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Remove ALL Adult Content from SW? 🔞🚫

Poll - Total Votes: 370

Remove ALL Adult Content (allow up to "Non-Adult")

Remove Most Adult Content (allow up to "Mildly Adult")

Remove Some Adult Content (allow up to "Adult")

Remove Extreme Content (up to "Mild Nudity" - No "Fetish")

No Change - Leave everything as it is now

Show Results

You can only vote on one answer.

At Similar Worlds, our role as Admins and Staff revolve mostly around providing the Features and Experience that you the users want.

We do understand that many niches of users exist on this platform [i](most coming here initially from EP)[/i].

From the beginning of SW, it has always been our primary aim to [b]"Rebuild a Home" for our incoming members, while being as tolerant and unbiased as possible, to the preferences, interests and beliefs of our very diverse member base[/b].

For one dimension of diversity:
The divide [i](or more so, spectrum)[/i] between [b]Non-Adult and Adult[/b] type users,
does tend to contribute to numerous conflicts or disagreements between users, especially regarding the way this site should or should not be managed & promoted.

We the SW Staff have always been earnestly discussing many ways on how we can improve the environment here for mostly all of our users.

[u]What we would like to know is:[/u]

[c=#004A59][big]Up to what level of "Adult Content" do you feel should be acceptable on Similar Worlds?[/big][/c]

We have provided some options in the attached Poll to choose from,
however, please feel free to be detailed (but respectful) in the comments.

This consideration regarding removing/limiting the level of adult content on SW, is geared towards accomplishing:

[b]• Improved overall SW environment - More enjoyable to most. [/b]
[i](ideally, less of the more dangerous/extreme types of users)[/i]

[b]• Less objectionable content to risk unwantedly coming across.

• Safer for use at work, sharing with family & friends.

• Safer for younger users & women.

• A more focused effort towards a slightly smaller, more defined niche, rather than attempting to "please most/everyone" and lose direction.[/b]

Please note that [b]we are very much aware that many EXCELLENT users of this site, do engage in very adult content, on Similar Worlds[/b], and we have had no problem with this at all, as long it remains within the site's TOS.

[sep]

If we will consider making such a large change, we are aware that we will need to re-define many terms and rules,
especially regarding what is "Mildly-Adult", "Sensitive"...
if we will keep the "Adult" tag at all (we may, but re-defined) ...etc.

We are not announcing that a change will be made (but it is in discussion),
nor do yet have a defined list of what those changes will all be.

This post is mainly to gain feedback and opinions on our member's preferences, to help us serve you better.

Since we consider this a "Major" / "Important" topic and potential change,
please consider informing other SW user friends of yours to Vote/Comment,
so that we can together, decide the best path forward for Similar Worlds.

Thanks for reading and for your support!
Kind regards,
[c=#1F5E00][i]SW Team[/i][/c]

[sep]

[center]--- To Add ---[/center]

[quote][b][u]Regarding the "Nudity Tag/Option" which was introduced after initial development:[/u][/b]
[i](We have seen this mentioned many times before - so addressing this now.)[/i]

[b]The addition of the "Nudity" option/tag actually improved things for those who did not want to see any nudity at all,[/b]
as many explicit images were being pasted all across the site, in full view of everyone.

[b]Ever since introduction of the Nudity tag, it greatly controlled (reduced) this issue.
[/b]
[i](We could definitely tell that this was the case, as reports of inappropriate images landing in the wrong place greatly dropped,
and much fewer incidents of unwantedly coming across nudity on SW.)[/i]

The option was added to help contain content that rule-breaking users were posting anyway, while breaking our TOS.

[i](Not to make SW into a more "Adult" site. Many seem to have this misconception.)[/i]

If we do fully remove allowance of "Nudity", and other "Adult" types of content,
we will be definitely placing more more advanced, automated features, to be sure the same does not happen as did before.

NSFW Image Detection [i](with high accuracy rates)[/i], for example, is something we have been discussing and working on, to help make SW much safer for users.

[i](This, and other features is already in the works, either way.)[/i][/quote]

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Elandra77

Remove it. The site was better before without it and those that want to engage in the posting of it can find other outlets to do so in.

It also brings in much that violates the TOS as set by SW and many are extreme fetish and never labeled as such and have no place here. This is not "Similar Worlds for those with sick fetishes". It's just SW! And that leaves it to us-the users to report it and monitor this behaviour.

You could have created a family friendly site. This is not it. Yes we can report but how many minors have seen what we just reported? You did it for site hits as site hits and ad clicks generate income. Business over safety.

That does not even address the data mining you are engaging in which also generates income and violates privacy!

The diapers wearers, the pants pissers, the emena lowers, the "I shit myself because I felt like it" losers do NOT NEED HERE AS AN OUTLET. Fetish or not.

Most do not even know HOW TO MARK A POST FETISH/SENSITIVE. It's not easily shown!

As far as nudity does ';m sick of of the objectifycation and sexualization of the human body- overwhelmingly female but male as well. We get that enough in our daily lives and more. It 's no wonder women come on here as MEN. To get away from the BS we put up with IRL!

I don't care to see anyone's wife or watch anyone's wife and I don't care if you are so emasculated you have to watch another man do what you can't. Your impotence is not something to be celebrated. And girls, we have all seen what your man has. Chances are, unless we identify as lesbian we have seen. Keep it private.

But nothing will change. At least not in the way of nudity, exploitation, sexualization, denigration, and the changing of a policy. Have you ever thought more may join if the is were not a nude site? And if those that joined there may actually be more PAYING members thus offsetting banner ad clicks?

When the app happened on EP-the 2012 Metoo app, not the 2009 confessions app, old members left in drove and it was those members that were the supporters, financially, of the site (before data mining existed) . The app brough in those has no need to be there and they wanted nudity. Nudity that EP did not allow anymore.

You could learn from them.

Magenta · F

@Elandra77 👏🏻💗 The voice of reason. You just get it. I applaud this.
I also am beyond jaded with the objectification..

Elandra77

@Magenta Thank You, dear friend. I'm glad that we are on agreeance as far as this goes.

I have been trying (on twitter where I get UNLIMITED blocks) to fight objectification, sexualizationn, shaming(body and slut) for the past few months.

The internalized sexism of men and the internalized misogyny is so bad it needs point ed out and called out. Most men while they are compliment a woman are also putting her down--and they've done this so long they aren't even aware of it. They do it in the same sentence.

Unreal!

When Ep ended it had no nudity. Why was that not copied here? This site has done so much wrong and that is one of them.

Fungirlmmm · 51-55, F

@Elandra77 I wanted to clarify that Experience Project did indeed allow nudity to be posted up until the day they officially shut the doors down. One of my final posts there was a post thanking the admins for allowing me to meet many special people but especially for bringing myself and my lover closer together. In that post there were quite a few photos of us, and some were risque photos. (Nude type)... The policy on nudes on Similar Worlds is almost the exact policy that was there (remember I was on both sites from day 1 and EP before nudity was even thought of)... Anyway, the policy was that no zoomed genitals, sex acts, minors, copyrighted without permission, or any other picture that violated laws within the USA. They worded it that way because the owners were US citizens but not all users were American and in some places US laws were tighter than the user's country. I just wanted to clarify though because I never got banned, censured, or in anyway punished on EP or SW so far because I always read the TOS and try to follow it. I know I mess up like others but I'm not a blatant rule breaker. I think the admins here do a great job of handling situations and we simply do not give them enough credit.

I think some of the difference in opinions come into play in regards to how one views a nude body. There are some here that simply see it as a sex thing, but there are a lot of others that view the human body as a work of art. It all depends on the perspective of the viewer. Have I seen some that took it too far? Oh yes I have, but I have also seen people on body positive posts that had never posted before that reached out to me to thank me for my kindness because they weren't getting horrible comments on their physical appearance maybe for the first time in their life. One particular transgender woman has come out of her shell and is accepting herself more and honestly opened up more after one of the positivity posts. People all have different reasons for posting what they post. So my thing is, if I don't want to see it I will scroll by and if I see it too much I mute it and if it annoys me too much or feels fake to me then I block it altogether. I just haven't been offended here often since they put in the categories and allowed us to filter, but maybe the ones you talk about in your comment are ones I have muted so I never see them. My muted population is like 259 people so that is highly likely. :)

Just4fun · 51-55, M

@Fungirlmmm well said !!!

Livingwell · 61-69, M

@Elandra77 I’m sorry but EP had lots of nudity and fetishes right until the day it closed its doors.

SarahAndSamantha · 46-50, F

@Fungirlmmm This is it right here. While I have seen plenty of nudity here I didn't want to see, I've also seen far more that was tasteful, artistic and just beautiful.

I have participated in the body positivity nude threads. In fact, I am the one fungirl is speaking of. It may not seem like a big deal to some, to others i'm sure it comes across as "you just want to show yourself naked." But it really did help me with issues I was having. To accept things I can't change, and to feel better about things I have changed but still not completely happy with.

Nudity is not automatically a bad thing. There are many purposes for it, some good, some bad. Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater.

If it bothers you, you don't have to look for long. I'm not going to spout off the "you can set your profile to not show it" thing, because the bottom line is to my knowledge that only blocks things set with nudity tags and such. And some don't use them or forget (I've forgotten a time or two, but fixed it as soon as I noticed). But really, you don't have to look for long. keep on truckin and the image will be off your screen very soon.

Beyond nudity, there are plenty of things here I don't want to see. Things that hurt, things that anger me, things that i'm tired of reading or just annoy me. I scroll on. I can't expect people to cater to what bothers me or doesn't. That wouldn't be fair of me. In posting nudes, either in a thread or on my profile, I'm breaking no laws. I'm doing my best to keep them in appropriate places, with the appropriate categories. Please don't keep me from doing so because it's not something you want to see. That's not fair of you.

(edit) I just saw someone else suggest using the blur image thing that happens in private messages in the public areas. That way, it's up to you to click the image if you want to see, and you don't have to if you don't. I feel this is an awesome solution that can at least help to make more people happy without restricting those who want to post it and/or see it.

Fungirlmmm · 51-55, F

@SarahAndSamantha Wow Sarah. You said that well. I'm proud of you my friend. You have shed so much baggage and grown so much since that first post. I would never have named you specifically, but I am most certainly referring to you in my post. When I saw you post so proudly earlier today my heart swelled with pride for you, and that you just so eloquently expressed who you are as a woman and what you need here again caused me to fist bump the air. As the famous ad once said, 'You've come a long way, baby'. If no one else tells you today, you are beautiful inside and out!

MrPerditus1 · 61-69, M

@SarahAndSamantha So well said and I couldn't agree more.

SarahAndSamantha · 46-50, F

@Fungirlmmm 🥰 (I count this as a blushing emoji) thank you, sweetie :)

Fungirlmmm · 51-55, F

@SarahAndSamantha you're welcome sweet friend.

Magenta · F

@Elandra77 You're quite welcome. :-)
For the record: Before anyone labels me or misconstrues. I don't mind nudity/partial nudity per se, if it's presented in a tasteful way. I think the human body is beautiful. But it's [i][u]how[/u][/i] it is presented and treated across much of the internet, that I don't care for. SW being no different many times. Many times it's beauty is treated as a mere object. Or for [i]exhibitionism disorder[/i]. And it's quite transparent. I leave the nudity option open here sometimes as I do enjoy the sensual images, (I've posted them myself) but then that exposes to other quite unappealing things. Others have the same issue. It's why I do prefer the more "milder" option.

Fungirlmmm · 51-55, F

@SarahAndSamantha I think the blur option that was mentioned is a great option and compromise. They could even set the options to where you have to opt in to see it without blur if that is your thing. That way no one can say later "I didn't know I was going to see a nude body." With "the blur" you would be able to accommodate both sides. I'm not against nudity, in fact I embrace it, but I'm also not one that tries to shock or offend others.