I was caught off guard this morning when I saw a message from MJ telling me that her site Infomaniac had been shut down by Blogger. Her place was the most popular cyber watering hole and I have been visiting for five years. Over there everyone could let their hair down and speak their mind.
Sure it was outrageous, but she had a warning caution on her link.
She had not posted anything out of the ordinary...and there was almost always a hilarious collection of photos featuring either vintage soft porn 'nudie" photos or slovenly, disheveled, elderly gay men engaged in various acts of youknow :).
Not for everyone but nobody forced you to be there did they?
Those of us who visited every day were expecting to be treated to outrageous antics..that was part of the fun. MJ had a huge following of gay & lesbian bloggers, prolly aboot 2/3rds, and it was a safe place to explore, support, and partake in a world that is still unfortunately reviled and misunderstood by many.
I suspect that some homophobe(s) on the Blogger Content Panel may have panicked and cut her off...even though there were never any depictions that could be interpreted as non consenting adults?
"Blogger is a free service for communication, self-expression and freedom of speech.
We believe Blogger increases the availability of information, encourages healthy debate, and makes possible new connections between people.
We respect our users' ownership of and responsibility for the content they choose to share.
It is our belief that censoring this content is contrary to a service that bases itself on freedom of expression.
In order to uphold these values, we need to curb abuses that threaten our ability to provide this service and the freedom of expression it encourages. As a result, there are some boundaries on the type of content that can be hosted with Blogger. The boundaries we've defined are those that both comply with legal requirements and that serve to enhance the service as a whole.
Adult Content:
We do allow adult content on Blogger, including images or videos that contain nudity or sexual activity. But, please mark your blog as 'adult' in your Blogger settings.
Otherwise, we may put it behind a 'mature content' interstitial.
There are some exceptions to our adult content policy:
Do not use Blogger as a way to make money on adult content.
Do not use Blogger as a way to make money on adult content.
For example, don't create blogs where a significant percentage of the content is ads or links to commercial porn sites.
We do not allow image, video or text content that depicts or encourages incest or bestiality.
We do not allow image, video or text content that depicts or encourages incest or bestiality.
Crude Content:
Don't post content just to be shocking or graphic.
For example, collections of close-up images of gunshot wounds or accident scenes without additional context or commentary would violate this policy.
Our team reviews these flags for policy violations.
If the blog does not violate our policies, we will not take any action against the blog or blog owner.
If we find that a blog does violate our content policies, we take one or more of the following actions based on the severity of the violation:
Put the blog behind a 'mature content' interstitial
Put the blog behind an interstitial where only the blog author can access the content
Delete the blog
Disable the author's access to his/her Blogger account
Disable the author's access to his/her Google account
Report the user to law enforcement"
Put the blog behind an interstitial where only the blog author can access the content
Delete the blog
Disable the author's access to his/her Blogger account
Disable the author's access to his/her Google account
Report the user to law enforcement"
So I am confused as to why the sudden seizure?
No warnings, just BANG!
How would you feel if years of interactive moments shared in the comment section vanished.
I hope that they send her an explanation, an apology, and a Bajillion Dollars!
It troubles me that the Interwebs is getting so uber-interactive and controlled...during the last couple of years all of the media outlets...
TV, newspapers and zines all jumped in the blogosphere and flooded it with filler and the same crap that they need to feed the 24/7 monster.
Now Facebook and Google and Twitter all want to share my Blog and Youtube favorites and MP3 files and
...it's getting a little too connected and CONTROLLED.
I can say things out here that I can't on Fb..atleast I thought that I could?
MJ, I hope you know how much fun I had at your place..it's where I met most of my oldest Blogmates. It was THE meeting spot, the likes of which I shall never see again..until you get back..which you will..you must!
L U xx oo
I threw up the warning sign just incase, although it states
ReplyDeleteIn general, Google does NOT review nor do we endorse the content of this or any blog
Hmm, might want to change that eh?
When I came to your site today, not only did it get the blogger warning about content, but also that something called "Gemini" on this page was malware.
ReplyDeleteThey are out to get us.
That's outrageous! Hopefully somewhere there is a blogging program that is not controlled by some organization that free spirits like MJ can use.
ReplyDeleteglad y'all posted, sugar! xoxoxoxo
ReplyDeletethis is appalling and sadening
ReplyDeleteTripe! Makes me mad and sad at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI blog to keep my own diary, to keep conected to fabulous new friends of the likes of you Donn :) and also, I just feel it is aplace of self expression. To see that this "political correctness"or whatever they want to call it is becoming so rife, is just ..saddening.
Donn, you are one of my long-time blogging friends and I'm touched by your post.
ReplyDeleteWhen Google awards me that bajillion dollars, I'll share it with you.
If my old blog isn't recovered, I'll eventually create a new blog under a new name and invite you all to come party.
In the meantime, I intend to continue to drop by your blog to visit.
From now through Autumn is going to be a very busy time for me so I suppose if this HAD to happen, then now is the right time. Because I don't have enough time to devote to blogging anyway.
You know what really hurts? We've lost The Definitive History of The Freakin' Green Elf Shorts!
Thanks again for this, my friend.
You're a treasure.
The disgusting things that were on that blog no wonder!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy name isn't really URL.
ReplyDeleteIt's MJ.
And Old Knudsen's right.
Donn, thanks for posting this and getting the message out. It's disgusting and disturbing what has happened to Infomaniac.
ReplyDeleteMJ, I hope you create a new gmail account and post on the Blogger forum. So far, our efforts to post multiple requests for restoring Infomaniac are having an effect. All ready, the Blogger Team has replied to several of our posts.
There is a procedure they want the blog owner to use to restore the Blog. It sort of worked for Leni, whose blog was deleted briefly in the past 24 hours. While she did get her blog back, her comments on other blogs have still not yet returned. But at least she got her blog back--and is now able to back up her posts. Perhaps there is a way to save the Hx of the Freakin Green Elf Shorts, among other great posts at Infomaniac.
We'll support you, in whatever you decide. In the meantime, keep up the pressure on Blogger, people, we're starting to get responses from them. Google does not need any more negative publicity, in light of the ongoing illegal spying activities in several countries. They certainly wouldn't want the image problem of being homophobic, encouraging hate speech/extreme religious fanatics, and censoring free speech.
CyberPete I need those Freakin Green Elf Shorts so I can make a very special dedication and attach a very personal photo that would be pleasing to Mistress MJ...
ReplyDeletePete?
PETE!?
And there's me thinking all this time, that our blogs were places we could express ourselves without fear of repercussions...like in the old days, when our parents found our diaries...sheesh!
ReplyDeleteViolated much?
A warning that nothing is sacred anymore.
hope MJ gets reinstated.
ReplyDeletequite a shocker. not fun anymore if they slice people off for no good reason. and THAT blog is a brilliant blog.
Where's the FILTH!
ReplyDeleteStay away from my blog, it's infected too and has been removed last Sunday. The reason Blogger gave was "some readers had informed about 'doubtful contents'".
ReplyDeleteI have restored it but all my comments -MJ's too- have been deleted from the blogs. So I don't exist.
Just in case this one disappears tomorrow, read fast.
I'm commenting anonymously again as my real comments keep disappearing.
ReplyDeleteI'm here to thank you again for helping to save my blog.
I feel like a long nap now.
wv: oveying.
I misread it as "oyeveying"
Oy vey!
Don't believe in Blogger's ToS. They give them a slightly different interpretation to normal people, at their own convenience, and then you get no answers when you ask them -if it's possible- why the hell have they done that.
ReplyDeleteGoogle's dominant position in the net allows them to do whatever they want without giving prior notice or further explanations. You can only expect an answer from the help forum, if you ever do get any at all.
I'm really pissed off about it. I'm still waiting for my comments to be back, and like MJ, can only comment anonymously or from my Wordpress blog -which, btw I hate-. I loved my old blog.
Fucking Blogger, I hate you.
Fuckers. Reality is always defined by the craziest person in the room. (H.T. to Scott Adams). Unfortunately, the craziest people are the ones who think they are normal because of their knee-jerk prudish sensibilities and other irrational but socially indoctrinated behaviors.
ReplyDeleteHurry back MJ!
Worrying indeed. Like yourself I hate all this increasing interconnectivity, much of it utterly pointless to the blogger themselves, but it is evidently useful to someone somewhere.
ReplyDelete