Entertainment
Is AdultFriendFinder legit? Only if you can follow these 4 rules.
As one of the oldest and largest online dating sites, AdultFriendFinder has a massive community of singles and non-monogamous kinksters looking for fun, but that doesn’t mean using the site is easy. On the contrary, a lot of their web interface seems dated and counterintuitive, with key features or functions buried under multiple menus and sub-menus.
Getting the most out of this site requires some trial and error, or at least an experienced guide, which is why we’ve got four essential tips to help you improve your AFF experience and connect with more people. That being said, it also helps to keep an open mind. If you enter your AFF experience with a narrow idea of exactly what you want, you’ll quickly find yourself disappointed. But if you start your search from a place of curiosity and allow yourself to be surprised, you may just discover new things about yourself in the process.
Credit: AdultFriendFinder
Here are four essential steps for getting the most out of your AdultFriendFinder experience:
Fill out your full AFF profile
Sure, this is an obvious step with every online dating service, but it’s even more important on AFF, since the site doesn’t entirely rely on a carousel-style presentation of dating profiles. Everything from your age to your gender to your sexuality to your list of personal kinks can help make you more discoverable to other AFF members, so the less you fill out, the harder it is for the site to make your profile discoverable.
This is true even if your personal kink list is short or leans towards the conventional, or if it’s exhaustive and leans towards the exotic; trust us when we say there are people out there looking for whatever combination of quirks and kinks makes up your sexuality, so taking your time to be precise here can pay serious dividends in the long run.
Also, don’t sleep on videos. Unlike many dating sites that allow only photos, AFF allows its members to upload short videos to their profile. This can be a fantastic way of not only showing others that you’re a real person but also highlighting your personality in a different way. You can also speak on some aspect of your personality that isn’t covered by the generic profile options.
Verify your AFF account as soon as possible
AdultFriendFinder throws up very few barriers to account creation. That makes it very easy for anyone to make an account, but it also means there is a large amount of spam and bot accounts lingering on the site. To combat this, they’ve also created a profile verification system using the Confirm ID service.
You will need to be comfortable sharing government ID with the site, but the benefits to your profile are massive: photo authentication, age confirmation, and location verification, all of which help others trust that your profile is authentic. When you complete the process, your profile will receive a blue checkmark underneath your profile photo, to the right of your username, which not only helps people identify your profile at a glance but also boosts your visibility in the search results, as preference is given to verified users.
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Be selective with your search criteria
If you do opt to use the site’s search function, you’ll quickly realize that you can be extremely selective in who you do and don’t include. And if you know exactly who and what you want, by all means, narrow your search, but if you’re on AFF to be surprised, it’s also worth being less selective from time to time.
For example, if you know you want an in-person date for next week, it obviously makes sense to narrow your location search to people who live near you. But what if you don’t know exactly what you want, or if you’re open to a sultry chat with a stranger half a world away? In that case, distance is irrelevant and you should consider turning that filter off.
On the other hand, there are quite a few filters that are turned off by default that we actually recommend you turn on. For example, the default profile filter shows you all people who have bothered to upload photos, but while that’s a good start, it’s not enough to help you wade through the huge number of users. We strongly recommend searching by Verified/Confirmed users, since those people all proved their identity the same way you did (see previous step), by uploading government-issued identification.
Another good filter to use is the Last Visit, which by default is set to “All.” Because so many people create an account but rarely check it, or go inactive for weeks or months at a time for any number of reasons, it’s a good idea to hone in on accounts that have been active in the last month, as otherwise you risk never hearing back from the people you message.
Explore the live-chat communities
AdultFriendFinder isn’t a traditional dating website, so you shouldn’t use it like one. The search-and-swipe dating app method is tried and true, but it’s also a bit played out, and one of AFF’s biggest strengths is its larger community offerings.
You can explore its many forums, organized around common interests, or you can venture into a user’s live stream and interact with them and others there. AFF even has a dedicated Stories section, where users can share their memories or try their hand at writing erotica. If this is a talent of yours, you can easily attract people to your profile through your writing, or if you’re a more visual person, you can always host your own webcam stream and see who tunes in.
For all of the above, AFF tracks not only which stories/streams/group chats are new but also those that are trending, which makes it very easy to jump into a popular discussion or keep up with the latest site news.
Upgrade your AFF membership tier
Unfortunately, it has to be said: you really can’t get the most out of AFF without a paid membership. It is possible to use the site and interact with others without giving them your credit card information, but the site’s best features and functions are all restricted to paying customers, and the advantages in terms of profile visibility, communication options and site functionality are all too great to ignore.
Not only do Gold and VIP members receive special icons on their profiles, but these profiles are given priority in every search, based on any criteria, and because there are thousands of potential profile options for almost every search criteria that isn’t location-based, it’s very difficult to stand out from the crowd as a basic user of the site.
Additionally, if you opt for the upgraded VIP membership, you’ll unlock an entire section dedicated exclusively to VIPs, which is a bit like entering the velvet-roped area of a night club; it’s where all the most glamorous people are hiding. VIP members even get additional points to spend on digital gifts or lavish on live streamers who catch your attention, which is another great way of standing out from the crowd.
The learning curve on AdultFriendFinder is steeper than most other dating sites, and much steeper than most dating apps, but if you follow the above tips and are willing to experiment with its vast array of offerings, you’ll encounter more than a few fun surprises along the way.
Entertainment
Windows 10 is vulnerable, but upgrading to Windows 11 Pro is only $13 right now
TL;DR: Windows 11 Pro was $199, but right now, it’s only $12.97.
Last year, Microsoft ended support for Windows 10. One major consequence of that is that machines running Windows 10 aren’t getting the essential security updates that keep your data private. The good news is that it’s also really cheap to upgrade right now. Before, it would have cost you $199 to get Windows 11 Pro, but right now, it’s only $12.97. This offer ends very soon.
Security is one of the main reasons to move away from Windows 10. Windows 11 Pro uses newer hardware security tools like TPM 2.0 and UEFI, which help your PC check that nothing has been tampered with when it starts up. BitLocker can encrypt your whole drive so your files are harder to get into if your laptop is lost or stolen, and Smart App Control helps block shady or unsafe apps before they run. If you run virtual machines, test software, or connect to business networks, tools like Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, and Azure AD support give you a safer way to do that work.
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You also get a simpler desktop layout, a new Start menu, and snap tools that make it easier to line up windows side by side without dragging them around forever. Virtual desktops let you keep separate setups for work, school, and personal use on the same computer. Built-in Teams and Widgets keep calls, calendars, weather, and other quick info close so you are not digging through menus just to join a meeting or check something basic.
Copilot adds an AI assistant directly into Windows. You can use it to change settings, summarize pages you are reading, draft emails or other text, or get quick code suggestions. You open it from the taskbar, with the Windows logo key plus C, or with a Copilot key if your keyboard has one.
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Time to upgrade. Get Windows 11 Pro while it’s only $13.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on February 22
The Moon is a quarter of the way back to us now, meaning there is more than enough of its surface lit up that we can enjoy some Moon gazing. So, what can you see when you look up tonight?
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, Feb. 22, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 26% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
There’s plenty to see on the Moon’s surface tonight, but some Mares and craters stand out. With just your naked eye, you should be able to make out the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. If you add binoculars you’ll also be able to see the Endymion Crater. And with a telescope, enjoy a glimpse of the Apollo 17 landing spot.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon was on Feb. 1.
What are Moon phases?
NASA tells us that the Moon completes a full orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During this cycle, it passes through eight distinct phases. Although we consistently see the same side of the Moon, the portion illuminated by the Sun shifts as it travels along its orbit. The changing angle of sunlight reflecting off the Moon’s surface is what makes it appear full, partially lit, or nearly dark at different times. The eight phases include:
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Entertainment
David Hasselhoff Battles Aliens In An Insane Sci-Fi Spin-Off You Won't Believe Is Real
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
For one glorious moment in time, Baywatch was the most-watched show on the planet, turning Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, and Carmen Electra into stars, but even those three paled compared to the popularity of David Hasselhoff. The star of Knight Rider found the perfect role for his second act as Mitch Buchannon, a veteran lifeguard who often said it was the only job he ever had, but secretly wanted to be a detective.
Baywatch Nights, the 1995 spin-off, let Mitch live his dream as a detective straight out of a 1930s pulp novel, solving murders, finding missing people, battling sea monsters, uncovering an alien conspiracy, exploring a parallel dimension, and even going 20 years into the future. Baywatch Nights is a bizarre fever dream that would never, ever get made today.
Baywatch Nights Is The Strangest Spinoff In TV History
Baywatch Nights is really two shows: the noir crime thriller of Season 1 and the X-Files knockoff it became in Season 2. Hasselhoff’s Mitch wasn’t the only familiar face. Garner Ellerbee (Gregory Allan Williams), the police officer from Baywatch since the beginning, established a private detective agency and brought in his buddy Mitch to help him, alongside Detective Ryan McBride (Angie Harmon’s debut, known today for Law & Order and Rizzoli and Isles). Legendary musician Lou Rawls not only played the owner of the nightclub that housed the new detective agency, but also performed the opening song, “After the Sun Comes Down,” which played over the opening montage of mostly daylit scenes.
Right away, fans were incredibly confused when the opening montage had Mitch running in his Baywatch red trunks and then fading in wearing a white Miami Vice-style suit. In 1995. Multiple shots of Hasselhoff behind a car were supposed to remind fans of his time on Knight Rider, but it had nothing in common with the campy, light-hearted show it was spinning off from. Faced with cratering ratings as the first season went on, the studio, The Baywatch Company, retooled into a monster-of-the-week format even further removed from the original beachside drama.
From Noir Detective To Paranormal Investigator
Season 2 of Baywatch Nights is one of the worst shows to ever make it to air. Or one of the best, in practice, this was close to a 90’s version of Kolchak the Nightstalker. There was no myth arc, no character development, and no real point to the series other than that X-Files was exploding in popularity. The lack of commitment went all the way down to keeping Mitch as a character on Baywatch, making him a lifeguard by day and a paranormal investigator by night.
Episode 4, “Strike” starts off with Mitch saving a young man from drowning when a strange lightning strike causes the two to start sharing their feelings. Spoiler: he’s an alien, and instead of letting himself be captured by the government, he chooses to go back to his home planet. There’s no ambiguity. There’s a bright, white light, and he fades from sight as he teleports back home. Again, this is a Baywatch spin-off. With aliens.
A later episode is somehow even stranger: Episode 13, “Frozen Out of Time,” pits Mitch against Vikings, and, of course, it ends with David Hasselhoff getting into a sword fight with a broom. Four episodes later, and the team is hunting down a werewolf. At the same time these episodes are airing, Hasselhoff is still playing Mitch on Baywatch, and somehow the topic of aliens is real, and vampires, and werewolves, and yes, even mummies, never comes up. You’d think “I’m friends with an alien” would make great water cooler conversation at work.
Baywatch Nights falls solidly into the “so bad it’s good” category. There’s no question that at the time, it was a massive flop and one of the least successful spin-offs of all time. Describing it today will make people question your sanity, and yet, there are more episodes of Baywatch Nights than there is Stranger Things.
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