Inappropriate Threads

[Stan]

I did not see the thread mentioned in the EOS pub but thinking along the lines of things not apppropriate is the inclusion of nudes in open forum in the people forum. Whilst i have nothing against such posts, is it really a good thing when you bear in mind there could be youngsters as well as mature people viewing the forum. There are at least 3 threads posted recently in people, where the titles give no suggestion that there may be nude content, for example "very Hairy" or "water"

I feel quite strongly that, like some other forums, there should be a seperate forum or perhaps a sub forum within people for nude images and each with an appropriate warning

What do others think

Stan

[David Stallard]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

Personally - I don't see a problem, there is too much 'prudish / over PC' crap around now days and people on the whole need to lighten up a lot. Agree that maybe for the artistic nude shots (as that is what they are) then maybe a NSFW tag before the title just to warn people. As for young kids seeing it. . . . type anything into google images and you find something a lot more 'porn' than a great posed photograph.

maybe - put an artistic nude section in the members only area so you have to be signed in to see it.

.DAVID.

[Hereford_EOS]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

Personally - I don't see a problem, there is too much 'prudish / over PC' crap around now days and people on the whole need to lighten up a lot.

I find nothing offensive by the naked human form.
Being naked is natural, wearing clothes is artificial.

maybe - put an artistic nude section in the members only area so you have to be signed in to see it.

I think that is a sound idea from David, that way everyone is happy, including the prudes.

[Bawbee]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

As far as notifying folks that a port contains nudity I quite agree with you Stan.

However, I have no qualms relating to nudity as art.

.....when you bear in mind there could be youngsters as well as mature people viewing the forum....

Doesn’t leave much for us in the middle

[Stan]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

I have nothing against nude photographs and am certainly not a prude but I do not think it is appropriate to post such images either without a warning or in a seperate forum set aside for the purpose.

It will be interesting to see how Robert responds

Stan

[AndyA]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

Personally, from the threads that I've seen so far, I don't have a problem. But, I do think that the titles should include an NSFW tag as a hint of what's been posted.

[crunch]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

Personally I don't have a problem either and was impressed at the artistic nude shots created. I can see why some would be offended so maybe a warning on the title. I also think nudity is part of photography as it is in art, you only have to go to galleries or pick up a photography book and its there, can't remember any warnings either. One of my favourite ones was the tennis shot.

[MX5]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

I'm not prude and no one has ever said I'm PC ... but had I have opened one of these threads at work there's a good job it will have been picked up by sophisticated content analysis software and I would have to explain *we are allowed reasonable Internet access for none work activities* with caveats such as it's not being inappropriate (which includes gambling and 'naked ladies' ...) or illegal. However if one of my female (or indeed male) colleagues had seen such an image on my screen and complained I could have been sacked on the spot. People have been so its not hypothetical. So putting 'Not Work Safe' (in full not a 3LA or 4LA) has benefits.

[Robert Scott]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

I have created a nude sub-forum and also added sub-forums for general and studio photography.

[colin C]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

Speaking on behalf of mature people, I can assure you Stan that we have seen nudes before and are not easily offended. I even took my own clothes off once .................. but it was cold, so I put them back on.

[AlexR!]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

I have created a nude sub-forum and also added sub-forums for general and studio photography.

Robert,
Thanks for responding so quickly to forum members’ concerns but I will say that I really don’t think that creating a separate sub-forum is the best solution for this issue. Let me explain why.
Firstly, if one concern is that we don’t want to attract people to the forum who are in search of titillation (although I fully agree that there are far more explicit images than anything seen here only a couple of mouse clicks away), then the one thing we don’t want to do is to package them into a nice easy to find single area.
More importantly is that I believe that there is a risk that a specific ‘Nudes’ sub-forum will subliminally encourage posters to upload more and more graphic images. At the moment, I feel that the fact that they are in amongst other portraiture including people’s children etc acts as a kind of brake. A specific sub-forum may be seen as carte-blanche to upload full frontal nudity, which I am sure that many of us would indeed find offensive and utterly unacceptable.
Thirdly, I see that you described it as ‘nude or near-nude’ but I worry that you are setting yourself up for endless discussions/arguments about ‘what is nude’? Does it include swimwear? Well, clearly not, but there are some pretty provocative images out there. What about a bit of tasteful draping?
That all said, I fully understand concerns about opening threads and being presented with unexpectedly offensive or upsetting images, whether at home or at work. However, I think that this is potentially an issue across the whole site, not just in this specific genre. There are many potential pictures that could be seen as offensive or upsetting either out of context or if unexpected. This is particularly so for ‘street reportage’ type images; I can imagine someone photographing some extremist political or religious activities (e.g. swastikas or nazi salutes at an NF rally, destruction of religious effigies outside a place of worship etc) or a striking image of an accident or incident where someone has been killed or injured. Or even a lion taking down an antelope. I have an image at the British Wildlife Centre of an otter with what are recognisably two chick legs dangling from its mouth; I think it is a striking image, but a couple of friends have recoiled in upset. I therefore think that you need a solution that can be applied across the forum and so would strongly recommend that you create a ‘Warning’ icon in addition to all the smiley ones that the originating poster (or any subsequent poster) can apply to the thread. I would then encourage the thread title to explain. This I think enables the forums to remain broad, and doesn’t establish little ghettos of potentially unhealthy focused interest.
Hope you don’t mind my lengthy response – debate is good for the soul!

[Nathaniel]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

I would personally BAN all forms of nudity on the forum There are so many other sites where people can go to look at artistic nudes whether for titilation, inspiration or perspiration!! If this is not possible, the photographer should have obtaind the permission of the model in writing before it is posted- similar to the permission that is necessary before images of children are be posted. The EOS forum can set it's own rules.

I have been a member of the forum for quite some time now and have not seen nudes/artistic nudes posted under the People thread. So why not keep it that way?

Nathaniel

[colin C]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

Nicely argued Alex.

I am more in favour of the status quo. If something is "inappropriate", it should disappear quietly and that should be rightfully controlled by the Moderators. Either through their own efforts, or by notification from members. Putting down hard and fast rules leads to argument and debate and I think all of us are comfortable with the judgement of the Moderators.

Creating separate sections wouldn't prevent me from accessing the nude content. As I check "new posts", rather than trawl through all of the Forum, by this method nude content would appear within the selection, as I don't bother with the extra step of looking to see what section the new post came from. I enjoy Fine Art Nude, I am comfortable with Nude/Glamour, but don't see the merit of Soft/Hard porn within a photographic environment and as I haven't felt uncomfortable so far in all my time on this Forum (and the previous incarnation), then either we are not getting any of that content, or the Moderators are doing a fine job.

I don't think we need to change things due to a member's opinion, or put it to a vote, or debate it ad nauseum ........... just leave it to the Mods.

[Robert Scott]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

The People and Portraits category is popular, so it seemed a good opportunity to add some sub-categories to help navigate the area. I was also swayed by the argument that content which is appropriate in the context of a photographic forum might be deemed inappropriate in a working environment.

The advantage of a dynamic forum is that if changes do not work they can be rethought.

[Mazzie]

Re: Inappropriate Threads

I totally agree with Alex and his well written argument. Like Colin, I start with "new posts", and don't search through all of the Forum section by section. I don't specifically look to see which section the new post originated from.
The human body is beautiful, and a fine art nude can reflect this. Personally I have been intrigued by the composition and lighting set-up in those photographs I have seen here recently.
I do not think there should be a separate section for nudity. This is a photographic forum, not a working environment.
Perhaps a title stating 'contains nude content' thereby allowing free choice for the forum member to view or not.

As an aside, I absolutely hate spiders I cannot even watch them on TV and so when I see the poster has put 'warning spider pic', I mark the thread as read without looking and move on. The principle is the same.

As Colin says and with which I agree wholeheartedly,
"I don't think we need to change things due to a member's opinion, or put it to a vote, or debate it ad nauseum ........... just leave it to the Mods :) "

Sandra