When I posted that AIM was shutting the doors, a story I verified from multiple sources, AIM backpedaled quickly, releasing a statement that they were not closing and would re-open by the end of the month. Let’s skip the bullshit reasons.
AVN finally rang in on it with an article that actually questioned the statement that AIM would return. Since AVN is one of AIMS largest benefactors you can rest assured that was more than just pure speculation, they got the same story I did.
That story being that AIM is straddled with debt from multiple lawsuits and is in a position to be in a lot more jeopardy, thanks to the possibility of pending lawsuits as a result of the breach of AIMS database.
But to breach security there has to be security to begin with and that’s where AIM’s biggest liability lies. When your database contains sensitive data, specially medical data you have a responsibility to make a good faith effort to secure that data, failure to do so is gross negligence and in a civil suit thats when damages can get very high.
One could presume that AIM has insurance to cover such things but that may well not be the case, and the recent move taking AIM to a private corporation instead of a non profit puts the new owners of AIM directly in the line of fire for civil action.
I have seen a lot of people asking why people are so happy about the news that AIM is shutting down, and at first glance it would seem counter intuitive, but let’s look at the surrounding circumstances.
First you have AIM trotting out Sharon Mitchell, complete with her internet diploma and allowing her to represent herself as a medical doctor. Even the dumbest of porn chicks can see a problem with that.
Then we have the question of substandard testing procedures, argue the PCR/DNA test all you want but it is NOT the “Gold Standard Test” and there is a reason for that, some people got it, others just followed the party line, not wanting to rock the boat.
Then when we did have HIV outbreaks AIM, whose charter was to protect performers, would not release any information that would allow performers to know if they had been potentially exposed, performers starting asking, so what really, is the purpose of AIM? And the answer became more and more apparent, to make money.
So do you really have to ask why performers and producers and so many others in porn don’t trust AIM? Why these people would be happy that after being lied to, mislead, and having their very lives put in danger, they wouldn’t step up to support AIM in it’s time of need?
If AIM does return you can bet it better not be the same AIM. if they are smart they will overhaul it starting with dropping any and all association with Sharon Mitchell. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a personal grind with Sharon but I have a HUGE professional problem with Sharon. At first I applauded her PhD, until I found out that it was essentially meaningless, that she did not get it from an accredited school, she did not do the work required of a PhD from say UCLA and that she in fact had only a GED in terms of formal education. Then she tags herself as Doctor Sharon Mitchell as opposed to Sharon mitchell PhD, which is what a REAL PhD would do.
The sad part is that AIM SHOULD have been the worlds foremost authority on sexually transmitted diseases, it should have easily found grants and funding and help from pharmaceutical companies and condom companies and it should have had a board of directors that contained REAL health care professionals and testing and treatment for people in adult could have been free in exchange for participation.
AIM could have been a force for good.
Instead of a complete failure.
