livejournal: breast feeding is offensive, but not as offensive as our customer service
POSTED ON 5/21/2006 | PERMALINK |6 Comments | BOOKMARK
breast feeding
"Because these icons can be seen in places on the site where one would not reasonably expect to find sexually explicit content, such as user directories and searches, they must not contain material which may be considered inappropriate for viewing in certain settings. We realize that breastfeeding is not a sexual activity, however images depicting the activity cannot be used as default icons if they display an unobstructed view of the subject's breasts."
And if you thought they only have contempt for breast feeders, you're wrong. Their contempt is so broad as to include any user who would dare to contact LJ with *any* concerns.
"Finally, please be aware that write-in campaigns are never effective in swaying the opinion of the Abuse Team or LiveJournal administrators, or in focusing attention on a particular issue. A flood of requests concerning the same issue only serve to slow down the responses given to valid inquiries such as your request for policy clarification."
WTF? I read that as Please don't email us with concerns, as we really don't care what you think. And we would never consider changing our terms of service to please our users.

I can almost get where they're coming from on the breast feeding thing. There is a distinct difference between banning breast feeding and banning images of breast feeding. They're not saying breast feeding is bad. They just don't want the images on their site. But their treatment of such images as an offensive act totally negates any chance of righteousness on their part. And any "customer service" email that ends with anything other than "we value you as a customer and will always welcome and consider your concerns" is just wrong.
previously on wtg:
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6 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Yup, the LiveJournal Abuse Team and the concept of customer service do not go together.

Mon May 22, 06:43:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

They have not stated that they do not want any images of breastfeeding on the site. They have only required that breastfeeding avatars that display any part of the nipple be set as non-default. Users can still use them in entries and comments. If the breastfeeding avatar does not contain a visible nipple, it is allowed as default.

This is because a default avatar displays on site-wide directory searches and on profile pages. The same rules are applied to any icons that contain visible nudity, even if that nudity is depicted as a cartoon image.

Tue May 23, 12:05:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

that is true. but it still doesn't change how stupid it all is.

Tue May 23, 12:12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"The same rules are applied to any icons that contain visible nudity, even if that nudity is depicted as a cartoon image."

That's actually not the case. Nude male breasts can be openly displayed in LiveJournal default icons, regardless of their size or the prominence of the nipple and/or areolae, and since the "sexually explicit" terminology of the rule was changed to simple "nudity" (which LJ Abuse has stated does not apply if the nude torso is a man's) a sexually explicit image of a man with clamps or with any other (obviously sexual) accessories on his non-female nipples is now fully acceptable.

Wed May 24, 08:16:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

There's a petition going on about this now.

http://www.petitiononline.com/ljabuse/petition.html

Fri May 26, 01:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The only real story here is that a group of mommies who are used to screaming holy hell in order to get their way finally encountered a situation where that tactic didn't work.

They've had their press release, the closest to mainstream media attention they received was a derisive sidebar in The Register. They're going to have their little fauxtest and nurse-in on Monday and then on Tuesday they'll wake up to find that nothing has changed.

But, hey, at least a group of unemployable white women for whom "NAK" is a way of life will have been able to act out their oppression fantasies.

Sun Jun 04, 12:46:00 PM  

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