(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

[narcomanic.livejournal.com]

I think that, more than the actual age, the NC-17/K18/Mature etc. warnings are more like... well, warnings that people shouldn't read them if they're not comfortable with hot smex adult subjects. If you're 14 and feel it's fine, then hey, who's there to stop you?

Also, if the story says NC-17, it's better to leave it to be read at home rather than at school/work for... obvious reasons. *reads yaoi on public library computers, feeling paranoid*

[mimei.livejournal.com]

True...but these people are actually taking their own ratings system literally and blocking people based on what age they say they are...

XD worksafe, yeah.

[narcomanic.livejournal.com]

Pffft. That's just stupid. General age ratings and individual people rarely match. Some people are immature as hell even after 20, whereas some people grow up mentally five years precursor to others.

<.< I think the same goes for NC-17 RPs... Try to write a reply to a smex rp thread and not glance over your shoulder all the time (even though your sensible self tells nobody is interested in what you do... that is, until you start looking suspicious in the aforementioned way).