As other online media outlets flounder, Nerve.com, the highbrow online sex publication (there is such a thing!) has found an old media way to create a positive cash flow: personal ads.

Like other online publications such as Salon.com, Nerve.com had been trying a subscription service where subscribers got extra content for paying upfront. But even tempting features like Position of the Day hadn't, er, upped the profile enough.

But the personals, which Nerve's editor calls "eBay for the people" have already generated revenue and put Nerve.com in the, um, right position to score. It expects $11 million (€13 million) in personals revenue by 2003.