Quote Originally Posted by kunik
Content has come from user uploads, message forums, newsgroups etc. I understand that if I went "pay" that I would need to remove all of what I had and start from scratch in order to avoid getting in trouble. My advantage I guess is that my domain name already gets lots of traffic and if I did this right I would still generate some buzz I hope

I am willing to do that if I can find some way to to keep the site looking elegant and more of an erotica site vs a porn site I guess
Sorry, regardless of what you may think -- there are no public domain gay porn (or any other) pictures on the net you can borrow!! Just saying ". . . if it's yours tell me and I'll take it down." doesn't cut it if the copyright owner wants to enforce his/her rights. Whether or not you're charging anyone to view what content you're displaying isn't the point. What you've got is stolen goods. If you're operation gets too big, someone's going to get upset (not about your size but about your use of their content). With the membership volume you've got you shouldn't give up . . . just change your content sources.

Based on your prior comment, I'd assumed you were using some free content from pay sites, with their approval. It's a common content source for free sites. That type content is perfect for the approach desslock mentioned -- as you'd be presenting samples (pictures and video clips) with links to the source site. If your surfer likes what he sees, he can join the site you're promoting and you'll earn a commission. Do this for a number of sites that offer the type content you and your members already like. Then, reinvest some of that income (above and beyond your operational expanses) in purchasing some unique content. With the right approach, you should be able to keep your members happy with good content, maintain free access and start making money.

We've got over 400 sites in our Directory of Gay Pay Site Sponsors. Where possible we've noted if they provide free content (and sometimes which kind: pictures and/or video clips). There's also sections on Gay Content providers and Gay Video/Feed providers for when you can/want to do your own thing.