Censorship on Pbase

[cwest]

About two years ago one of my images appeared in the "popular galleries," but was removed by administrators. The reason pbase gave, in a lengthy series of illogical posts on the forums, was that the man who appeared in the photograph had his fly unzipped - nothing more and nothing less. Just "his fly was unzipped." It was considered offensive.

How does the following gallery in the "popular galeries" section compare to a chap with an unzipped fly? http://www.pbase.com/cmirene/anonanna

I'd really like to hear pbase administrators' answer.

[osprey]

the obvious difference is : I don't see her fly being unzipped

[trinko]

Well your description is confusing, if your image was the one that people would see while looking through the overview it would be more bothersome than if it were buried in a gallery that people had to look into, but I generally support anything that will require me to consent to see something which even has a borderline potential for offending people.

I don't want my kids running across nudes by accident. And I don't think it should be my responsibility to deal with the issue. I think it's the responsibility of the person posting the nudes to restrict access. If nothing was showing in your picture the response might have been a bit much but it's hard to tell without seeing the photo.

[amoxtli]

I don't want my kids running across nudes by accident. And I don't think it should be my responsibility to deal with the issue. I think it's the responsibility of the person posting the nudes to restrict access. If nothing was showing in your picture the response might have been a bit much but it's hard to tell without seeing the photo.

The chance of children coming across nudes on PBase by accident is very remote as it is not a site that is of interest to children. If a child came across PBase I don't think he/she would sit there for hours looking at images.

In my opinion it is the responsibility of parents to supervise the use of the internet by their children. If a gallery is labeled "not safe for work" or "contains nudity" that's not going to stop children from entering it.

[troron]

I don't want my kids running across nudes by accident. And I don't think it should be my responsibility to deal with the issue. I think it's the responsibility of the person posting the nudes to restrict access. If nothing was showing in your picture the response might have been a bit much but it's hard to tell without seeing the photo.

The chance of children coming across nudes on PBase by accident is very remote as it is not a site that is of interest to children. If a child came across PBase I don't think he/she would sit there for hours looking at images.

In my opinion it is the responsibility of parents to supervise the use of the internet by their children. If a gallery is labeled "not safe for work" or "contains nudity" that's not going to stop children from entering it.

If you have not taught your children the anatomy of their own skin-organed body and its normalcy then I would understand why you would not want them to learn what they or anyone else looked like naked. That would be abnormal for sure... I think

[trinko]

I don't want my kids running across nudes by accident. And I don't think it should be my responsibility to deal with the issue. I think it's the responsibility of the person posting the nudes to restrict access. If nothing was showing in your picture the response might have been a bit much but it's hard to tell without seeing the photo.

The chance of children coming across nudes on PBase by accident is very remote as it is not a site that is of interest to children. If a child came across PBase I don't think he/she would sit there for hours looking at images.

In my opinion it is the responsibility of parents to supervise the use of the internet by their children. If a gallery is labeled "not safe for work" or "contains nudity" that's not going to stop children from entering it.

So you assume my kids don't take photographs and that they don't come to PBase to see mine? I agree that parents should play a role but it shouldn't be all their responsibility. Further i agree that labeling a gallery and preventing nudes from showing up without a warning are fine steps.

[trinko]

I don't want my kids running across nudes by accident. And I don't think it should be my responsibility to deal with the issue. I think it's the responsibility of the person posting the nudes to restrict access. If nothing was showing in your picture the response might have been a bit much but it's hard to tell without seeing the photo.

The chance of children coming across nudes on PBase by accident is very remote as it is not a site that is of interest to children. If a child came across PBase I don't think he/she would sit there for hours looking at images.

In my opinion it is the responsibility of parents to supervise the use of the internet by their children. If a gallery is labeled "not safe for work" or "contains nudity" that's not going to stop children from entering it.

If you have not taught your children the anatomy of their own skin-organed body and its normalcy then I would understand why you would not want them to learn what they or anyone else looked like naked. That would be abnormal for sure... I think

You obviously are the one person on the planet who thinks that people buy playboy for the articles. My children know about the human form. That doesn't mean that they, as teenagers, won't be offended or tempted by nudity. Do you think it's ok for people to offer free drugs to kids?

[rileypm]

Maybe I am just a dirty old man but I liked the a fore mentioned gallery of nudes far more than that of any man with his fly unzipped.

[osprey]

Maybe I am just a dirty old man but I liked the a fore mentioned gallery of nudes far more than that of any man with his fly unzipped.

Same here:-)

[ethicalheretic]

If you have not taught your children the anatomy of their own skin-organed body and its normalcy then I would understand why you would not want them to learn what they or anyone else looked like naked. That would be abnormal for sure... I think

You obviously are the one person on the planet who thinks that people buy playboy for the articles. My children know about the human form. That doesn't mean that they, as teenagers, won't be offended or tempted by nudity. Do you think it's ok for people to offer free drugs to kids?

While I don't condone rampant sexuality being available for viewing by children online, I also fail to see how human sexuality, something we fully expect our children to eventually include in their own lives, is the equivalent of drug use which can physically harm the body and the brain AND can result in incarceration. In addition, nudity is not necessarily sexual. We are sexual beings, yes, but our bodies are not just sexual. If you must argue against nudity online, please do not do so by comparing it to drug use. That's just silly.

[osprey]

[You obviously are the one person on the planet who thinks that people buy playboy for the articles. My children know about the human form. That doesn't mean that they, as teenagers, won't be offended or tempted by nudity. Do you think it's ok for people to offer free drugs to kids?[/quote]


Comparing free drugs for kids to nudity is way off! N

[fishit]

In my opinion it is the responsibility of parents to supervise the use of the internet by their children.

I agree but that requires personal responsibility.
Anyway many parents are scared of their kids these days, afraid if the kid is disciplined they will be hated.

[jerseyfinn]

Unfortunately we can not see the OP's image in question as this might help most of us arrive at some sort of a conclusion about the "context" of the OP's image if we compare it to the gallery they cite as an alternative example.

That said, we are talking about photography and the artistic interpretation of the photographer . . . . IOW we wander into a discussion of aesthetics and regarding things "aesthetic" there is not an exact answer or definition. Then again a US Supreme Court justice once remarks a long time ago in a pornography case before the Court that he can't give an exact definition of pornography, but he sure knows it when he sees it. So I don't know what one might say about whether if administrators reach a hasty conclusion or if the OP should "zip it".

Methinks this thread has run a bit off course as some delve into a spiraling discussion about nudity, children, & values in the context of the web and obscenity. Likewise I disagree with folks who suggest that nudity is near impossible for a kid to find here on PBase. I try a simple Google PBase search using the term "PBase nudes". Below are the first page links I turn up on Google that anyone could click and find.

http://www.pbase.com/topics/neovolatile/nudes

http://www.pbase.com/photodelles/emily

http://www.pbase.com/photodelles

http://www.pbase.com/tomsview/portrait_ ... tk6968/art

http://www.pbase.com/joyoflight/spp_f_a_nudes

________________


If one comes directly to the PBase site and types "nudes" in the search box, here are some of the links I turn up.


http://www.pbase.com/manringphoto/fine_art_nudes

http://www.pbase.com/jsmatharu/nudes

http://www.pbase.com/jflefevre/male_nudes




This PBase link takes on trying to define styles/genres of nude photography. Notice how comments range from disinterest to enthusiasm. http://www.pbase.com/afildes/ndstyles

What a kid might conclude opens an entirely different thread of conversation that I'm not gonna wander into here. But The Internet and PBase are a part of the real world and we delude ourselves if we think otherwise. One thing I am not suggesting is that PBase should be more vigilant. But I do hope that administrators keep an open mind to the art of photography and the wide range of images and interpretations one can post here.

Barry

[amoxtli]

Wow, congratulations jerseyfinn, now the children don't have to do a PBase Google search, they just need to come to our Show & Tell Forum and click on the links you provided. That's about as likely as the the kids discussing at school that PBase is a cool source for awesome porn, which is my original point that there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of other sources more likely to be searched for porn than PBase. If and that's a big if some twelve year old loses his or her way and finds PBase, I would be willing to bet they would be so bored after a minute or two they would go elsewhere.

Anyway, this discussion is going nowhere, I have photos to shoot and process. Happy Shooting.

[1913_photography]

ATTENTION PBASE MANAGEMENT!!! ATTENTION!!!!!

I will open with our position (the wife and I). We enjoy all types of photography to include nude. We enjoy working with natural and artifical light and different locations indoors and outdoors. While we are amateur at best, it's our hobby and a way to have fun together. Censorship or Porn is in the eye of the beholder, if you pay for a website that allows (key word: "allows") the posting of nude women and men and your offended or concerned that kids are seeing it, shut up and go somewhere else, by coming here and reading the TOS you know its a real possibility of seeing a naked body. If you think kids come here just to see nudes, its possible but there is way better stuff with a simple Google search. If your a parent and concerned that your kids are coming here looking at nudes, you too need to shut up and control your children, and don't reply to me with your moral BS.

Now, having said that i am really fed up with our photos showing up in the public gallery next to family photos or cute little ducks and puppies, becasue i know that some familes link the galleries or PBase page to their families so they can see their pics, I think while Grandpa gets a kick out of seeing a young hottie, Grandma is not all too happy

So anyway, we have a right to be here too, we pay our annual dues just like almost all of you. What we want is an adult (paid members only) option/button that each user can opt for or not, using a password that when inserted can allow the user to block out +18 (NSFW) photos or show +18 (NSFW)photos in the galleries. PhotoSIG does it as well as FotoCommunity, why can't you? It might increase membership for the lurkers out there, or "guests" who will require a paid membership.

So PBase Mangagement go down to the local Technical University and Hire a College kid who can program this onto the web site and pay him $200 to do it.

Thanks for the sounding board!