The Porn Policy

[Agent Proto]

I know the staff has a strict no-porn policy, but I do find the banning of PeTerL90 a bit disturbing. So, I was chatting to him on mIRC and asked him why he got banned, and he said that he made a slip-up and posted an inappropriate picture by accident. And straight off the bat, he was banned without any warning.

I think this is wrong. He's a good person from what I've seen of him. He's not a real trouble maker, but this strict no-porn policy EoFF has is wrong. I think it's best to give people who accidently posted an inappropriate picture, like Peter did. He didn't noticed because the picture he intended to post had a similar file name to the picture he posted by accident.

Anyway, here's the transcript of the chat.

Proto> Peter, it says you're banned at the forums.
Peter> I am.
Proto> Any reason why?
Peter> Well, in a picture topic, I accidently posted a different picture than what I wanted to post, and didn't realize that I posted it until I got banned.
Peter> So I got banned for that one slip up.
Peter> No warning or anything.
Proto> hm, that bites.
Proto> The staff does have a strict no-porn policy.
Peter> And now that I've been hearing about this kirk person, and all the recent SPAMmage I've been hearing about, I feel like I've been singled out and stuff, you know, without a warning.
Proto> Yeah, totally.
Peter> Well, like I said, I never meant to post that picture. The picture I wanted to post was under it, but didn't realize it was the wrong one, since they were both files with all numbers for their names.

I think something needs to be in change. Like the no-porn policy. I don't like the strict-ness because you guys ban instantly. I think it's best to give them a warning once, and next time they get caught for something, instant ban, instead of ban right away, they posted a naughty picture. :/

[Kirobaito]

I agree with this, Proto, as Peter is a good friend of mine, and just to add to it, the picture that he posted was not even porn. It was (SPOILER)a picture of an enormous snow penis. Inappropriate, yes, but I don't think banning him was the best way to go about it. I feel that the attachment should have been removed, and he should have been sent a warning PM. As he did do it by accident, I'm not quite sure banning him was the best solution.

There's my two cents. *nod*

[Dr Unne]

I think our policy is fine. Posting pictures that are displayed right next to porn on some web site, or stored right next to porn, probably isn't all that great a thing to do either. Carelessness is a choice as much as deliberately doing something wrong. We're all responsible for our own actions.

[Agent Proto]

Of course, but he shouldn't have been straight out banned for that mistake. What if I did the same thing? Let's say I posted a picture that could be seen as offensive, like let's say a guy carved a piece of wood to resemble a penis and I posted that picture by mistake, would you ban me for that picture, or have sent me a warning saying that the picture is inappropriate and remove the picture while at it?

What about that picture Bert posted with the guy *arf*ing a car by the exhaustion pipe, did you guys banned him for that? No, Leeza just warned him. I think it should be like that for pictures not exactly porn, but just as inappropriate.

[Raistlin]

I've long since disagreed with EoFF's "quick-ban" policy, which basically gives free reign for any staff member to ban anyone for anything if they think it should be done. Which inevitably leaves to people being treated differently. Which leads to hostility from members that were banned for lighter offences than other people had done and got off with a warning.

In this instance, I think it would be FAR better to just delete the picture, warn the member, and then have a quick discussion in staff(which can be something as simple and quick and easy as IMing other staffers) as to whether ban or not.

But yeah. I didn't get anywhere last year; I doubt I'll be listened to now.

[RSL]

Post porn, get banned. Proto, I think you know well enough that if you posted a picture like that, you would be banned. So would I. So would anyone.

If people don't know better than to post something like that, then too bad. Also, I don't buy into any "accidentally posted" bull.

[Raistlin]

Yes, RSL but:

What about that picture Bert posted with the guy *arf*ing a car by the exhaustion pipe, did you guys banned him for that? No, Leeza just warned him.

Which proves that the so-called "porn policy" is not all black and white, and that EoFF staff does not communicate at all, so the right-hand doesn't know what the left-hand's doing.

[Agent Proto]

But if the picture was actual porn, like naked boobies, or a couple doing it, then THAT should be an automatic ban. Pics that are about as bad, but not exactly porn, like Bert's or Peter's pics, they should be given a warning and have the picture removed, as was the case with Bert.

EDIT: Actually, I know I'd get banned for that picture, because it'll be pretty explicit. *nod*

[RSL]

Did you guys see PeTerL90's pic? It was a picture of a penis made in snow. A very large one. In high detail. With a female licking it. I know this because I just looked it up in the staff forum. There's no way anyone looking at that picture could have thought that it was something else.

And as for Bert, I'm not familiar with that one, so I'll have to leave that to someone else.

[Agent Proto]

Yeah, but I think it's wrong to just ban someone for a mistake like that, and have someone do something similar and get away with it. I don't agree wth the auto-ban for inappropriate pics, unless it was actual porn.

[Kirobaito]

And Bert's picture was much, much worse than Peter's.

Pornography - Sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal.

Peter's picture comes nothing close to this definition. Obviously, we're using a different definition, in which case this means nothing. I understand the no-porn policy, and whole-heartedly agree with it, but this picture was not for the purpose of sexual arousal, I don't think. I certainly wouldn't consider the picture to be porn, but y'all must feel differently.

[RSL]

To me a picture of a female licking a penis is porn. I don't care if the penis is made out of snow. Like I said, the snow sculpture was well detailed. I'm sorry that you don't agree, but to me it was pretty much a no-brainer.

EDIT: It doesn't matter if the intent of the picture wasn't sexual arousal. Really. If we had that kind of rule, than anyone could post anything and when questioned they could just answer "no, I meant it like this. Really I did!".

So no.

[Agent Proto]

Well, I can't stand that Bert can get away with just a warning and no ban. >=(

[Raistlin]

RSL: the chief argument is not that Pete's picture wasn't bad. It's that someone who posted a worse pick got let off with a warning, by Leeza, who I would bet would be the most anti-porn member of EoFF staff.

[Leeza]

Post a picture of any penis, real or otherwise, you will get banned. Why you're debating this is beyond me, Proto. You've been a Mod here long enought to know that rule.

Bert just got lucky that he posted at a bad time for me to be able to deal with it right at that immediate time.