art censorship????????

[Bring4th_Austin]

Hello friends,

I just wanted to offer some quick clarifications to the discussion going on in this thread.

In regards to the situation that IndigoGeminiWolf is referring to, and what ultimately started the discussion regarding censorship, it is helpful to understand that while the moderators attempt to maintain as much consistency as possible in our actions, there are some areas in which the fuller context lends itself to our decisions in a greater way than others. This general topic is one of those. Add this to the fact that we are not omni-present on the forums, there will be inconsistencies, and some perceived to a greater degree than others.

In this particular case, though, I think it’s good that we point out what isn’t inconsistent. Had Gemini posted a music video within the same context as the videos he is referring to, where either a furry or a human simply had bare breasts, it would not be removed, so long as this were not being used as a way to simply post sexual content for the sake of it. Were someone to post a similar picture to the one that Gemini posted, to which he is referring, but the subject matter were humans instead of anthros in the same suggestive setting and context, in the thread which he posted it in, it would be removed.

The consistent factor here is context. So, in regards to the original topic of the thread, it has nothing to do with breasts being okay but furries not. If we switch the subjects of each image, where if the anthros were human and the humans were anthros, then the humans would have been removed.

Now, in regards to discussing sexuality on the forums, and the idea of an NSFW thread/forum.

Nearly any subject can be discussed in the context of spiritual evolution, and in particular for these forums, discussed in the light of love, acceptance, and understanding. Sexuality can be one of the most powerful catalyst for spiritual evolution, and our policies are in no way meant to condemn the exploration of such.

With our desired design for Bring4th any content which would be posted to an NSFW thread or forum could be discussed outside of that forum, so long as it were approached with respect and in the context of spiritual evolution. In creating an NSFW thread or forum to accommodate for sexual discussion that does not have this focus, the context of spiritual evolution is lost, and thus the primary focus of Bring4th is lost.  

That’s not to say that there are not discussions on Bring4th which don’t fit into even a broad interpretation of spiritual evolution, but not dealing with topics that are so prone to misunderstanding, abuse, triggering, and hurt feelings as sexuality. We are not asking that sexuality not be explored and discussed on these forums – we are asking that the topic be approached with extra care and respect.

We understand that some members would desire to use the forums as an outlet for casual sexual discourse and expression. We appreciate this desire, and support and encourage the open nature of the internet to allow for these types of expressions within communities which are intended for such topics. But the policies which are in place, those which we do our best to reflect in our actions, ask for greater focus and context to these types of discussions. Boundaries are in place in order to accommodate a particular type of discussion, one which we feel is more in-line with our purpose in creating this community. With a certain purpose in mind, we cannot accommodate every desire that every member has for Bring4th. Our inability to meet a request for an NSFW thread doesn’t preclude anyone from going elsewhere to discuss it, whether PM, email, phone, non-bring4th chatroom, other online forum, or a meeting in person, if possible.

The idea of implementing a policy for NSFW tags for when a discussion, which is already allowed on the forums but may contain content viewed as inappropriate by most employers, is an idea the mods will discuss moving forward.

I hope that this offers some clarification on the subject. Thanks everyone for the discussion and the feedback. Much love to all.

Austin 4 da mods