You Cannot Read This
As seen in the Blogger ecosystem; a new content warning system designed to protect you — yes you — from accidentally offending your delicate sensibilities. It seems as tho the overlords at Google who run the Blogger side of the empire; the free blogging app which allows anyone with an internet connection and the inclination to do so to start and keep a blog, are slapping a content warning gateway on blogs which have been flagged as containing potentially offensive material. If ever there was an argument to switch platforms, this is it.
It seems that the blogs which are getting flagged are of the adult variety – and we know how uptight this country is about sex and sexual content – which is something I always find amusing. But in some ways I can understand the argument, and all things considered, this is better than what they were doing which was just outright deleting blogs which didn’t pass some arbitrary smell test – a test often proctored by some faceless tech hidden away deep inside the Googleplex. Tho what’s unfortunate is that the owners of such blogs don’t seem to have any recourse or an opportunity to have a peer review of the content deemed objectionable.
When I first started blogging back in December 2005, I used the free Blogger service, but I quickly outgrew that in six months and moved into better accommodations – tho I too have dealt with a hosting company which was uptight about adult orientated/targeted content (they were Mormons… need I say more?) — but despite the indignity those must feel after being labeled ‘objectionable’, the real sticking point here is that Blogger is a free service – tho the argument then becomes if Google/Blogger offers this service, what responsibilities do they then have to police and maintain their networks? Something they’ve historically had a laissez-faire attitude about.
The problem I’ve always had with Blogger – and this is culled directly from personal experience – is that anyone can create a blog and then take no responsibility what-so-ever for whatever content is presented – an alias and some anonymity and you’re all set to go; and having been on the receiving end of such anonymous blogs set up for the express reason to harass and annoy me — (I explored the issue here) — I can’t help but be encouraged that perhaps Google is taking their role here a little more serious.
I’m generally against censorship in any form – especially of bloggers — even in those cases where blogs were/are created to antagonize someone else. It’s never pleasant to be on the receiving end of those things, but we accept them as a fact of life – people are not always kind. But what about the person who just wants to express their point of view on the world, whether that be a sexual point of view, or a political point of view – where is the line in the sand drawn for Google to say ‘this is objectionable’? — they don’t seem to say and they don’t seem to offer any recourse either.
I suppose the real point here is that if you want to have absolute control of your online environment you need to buy your own domain, find a host which isn’t going to give you a hard time about your content, and then find the appropriate software (in my case Wordpress) to power your thoughts out into the dark void of cyberia. For me – that was the only solution.
Enjoy your Thursday
1saratoga
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 14:03
Hey Sweetie-
Well, yes, leaving for another platform is a solution. But frankly, not really viable for everyone.
For example, as you know, this has happened to my blog within the last 2-3 days. I’ve written a post about it to explain to readers why it has occurred.
Visits were down yesterday, but I’m not sure that’s due to the warning.
In any case, when I reflected on why I blog, this really doesn’t prohibit me from continuing to write as I have in the past. And two of my readers, which is actually a lot, commented to encourage me to continue as always.
I don’t personally have the time, energy or necessary knowledge to reliably knit all the pieces together. If I were to do anything, it would probably be to head to Wordpress, and hope for the best.
It is sort of a point of pride for me to make use of Google’s/Blogger’s free platform. To have to pay for the facility, and manage it myself, sort of defeats one of the unstated personal tenets for my writing the blog. That is, to avail myself of the existing, free, ubiquitous internet resources to express myself freely about the/an alternative FemDom lifestyle.
So I will, in all likelihood, remain at Blogger, with my current URL. For me, it’s really the best, even if not only, solution.
xoxoxo
-saratoga
2nina aoki
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 14:37
Hi hon,
First let me say that I feel terrible that this happened to you — and as difficult as this is, it’s better than what they’ve done to some adult content blogs which was to just outright wipe them away without warning. There’s a fair bit of irony here from Google I think — they say that “some people” have complained about your content — so why do they read it?? I’ve always been curious why we have so many busy-bodies in this world who apparently have nothing better to do than bitch and complain about someone else’s expression.
The simple rule - don’t like it? Don’t read it. But people rarely ever behave in such a logical way.
“Oh the children! We must protect the children!” :lol:
I do understand and respect your decision to continue on in your current format - tho I’m not sure how which format/platform you use would impact your writing? But - I do respect the decision.
For me; having total control of my environment was essential. And you make a good point — not everyone is so technically inclined to be able to manage their own website — as you know, I put a lot of work into geishaland! — and yes, on some days it is work - but it’s a labor of love…
I hope this doesn’t impact you too adversely.
nina
3Sean
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 14:41
And it is only going to get worse. Blogs, wikis etc are a huge concern because people take things being written and spread it as absolute truth.
The company I work for makes software that helps the govt and large corporations monitor blogs, bulletin boards etc.
Hilary’s campaign uses it to track what is being said about her.
4nina aoki
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 14:49
Sean,
That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest — Big Brother hard at work.
And it probably explains some of my visits from the Hillary campaign too! :lol:
There is an inherent concern I think with blogs, wikis, etc. and how some information is disseminated - tho what we’re really talking about here is control.
I’m not typically a conspiracy theorist — however, the synergy and marriage of corporations and government does propagate the desire to control the story line and exactly what information is available in the public domain. I think ultimately it’s up to the individual to assess whatever it is that they’re reading and make educated decisions about what makes sense and what doesn’t — however, a free and unfiltered press is the foundation of any democracy - as if we were really living in one.
Bloggers have broken stories which the mainstream media wouldn’t touch — and our society as a whole is better for it too I think.
Thanks,
nina
5saratoga
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 15:25
Nina-
My subsequent choice of platform would affect my writing, in that other services, such as wordpress, et.al, may have differently restrictive rules that would affect my freedom of expression.
Right now, I may write and show pictures of what I like. The onus is on my readers to fight thru the extra screen in order to get to the good stuff…. LOL.
xoxox
-saratoga
6Terry
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 16:37
My silly little blog is Wordpress as well, and it is free. There is Wordpress.com & Wordpress.org. With Nina’s permission, I found a FAQ page that may explain the difference for you.
http://faq.wordpress.com/2006/05/07/wordpresscom-vs-wordpressorg/
Only you can tell if your particular requirements may make their free sites just what you wanted or not. There is less personal choice as far as themes go, but a lot of them are customizeable.
I’ve never understood why someone would keep reading something if they found it offensive. Don’t they know they have the choice to read or not to read? Or are they being forced to read against their will? Isn’t this why we have so many different things to choose from?
Terry
7nina aoki
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 18:50
saratoga,
Ahhh - yes, it’s always the visual aids which cause the problems! I doubt it’s the writing - but most definitely the pictures and videos which caused the issue here. I guess that just speaks to how dumbed down we’ve become - where it isn’t the words that get you, but the pictures!
Tho - I’m not sure how Wordpress.com handles their free service. I’ve never used it.
nina
8nina aoki
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 18:53
Terry,
Thanks for your input here — yes, wordpress does also offer a free hosted blogging service under ‘wordpress.com’ — which works like the Google/Blogger service. In my case — I run the Wordpress software on my server and can modify and control everything. A lot of people don’t want that responsibility, so the free services work for them.
I think there are just some people in this world who just can’t help themselves and can’t leave something alone. They’re so convinced that their perspective is the right one for everyone that they feel the need to try and censor anything which challenges that. Tho, they’re also the first to cry foul if they feel that their rights are being infringed upon. And no — no one is forced to read anywhere or look at anything — but like I said, some people just can’t help themselves. Strange isn’t it?
I mean even here — I see people reading here who I know aren’t those who I’d consider a friend… yet they still come and read everyday. One wonders what compels them. I tend not to give it too much thought.. It isn’t worth getting upset about, kwim? I’m going to do what I want anyway, so why bother wasting energy worrying about it?
nina
9Lenora
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 19:34
What I hate most about this is that I think it only takes ONE reader to “object” for one’s blog to end up flagged.
Honestly, I don’t have the time to organize this, or execute it, but the most effective action in this case would be guerilla action: REPORT EVERY BLOGGER BLOG AS OBJECTIONABLE. Gardening. Chess. Origami. Everything. Organize the BOA (Blog Objecting Army) and stick every blog there is with a warning label. Within days Blogger would remove the warning system.
Maybe I’ll do My part and flag a few cooking blogs. The BOA is alive! Spread the word!
10General Ichi
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 20:00
Is this blog approved by the Department of Homeland Security?
. . .
I didn’t think so.
;)
11nina aoki
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 21:06
Lenora,
oh that’s too funny! Yes - guerilla tactics are definitely called for here!
I’m not sure if it just takes one person to lodge a complaint? Google is very tight lipped about what that whole process entails, and they’re even less forthcoming about how one would challenge such a ruling or petition for review.
I mean - I can see the need to balance some things, but the censorship aspect here is really overblown - especially when all the blog is about - in saratoga’s case - is a particular sexual orientation. Where’s the goalpost here? Will lesbian blogs or gay blogs or transgender blogs be next?
What I hate about this is that these decisions seem to be made with some arbitrary measuring stick. What qualifies as “too much” smut for any one person? lmao!
ugh… welcome to America.
nina
12nina aoki
wrote on 17 April 2008 at 21:06
Il Ducce General Ichi –
lmao! Are you kidding me? A chick with a brain and a blog? I’m at the top of the watch list! hahaha! :lol:
Mwah!
nina
________________________
Red Sox 7
Yankees 3
Bottom of the 5th
I’m losing myself in my recurring Josh Beckett fantasy tho…
And Jacoby Ellsbury is soooo cute! :razz:
13Richard
wrote on 18 April 2008 at 12:05
Nina: You and Josh Hmmmmmmmmm. He did a good job last night. My man Manny, I just love him. Hey I got some oxya (sp) clean and scrubbed my official Red Sox hat and it’s drying in the window. What a wonderful day to be alive. Last night about six, I looked out the kitchen window and there was four Juncos, two pair of Cardinals and , six Morning doves. The lady cardinal always comes first, hmmmm and the male a short time later……… Working outside today, all the windows are open, the breeze is flowing airing all that winter shit away. I just ordered two new wheels and tires for my Garden Way Cart, it’s only been about twenty years winter and summer. It’s still as good as new, but does needs new wheels tires and tubes. Have a wonderful “Lazygeisha” kida day. Richard
14Anastasia
wrote on 18 April 2008 at 15:17
Hi Nina,
I recently noticed the content warning label on Blogger.I can understand it on some level (especially when the images are a bit over the top), but that is what happens I guess with free blogger platforms. I used Blogger for a little over a year, and had enough with it. It was before the new Blogger came into being, but I got tired of servers being down, and all the other technical issues it had. Unfortunately the only decent way (less stress, less technical headache due to rapid customer service) to have a site is by paying for it. If people have technical issues with Blogger they can’t write to anyone for an answer, and if they do they rarely get a response, and sometimes it’s the usual redirection. I remember at one point I wanted to scream because Google made it difficult to find the contact section, and then I weighed the pros and cons of switching to a fee based platform. Today I had issues with my atom feed, and I opened a ticket, and received a response within two hours confirming that it had been fixed. Even the cheapest web hosting programs in th e states are cheap compared to where I live, for one website/blog package. Less than ten dollars a month.
15nina aoki
wrote on 18 April 2008 at 15:38
Hi Richard,
Yes! It was a great game last night! 8 solid innings out of my baby Josh! Can you believe Farnsworth threw at Manny??? I’m surprised Ramirez didn’t charge the mound after that! The next time the Red Sox meet the Yankees is July 4th - and I’m sure we’ll retaliate! If Josh is pitching he’ll throw right at A-Rod’s domepiece! :lol:
Well - with my Cardinals the male always shows up first, followed by the wife! They’re so pretty!
Enjoy your day hon! I’ve been working in the yard most of the day. I took the day off but I’ve decided to call it quits for today.
nina
16nina aoki
wrote on 18 April 2008 at 15:42
Hi Ana,
Yes - this seems like something new, and sure, I can understand it on some levels too. I’ve gone to blogs before and not expected to see some shocking picture!
I also used Blogger when I started and just lost patience with them. What you describe about their support network is pretty dead on. For me moving to my own environment just made sense.
My technical support people are very good too. I’ve had some periods of unexpected downtime recently and they usually have things back to normal for me in under 1/2 hour. I mean, with technology there’s always going to be issues. It isn’t perfect — but having good tech support people makes all the difference.
Hosting as well is really cheap. I know where you are it’s ridiculously expensive - but my hosting plan is well under 100 a year.
Thanks!
nina
17Lenora
wrote on 18 April 2008 at 16:38
nina, just to be clear . . . Farnsworth’s pitch in the direction of Manny was the retaliation, not the first shot. A-Rod had been hit the night before. Manny in his post-game comments even acknowledged that A-Rod had been plunked the night before and more or less expected something from a Yankee pitcher at some point.
So if Boston does anything in July, that’s “extra” and would of course be met with further payback. And while Ortiz makes a bigger target, to paraphrase Jason Varitek, “we don’t throw at .111 hitters.”
And overall, for years our guys got thrown at by Boston pitchers and there was almost never anything coming back. Joe Torre never wanted to offend anyone, I guess.
Manny and Ortiz have been far too comfy up there for too long, and the new sheriff in town (who I think ordered the Fransworth “special delivery”) isn’t playing that any more.
Hugs,
–L.
18nina aoki
wrote on 18 April 2008 at 16:53
Lenora,
(A Yankee fan in the midst of geishaland!) :lol:
Well - I do not recall A-Rod being thrown at the night before… tho it was an excruciatingly long game which I wasn’t paying close attention to for its entirety - so, it’s possible. I’ll take your word for it.
Why I have a vision of Zimmer charging Pedro right now I can’t say… :razz:
Re: Ortiz
So the big man’s struggling… (yeah .111 is pretty bad…) — but he’s still one of the league’s most feared hitters. He’ll get it together. I’m not worried about David.
And Posada isn’t exactly lighting any fires at DH for NY either…
Oh I don’t know about Boston throwing more at New York. Seems to me that it’s been pretty level on both sides — tho I will say that Torre was a class act and if this is what we can expect out of Girardi (especially with that crap that happened with Tampa Bay in spring training) I’m thinking A-Rod might want to learn how to duck!
Tho those two homers by Manny last night were pretty…
Thanks hon,
xoxo,
nina
19Lenora
wrote on 19 April 2008 at 10:06
I had to look it up, nina (I’m just that way :) )
–> Since 2000, Red Sox pitchers have hit 85 Yankees. On the other hand, Yankee pitchers have hit 54 Sox hitters. That’s as of laste last season.
Not so even.
Over that same time, The Red Sox hit more batters (612) than any other team in MLB. The Yankees were way down the list at 456.
I do attribtute that difference largely to Torre’s non-retaliatory frame of mind, and to Pedro’s unabashed headhunting, espeially vs NY, during his Red Sox tenure.
85 vs. 54. 612 vs. 456. Obviously Boston pitchers are on to something. Glad we are finally catching on.
20nina aoki
wrote on 19 April 2008 at 11:15
Lenora,
lmao! Okay — I won’t press you on the source…
I’ll take your word for it! :lol:
Thanks for setting the record straight! :razz:
nina
21hapes
wrote on 20 April 2008 at 1:06
I read this a few hours ago, and my brain has finally cooked up a response I can codify in words for why it is so totally full of shit it makes its daughter’s eyes brown (and it matches your reasoning):
It’s the first step of censorship. So, Google in its infinite wisdom decides that adult content should be behind a useless gatekeeper. It’s useless because any 15 year old who wants to look at porn is going to find plenty.
All it does on the face of it is drive down traffic. I heard a statistic that you lose half of your audience per click they have to go through to get where they want to go. Two clicks: You’re down to 1/4th the audience. Three, 1/8. It just keeps going.
But knowing Google, they store every little tidbit of information they can get their grubby little paws on, and pretty soon we have a surfing pattern for a given computer. And then the legislators jump in with their ‘think of the children’ talking points (which we all know are utter crap, hello movies, rock and roll and video games), and start registering people who visit porn sites as sex offenders, and then flat out criminalizing porn…the final step being legislators getting busted for downloading porn after they criminalized it.
OK, maybe I’m being paranoid, but let’s face it, politicians are FUCKING STUPID ASSHOLES who will suck cock for your vote. In some cases, literally, right Senator Craig?
Of course, this is way past the time for real commenting on my post, but I’ve been offline for the week, due to work crap.
22nina aoki
wrote on 20 April 2008 at 15:26
hapes,
This is most certainly a nation of hypocrisy - and it’s become a little scary when you realize just how much data mining and profiling we’re subject to every time we go online. Corporations and governments track our every move, snoop on our every email, and know everything there is to know about us. Big Brother is here.
Protecting the children is quite simply a talking point used by these same politicians and corporations as a shield to create fear in the public. Fear is used as a form of control — and we’ve seen increasing evidence of this every single day.
Lenora actually has a fantastic take on why Google/Blogger has done this - you should read her post on this topic here. She has a great take and perspective on this issue.
And succinctly put - it’s about the money and Google’s AdSense program.
Check it out… and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with me. Sorry to hear that work and such has you all wound up. Take a deep breath and remember — you are not your job!
Thanks!
nina