12 Ways the Sex Trade Has Changed the Internet

From PC World: "The sex industry is behind many innovations that today's Netizens can't live without, as well as some nasty bits we wish had never existed, including:

1. Online Payment Systems.  The next time you buy something at Amazon or another online retailer, marveling at the ease and security of e-commerce, don't just thank Jeff Bezos, thank Richard Gordon. In the mid-1990s Gordon founded Electronic Card Systems, which pioneered credit card transactions for a wide range of disreputable sites, according to the New York Times.

2. Streaming Content.  Before CNN.com or YouTube started filling the Internet with streaming video, X-rated sites were pumping out videos of adult stars doing what comes naturally (or not), over and over and over.

3. 3G Mobile Services. Pocket porn is the new frontier. Just as adult content helped push the propagation of cable and DSL connections, mobile porn will undoubtedly arouse demand for high-speed 3G data services."

It's not all good though, we can thank curse the porn industry for spam, malware and pop-ups, read the whole list here.
 
HT: Juandos