Once you get underneath its meme-filled homepage, Reddit becomes incredibly expansive. It’s the kind of website where you can source the latest cryptocurrency news, share Game of Thrones fan fiction, or pick up some nifty gardening tips. It also hosts a veritable ocean of porn. By far the top porn subreddit, according to redditlist, is Gonewild (NSFW, obviously), a place where people consensually post their own nude photos and gifs for other Redditors to view and upvote. Think of it as a big online sex-positive show-and-tell for amateur exhibitionists. Both men and women can share their photos on Gonewild (and there are many, many gender/ethnicity/body-specific sub subreddits of Gonewild)—although the main site is overwhelmingly female (and more often than not, not that inclusive.) We were curious about the reasons for regular folk to be sharing their nudes with the world, so we spoke to a number of Gonewild posters about it.

Jolene, 24, Netherlands, student

I’ve been posting on Gonewild for around one month. I first started sharing photos there because I was involved with this guy and his girlfriend—they’re in a relationship and I'm the allowed side chick basically. She started to post there, we both thought it was hot, so I started posting as well. I enjoy the attention, compliments and the rush of knowing that hundreds of people are seeing my body and getting off to it. It’s hot as fuck! All those people wanting you. I mean, sex is about attraction and our society is very much built upon appreciation. So naturally, it's flattering to know that there are hundreds of people who'd kill to fuck you just the way you'd want it. You do run the risk of being exposed, I guess. Generally, I haven't received negative mails or anything, but a lot of people do and I think that's just mean. If you don't like what you see just don't say anything.

Amber, early 30s, USA, (non-adult) entertainment

I've been posting on Gonewild for almost a year, though this is my fourth account. I’ve been on Reddit for 5+ years and always subscribed to Gonewild. I fantasized about posting there for a long time before I did. I like sharing photos because the thought of men getting off to me makes me really fucking horny. And I'm super sex-positive, so I enjoy being horny. And, if we're being blunt, it's good motivation to stay in shape. The negatives are trolls and the threat of doxxing. Generally, with trolls I am really good at ignoring/making fun of it. Every once in a while someone will make a comment that will get to me. But overall, it's been a great experience.

Nicola, 29, USA, designer

I’ve been posting on Gonewild for a couple of years now. I first started posting because I was bored and a bit lonely after a break up. I’m a bit of an exhibitionist and I really just enjoy the thought that I’m making someone’s day a little bit better, as corny as that may be. If I can provide some material to help things along, then it’s a nice little accomplishment. I also enjoy some of the people I meet, I’ve made a couple of fast friends through Reddit. Not to mention the confidence boost you get from all of the positive feedback when you post. It’s just a nice experience overall typically. There’s really very few negatives that come to mind. I’ve had people try and tell me that they have my personal info and they’ll contact my loved ones, it’s always a bluff though. I used to post my face for a short bit, but I got too popular and I had a couple of friends recognize me. Thankfully they were both cool about it, but it was sort of a wake up call. The only other negative thing I would say is the amount of lonely people you meet. It’s a lonely world out there and some guys/gals honestly just want a chat with someone. I do that on occasion too.

VixieMK , 25, UK, admin

I’ve been posting on Gonewild for about a month and a half. I first decided to post to build my self confidence and to prove to myself that I'm real and the people in magazines aren’t—to show others that men and women do prefer the real natural thing! I enjoy sharing my photos, again to prove that people still like the more natural look, curves and all! One negative to posting on Gonewild is the unpredictability—some photos get +700 upvotes, but another can get just +30! And you can get some ‘weird’ messages. I try to reply to the majority of mine, as I like to show my personality (not just my body), so sometimes it can be challenging.

Jade, 29, Australia, admin

I’ve been posting on Gonewild for one month. My husband and I talked/joked about it for a while, as it's something we’ve both always thought might be a little bit of fun for us in terms of exploring our sexuality as a couple. He’s always enjoyed looking at the girls posting on Reddit, so I first started posting to surprise him. There’s still that element to it—he’s always excited to see one of my new posts and it has improved our sex life in some ways because of it. I like that it’s just an easy, fun way to share your appearance and sexuality on your own terms with no judgement, as well as learning about other people. It’s not just about posting photos, but also then about meeting and getting to know like-minded people, chatting and learning new things. Everybody is open-minded and friendly. There are so many people posting but I’ve rarely seen anything other than positivity in the comments, which is nice. It’s just a little community of like-minded people for the most part.

There are negatives to all things in life. With regards to Gonewild, it’s usually only the fact that some people have the mindset that because you’ve posted a photo, it means they’re entitled to something else that they want from you (whether it’s a specific photo request, video, cyber sex, wanting to buy your used panties, etc.). But, in the end, the sad reality is that this is no different to some people in day-to-day life. The suggestion that a woman is ‘asking for trouble’ if she wears revealing clothing is still somehow out there—the issue isn’t that women shouldn't wear revealing clothing, or be able to post a photo that makes them feel sexy if they so choose, or that they should expect to be abused, threatened or worse if they do; the issue is that a lot of people still need to learn what consent and respect are and just be decent human beings.

Oh also, dick pics. So. Many. Dick pics.

Pseudonyms have been used to protect anonymity.