QXMEN had a quick one-2-one with Steve Pope, the man behind GoLiveGuys, the essential gay video community for guys looking to chat, date or simply have some fun.
In one sentence Steve, can you tell us what kind of site GoLiveGuys is?
It’s a live video chat community of guys from around the world.
And why should guys sign up?
Well, mainly because it’s fun, something different and more personal. Unlike most adult sites GoLiveGuys is about individual connections. The guys preforming for you are live and responding to your wishes. It’s much like having a private strip show in the comfort of your own home. Some guys are shy, some are flirty and some are full-on. The great thing is if a certain chat host is not your thing – you can easily start up a conversation with another. And don’t be surprised if the chat host asks you to turn your cam on and show him a thing or two.
Is it easy to sign up?
Yes, it’s very easy to sign up – though we do require that a viewer input a credit card to verify that they are over 18 years old. But don’t worry, your card will never be billed until you start one of the chargeable video chat sessions – and even then we ask you if it is ok to charge your card. Remember most of the site is free adult photos posted by the chat hosts, email, text chat and some video chat sessions are all totally free to a registered user.
On average, how many guys are chatting online at any one time?
Between 20 and 40 guys of all ages, shapes, sizes, sexual orientations and ethnic origins. We even have a few straight guys looking for some extra cash – that is if your thing is awkwardness. Remember, it is a new site and it is growing every day.
GLG has only just been launched in the UK so we understand that it’s mainly American guys chatting online at the moment?
Most of the viewers are right now American, but we’re seeing fast growth in Europe and South America. The Chat hosts come from all over the world.
Has GLG been rolled out across the rest of Europe yet?
The site can be accessed from everywhere so it is available in Europe. Most of our chat hosts speak several languages (so if you want to practice your Spanish or Russian!..) and we have plans to roll out the site in other languages in the near future.
Is video chat big in the US?
It is big and getting bigger. Let’s face it, as gay guys we are social animals – we love interacting with each other on all levels. GoLiveGuys offers the opportunity for a personal connection to be brought to what is now becoming old and stale: online porn videos. Our site lets our viewers interact with the ‘actors’ and even go as far as ‘directing’ the action.
What’s the role of a Chat Host?
The role of a chat host on our site depends on what category the chat host decides to join. There is everything from “Make new friends” to “Dungeon” and everything in between. Obviously what you can expect in each of these categories varies considerably.
How does someone become a Chat Host?
It is quite easy. Go to www.goliveguys.com/exhibinstructions.html and follow the instructions. If you have any questions you can send them to [email protected] with the subject line as “I want to be a male chat host”, and I will personally help you through the process or answer your questions.
Getting a little personal now Steve, could you give us a little background on your career?
I have done Project Management and Product Development for Web for almost 15 years in San Francisco, Buenos Aires, London and now Barcelona. I have worked for the Boston Consulting Group, Gay.com/PlanetOut.com and Apple Computer.
And what made you move into the live cam sector?
At Gay.com/PlanetOut.com, I did Product Development for the online chat application. Video chat is the next logical step forward and I really enjoy the complexity of designing an ‘easy-to-use’ application. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I get to look at hot guys all day long and get paid for it!
So, what excites you about working with the Internet?
I love the fact that what I’m working on will quite rapidly go live and be seen and used by thousands of people. It’s always quite a thrill to be involved in a product launch.
Where would you like to see GoLiveGuys in five years time?
We will be launching full screen in the next two weeks followed by HD video chat. For Pride, we are planning on introducing some online card games to play with the chathosts such as Strip HiLo and Strip BlackJack for our more competitive viewers. Our chat community continues to grow – often in surprising ways. For example, many of our chathosts are also viewers and vice versa (something you almost never see on straight video chat sites). I’d like to see the GoLiveGuys community grow to be several times its current size. And I would also like for it to continue to be part of the new Internet culture that breaks down those old one-directional lines from producer to consumer. I know that sounds heavy for an adult-oriented site but I think we are doing this.
Finally Steve, what do you like to do to relax?
Jump in the water and swim. And luckily I live a 5-minute walk from the beach in Barcelona.