(Disscussion - I hope -) RE: Access

[mimei.livejournal.com]

Ok, I was writing an entry explaining my position on this and asking for opinions when I decided my position would stunt any actual discussion, and that working from the primary materials in a public post to last_pleasure would probably elicit more interesting responses, so:

These are direct quotes from public posts in fanfiction communities I follow, over the last 48 hours or so.

i.

IMPORTANT: You have to join the comm in order to view anything rated NC-17.^*

^* bolding removed.

ii.

This story is posted as a locked entry to the [name excluded] comm. You need to be eighteen to join, so after clicking to join, stop by this^* post and leave an age statement.

^* hyperlink removed.

i. concerns a personal fiction community where posting access is held by one individual, ii. is controlled by two mods who will (correct me if i'm wrong) award posting access so long as you swear by your age, and who, in their userinfo/mission statement, cite discomfort at "unrestricted reading list[s]."

And now consider this a general call for your thoughts/feelings/personal opinions.

Edit interestingly, the age-declaration entry re: ii. is a public post with unscreened comments, asking the individual to state "Yes, I'm old enough to vote!"

Comments

[mimei.livejournal.com]

Mm, I've always found it interesting that the library would let me get out as much erotica as I wanted (well, if memory serves you're not allowed to issue adult books on your library card until you're 12 or 13, but I just got them out on my mum's - not erotica, but it could've been). OTOH, when it comes to objectionable material there are limits, ID checks on magazines and restricted-entry shops (then again there are always going to be enforcement issues).

Coin Locker Babies is such love...it brings to mind, Murakami Ryu's Almost Transparent Blue which is pretty damn eroguro, and not in an apologetic or romanticized way... I know the NZ legal authorities regarding rating and censorship very well, and I've always found it interesting that books can get away with blue murder in print, yet online people feel this pressing need to rate and warn about every little thing. I guess I do understand it on one level....yet....

Lol, that's what worries me. If they're really worried about keeping kids out that's not that way to go about it. It comes across as pretty insincere. Of course, I have my own prejudices - I hate these sorts of restrictions, for multiple reasons but especially on principle alone I'd never, ever join a community or state my age on a public post (it's on my profile anyway, but I disagree on principle) just to read fanworks by one person or even a group of people. Mainly because the average quality of fanfiction is very low (especially in the fandom concerned).

(Oh dear. Good luck, my darling!♥ *sends luck across the ocean to blanket-but-not-suffocate you, all aura-like*! [I need to stop these random TVXQ outbursts to you, but I just thoroughly disturbed Simon with princess!Minnie pics *happy grin*] GANBATTE<3)

[ymela.livejournal.com]

Even if you look at manga which tends to be rated: I bought a load of 'M' rated manga (which is supposed to be 18+ or something) when I was in my early teens. Though I'm pretty sure those ratings are only advisory. And the oh, joys of knowing one can take erotica out of a library even when your card states your age etc. But, yeah, I'm pretty sure they have a 13 or so limit on things outside of the kids/teenage section in most libraries.

Coin Locker Babies is. And I don't know where my copy of Almost Transparent Blue is, I think I leant it to Shanah and she still has it. (You know, when I was reading that in year 11, someone started reading that book over my shoulder and it ended up passed around my whole English class.) And, yep, books can get away with just about anything, it's fairly ridiculous. But the internet is a very dangerous place.

Yeah, it's pretty concerning. But, yeah, it is a bit of a covering-your-back measure that's not really going to do much. And, on principle, I don't like it either. It's pretty pretencious, really.

(♥ *hugs the aura of luck* [You cruel creature! :D I want someone to do that too~] I WILL!!!<3)

[mimei.livejournal.com]

Oh now that's a point! Manga is rated. Except it's not rated by a regional authority, only by the producer. I like those things, they're handy (mainly because they correspond to how long it'll take me to read the things when I'm in Borders reading manga, as you do XD;;) XDD

Oh I remember you telling me that! XD Almost Transparent Blue is pretty explicit in some pretty fucked-up ways...If it were a film, surely it'd be restricted (and I'm not sure I'd want to see it, actually...definitely not my favourite of his..).

Is the internet a very dangerous place? For whom, though?

Pretentious, precisely. I don't agree with it on principle, and I don't really understand their reasons, but I assume that they've tied themselves in with their writing pretty transparently or are planning to in future or something, for them to feel the need to do so. Of course, perhaps it's the protection thing *shrugs*. In which case...well...it doesn't work, does it?

(♥♥ [XD You should, it's so much fun.] *waves pom poms and sings ponpon to cheer you on*])