On Tuesday Ning changed its long standing policy on allowing networks that show pornography and adult material. “Adult social networks don’t pull their own weight,” Ning CEO Gina Bianchini said, and “our ad partners aren’t big fans of the adult networks.”
As far as I can tell, at this time Ning has only one advertising partner - Google. Google won’t put adsense on sites that contain “Pornography, adult, or mature content,” so Ning was at risk of being banned by Google despite the fact that only a very small portion of the networks on Ning are adult oriented.
The problem is that it isn’t clear exactly what networks are being banned. In the blog post, Bianchini said that “adult social networks” are being discontinued. In response to inquiries by some network operators, Ning clarified their policy today in a new blog post. “As it relates to the Ning Platform, adult networks include, but aren’t limited to pornography and depictions of sexual acts,” Bianchini says.
Examples of adult content, says Bianchini, include Pornography or images of sexual acts, Nudity intended to sexually arouse the viewer, Graphic photos or videos and Fetishes.
Ah but wait. Examples of sites that are outside of the ban include Networks for heterosexual, gay, lesbian or transgender individuals, Nudist networks, Networks for educational, medical, or clinical purposes that contain nudity, Breast Feeding networks, Art containing some nudity, Travel networks that include content on nude beaches and Networks promoting safe sex.
Ok, so nudist networks and pictures of lactating breasts are fine (as long as it isn’t a fetish). But basic nudity for erotic purposes isn’t. I guess I understand where the line is, but Google’s definition is much more subjective and general (Pornography, adult, or mature content). Is a transgender social network mature content? seems like it is to me.
And how does violence fit in to all of this? Is there any amount of human carnage that would qualify as adult content?
Good luck with this, Ning. Perhaps that’s why Google turned YouTube PG.
Comments
Shoot!! Make the picture bigger - More Cow Bell!!
its just a nudist colony picture. that isn’t sexually explicit material.
lol…whatever
gott damned pervert n sh1t
Very nice picture Michael. Kudos!
http://www.oac.cdlib.org/affil.....0017-1.jpg
how on earth did you find that? is there an image recognition search engine out there that i don’t know about?
^^
Boobs on TC? Now I don’t need the rest of the interweb, haha
Speaking from experience, any site that hosts unmoderated pics and videos (such as Ning) ultimately turns into a repository for illegal and disturbing porn content.
It’s one thing to link to porn (as Google does) but it’s another thing to host it.
that’s it! I’m showing my tits! Who’s with me?!
Great my next search for tits, will include a picture of nerdy man boobs
Is there a Man Boob Network?
Iam already seeing PSA ads on TC in this post, and on the posts linked to ning.com
Oddly enough, Google sells sexual adwords for searches done on Google. Try searching for naughty words on Google and you’ll see plenty of ads.
Not just mature keywords, but Terrorism ads on Adwords. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanyam/3062262963/
Networks that show any sexuall photos or sexuall excitement should be removed
“despite the fact that only a very small portion of the networks on Ning are adult oriented”
Are you sure about that? http://www.quantcast.com/ning.com/traffic/sites
seriously, how about picking a picture with naked men in it for a change….
No. Double standard is alive and well.
Google should stop indexing adult websites then. Google is becoming the Hitler of the internet.
There’s a business opportunity. Create an adsense type service only for pornographic sites. Google just vacated it. Thanks!
Adbrite should take those “bad” Ning sites and create their own adult friendly platform to serve Black Black Label Ads. This also shows that Ning relies too much on Adsense.
Obviously you’ve never used AdBrite or their adult ad network; they’re both terrible.
Any guesstimates o the percentage of Ning networks are adult?
i guess its no longer “social networks for anything!”
Actually… the moment this hit the wire I registered the company I work for our own NING. We have a lot of offices and keeping everyone connected up could be great for communication. It’s an experiment. We’ll see. Linkedin and Plaxo Pulse have worked to a certain degree so this is a logical next step.
I’ll likely purchase advanced features to give us greater control over placement and to remove advertising (NING ARPU = $50-$55 MRC).
One thing that I found interesting in talking with a few folks is the lure of home owners to run their HOA using NING. So, a lot of folks are already on NING as a way to share dissatisfaction with the way the hedges were done or the paint spray on the side of the club house. Surely this is what the Internet was created for.
Frankly, I don’t care if there is hardcore ascii porn on a social networking service…. but if I am going to have the work stream interact with the social network stream… I’d like to keep them at arms length if possible.
The next critical move will be to form customer and affinity groups on business lines, vendors, etc… so we’ll see how NING does.
I’m optimistic.
Jay, you write
“Frankly, I don’t care if there is hardcore ascii porn on a social networking service…. but if I am going to have the work stream interact with the social network stream… I’d like to keep them at arms length if possible.”
This is very true. We are running several Ning sites - vanilla and adult and it is VERY easy to mix it up - so to speak. I just to give you an example.
Your default profile photo on Ning happens to be an adult one - just because you used only adult networks so far. Now you join a professional network and don’t realize that your default adult profile photo WILL show up on any Ning network you join - unless you change it individually (what you can and should).
THAT is pretty much not what vanilla network creatores, Ning and yourself probably want. This is a flaw in the Ning system. They should make it clearer that you (can) have two (and many) different Ning profiles photos and how to (better) manage them. You can set up different ones for every network you join - but you also can just forget about it without much thinking and share adult profile photos without knowing.
Another thing. You can make friends across adult and vanilla networks and you can share content (as link to any Ning network page) with ALL your friends. Now imagine you want to share an interesting adult page with all your adult friends. But you click on “Share with all my friends” and not “Share with friends in THIS (adult) network).
This can mean - you not only do this with your adult profile photo if you are careless but share this content also to all your work colleges as well - just because all your adult friends and all your vanilla friends can be easily reached in one go.
Some “clever” network members use(d) this “feature” to spam Ning networks.
Does this make sense? This is not explained anywhere on Ning. We found this out and avoid it. But many Ning members are not aware of this and share adult content without much thinking and even bad intention.
fosat - The Future of Sex and Technology
So far there are no adult icons or user profile issues… but I did note that my default icon might not be customer friendly. I look angry according to a co-worker. So, I’ve found a nice smiley photo where I haven’t shaved for a few days…. Heh.
It is a fascinating dialog. It is very similar to being the person show up for a meeting in shorts when the team agreed that we’d all be business casual.
Groups tend to be self policing when there are common goals.
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wow this has tons to do with the post. thanks
test
You fail, cretin
So where are all these Red Light networks going to migrate to? We’re getting a lot of requests at CrowdVine, but we don’t want any of the overhead either. If somebody steps up, we’ll gladly refer our requests to them.
Meh. pr0n, just like booze and drugs will always find a way…
You forgot life on your list
I guess people don’t quote Jurassic Park anymore…
“Is there any amount of human carnage that would qualify as adult content?”
A very important question to which the answer appears to be “NO”. It’s true the net is littered with stuff I’d rather not bother with. But it doesn’t intrude on my day to day web use at all.
However I’ve had way to many experiences with the evening news where the stories and images they present without any “adult only” warning aren’t appropriate for adults nevermind children.
This “violence is OK, sexuality is not” standard speaks volumes.
Anybody know how Google treats audio content that’s considered “dicey”? e.g. “adult sound effects?”
I do.
Why would a community for transgendered people be considered mature? I don’t know why you’d say that, but otherwise I like the discussion of the subjectivity stuff.
That’s what I was thinking. Just because a social network comprises a group of a common sexuality doesn’t mean the network is about sexual activity or depictions of such.
Social networks for transgendered people shouldn’t be viewed as adult content. Not all transgendered people are adults. There are no legal restrictions above and beyond those of medical information on the dissemination of relevant information. Finally, most advertisers (as far as I know) wouldn’t have a problem with being advertising there.
I don’t think ning is right they try to be popular .
http://www.iamlittle.net
Another example of Google’s double standards. They allow adult PPC ads with Premium publishers, but not with their normal clients
I’ve never used Google in my entire life.
^^^ You’re a loser
…. yet.
Ok, well, Ning are going to lose some sites off their network then. The briefest of clicks through to the site using the “lactating breasts” and “nudis networks” links in Mike’s post (Mike - how much research did that take :)) brought up what I would imagine must surely contain Adult content:
the “Breastfeeding men” site for “For man with breasts looking to grow them and induce lactation ” (I kid you not: breastfeedingmen.ning.com).
I say adult material as I can’t imagine many kids being interested in men who want to lactate. (IS that possible anyway - I couldn’t find any info on whether it is or not on the site…!). And what it with the member of member “Mike” ??!
The nudist networks link gives us marna.ning.com: “Naturism or Nudism should not be limited to couples and families, many honest, respectful singles also wish to celebrate nudism too.” Which, sounds perfectly reasonable and not “adult” material at all. Until you have a whee shufty at some of the profile pics, which include at least 1 semi-erect penis and then take a quick look at some of the pictures posted and I would say that it certainly comes under NSFW which surely also qualifies it for “adult” material. (Yes, I have bookmarked it for later.)
Understand that I’m not the prurient type and enjoy pictures of semi’s as much as the next man, but this is all in the course of research.
Michael, may be you wan’t to check this post on adult content in AdSense: http://adsense.blogspot.com/20.....-safe.html
Another example of how Ning will axe anyone using their service without warning or recourse if they perceive it as threatening their core business somehow. However, it is their autocratic attitude that will really kill their business.
With reference to the attempt tp force Ning to discontinue adult orientated sites. While I agree with this move, I do not see how nudism can be included. Nudism is a totally natural family pastime and is in no way connected with pornography
I am generally a big fan of Google; I think the value it has added to the Internet is tremendous. At the same time, however, corporate censorship is a much more powerful force than governmental censorship, and if Google is leaning on Ning to block certain non-obscene networks, then I’m opposed to that. It is, of course, Ning’s sandbox, so it has a lot of latitude to do what it thinks is necessary to please its primary sponsor. Nonetheless, the growing ability of Google to essentially dictate the parameters of online content bears watching.
Free Speech! Freedom! Dare to be bare!
how two faced as google allows lots of adult sites to buy adwords
As a Ning Network Creator, I know this decision will hit some people who have put a lot of time into growing their adult networks on Ning. I feel bad for them and hope they can transition their data and member list to another platform.
I run a Ning Platform network. I am guessing that administrators of “questionable” websites are the ones being contacted. However, I have instructed members to promptly remove any materials that could be seen as questionable. My network is not 18+ designated, as it is not intended as an “adult network”.
My issue here is that they are taking the censorship out of the hands of the admins. Especially those that pay the premiums to remove adds and have their own URL. I will refrain from any comments that could hamper my network’s life span on this comment, but I hope Ning takes more into consideration before going on a closing spree.
In our opinion, Ning can change its policies any time it wants. The manner of breaking promises without first providing fair and reasonable alternatives or solutions is the issue.
When customers have relied on your policy for months or a year and then you switch, it is simply bad business to cut them off with less than four weeks notice and no means to move.
Why has Ning failed to provide a simple migration tool BEFORE it raised the issue of deleting adult networks? It is not only possible, but we’ve previously created a tool to do this, and then Ning shut down their public API, killing any such tools.
To prove our point, yesterday we created a simple photo migration tool in a matter of a couple hours. To date, Ning is still claiming that they are unable to do the same, even though it is their own platform.
Here is a link to the migration tool and a how-to video.
http://www.widgetlaboratory.co.....os_64.html
WidgetLaboratory is very familiar with Ning’s method of “dealing” with customer relationships by way of obfuscation and finger-pointing. The truth behind the words is often hard to find.
Making large profits is fine (great even). But, not at the expense of those who have supported your growth. Given the origin of their name, it’s sad to see that they’ve lost their moral compass and common sense somewhere along the way…
Spencer Forman - CEO WidgetLaboratory
Looks like an awesome tool to steal images from any public Ning network! Doesn’t actually work on adult networks though, which are the ones who are actually effected, so nice FAIL!
Hi Chocolato,
If you had spent five minutes on any Ning site you would have realized before posting your comment that ALL public Ning sites are open to having all their content “stolen” anyway…. just like all open web pages. This isn’t rocket-science, it’s called a “scraper”.
The point of creating the tool was to shine light on the fact that Ning had imposed a “private” lockdown on all Adult sites that was outside the owner’s control and then threatened to delete all the sites with the content locked inside. Ning claimed it was “working on” making a migration tool… but didn’t offer one BEFORE making the deletion announcement.
Our tool is free, and simply proves that Ning is not being forthcoming with how childishly simple it is for them to deliver a database dump of all site owner content to each Network Creator who wants to move. This is what they’ve been promising was one of the main reasons to feel safe about creating a social network on Ning, that you “owned” all your data. Does that not imply that you also have the right to take that data with you before it is all deleted?
Our tool works fine on adult networks, and has been used extensively already by many thankful site owners who have been given the cold shoulder or worse by Ning.
The only FAIL is that a 3rd party has to demonstrate so clearly that Ning, with $100 Million of VC funding and over a hundred employees, is either unwilling or incapable of exercising any reasonable level of customer service for those people who came to rely upon years of hollow promises and claims.
Making large profits is fine (great even). But, not at the expense of those who have supported your growth. Given the origin of their name, it’s sad to see that they’ve lost their moral compass and common sense somewhere along the way…
Spencer Forman - CEO WidgetLaboratory
What is adult content?
It’s everything that can make your dick hard in less than 5 seconds.
I don’t have a more scientific, rational explanation than the one above.
I think it should be considered adult if it is anything that can have a harmfull effect on kids. (even though it has a harmful effect on adults (IE:cigerettes).
That way when your little boys kindergarden teacher takes him in the back room and takes his cloths off he will know that is not normal.
What a bunch of boobs
I don’t get it. Arrington says only a small percentage of ning networks are porn related. But doesn’t traffic percentage matter more? According to alexa, Ning’s top 10 networks are mostly porn ones (judging by names like bigdickclub.ning.com - 2%), each accounting for a few % of ning’s overall traffic.
We are going into the year 2009, sex, porn, being naked, etc, are all human needs and desires and have been with us since the beginning of our existence as a species. We should be more like Europe and stop worrying about sex in media.
Typical arrington story.. anything that reaks a little bit of sex and arrington is on it.. you seem to have this weird bizarre fascination makes one almost wonder if you’re sexually oppressed or something.. seriously look at your posts…a full 10-15% have some sexual tone to it. Whether its 2 girls making out (in an ad), paris hilton and a gazillion of others…
Just get a professional girl..to give you so you can release steam that way not through here.. pleaaase.. we al can see it squirting out of your ear and it ain’t pretty.
I have an adult site on ning and I will be out of business in 3 weeks an on where to go. My site is about the freedom of speech and the right to be an adult to be in adult lifestyles. We do lots of education about adults lifestyles and gave a safe place for adults, we are not porn but Ning is taking us off their site. We need to find a new hone its been a great Xmas present from Ning after paying them over a year to house our site. So in my books Ning is this years Grinch that stole Christmas. Amazing
Since SocialGO is VERY beta and totally slow and Neeetz not even reachable at times this is no real solution right now to seriously switch an adult network coming from Ning. When this happens already - imagine what happens when all the members start signing up and using the networks.
Question - what is the best white label social network framework that you could use on your own server to build something like Ning (for yourself alone)?
fosat - The Future of Sex and Technology
ok - its all beta - so I better be patient. But really - what would be the best white label social network framework that you could have running on your own server and not in the cloud of another company? Drupal - what else? Ruby oR? Nobody?
ok - thats good news - I was able to reach the top level people at SocialGO very fast to learn that, in fact, the image server issue was already being worked on.
my comment was probably a bit premature based on the facts. And I got some tips what to use next to Drupal and Dophin. Thx…
fosat - The Future of Sex and Technology
We need a Savior because we are sinners,
and the wages of sin is death…
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves
is faith in Him.
The Way of Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging
cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all
mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body
to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast;
it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its
own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not
rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they
will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for
knowledge, it will pass away.
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perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a
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up childish ways.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have
been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13 ESV
i bless you in yeshuas name,
sdg, tjm
Unless you accept that this kind of classification is inherently subjective judgment (by the people at the top of Ning or Google or whoever), people will waste time discussing what is objective or ‘right’.
The best that Ning can do is to make it as clear as possible so that future users do not invest time setting up a network, only to find later that they have violated Ning’s policy.
No matter how stupid it looks ‘to you’, it is not your call. If you don’t like Ning’s policy, just leave (unless Ning is violating their initial agreement with you).
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