End Of Or Beginning Of?

[Deleted member 3411]

I don't know if any of you have noticed over the last few weeks especially large portions of the net have been changing their tune bigtime. Such things as Tumblr FB and Instagram have closed down anything that resembles sexual activity such as sexy blogger and those apps with users voting on each other's photographs. Not just talking the extreme stuff here I should add. I realised this after Facebook removed a comment I made in a closed site as they thought it might be against Facebook policy. I did a quick search to see if others had suffered this kind of over-the-top censorship and that's how I found out about all the other things above, fyi I don't use Instagram Tumblr etc. There us still some extreme naughtiness in Twitter but I'm guessing soon...
So here's the thing much as I applaud the tightening up of the internet do you feel that this is perhaps the beginning of the end as things become impossible with sites such as this being policed almost the point of extinction with Big Brother censorship? Or do you think this is the beginning of a much better future where folk are allowed to be as naughty as we are safe and the knowledge that our protocols keep the kids out and where are allowed to get on with our own thing. I'm guessing even as we speak admin is having to look into the possibility that all users here will need to prove their age before they're allowed in.

 

[Captain-Smith-and-Lady-Jane]

Personally I suspect that Big Brother has joined the Spanish Inquisition so, under the guise of national security and inspired by the flames of Notre Dame, will be cracking down hard on unbelievers, heretics, and anyone having more fun than him worldwide.

 

[fincon]

Some of the social media sites are attempting (in vain, I suspect) to forestall government action. They figure if they show they can moderate themselves, then regulatory action will be at least postponed.

As I say, I suspect their efforts will be in vain. All they’re doing is moving the window about which materials governments will be concerned.

As a former ‘company man’ (spent most of my career either as an accountant for, or inside the company environment) I can understand why companies are doing it… while decrying them actually, y’know, doing it.

As for the freedom of speech issue, there’s no ‘right’ answer. Look, I’m as hypocritical as anyone else: I’m a huge fan of freedom of speech… but I have concerns about people being free to, say, promote child abuse… or hardline racism.. or at an extreme, say, actual snuff movies.

But the moment anyone says “yeah, of course, of course, there are exceptions!” You run straight into ‘who decides…?’ And arguably more importantly ‘Who decides who decides…?’

So, there’s no right answer… but oh so many wrong ones.

 

[Admin]

Hello,
I did read this earlier but sadly only now having time to reply.
RE this;

I'm guessing even as we speak admin is having to look into the possibility that all users here will need to prove their age before they're allowed in.

You are correct and it's something I personally have wanted for some time;
Age Verification For Pornographic Sites And Sites Of A Sexual Nature
But more recently as am sure you're aware, changes are coming and so we've been doing more digging;
Age Verification For Pornographic Sites And Sites Of A Sexual Nature

My main concern is the real effect this could have, on more genuine sites for lifestyle choices such as ours, over the hardcore porn sites etc.
Hope this helps, there's some interesting discussions to be had over this indeed.

 

[Pearls]

Hello,
I did read this earlier but sadly only now having time to reply.
RE this;

You are correct and it's something I personally have wanted for some time;
Age Verification For Pornographic Sites And Sites Of A Sexual Nature
But more recently as am sure you're aware, changes are coming and so we've been doing more digging;
Age Verification For Pornographic Sites And Sites Of A Sexual Nature

My main concern is the real effect this could have, on more genuine sites for lifestyle choices such as ours, over the hardcore porn sites etc.
Hope this helps, there's some interesting discussions to be had over this indeed.

 

[Lips_Pearls]

Yes this is quite serious;
On the one hand we have the people/governments/social media - saying we all 'need to do more to prevent abusive content being upped & shared' et al
The other is simply a situation controlling issue of finding the balance between freedom of speech to what we're being told we're allowed to say, and or do.
As @fincon states above;

‘Who decides who decides…?’

Who polices the police?
Fact is, even up until only a few months ago; the UK obscenity law covered a lot of very naughty content, as deemed so by our government. Yeah it was well outdated of course, but a lot of it was upheld and maintained by the same MP's involved in sex scandals, 'rent boy' scandals (if you recall), typical Miss Whiplash issues etc etc.
So it's a case of 'all pigs are equal - but some are more equal than others', isn't it?

In other words, adding age protection is important, blocking access to the people of the right age is important.. But don't be hypocrites and don't play with people's lives and lifestyle choices.

I see a Pandora's Box / a can of worms being opened, but it's one that has needed to be addressed in some time tbh. x

 

[Deleted member 3411]

I will add one little thought to this thread because it's something that has saddened me over a many months. Since picture verification became so important for access on this site I've noticed just how many people joined say hello, engage in conversations, asked questions, but never go to the stage of picture verification. They may even pay up to become a site supporter but still no PV. You have to ask a question why and sadly I think a large number of them will be because they aren't really who they said they are. They might be a couple but only he or she is interested in this activity and so they're pursuing this idea in the wish that they would join them which is something that you never will, or they they claim to be someone in their 40s and they're actually someone in their teens, or the the one I suspect the most, having found other sites are very difficult to be on as a single guy they start themselves up here signing in as a couple only to find that trying to register as a couple will get them nowhere. Sadly I fear soon you will have to register fully just to even get onto the site, and although that will weed out the fakers I'm wondering if it will just put off people who are even interested from even bothering fearing that their information is be going to be taken first before they even get in. It can feel a big risk to have to give all your personal details just to find out if you're somewhere you want to be.

 

[Captain-Smith-and-Lady-Jane]

Quite, whatever happened to the right of anonymity?

 

[Therapon]

Quite, whatever happened to the right of anonymity?

What anonymity, unless you are using dark networks you have very little.

 

[Captain-Smith-and-Lady-Jane]

I know Big Brother is watching me, but it just seems so much worse when he stops pretending he isn't, and grinds his jackboot in my face.

 

[Tiger]

When I joined the fact of being photo verified was a great comfort to me!

For me it meant that if you went as far as to PV then you must really want to be on the site and be genuine!

Tiger xx

 

[Lips_Pearls]

Ah but there’s a caveat to PV.

It’s never meant the account is genuine at all - merely that the person is who they say they are, ie a couple or single gent/lady.
It’s always been stated clearly it’s not a definite of being genuine, but simply a point in the right direction.
That said, when it comes to say profile posts, messages, photos even - site supporter included; we’d never chat to a single lady (in our case) who wasn’t PV’d