posting nude content risks removal of whole site

[Ms Dynomite]

This thread closed to avoid confusion. The no-nudity rule was only temporary due to specific direction from Ning. The site has been reverted to its previous rule allowing nudity but not porn. Please see the announcement thread here


Some of you don't seem to be understanding the very very basic rule prohibiting nudity of any kind on the site. You seem to think you are somehow above this rule because your specific image is the single special exception to this. You seem to think that because your image of a bare ass is tasteful the rules don't apply to you. You seem to think that immediate banning for violation of this rule is harsh.

Let me make it abundantly clear what I mean when I say your ignorance or disregard of the rules puts the entire site at risk:

"Networks with Adult Content visible to Users who are not Network Members of such Networks with Adult Content may be shut down at Ning's sole discretion and without notice." (from Ning's TOUs)

As a public site that means any content posted here is "visible to Users who are not Network Members". Let me repeat that: each time you post adult content (any image with nudity, yes any, yes yours, no it doesn't matter if you think it's "tasteful", no it doesn't matter if we disagree with this) you risk the entire site being shut down. That's right, shut down. As a direct result of your content which Ning considers "adult content". Again, it doesn't matter if you agree with this rule, the site can still be shut down because you violated it.

If you thought that being labeled "adult" and slammed with explicit porn ads on every page was inconvenient, imagine how inconvenient it will be when there's no site at all.

This is why violating the nudity rule is a first-time banning offense. It's not to be unnecessarily harsh, it's to try to prevent the site from being deleted entirely. If you cannot or will not abide by the rule you must be removed out of fairness to other members.

[Chrysanthe]

And can we repeat that, short of site deletion, it makes your negotiations on content (with Ning) all the more difficult and precarious.

[cowboyangelwife]

Okay, I know this is going to be a snarky comment, but perhaps there should be some kind of IQ test required for people to join this site. I just don't get how there are those who are still unclear about this concept. All the communications around this have been timely, thoroughly and clearly expressed, by Admin who has to do the work to make it work. Fine to disagree with any or all of the rules. Not fine to use the site and ignore them. It's non-relational behaviour. I so appreciate all the time the Admin person and the other community members who have stepped up have put into this. Let's show them some respect by cooperating in our posts.

[Chrysanthe]

well maybe not IQ, but maturity. some people are perpetually stuck in teenage rebellion...

(that's my snark)

[Uncle Grundig]

I dunno, I find it difficult to believe Ning's rule, it is so absurd.

It may be disbelief for some people.

they ignore the rule because they are in disbelief?

Is Ning run by the Southern Baptist Convention? When did the web become so prudish?

Personally, I don't post nude pix, so I don't have a problem, but I am kinda stunned at how disfunctional Ning is on this issue.

But yeah, everyone needs to just be cool about this until it gets sorted out.

[Atom Bomb]

Just an Idea... I seem to remember seeing a web spider program (I'll look for it tonight) that could find every picture or every use of a word or words in a web site. It might help in keeping up with the finding of content outside the allowed limits in this site. It might help you find things before they get reported to Ning. I don't remember where I saw it, but maybe someone else knows what I'm talking about and has it or knows about it. I only saw it in passing, but it sounded like a handy tool.

BTW: how much info do you get from Ning when a report if filed? Do you get to know who is reporting it? Do you get to see the complaint? Or do they just pull a 'gods on high' type statement... "YOU ARE OUT OF COMPLINCE! WE WILL NOW THROW LIGHTNING AT YOU!" Just wondering...

A Bomb~~~

[Ms Dynomite]

BTW: how much info do you get from Ning when a report if filed? Do you get to know who is reporting it? Do you get to see the complaint? Or do they just pull a 'gods on high' type statement... "YOU ARE OUT OF COMPLINCE! WE WILL NOW THROW LIGHTNING AT YOU!" Just wondering...

Ning has been happy to share basic info of the report, such as what was reported (link to the specific image) or the general topic of complaint (vulgar language). However, they do not share who has filed the report and I think rightly so as that would be a violation of the filer's privacy. They investigate each report first and notify me if they find the report is accurate in flagging a violation. I feel that for the most part they've been fair. I think the reason why they changed our status this week was due to the number of porn pics members had posted. I got to see some of them several days later and they were indeed straight up porn -- a woman pulling things out of her vagina, a close up of a genitals while urinating, a woman giving a blow job. Some were rather graphic, some were soft focus shots.

One or two violations and they tend to be accommodating and give me notice. More that that or repeated violations in a short time (as we had) and they have to change the status to "adult" in order to meet the TOU of their advertiser, Google Adsense.

I really don't think Ning is spidering for porn. They seem fairly hands off and I don't think they have the resources to do that. Honestly, if they were using an automated program they would've found far more content and found it sooner. The other Admins and I are still finding inappropriate content even after scouring the site.

As far as the source of the reports, I can't tell if there's one bored member who is doing nothing but scouring the site and filing reports with Ning, or many different members. I'm also not clear why that member doesn't simply bring the violation to my attention, since doing so would get results in probably half the time. It's much more tedious to leave the site, go to the Ning form, write up the form and wait for results. Rather than just notifying me with a quick PM.

[wildapache]

>>>I really don't think Ning is spidering for porn.<<<<br />


that's not he/she meant


>>Just an Idea... I seem to remember seeing a web spider program (I'll look for it tonight) that could find every picture or every use of a word or words in a web site. It might help in keeping up with the finding of content outside the allowed limits in this site. It might help you find things before they get reported to Ning<<

[Ms Dynomite]

wildapache,
oh, you're right. I misread that. thanks. :) sorry, I was multitasking too much and totally missed the point.

re: the original comment... that's definitely something we can keep in mind for a solution. :) I'm hoping we don't need to continue to monitor content so thoroughly though.

[Chrysanthe]

"As far as the source of the reports, I can't tell if there's one bored member who is doing nothing but scouring the site and filing reports with Ning, or many different members."

couldn't it be someone from outside our network?

[kauwika]

> As far as the source of the reports, I can't tell if there's one bored member who is doing nothing but scouring the site and filing reports with Ning, or many different members.

Perhaps not even a member? As it's a public network, non-members can view content. I don't know if ning's complaint procedure follows a different route for member vs. non-member complaints...

[Chrysanthe]

Reminds me of what happened to Live Journal. There were a couple conservative Christian groups going around the entire network and filing complaints, causing massive censorship of groups and journals.

[Chrysanthe]

I might note that I have found Art labelled networks (on Ning) with nudity that do not have adult designation or adult ads. And they aren't private.