Check out today's most popular photo (contains nudity)

[bobt54]

I don't believe pbase caters to nude photos any more than it caters to landscapes, portaits, travel photos, snapshots, weddings, children, etc.

Although I could be wrong, I believe people place warnings on nude galleries as a courtesy, not a requirement.

You are right. Poor choice of words on my part, but if they do allow it in all public areas, how am I to know that before I enter a public area of Pbase. Even the nastiest of Porn sites give us some sort of warning.

You are also right, it is a courtesy. A courtesy to whom? Where was that "courtesy" as it applies to the popular photos? Are you saying Slug and/or Ray were not courteous? I mean why be courteous in the first place if this sort of material is to be acceptable everywhere in Pbase.

[philgo]

I was a regular here for four years, but have now moved on. Here's a few things should be cleared up for new users:

1.) Slug will likely remove the photo as he has a policy of removing any explicit nudity on the populars that gets complaints, this bothers some, it may also be a democratic way of doing it. Either way, he's the boss, so it's his decision.

2.) This photo is not on the populars because it is great art, because it is sexy, nor due to the controversy. It is there for one reason the most regular Pbase users are quite familiar with. A small group (maybe two dozen) Paders are quite fond of trading comments and votes, not by formal agreement perhaps, but the effect is all the same. The PAD meta gallery made things worse, and now nearly every pop photo, and many of the pop galleries belong to these folks. They are fine photographers, but so are many thousands of others here on Pbase. More people should vote more often, of course.

3.) Bobt54 is among a select few who enjoys holding up his photo standards as THE photo standards we should all bow to. He will deny this, but check out his posts. What can one do but scoff at such a position? He doesn't seem to be a prude, however, an attitude that can only be described as corrosive to artistic expression in every way. Yet some degree of prudishness must be enforced in order to keep Pbase in line with the norms of such a popular, broadly used site, if not, the site will be blocked to many, and all will lose.

[photoarrow]

When I originally saw "the photo" I was sickened because to me it looked like a photo of a child (child pornography). But now I realize that it isn't, and now I think it is a VERY good photo. Should it be allowed on pbase? Sure!

[bobt54]

Should it be allowed on pbase? Sure!

That's not the issue here tho many would like you to believe that it is.

[rsub8]

Perhaps pbase's silence on this subject is their answer to those concerned. I have been a member for a year now and to expect the management to respond when members have issues with them is silly.

What it comes down to is what has been discussed over and over again in the forums. If you don't like pbase and how they operate and what is allowed to be presented, then don't visit, or look. Would you rent a home without a roof and complain to the landlord that you get wet when it rains?

Put a parental control on your computer to keep you children or yourself from connecting to pbase if it is that offensive to them or yourself.

The image in question is quite good. The fact that it has sparked such a discussion has made it a remarkable image, a work of art. The fact that it got the votes that it did is what placed it in the popular photos gallery.

Pbase management allows ALL members to choose what is popular and what is not.

Well said. I agree.

(reserving opinion on the artistic merit of the image in question, and the motivations of all parties involved).

[bobt54]

3.) Bobt54 is among a select few who enjoys holding up his photo standards as THE photo standards we should all bow to. He will deny this, but check out his posts. What can one do but scoff at such a position? He doesn't seem to be a prude, however, an attitude that can only be described as corrosive to artistic expression in every way. Yet some degree of prudishness must be enforced in order to keep Pbase in line with the norms of such a popular, broadly used site, if not, the site will be blocked to many, and all will lose.

Phil, I am simply presenting my point of view here. I find it particularly interesting that you proclaim to scoff at it and agree with it in the same paragraph.

As you mentioned in point 1, this is Slugs decision. I just wish he would make a coherent one. His inability or refusal to communicate with us on this point is what has fostered all of this. Some clear and concise guidelines that are enforced are greatly needed here.

[erichmangl]

You still have not ever replied to the question I have posted twice:

is that not answer enough to you ?

[photoarrow]

Should it be allowed on pbase? Sure!

That's not the issue here tho many would like you to believe that it is.

Now, I'm confused, but what exactly IS is the issue, Bob? Is this all about how the "popular galleries" work -- or don't work? (I know I'll never make it into the popular galleries, so personally, it really isn't important to me) Pardon me for being so "dense", but I just can't figure this out...

[erichmangl]

Now, I'm confused, but what exactly IS is the issue, Bob?

guess he is celebrating now that he "won", but all together pbase lost - if it becomes fashion that a few send complaints about a picture and it gets removed then, Slug&Emily will become very busy

netcops suck

[bobt54]

Well I just checked and it appears that Slug works on Sundays. The image was removed from the popular photo gallery and the gallery was fixed.

Michelle asked me the following question (twice) and it does deserve an answer.

I asked you if you had posted similar things on all the other nude photos that pop up in the popular images and popular galleries pages

No, I have never complained about a photo on Pbase before. The reason why I did for this one was that I didn't choose to see this photo, it chose me. And you are right about another thing, there are worse pictures out there and until Slug developes some clear guidelines and then enforces them on a regular basis then I guess nothing has changed.

[erichmangl]

The reason why I did for this one was that I didn't choose to see this photo, it chose me.

you deserve an award for the most stupid statement, little man - paint with some very black material over your glasses or simply break them

[bobt54]

you deserve an award for the most stupid statement, little man - paint with some very black material over your glasses or simply break them

LOL!!

You never did answer my question. Do you think ridicule is a mature form of communication? Or maybe that is the only type of communication you know. Sad.

[offtheradar]

The reason why I did for this one was that I didn't choose to see this photo, it chose me.

This implies the picture clicked on you. That's kind of absurd.

Let's not pretend nudity is a new concept to photography. I can remember National Geographic magazines on my parent's coffee table while growing up, yet they tried their best to keep me from seeing boobs on cable tv. The real issue here is control, and both sides of this debate are trying to impose their beliefs on the opposition. If you log onto a website dedicated to photography, it shouldn't come as a surprise you might see some skin.

The biggest problem with America (and the conservative christian right) is their attempt to push the responsibility of raising their kids on other people. Banning that photo from the popular gallery isn't going to ensure anyone's kids are free from exposure to nudity on the internet. And if you want to send a link of your own galleries for others to see, adding a warning of "artistic nudes" elsewhere on pbase probably won't come as a shock to anyone familiar with art in general. For me it kinda puts pbase a little below a "real" photography site if nudity can't exist in a popular gallery... er, on the first page anyway.

While I am christian myself, and generally don't seek those kinds of galleries, I understand they exist... here and in photography books in bookstores. If I did have children and didn't want them viewing such things, it becomes my responsibility to educate them on such topics so they behave accordingly when they are exposed to those situations. If I were at work, I definately wouldn't enter sites I know have nudity and then scream about seeing nudity.

If you keep clicking in the popular photos, eventually you'll see dark, grainy pics of a woman using a vibrator on herself. Those aren't banned? Maybe they just need more votes.

I know it's a business decision slug has to make when he receives a certain number of complaints, I just wish people would learn to accept more responsibility for themselves and raising their kids. If all the photography websites cater to the idea that nudity should be banned, the only nudity left will be the sites that cater to the perverts... and I doubt they care if anyone thinks their material is questionable. At least having artistic nudes gives those parents wishing to expose their kids to the beauty of the human form as seen thru the eyes of an artist the opportunity to do so in a more educational manner than a "birds and bees" talk when they find magazines between the matresses. It's only a matter of time before they find the hardcore stuff elsewhere on the net, and if they were my kids, I'd rather have them looking at pbase than Hustler.

[simplephotography]

[quote="bobt54 I would like to see something similar to the treatment of American Politics applied to this type of material when it becomes popular. Everyone should have a choice here. It is the only way to be fair to everyone here at Pbase.

[/quote]

I just had to comment on this: I would like you NOT to assume this is America. This site is very international, and a lot of people here do not like the hypocritical ways of American society, where nude body parts are a bigger problem (if not THE biggest) than any kind of violence. I, and many people with me, find this perverse. You do have a choice when you know these images can appear in the popular gallery. You can choose not to go there. This image does NOT cross the line of pornography in any way. Why would an image of arm/neck/whatever other curves be more decent? I don't get this bent logic. If you start by banning this kind of pictures from the popular section, you could just aswell ban any type of nude photography. Well, this may not be a conventional photo, but art does not evolve by conventional people, it evolves by people who try things other than dictated by established rules.

So in short: I, and I hope a lot of people with me, do not accept that puritan rules are imposed on my. I live in a free country. A TRULY free country, where I can choose, and where nobody will tell me what I can view or not. And where people are mature enough to know they can enounter nude bodyparts, and where I KNOW violence is blocked from the media until my kids have gone to sleep.

[hmetal]

This photo is not on the populars because it is great art, because it is sexy, nor due to the controversy. It is there for one reason the most regular Pbase users are quite familiar with. A small group (maybe two dozen) Paders are quite fond of trading comments and votes, not by formal agreement perhaps, but the effect is all the same.

I think I'm offended by that insinuation. My dear mistaken fellow, you're quite wrong, at least when it comes to my images.

I've posted images far more worthy (IMHO) of votes than this one. The one I call "Industrial" for one. If this conspiracy theory of yours, whereby I belong to some mutual but silent vote trading group, was correct, why is it only this one image of mine that has achieved 15 votes? Why not the others too, hmm? Fact is, people, mostly people who I have never heard a peep from in the past, looked at it, and voted.

Additionally, I don't "trade" votes based on the actions of someone else, and I'm certainly not going to tell someone with less than appealing images that they are good by way of a vote. I don't believe in lying to people just to spare their feelings or belong to some mutual admiration group. Telling people how it is is the best way to keep your friends, and acquitances and they will probably learn more from being told the truth than some bullsh*t quid pro quo vote.

I appreciate the votes more than I probably should, but those votes stand on their own without any soliciting by/from me.

The PAD meta gallery made things worse, and now nearly every pop photo, and many of the pop galleries belong to these folks. They are fine photographers, but so are many thousands of others here on Pbase. More people should vote more often, of course.

I agree! The number of votes on my images are far less than the number of comments commending me on a given photo or gallery. I wish more people who like my images (and those of others) would VOTE for them if they stir the emotions or evoke a response of "cool!" or similar.