xHamster - a fractured and fractious community?

Back in the day xHamster prided itself on its 'community', boasting that the site was created ‘organically by the users themselves to fit their own desires’, rather than artificially. That, the site claimed, was one of the key reasons it became so popular.

In a sort of modern day adult fairy tale, xHamster was launched in early 2007 by a group who of people who wanted to create a social network for "people who wanted to chat, exchange erotic pics and share amateur videos ... to find mutual friends online and maybe discover partners interested in intimate relationships.’

This heart-warming story was originally included in the ‘About Us’ section of the site but, like thousands of photographs, stories and videos, it has now been expunged. The comments, if not the vision, however, linger on in xHamster’s Wikipedia page and in various media quotes.

That was the dream and up until December 2020 it was a fair reality. This was a great online community where people made friends and shared porn in a relaxed and friendly online environment. Many of the friends I have made in my 1426 days on xHamster remain but some of the features, such as the ability to post photos and stories and download videos, have gone and, with them, it seems a large chunk of that dream to create a strong porn community.

Like thousands of other users, I posted photos, videos, occasional blog posts and comments, contributing in a small way to the growth and success of the site.

Then, in December 2020, around half my galleries along with a number of videos disappeared overnight and I found I could no longer upload photographs. User posts, many tinged with anger and frustration, revealed the community was both fractured and fractious. They did their best to explain a muddled situation but, for its part xHamster said nothing. I’m not going to rehearse the various underlying issues at play here as there are plenty of user generated reports already on the site, only express my continued disappointment at xHamster’s failure to say anything and pull its community back together.

The site managed to issue a Christmas message to users sending love and thanks for being supportive but many, myself included, took this as a slap in the face rather than a festive hug. Admin opted not to offer fans the option of commenting after previous blog posts soon overflowed with comments and questions on the changes. And that silence remains. Despite a promise to update users, a month has passed since the initial content cull with nothing.

Questions sent to admin are generally answered... to a degree. At the start of January, I wrote asking when the photo upload feature would return and was told: ‘The photo upload feature is under revision and will be restored later.’

I then decided to delete my remaining videos but found it frustrating I could only remove three a day. So I wrote to the site and they very kindly deleted all my remaining videos for me. In response to this burst of efficiency, I sent another message asking: ‘Many thanks for your assistance. One thing, however. How are you able to do that but not actually respond to any queries about what is going on with the site, like why various features like the ability to upload photographs have been removed?’

There was no answer to this one.

Still keen to upload some images, I signed up as a verified user (now 'community user') but this made no difference.
I was reluctant to become a Creator as I believe it goes against the original ethos of the site (although that’s now largely been forgotten).

You do not have to visit many galleries (fortunate, as there are not actually many new galleries to visit anyway) to discover that a lot of Creator galleries are simply adverts for commercial posters, leading to users websites or premium content. And with Creators now the only people who can post photos, the number of new galleries posted each day has dwindled away to a tiny fraction of its former self and, to my mind, there is no longer the same level of quality or variety.

It is just aswell that I held no ambitions to be a Creator for xHamster didn’t want me anyway. Look at the Creator program page and two ways to sign up are as a video producer or cam model/producer. As I did not fancy either route, I wrote the following message to xHamster:

‘I would like to upload photo galleries, photos to which I hold the rights. I have had a look at the Creator options but cannot find a suitable route - I do not want to become a cam model and do not wish to make money from videos (I would prefer to follow the original xHamster ethos of sharing). There does not appear to be a specific route for those of us who just wish to post photo galleries. I am willing to upload photo ID.
Also, why is xHamster so unwilling to issue a statement or any updates on the current changes to the site?’

After a couple of days, ‘Sparky’ replied to my main enquiry: ‘Unfortunately, we will not be able to collaborate with you.’

He did not bother to address the second point, though.

I have concluded that for xHamster there’s no money to be made in photos and too much hassle with copyright issues, moderation, etc. I’m fairly confident the ability to upload photos will never again be available to ordinary users. The Photo categories will remain the preserve of Creators and will disappear over time, leaving only videos.

Pics, it appears, have served their purpose, helping to generate the massive amount of daily traffic a ‘free porn’ site needs to generate worthwhile returns from the tiny percentage of visitors who go on to pay a subscription.

Indeed, given the passage of time, the various changes already made and the lack of updates, I believe xHamster as it now stands is the site going forward. Video download and photo upload buttons, stories and the sense of community have gone for good.

Ordinary users who don’t want to make money from porn or pay money to watch it will be gradually side-lined in favour of professional and semi-professional producers who can provide the documentation needed to indemnify porn sites in what has become a heavily sanitised world where operators like xHamster really do need to constantly watch their backs.

Update: This post was removed shortly after going on line. After re-posting it, it subsequently returned.
Note, this is personal opinion voiced from a country where free speech is an integral part of democracy.
xHamster you are very welcome to comment or respond to any factual inaccuracies.