Ashley Madison

The Ashley Madison Agency is definitely not for conservative types. Then again, if you're searching a website solely devoted to helping married people cheat, you're probably not looking to take the high road. The company's slogan "life is short, have an affair" pretty much sums up its business model. Picture a slightly more risqué version of match.com or eHarmony. Ashley Madison believes that monogamy is a ridiculous idea impose... More >>

The Ashley Madison Agency is definitely not for conservative types. Then again, if you're searching a website solely devoted to helping married people cheat, you're probably not looking to take the high road. The company's slogan "life is short, have an affair" pretty much sums up its business model. Picture a slightly more risqué version of match.com or eHarmony. Ashley Madison believes that monogamy is a ridiculous idea imposed by society that goes against human nature. Single people are allowed to join the website, but the Frequently Asked Questions section warns that they may have a harder time finding someone then a married seeking a married. If there's any doubt in your mind about the mission of the company, just read the section detailing their Affair Guarantee Program. <br /> <br /> The part I found most ironic was in the FAQ section, where the company claims it absolutely does not encourage people to stray. Instead, the service should be used to "communicate with like-minded adults who are sympathetic to your situation." Right. I guess these people wouldn't need the Affair Guarantee Program. However, I think my favorite part was the FAQ section which contained the question "Is Ashley Madison the right place for me?" The response contained the statements, "It's probably a good idea to seek relationship consoling before you attempt an affair. Getting caught can bring up many undesired repercussions and will probably result in ongoing mistrust..or divorce." NO KIDDING.<br /> <br /> Obviously if someone is exploring this website they're having marital issues. They might genuinely want to talk out their problems with someone. But for Ashley Madison to claim their site does not encourage people to cheat is ridiculous. There's really no other way to interpret "Life is Short. Have an Affair." Hopefully people visiting the site will be as disturbed as I was and go talk to a counselor instead.<br /> << Less

I\\\'m glad Ben wrote about this company else I might have missed it. First of all, you must visit Ashley Madison\\\'s website. It is stupendous. Best tagline ever \\\"Life is Short. Have an Affair.\\\" Second, I expect I\\\'m going to get some flack for this review.<br /> <br /> They claim to have 3 million plus members and while I can\\\'t validate that number, I think this is a huge idea. My positive review is n... More >>

I\\\'m glad Ben wrote about this company else I might have missed it. First of all, you must visit Ashley Madison\\\'s website. It is stupendous. Best tagline ever \\\"Life is Short. Have an Affair.\\\" Second, I expect I\\\'m going to get some flack for this review.<br /> <br /> They claim to have 3 million plus members and while I can\\\'t validate that number, I think this is a huge idea. My positive review is not based on a moral view I have of their business or idea but on the business itself, and this is a great big idea.<br /> <br /> People have cheated forever and will continue to do so. If, as Ashley Madison has done, a service can be created to facilitate/simplify cheating, then Ashley Madison deserves to make money just like any other service provider who provides a valuable service.<br /> <br /> In the case of Ashley Madison, they have other things going for them. No competition (as far as I can tell) coupled with a transaction which is highly risky, e.g., someone who wants to engage in this behavior may have a lot to lose if they\\\'re found out and so they\\\'re likely to be willing to pay a lot for the service. So being the only provider of a service that people are willing to pay a decent amount for is a pretty great way to be positioned.<br /> <br /> Maybe down the road, after Ashley Madison facilitates the cheating, they can cross-sell customers on counseling or legal services to handle divorces. <br /> <br /> Yes - Ashley Madison may operate in an unsavory space, but the key thing is that they\\\'ve found a really untapped opportunity. Vices tend to make for good businesses no matter what you may think of them. << Less

<p>As you might be able to tell from my last couple of reviews, I&rsquo;ve been exploring the companies listed in the &ldquo;Off the Wall&rdquo; category on Chubby.&nbsp;I was hoping to come across what I like to refer to as a &ldquo;WTH&rdquo; company (we can say &ldquo;What the Hell&rdquo; as a substitute to the other 3-letter acronym &ndash; right?&nbsp;Hell doesn&rsquo;t need to be censored ... More >>

<p>As you might be able to tell from my last couple of reviews, I&rsquo;ve been exploring the companies listed in the &ldquo;Off the Wall&rdquo; category on Chubby.&nbsp;I was hoping to come across what I like to refer to as a &ldquo;WTH&rdquo; company (we can say &ldquo;What the Hell&rdquo; as a substitute to the other 3-letter acronym &ndash; right?&nbsp;Hell doesn&rsquo;t need to be censored does it?).&nbsp;Well, this was it.&nbsp;So, while there are many websites available to help people &ldquo;hook up,&rdquo; few focus on the core business of helping &ldquo;married people cheat,&rdquo; as Ashley Madison does.</p> <p>Given the core focus of Ashley Madison&rsquo;s business (their motto is: &ldquo;Life is Short.&nbsp;Have an Affair&rdquo;), I find it ironic that they claim that they do not encourage infidelity (see their FAQs: <a href="http://www.ashleymadison.com/app/public/faq.p?s=14#87"><font color="#800080">http://www.ashleymadison.com/app/public/faq.p?s=14#87</font></a>).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If you&rsquo;re going to lie, at least be subtle about it.&nbsp;In addition to this, it amuses me to no end that Ashley Madison has an &ldquo;Affair Guarantee&rdquo; that guarantees that you will be able to have an affair as long as you do what is outlined in the guarantee, or your money back (<a href="http://www.ashleymadison.com/app/public/guarantee/detailsform.p"><font color="#800080">http://www.ashleymadison.com/app/public/guarantee/detailsform.p</font></a>).</p>; <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>It amazes me that there are enough people out there who use this service that Ashley Madison has managed to stay in business since 2001.&nbsp;Similar to how the porn industry is now bigger than Hollywood despite the &ldquo;fact&rdquo; that most people don&rsquo;t watch porn, I&rsquo;m willing to bet that this type of service is a winner &ndash; fueled by many losers (yeah &ndash; you know who you are).&nbsp;For those of you who have no problem investing in vice funds / stocks / companies (see <a href="http://www.vicefund.com/"><font color="#800080">http://www.vicefund.com</font></a>;), and want to invest in a single small company, this might be up your alley.&nbsp;But for me, I&rsquo;ve got to say that the existence this business shows the sad state of many relationships that exist (either get out of them or work harder to fix them!).&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While I could start a tirade about the many other ethical issues associated with this site, I&rsquo;ll leave it with this conclusion&hellip;I wouldn&rsquo;t be able to bring myself to invest in or start a company like this, but I&rsquo;ve got to admit, it&rsquo;s a potential money maker for some unethical being out there...</p> << Less