WITH OTHER
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USERS, AND MANY OF THEM END UP ON CHANNEL 1, THE CHANNEL DESIGNATED FOR ADULTS.
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SOMETIMES 40 PEOPLE WILL BE ON-LINE AT ONCE, THEIR PSEUDONYMOUS MESSAGES
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SCROLLING BY ON THE SCREEN FASTER THAN THE EYE CAN READ. "I'M NIBBLING YOUR
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EARLOBE," BEGINS A TYPICAL COME-ON. REPLY: "NOT SO HARD!" MEN, SPORTING SUCH
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NICKNAMES AS "CONAN THE LIBRARIAN" AND "LOVERBOY", OUTNUMBER WOMEN ABOUT 4 TO
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1, AND ANYONE SIGNING ON AS "KAREN THE NYMPHO" WILL BE BESIEGED WITH REQUESTS
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TO /TALK. THIS IS THE COMMAND THAT ALLOWS TWO USERS TO EXCHANGE INTIMACIES IN
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PRIVATE. COUPLES WHO HIT IT OFF HAVE TRADED PHONE NUMBERS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND ON,
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AT LEAST FIVE OCCASIONS, WEDDING BANDS. TIRESOME SWAINS CAN BE CUT OFF WITH A
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KEYSTROKE.
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"IT'S A FASCINATING ALTERNATIVE TO THE NORMAL COURTSHIP ROUTINE," SAYS ANDREW
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SCHLEIN, A PSYCHOLOGY PH.D. WHO SIGNS ON AS "PSYDOC". HE COMPARES IT TO THE
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EXPERIENCE OF STRANGERS THROWN TOGETHER IN THE CABIN OF AN AIRPLANE, WHERE
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CLOSENESS AND ANONYMITY ALLOW AN INTIMACY THAT MIGHT NEVER HAPPEN IN OTHER
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CIRCUMSTANCES.
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MANY COMPUTER BUFFS FIND THESE PLEASURES HABIT FORMING: ABOUT 200 CB USERS
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TUNE IN EVERY NIGHT. OTHERS HAVE TROUBLE SEPARATING COMPUTER-MEDIATED FANTASY
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FROM REALITY. ONE 35-YEAR-OLD WOMAN GREW SO ADDICTED TO COMPUSEX THAT HER
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HUSBAND WALKED OUT, COMPLAINING THAT SHE WAS NEGLECTING HIM FOR HER MACHINE.
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SHE THEN HOOKED UP WITH A SERIES OF ON-LINE LOVERS WHO WERE EITHER DIS-
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APPOINTING OR DISAPPOINTED WHEN SHE MET THEM IN THE FLESH. NOW, COMPLAINING
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THAT HER LIFE IS A MESS, SHE IS ORGANIZING A SUPPORT GROUP FOR WOMEN HAVING
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SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES.
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