"Rate my room" thread removed. Reason:

[dwarfie76]

The users foot the bill, as I said before - they are served adverts which pay the costs.

 

 

 

I'd hazard an educated guess that the advertising revenue from a handful of google targeted ads would barely cover a quarter of the hosting costs for a site this size. To say nothing of the bandwidth requirements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other than that, if there are any extra costs I believe Silverion pays - and as far as I know he has virtually nothing to do with the rulemaking.

 

 

 

Presumably if he has no active role then those he has chosen to carry out his wishes do. The forum suggestions board has been removed which would indicate to me that the powers that be are not particularly interested in what the userbase would like, let alone interested in giving them an active say in how the forums are run. But like you, I have no real knowledge of the rulemaking process.

[ForsakenMage]

:) Please don't make me or any of the other staff clean up this thread again.

[Phil]

stuff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To your previous post, the only posts which have been removed were the ones which were starting to flame and start arguments. This is an intelligent discussion which we wont let turn into a flame war.

[Guest GhostRanger]

 

The users foot the bill, as I said before - they are served adverts which pay the costs.

 

 

 

I'd hazard an educated guess that the advertising revenue from a handful of google targeted ads would barely cover a quarter of the hosting costs for a site this size. To say nothing of the bandwidth requirements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other than that, if there are any extra costs I believe Silverion pays - and as far as I know he has virtually nothing to do with the rulemaking.

 

 

 

Presumably if he has no active role then those he has chosen to carry out his wishes do. The forum suggestions board has been removed which would indicate to me that the powers that be are not particularly interested in what the userbase would like, let alone interested in giving them an active say in how the forums are run. But like you, I have no real knowledge of the rulemaking process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tend to disagree with you for a couple of reasons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, you made several statements to GSW who use to be a global moderator - which means he did contribute a LOT to the website and has a pretty heavy opinion I think. Maybe not financially or currently, but GSW use to be staff of TIF and I think that is plenty contribution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd have to agree with the point that owning a website isn't necessarily like owning a business. I have owned several websites in the past that were completely non-revenue - which meant I had to pay for it entirely by myself. Still, I maintained the website based on what people who visited my site wanted, because even though they aren't paying for it, the website is primarily for them. If no one ever visited my website because they didn't like it, then there wouldn't really be a point in me owning it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know how I feel about the room pictures decision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On one hand, it seems like we should be able to take pictures of our rooms and that's fine. But on the other hand, I would feel really guilty if a kid got kidnapped by someone and information was obtained from my website. I don't think liability is the issue, just general guilt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So without taking a firm stance either way, I would propose one question to some people who have posted. People say that the "guidance" alone of a parent should be enough to stop them from doing things, but I disagree. As a kid, despite what your parents told you, did you not break the rules anyway? Or at least make bad decisions?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a time where online information is becoming more and more dangerous, I do have respect for the administrators for putting their foot down for our own safety. I don't know if I agree with this decision or not, but I don't think this bored is too muted yet.

[skelm]

I keep hearing all this talk about "For your own safety"... A group of Administrators who from what I've seen have a very limited knowledge of internet security consider a photo of a bedroom to be something jeopardising someones safety?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunli also implied that tipit could be legally implicated if someone was to get hurt, this quite obviously isn't the case. People submit content of their own free will and the site administrators would in no way be held responsable (If you still for some reason think tip.it may be responsable then may I refer to the guy getting killed who was posting on somethingawful.com).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really don't think anyone here would have posted any pictures without first looking at them to make sure there was something there that would embarress them... And if they had seen anything with personal details they felt were vital then I'm sure they would have removed them and taken another photo...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You guys have threads on here with pictures of cars showing the number plates and the name on an envelope or some small details poses a risk?

[Pete_the_Viscous]

I would think that in the time it takes for anyone moderating a thread to notice that a photo is in fact a photo of a person's room, they might as well also note whether or not there is anything in the photo which might be used as identification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You're going to have to check all pictures anyway -- it's just common sense; it seems to me that you might as well just exercise yours and make decisions on a picture-by-picture basis. After all, surely there are any number of other things to be taken into consideration when you come across a picture: does it, for instance, contain risque imagery so to speak; does it contain inflammatory cartoons? If you're going to be checking for any of these things, you might as well make whatever checks regarding privacy you need to make to decide which photos are suitable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not about to post a picture of my room (or myself, for that matter). Nor am I really concerned about losing the right to do so. I just think it's a bit of a silly rule; somewhat over the top, if I might be so bold. As a final point, I might add that most digital photographs are not of good enough quality to be able to read the writing on an envelope; unless someone actually does have their name and address framed in huge letters on their wall (in which case they probably deserve all they get), it would be very hard to glean enough information about where someone lives from their pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, I suppose views out of the window might be a bit of a give away; I can see that in that case it would be dangerous (assuming the stalker / murderer / salesman lives on the same continent, and knows the locale well).

[MyPurpleCrayon]

I would think that in the time it takes for anyone moderating a thread to notice that a photo is in fact a photo of a person's room, they might as well also note whether or not there is anything in the photo which might be used as identification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You're going to have to check all pictures anyway -- it's just common sense; it seems to me that you might as well just exercise yours and make decisions on a picture-by-picture basis. After all, surely there are any number of other things to be taken into consideration when you come across a picture: does it, for instance, contain risque imagery so to speak; does it contain inflammatory cartoons? If you're going to be checking for any of these things, you might as well make whatever checks regarding privacy you need to make to decide which photos are suitable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not about to post a picture of my room (or myself, for that matter). Nor am I really concerned about losing the right to do so. I just think it's a bit of a silly rule; somewhat over the top, if I might be so bold. As a final point, I might add that most digital photographs are not of good enough quality to be able to read the writing on an envelope; unless someone actually does have their name and address framed in huge letters on their wall (in which case they probably deserve all they get), it would be very hard to glean enough information about where someone lives from their pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, I suppose views out of the window might be a bit of a give away; I can see that in that case it would be dangerous (assuming the stalker / murderer / salesman lives on the same continent, and knows the locale well).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also think that a Picture-by-Picture basis is bettter than deleting the whole thread. I mean, it isn't really that hard to look at each picture and see if there is anything that could pose as a risk... Is it? :?

[____]

Since this topic has pretty much expanded to 'personal safety', I seriously think that pictures are the least of the problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a lot of topics where people disclose what SCHOOL they go to, even what classess they take. Then you've got topics of 'which scene' are you and whatnot, and others where people post bits and pieces about themself. If someone REALLY wanted to cause anyone harm, they don't NEED a picture. There is enough information on someone just sitting around in text from practically innocent topics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you going to ban that aswell? Posting absoluteing ANYTHING about yourself? Picture or not?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a thought.

[knives669]

Wow... I mean... I can see the importance of the "no real life pics" rule, but I think this is quite rediculous. It's good to see quite a few staff members agreeing with my point of view as well. (I have read the entire six pages of arguments) I made sure that I took pictures that didn't have any sort of personal information leads in them before I uploaded them and posted them here. I thought, "Wow. Can't believe they're letting us do this kinda stuff. Maybe tip.it's lightening up on the rules a little." Guess I was wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can understand your wanting to protect the community to some extent... But this is going much too far. With all the media focused on educating the public of internet safety, I'm sure that anyone who has the internet is very very aware of the risks involved in giving out personal information, showing real life pictures of yourself, etc. When someone is about to post a picture of their room on a public board, do you think they are completely oblivious to the risks? Of course not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you think if a parent saw their child, prancing around the house, taking pictures of everything, they wouldn't ask what they were doing? At that point, it's up the judgment of the parent to decide whether or not they're going to let their child post a picture of their room on a message board. Assuming that the child's parents didn't even see them taking pictures of their room, how many children would know how to post pictures on this site anyway? If the child is smart enough to research that topic, to find out how to post a picture on the site, then I'm sure that they're fully aware of the security risks that are possibly involved in posting the picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As far as children are concerned, you can only go so far to protect them, and you cannot take over the role of the parents. If the parents want their child protected, and secure on the internet, then they'd care enough to monitor the child's activity. I understand that some parents are computer illiterate, but , if it came to MY child's safety, I'd learn just about anything there was to learn to keep them safe. Parents are responsible for the safety of their children, and if one is at an adult age, then they are responsible for their own safety. Not the staff of a forum.

[stevester77]

I just find it ironic in the fact that out of all the sites I frequent, the ones with a lower mean age have no rl picture rule. Tip it on the otherhand, a site where the majority of rl pictures taken will be posted in off topic, has a off topic community that is made predominantly of 16yr old'+.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not too long ago, I disclosed to forsakenmage where exactly I live in my home state of California. When I told her this, I was never repremanded or warned about my safety, no concern was even brought up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can also understand those here who have kids, they would never want their kids security compromised. I also can understand that they can't watch there kids all the time, my parents had 4 kids, one who is special ed, I know that their time is stretched fairly thin. But, if you cared about your kids, you wouldn't have to watch them 24-7, instead you would have raised them up properly showing them what is and isn't proper conduct. Therefore, the kids that would post potentially harmful pictures of themselves, I have to wonder how deeply their parents care for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, I am not saying that just because certain kids arn't cared for properly, we as a community shouldn't care about them either. Im just questioning the logic behind locking and deleting a thread such as "rate my room".

[insane]

We're not ignoring you guys fyi :) it's definitely being worked on!

[____]

Yes, that's why (at least I'm sure I asked) Sunli to move the topic with the logic of the admin to a public forum, so we could see it.

 

 

 

Because as it is now, it really just seems to be Sunli saying that 'we collectively agreed' and that isn't enough to satisfy me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what possible harm would it do to actually show us how you came to a decision for once. It's not like it was just full of posts like "I wouldn't want my kid doing x" was it? I hope like hell this decision wasn't made as if you were the parents of everyone on this forum.

[nik]

I dont trust you crazy nutcases either!

[indy500fan]

well the debate has the side of the "against censorship of pictures of your room" held down pretty well, so i wont add anything to that. i will state i am also against the "no real life pictures" rule, and the censoring of swear words. not being an owner of the site means i dont make the rules, so i can either choose to accept them or reject them by not visiting here anymore. as you can see by the fact that i am posting here, more censorship hasn't ruined the experience to the point where i would go, but that doesnt mean i like it. i see a lot of people for the "no real life pictures rule," and that kind of disapointed me. even if you do start censoring pictures to the point that we cant post car pictures, or the occasional dvd collection in the M&M, i still will come here, because it doesnt affect me. that still doesnt mean i like it though.

[Lionheart_0]

I dont have much say on this because this rule really dosent affect me much, but i do think that some freedoms may at stake here, i purpose an idea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know were being told that this is being worked on, and sunli says that its a collecive staff decision, but i dont belive so. If it is possible, could there be a poll put up on the forums (somewhere that either allows the polls, or an admin/mod activated one) which allow the staff members to vote on this, and perhaps them debate over this, whilst we look on? Basicly make it so we have no say in that topic, but we would like to see what is going on behind the scean.

[insane]

I know were being told that this is being worked on, and sunli says that its a collecive staff decision

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is, it just hasn't been made yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but i dont belive so

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderful, and i just happen to not believe that you thought this through overmuch.

[Mercifull]

We always here the "its being worked on" answer for many of our questions, queries, suggestions and complaints but we never here anything back.

[weezcake]

Well seeing the amount of opposition, I'm sure you'll get a response soon (I hope).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How about a Weezy guarantee? :wink:

[____]

Does that mean we hold your noob whacking stick for safe keeping just in case you can't follow through :P

[Mercifull]

If we dont get a reply you need to put a Bill gates pic in your avatar instead of the penguin :P

[Sunli]

The admin team are talking about this as we speak, and soon we will present a solution for the moderators to see what they think. If they like it then will we present the solution to you the users, and hear your meaning as well and maybe adjust accordingly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully we can come to an agreement everyone can live with :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Topic closed for now*