Skinbook: Facebook for 21st Century Nudists

Skinbook.ning.com is a U.K.-based website that proudly touts itself as the Net's only genuine nudist social network. Skinbook capitalizes on users' familiarity with Facebook-style member profiles, messages, forums and groups. Except that, unlike on Facebook, everyone's naked.

Not just the "new" social networking site of the decade but it takes online networking a step further by organizing face-face retreats, starting this summer. Hrmm....

Much like the people you're likely to encounter on a nude beach, Skinbook members aren't all tanned, taut and toned. "I think it's a bit of a counterculture movement against the body-beautiful thing at the moment," Maddocks says of the renewed interest in nudism. "It's all well and good to look nice, but there's just too much pressure on everyone to be perfect. With guys, if you don't have a six-pack, then you're an ugly loser. For girls, if you don't have fake boobs and a nice butt, then you're a 'fat bitch.' It's pathetic. What we're saying is, Just enjoy being yourself." Link

Ok - I agree with that sentiment, in theory... But, online?

Can someone fill me in - how does nudism on a social networking site jive with the culture of nudism as a whole? This just seems like its antithesis...

And ... let's not forget privacy issues.

Imagine the issues Facebook has and apply them to Skinbook!

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[edit on 29-5-2010 by LadySkadi]

I bet that it was started up by a couple of teenage boys.

Not my cup of tea anyway.

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


Close - 25 year olds - about the same age range as Facebook founders, I guess. Story is, the Skinbook founders bumped (their word, not mine) into each other at the nudist beach and came up with the idea... Rather ingenious, I suppose.

How is a nudist social networking website going to distinguish itself from some kind of sex service? Also how is it going to screen for sexual predators and deviants?

Remain vigilant

reply to post by LadySkadi


Well Lady, you seem to like adventure.

I think some further investigation by you into this , could lead to

a most important thread.

Honest .

Yes, this is an ewhore's dream.

What's an ewhore you might ask?

Either a guy or girl, pretending to be a guy or girl, who gets people to do things like take surveys or sign up for something "free" that ends up costing eighty bucks, before giving the new friend naked pictures of "them".

And I'm about to go start 750 accounts and get rolling! lol

reply to post by bonsaisert


How does myspace and facebook screen for predators and deviants?

They don't.

reply to post by JohnnyTHSeed


Point well made.

For some reason I thought the problem would be somewhat more prevalent on a nudist site though, huh?

Remain Vigilant

Nudist don't like predators and deviants.
Never understood the term deviants when used with nudist as a number of nudist are also gay BI or into BDSM and B&D.

And they likely will have a way to catch the predators.

The biggest problem I see, are people copying the profile pictures and dispersing them throughout the internet.

In the article it mentions that "traditional" nudist club members tend to be older (in the 50+ range) while those on nudist social networking sites like this tend to be younger (35 +/- range) so it raises some interesting questions... high on the list is why the age discrepancy?

Is it that younger people are more comfortable with and reliant upon technology? Is it that Gen X and those who come after are "typically" more open and more willing to put their lives on online and is there a lack of concern regarding privacy or is just not a factor because so much of our lives are now online that this site doesn't register as any more different than any other networking site?

Interesting how boundaries are being blurred - across the lifestyles and technologies.

reply to post by LadySkadi


Ironically there is also a website called F**kbook where single men and women can have a one night stand or maybe more through online chat. I wouldn't doubt that there is more websites that are evenmore explicit then skin book to pop up in the near future.

Edit: $&F

[edit on 2-6-2010 by Stop-loss!]

[edit on 2-6-2010 by Stop-loss!]

As long as the profiles and people viewing them are 18+ I don't see a huge problem with this idea. If you want the world to see your tiddlywinks (no idea where that came from) that's your business. I just hope the people using this site will be smart about it, kinda doubt they will though.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
In the article it mentions that "traditional" nudist club members tend to be older (in the 50+ range) while those on nudist social networking sites like this tend to be younger (35 +/- range) so it raises some interesting questions... high on the list is why the age discrepancy?

My first guess would be the 35+/- are generally more tech savvy than the 50+/- so there's a better internet fit.

Second guess is that because they're younger they also look better nude and are less self-conscious about posting their pics online?

Personally regardless of age, while I don't have a problem with this service for people that want to use it, it just doesn't seem the same as the more traditional nudist. Posting your nude picture online isn't like walking around in the buff at a nudist camp. I would think the biggest benefits for nudists would be getting recommendations for the best nudist resorts from the community, etc.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
In the article it mentions that "traditional" nudist club members tend to be older (in the 50+ range) while those on nudist social networking sites like this tend to be younger (35 +/- range) so it raises some interesting questions... high on the list is why the age discrepancy?

Having BEEN a nudist (pauses to let that one soak in for awhile...)

This was born of the "Naturist" movement back in Germany; a sort of "back to primitive health and fitness" sort of things. The discrepancy in age is because the older crowd (back to nature) is not as comfortable with the tech.

Yeah, some of them are there to ogle... until they find out that there's only a few families with kids, it's not full of "hawt babes", and the groups are mostly 45+ who love outdoors, volleyball and other sports, and so forth:
en.wikipedia.org...

Social nudism is different than personal nudism (I bet a number of readers like to wander around the house without clothing and may sleep in the nude.)

Most of the long term nudists post photos of themselves clothed (because it avoids rather awkward situations... like the boss stumbling across photos of you and your flab displayed for all the world to see. Or coworkers finding it and making comments about your endowments or lack of them.)

Originally posted by Lady_Tuatha

I bet that it was started up by a couple of teenage boys.

Not my cup of tea anyway.

I find the idea of this rather novel. Interesting world we live in these days. One can only imagine where we are headed with future technological developments. One day we will look back on all of this and laugh at ourselves for thinking that we are "cutting " Edge. I think if people choose to entertain such activities it's their business.

I for one enjoy my privacy and intimacy with the one who I enjoy her company but hey that's just me.

PEACE
Slay