profile

Still Rocking: The Hun Celebrates 30 Years in the Game

Still Rocking: The Hun Celebrates 30 Years in the Game

In the ever-changing landscape of adult entertainment, The Hun’s Yellow Pages stands out for its endurance. As one of the internet’s original fixtures, literally nearly as old as the web itself, The Hun has functioned as a living archive for online adult content, quietly maintaining its relevance with an interface that feels more nostalgic than flashy. What began in the mid-1990s as a side project built on floppy disks out of a programmer’s curiosity has become a rare constant in a fast-moving space.

At the center is Patrick, better known as “The Hun.” A longtime developer with a dry sense of humor and a preference for simplicity over spectacle, Patrick has kept the site running since 1995, iterating and adapting without chasing trends.

We link to the latest stuff, so if something gets popular, we list it. I once said if sex with vacuum cleaners got popular, we’d be one of the first to list it.

These days, he’s no longer running the show alone. His son Martin now plays a major role on the tech side, helping lead the site’s next phase. Behind the scenes, Patrick’s wife — affectionately referred to as “Mrs. Hun” — handles the finances. Together, they make up a family operation that prioritizes efficiency, collaboration and a shared sense of purpose.

Three decades in, The Hun is a reminder that longevity in adult doesn’t always come from reinvention. It can also come from knowing who you are, what you do and why it matters.

‘Wild West’ Beginnings

“The adult industry was one of the first to see the monetary value of the internet,” Patrick reflects. “It resulted in faster bandwidth, and eventually the ability to stream video. Sites like YouTube and platforms like Netflix wouldn’t have been possible without adult laying the groundwork.”

Patrick’s own entry into the digital adult space was a happy collision of experimentation and timing. While studying technical computer science, he was playing around with bulletin board systems and early web-building software when, as he puts it, “This thing called the internet popped up.”

At the time, his school dismissed it as a passing fad.

“The Internet was seen as a plaything,” he recalls. “But it caught my interest.”

He began compiling links to “naked people bits” that he stumbled across in chatrooms and forums.

“The program I had let you create a website with links. I started putting them together, adding descriptions, changing colors… It was just for fun.”

That fun, however, quickly got serious. Within a month, the site hit 100,000 visitors and Patrick’s ISP kicked him off for using too much bandwidth.

“That was astonishing back then,” he says.

A couple of friends who had started a hosting company called Vuurwerk Internet suggested he host the site with them.

“They had spare bandwidth,” Patrick says. “We tried selling ads on the front page and split the income. We didn’t want a .com because in those days .com was commercial, and we were more a network of free porn than a commercial site.”

Thus TheHun.net was born, and what started as a simple link list was suddenly part of a much bigger picture.

“People experimented and tried what worked for them,” he says. “Business models started, advertising approaches were invented and the online industry as a whole got more experienced and organized.”

Technology, of course, remained central to that growth.

“We like to keep everything simple,” Patrick says. “So if we need more processing because our database is getting bigger, the solution isn’t more servers; it’s better programming.”

His approach to development has always been hands-on.

“Once you have a computer, you can experiment on it until you get it right,” he says. “And once you get it right, you publish it. The biggest investment in these experiments is time.”

That ethos has stuck. Whether working with MySQL, Redis or building tools from scratch, Patrick has continued evolving behind the scenes — even while the front end stays famously retro.

A Bar That Gives Away Free Beer

Over the years, The Hun evolved to keep up with an industry in constant motion, from banner ads to affiliate programs to content aggregation.

“We’re like a bar on a street with all kinds of bars, but we’re the only ones that give beer away for free,” Patrick says. “So our bar is packed.”

His approach has always prioritized user experience over aggressive monetization. If something changes in the market, The Hun adapts.

“We link to the latest stuff, so if something gets popular, we list it,” he explains. “I once said if sex with vacuum cleaners got popular, we’d be one of the first to list it. And, well, eventually we did.”

Today, the site hosts not just galleries, but tube videos, cam models and affiliate deals, all curated with Patrick’s trademark mix of utility, irreverence and respect for the user.

“If you don’t make money, we don’t make money,” he declares. “That’s always been the model.”

The Next Generation

While Martin always admired his father’s work from a distance, he didn’t grow up immersed in it.

“When I was growing up, we never really talked about what he did for work,” Martin says. “He started before I was born, so that was probably for the best.”

Still, the curiosity was there. Martin was drawn to programming, and eventually his father asked him to come on board.

“He took the offer and started building gallery templates,” Patrick says. “He quickly evolved into a really skilled programmer.”

Now, Martin is leading front-end development, managing the tube site and helping rebuild the site’s backend infrastructure. Joining the family business wasn’t always the plan, however.

“When I was younger, I wanted to be a chef,” he shares. But as he got older and started programming, he realized he both enjoyed it and had a knack for it. “My dad was a big help, and I did my best to learn as much as I could.”

The two now work side-by-side, sometimes literally.

“A father and son on the same project can be challenging at times,” Patrick admits. “We’re both stubborn… but mostly I feel pride.”

What makes the partnership work is more than just complementary skill sets.

“We both have the same idea of what The Hun should be,” Patrick says. “We don’t want an overcommercialized site with more ads than content. We want to use content to promote the product that’s related to it. Not random junk.”

Martin echoes that philosophy.

“We both bring our own ideas, and that helps us see things from different perspectives,” he says. His background in design and recent internship experience have also helped reshape how The Hun looks and feels. “We’re always trying to find better layouts, better ways to serve the content.”

Patrick has always leaned into simplicity and patience, two traits he continues to pass down.

“I’ve given many people advice over the years,” he says. “I remember a guy asking me what a good starting place was to build an adult website. I told him that gofuckyourself.com was a good place. He got very upset about that! He thought I was telling him to… well. He never bothered to actually look up that site.

“These days, I wouldn’t know,” Patrick adds. “It’s easy to start something, but there are so many people fishing in the same pool now that it’s hard to catch anything. On the other hand, there’s not a lot of risk involved either. It’s easy to build a niche site, write some content to please Google — don’t use AI for that! — find an affiliate program and away you go.”

Even after all this time, he notes, The Hun is still building an audience.

“Some people come back to The Hun regularly; others are savaging Google to get new viewers to their advertorials,” Patrick says. “Both are different tactics, both are fine. But our way does require a lot of patience.

“There are generations that are not used to paying for anything,” he points out. “You always need to take that into account. Also, in ‘my time,’ the main thing was images. Not because people just preferred images, but video wasn’t available. If we had focused on just that, we would never have lasted 30 years.”

Having Martin in the mix has been an advantage in more ways than one.

“Martin has a fresh brain and is not diluted with ‘how it was done in the past,’” Patrick says. “I have a lot of experience in this industry and saw a lot of things succeed or fail. That combined becomes bigger than the sum of its parts. I’m very proud of that.”

A Family That Codes — and Cooks — Together

Away from their desks, the father-son bond continues to thrive. One of their favorite traditions? Cooking.

“Every year for Christmas, we invite the whole family over and me and my dad cook a seven-course dinner,” Martin says. “That’s where my original interest in becoming a chef came from, and it’s still something we really enjoy doing together.”

The family element runs deep in The Hun’s operations. From Mrs. Hun’s bookkeeping to Martin’s full-stack development to Patrick’s tool-building, everyone has a role.

“The Hun is a small team,” Patrick says. “But we do a lot. And we enjoy doing it.”

As Patrick gradually steps back, he remains confident in the direction Martin is taking things.

“He’s a smart kid — well, a smart man!” Patrick says. “We’re working on a vast collection of discounts and offers, extensive previews, model profiles. All of it tied together.”

Martin shares that excitement. “We’re adding so much more now: tube videos, cams, discounts, reviews. I’m trying very hard to get The Hun to the point where it used to be, and I’m looking forward to what all these changes are going to bring.”

Lessons in Longevity

As someone who’s spent 30 years helping shape the digital adult space, Patrick is reflective, but never jaded.

“The biggest investment in this work is time,” he says. “But patience pays off. You can build an audience if you stay true to your values.”

His business philosophy remains simple: “Don’t. Get. Greedy.”

That mindset, paired with a commitment to fairness, community and quality, has kept The Hun relevant long past the lifespan of most early internet brands. Now, as Martin begins to carve out his own path within that legacy, the future feels not just secure, but promising.

“I will do this for another 30 years if I can,” Patrick says. “And if not, I know it’s in good hands.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Digital Desires: AI's Emerging Role in Adult Entertainment

The adult industry has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing new technology. From the early days of dial-up internet and grainy video clips to today’s polished social media platforms and streaming services, our industry has never been afraid to innovate. But now, artificial intelligence (AI) is shaking things up in ways that are exciting but also daunting.

Steve Lightspeed ·
opinion

More Than Money: Why Donating Time Matters for Nonprofits

The adult industry faces constant legal battles, societal stigma and workplace challenges. Fortunately, a number of nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to protect the rights and well-being of adult performers, producers and industry workers. When folks in the industry think about supporting these groups, donating money is naturally the first solution that comes to mind.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Consent Guardrails: How to Protect Your Content Platform

The adult industry takes a strong and definite stance against the creation or publication of nonconsensual materials. Adult industry creators, producers, processors, banks and hosts all share a vested interest in ensuring that the recording and publication of sexually explicit content is supported by informed consent.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

Payment Systems: Facilitator vs. Gateway Explained

Understanding and selecting the right payment platform can be confusing for anyone. Recently, Segpay launched its payment gateway. Since then, we’ve received numerous questions about the difference between a payment facilitator and a payment gateway. Most merchants want to know which type of platform best meets their business needs.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Reinventing Intimacy: A Look at AI's Implications for Adult Platforms

The adult industry has long revolved around delivering pleasure and entertainment, but now it’s moving into new territory: intimacy, connection and emotional fulfillment. And AI companions are at the forefront of that shift.

Daniel Keating ·
profile

WIA: Sara Edwards on Evolving Clip Culture and Creator Empowerment

Though she works behind the scenes, Sara Edwards has had a front-row seat to the evolution of adult content creation. Having been immersed in the sector since 1995, she has a unique perspective on the industry.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

Segpay Marks 20 Years of High-Risk Triumphs

Payment processors are behind-the-scenes players in the world of ecommerce, yet their role is critical. Ensuring secure, seamless transactions while navigating a rapidly changing regulatory landscape requires both technological expertise and business acumen.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

The SCREEN Test: How to Prepare for Federal Age Verification

For those who are counting, there are now 20 enacted state laws in the United States requiring age verification for viewing online adult content, plus numerous proposed laws in the works. This ongoing barrage has been exhausting for many in the adult industry — and it may be about to escalate in the form of a potential new AV law, this time at the federal level.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

How to Master Team Dynamics for Business Success

Having the right team in place is everything. Whether getting a startup off the ground and thriving, or safeguarding an established company, the right — or wrong — people can mean the difference between a successful venture and a failed dream.

Juicy Jay ·
opinion

Eight Steps to Fast-Track AI Site Approval for Processing

Artificial intelligence is a hot topic these days. AI technology is speeding up the way we do business across all industries and offers numerous benefits, from automating processes to increasing efficiency and scalability.

Cathy Beardsley ·
Show More