Erotic or obscene? What about the photos? Dilemma or no problemo?

 image_122963 Originally uploaded by guys2ncmnm

This is just a sample but still important earlier post to the Guys into CMNM blog. We are trying to make this blog a GROUP effort, but we need to decide on some basic guidelines and procedures so that we won't run into problems later -- either with Google (owner of Blogger) or Yahoo (owner of Flickr) or worse - among ourselves.

There are photos in the 3 first posts below but where they come from makes a big difference. This first one (the naked kid snuggling the crotch of the leather vested guy on the kitchen chair) is hosted on Flickr and was blogged from my photostream collection there. The next two entries have photos that were uploaded directly into the Blogger editor (where you can create, compose and edit (making corrections, adding links or importing photos from a PC or from someone on the web).

In the case of this first photo, it was not imported to Blogger - but instead it was 'blogged' from Flickr (rather like 'shipping it over from one website to another via RSS). I have made this photo a public Flickr photo. It was uploaded into a new Flickr account from where

it was directly blogged - which is a handy utility. Pics and blog text can be written, composed, copied as HTML from other sources or even mailed indirectly into the blog (via Flickr) and in that latter case, there are some filtering/censorship and Yahoo/Blogger TOS (terms of service) issues to consider. I discuss this a bit below because it's relevant to whether we are going to include pictures (that may be questionable) in this blog or not.

Why I made the photos public? Because that' s the only way one can blog it to a 'public' Blogger (owned by Google) blog. If we make the blog for INVITED friends only, then the Flickr photos need not be public, but can be private (viewable) by friends only.
The other photos in the Thorn stories below were uploaded directly from my hard disk - so censorship insures are not a problem - except if Blogger (Google) decides to crack down.

By the way, you can also blog photos and text using email or even a cell phone - which makes moblog or copy/paste blogging much more convenient but also creates a whole set of issues about copyright ownership and restricting access to minor, censorship of pornographic photos.

Using email (via Flickr) to blog pics and text (along with the title (email subject), the text is the body of the email message and can also include tags and permission codes by sending an email a PC, web-based email service (Yahoo or Gmail) or from a cellphone is great. A single file attachments (jpeg) to the email will be displayed in the blog entry (like the one here). More about that later (if you want to know).

To send a post to this blog, Mail some text and with subject (title) to:  (inquire for address)

(If you include an attached photo (jpeg) file, it will be added to the blog as an illustration to accompany the text (body of the message) with the SUBJECT made into the blog entry title.
The explicit photo problem is a bit tricky. If we make the blog 'private - for Friends only - no one can just casually browse by the blog or be directed to it without actually having to SIGN up (or first must be invited as a Blogger Blog 'friend' ) Please note that these 'Blogger Friends' have NO relation (although they might be connected or one in the same) with those who are 'Friends' ( Contacts who can view private pics) in Flickr.
So...then we are right back to the same problem that we face by trying to 'internally' keep up with CMNM information inside the limits of some else' s (such as Dudenudes, MySpace (and its gay counterparts (Lifeout / Dlist / Gaywatch) or on something like Facebook.

The solutions are several possibilities:

1) just chance it - and if the blog (or the pics where the original --- along with that Flickr id: guysN2cmnm ) gets deleted by Flickr (more than likely) or Google (probably not), then so be it. or 

2) We can just NOT post any explicit photos (such erect penises, or sex acts, etc) - just sensual male nudity.

3) We can use altered / doctored photos - only those with blacked out gentitalia or pics that have been chopped or edited - which is a lot of extra work but probably the best compromise.

4) Try some other HOST service for what we are trying to do: Create a permanent source of information and place to discuss our sexual lifestyle preferences and practices related to Clothed Men with Naked Men (CMNM).

The Blogger / Flickr connection is nice - while free, it obviously has its share of limitations. So it may not be the best 'solution' - perhaps there are others: Yahoo360 or other blog services (most cost money for such premium services as mobile blogging), Yahoo Groups might work, but the audience is so limited (private groups never get found), etc.

What do you think about this issue? I can already think of several more. For example, if we allow explicit photos, then do we require that they be copyrighted by the poster? It's an endless set of problems.. I can definitely see why being a webmaster can be a very time-consuming, tedious and contentious job.

Is it important - well, sort of... the nature of what kind of blog and information resource we will create (and can expect other to use/join) depends on how useful, accessible and resource-rich the webHOSTing service is that will house it.

Write me back on Dudesnude or at sunbunz (at) yahoo.com.

Otherwise, someone who stumbles across this and wishes to participate, should contact me via another of my own blogs: Thanks,
Kelly