As reported in the Verge and explained in their company blog post, Tumblr will be clearing out their adult content beginning this month in an effort to become a respectable blogging site. They seem to be doing this in a thoughtful but expedient manner.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/3/18123752/tumblr-adult-content-porn-ban-date-explicit-changes-why-safe-mode
https://staff.tumblr.com/post/180758987165/a-better-more-positive-tumblr
https://staff.tumblr.com/post/180758987165/a-better-more-positive-tumblr
It is more than just porn. It is also hate speech, bullying and other bad behaviour. Worth checking out for those things as well.
ReplyDeleteCan we please stop equalising adult content to porn?
ReplyDeleteWhile pornography is adult content, not all adult content is pornographic, or even sexual.
Also, what some consider adult content, others just consider non-sexual display of human body parts. Just because some might be turned on by every nipple, doesn't mean the original poster shared it for that reason.
Filip H.F. Slagter Oh, but language can be used more subtle than that when there is affective loading of terms. It was my expression and i meant it to be a non-trigger word. But, alas, it triggered your concern that it implies a banning broader than porn? I didn't mean to imply tumblr is going on a crusade against free speech in any sense.
ReplyDeleteBut while we're on the topic, mostly this situation grew out of apple banning their mobile app because they, verizon, were losing the battle of control on hiding porn. So rather than patch up their adult content hiding mechanisms any further, they decided to dump the whole problem.
Yes we could say porn, but in a public reporting context i prefer to use the term adult content meaning pretty much the same thing unless their is context suggesting a broader scope.
Here's some more on what this will mean for some users: http://digg.com/2018/tumblr-explicit-adult-content-policy-ban-december
ReplyDeleteAnd their filters are already marking innocent posts: https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/3/18124461/tumblr-adult-content-porn-ban-flagging-errors-algorithm-fail
If I'd had to appeal numerous of my posts for false flagging, I'd also look for a different platform.
Back in 2015 Google also tried banning adult content on its Blogger platform, but at least they cancelled that policy changer after user outcry: https://www.theverge.com/2015/2/27/8119553/blogger-adult-content-ban-reversed
Bill Brayman a lot of art and nude photography that is clearly not porn but is “adult” content is included. I’ve seen a few very upset bloggers whose material sometimes includes nudes but would not match the common perception of porn quite sh*t off by the whole thing. Even pinterest and instagram don’t seem to be so restrictive.
ReplyDeleteAlistair Langsford yes, that is the problem
ReplyDeleteMark Twain — 'Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it.'
ReplyDeleteToo glib. I see a lot of people scoffing at what tumblr owners are doing. Put yourself in their shoes and you'd sing a different tune. The bad actors on the site are tough to deal with. A business owner has no obligation to provide a product that causes more trouble than it's worth (in their view, which is their right). That's not censorship, that's individual rights of the owner.
ReplyDeleteIt's not censorship when corporations do it?
ReplyDelete