"Flagging Your Photos" Topic

When posting on the forums, you may occasionally desire to post an image of a miniature that might be objectionable to some – barbarians without pants, for instance. Quite historical, of course, but something that might offend some people.

If a photo is potentially offensive, please use *adult* in the caption, and our site's filter will automatically prevent accidental viewing of the photo.

Of course, all such photos should be relevant to miniature wargaming and figure painting.

Do we need an adult filter for breechless and barbarous Scots?

For breechless and barbarous, no. For the Scots part, yes. Think of the children!

(As a part-Scot, I think I can get away with that.)

That piqued me to look at their TOS. Not sure what the specific issue was, but the Adult Content section had some interesting overlaps WRT TMP content:

Google ads may not be placed on pages that contain nudity or pornography. Examples include, but are not limited to, pages with images, videos, or descriptions containing:
•pornographic images, videos, or games
•pornographic cartoons or anime (hentai/ecchi)
•nudity

Just plain nudity, hunh? (Insert joke about showing ankle on the Victorian boards…). It's interesting (for sake of understanding interpretation) that a miniature was flagged for pornography, not nudity.

And there is no "educational, documentary, historical, scientific, or artistic content" exemption for nudity. I mention that because the Content that advocates against an individual, group, or organization section explicitly does have that exemption…

Google believes strongly in the freedom of expression, but also recognizes the need to protect the quality of the AdSense network for users, advertisers, and publishers.

Google ads aren't permitted on sites that contain harassing or bullying content, or on content that incites hatred or promotes violence against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation/gender identity. Additionally, Google ads may not appear on content that incites or advocates for harm against an individual or group.

However, websites containing educational, documentary, historical, scientific, or artistic content related to such subjects are permitted to participate in AdSense

I would think TMP would ride by on the exemption. Then again, there are people who freak out about the existence of a swastika, let alone some of the topics on the Ultramodern board. Of course, I, personally get riled on occasion about people treating lightly some of the "acceptable" atrocities that my relatives endured.

It does seem, though, that it is acceptable to admit that the Nazis did exist.

Not to skip ahead too much, there is this back in the Adult Content section:

Google ads may not be placed on content that is sexually suggestive and/or intended to cause sexual arousal.

Like the existence of certain groups, the existence of human sexual behaviour is an integral part of history, and a part of the politics and execution of wars. Also a noticeable part of the content for the fantasy and scifi genres, where they would have to rely on an argument about art relating to the human condition.

Mail order brides, escort services, adult or sexual dating sites

This was interesting in light of some of the comments by some of the members about dating site ads that were sent by Adsense.

Violent content

What's the policy?

Our program policies don't allow Google ads to be placed on content that contains graphic or gory images such as bloodshed, fight scenes, and gruesome or freak accidents

Here's where it gets a little tougher to deal with. Ignoring the possibility that after extensive effort, one might be able to stack the deck so as to see a gory zed or two in the vicinity, war is pretty much all about bloodshed and made up of fight scenes. Though, I believe the intent of the latter is targeted at "fight club" like events.

Sites that teach bomb or other explosive-making or give instructions on how to harm or kill

This was buried in the Not Acceptable example section on weapon related content. The general gist of that section is to prohibit sites that sell weapons outside hunting, replicas, and non-violent primary purpose items (kitchen knives, road flares, etc.).

I'm guessing that military or other offensive TTP are not part of this issue, but its hard to tell reading the document.

Speaking of which, you should read the document and never rely on what someone else (especially me) pulls out as important and relevant.

Any way, not trying to beg the question here or stir up trouble. Just interested in an issue that popped up on its own.

I could do without the renamed Boobies board. What good does it do?
90% of the ones Armand posts are bad sculpts and lousy paint jobs anyway, and that includes the new ones added today.
Do we need bug eyed nekkid broads with swollen lips and boobs that look like melons?

If it really affects your income stream, just make an Editorial Decision and nuke the whole damn Board. Don't bother with a Poll. If you are so desperate to get paid by Foreign Dating Services that see pornography everywhere, then you don't need a Poll or asinine 1st Amendment arguments from the "I am not Politically correct!" chest thumpers. Just Do It.
Their opinions do not matter if this is what will keep TMP afloat. But, if you enjoy controversy, let it drag on for weeks before you do what you are going to do anyway.

I could do without the renamed Boobies board. What good does it do?

If you want to get rid of it, you know the process…

If it really affects your income stream, just make an Editorial Decision and nuke the whole damn Board.

I was just reporting on what happened to the banner ads, since some were already asking on another topic. I don't believe this problem is related to any single board, but is simply confusion on the part of Adsense.

I (we) don't care one way or the other. It's your call. If you think it's the renamed Boobies Board that's causing the problem, you don't need our permission or a poll to nuke it. It's your income, your call; not ours.

To hell with adsense. We are all adults here and a nude miniature won't hurt anybody no matter their age. Never mind the fact that it is a spit in the face of legit ads from actual wargaming companies. TMP should not have to change just for a trickle of insulting off-topic advertising money. I was a member of a different website that completely changed itself because they were booted from adsense and went crawling back with contrition instead of finding a better business model, and I do not want to see that happen here.

TMP should not have to change just for a trickle of insulting off-topic advertising money.

Trickle? No
Insulting? No
Change? We're just labeling the adult pictures on the forum as adult, which we should have been doing in the first place.

With respect to the other parts of the TOS for Adsense, should we be tagging other types of photos or other content?

Insulting? No

Ads for dating/mail-order brides/etc on a gender-neutral international wargaming forum aren't insulting?

Change? We're just labeling the adult pictures on the forum as adult, which we should have been doing in the first place.

Why?

With respect to the other parts of the TOS for Adsense, should we be tagging other types of photos or other content?

I don't think so.

Ads for dating/mail-order brides/etc on a gender-neutral international wargaming forum aren't insulting?

No

Change? We're just labeling the adult pictures on the forum as adult, which we should have been doing in the first place.

Why?

We've always done it for the Hobby News and articles, so it makes sense to extend the same courtesy to the forums.

No

To you, maybe.

To you, maybe.

Do you watch television? There are ads for dating services all the time – match, Christian Mingle, on and on. I've never considered them "insulting."

Dating ads are only 1.5% of the total Adsense ads. (They are also fairly popular, in terms of click-throughs…)

Do you watch television? There are ads for dating services all the time – match, Christian Mingle, on and on. I've never considered them "insulting."

I expect random crap on television ads because they are generated for all viewing audiences in America. TMP is an international niche hobby (not mainstream, in other words) website and the ads should be focused on providing useful products and services for the niche hobby, not random crap that is shotgunned out for everybody in America.

…and the ads should be focused on providing useful products and services for the niche hobby, not random crap that is shotgunned out for everybody in America.

In your opinion, of course.

Adsense (and most modern online advertising services) do not send out "random" ads – they look at your browsing history (as far as they know it), they look at the demographics of the website, and they show you what they think are the ads you are mostly likely to click on. They don't make money if they show you ads you're not interested in.

For example, in my own testing of the website, I've never seen one of these dating ads. I'm being shown ads for schools and online games. That's what Adsense thinks I am interested in.

As of the last reports I have, you might find it interesting that while dating ads account for 1.5% of ads displayed, they also account for 1.3% of income. Which tells me that someone is finding those ads useful.

And from the ad review system, I can see there is a wide range of dating ads: Muslim, Christian, Jewish, from many parts of the world, for surfers, metalheads, geeks, black Canadians, even amputees. They seem like legitimate ads to me.

Adsense (and most modern online advertising services) do not send out "random" ads – they look at your browsing history (as far as they know it), they look at the demographics of the website, and they show you what they think are the ads you are mostly likely to click on.

But those are still ads that are not "focused on providing useful products and services for the niche hobby". If this website is to provide a useful service for the wargaming community by providing public forums, industry news, and commerce/marketplace opportunities, then an ad for a dating service or anything other than products or services related to the niche hobby is random. Perhaps their algorithms can remove some levels of randomness, but when I checked random TMP pages in a different internet browser (and only after all cookies, history, and caches were cleaned first) I received all sorts of random ads including dating ads.

If this website is to provide a useful service for the wargaming community by providing public forums, industry news, and commerce/marketplace opportunities…

…then we have to have some form of advertising. We're experimenting with Adsense as a possible solution for TMP 4.0.

…then we have to have some form of advertising. We're experimenting with Adsense as a possible solution for TMP 4.0.

You have assistant editors who can run the place. Why not let them take care of things while you rewrite the current good ad system to fit 4.0?

Lets just get TMP 4.0 up running before getting sidetracked by new ad software.
Surely TMP 4.0 is close enough just to carry on with the old ads in the meantime.

I think you miss the point. Experimenting with Adsense is part of the TMP 4.0 preparations.

Can't TMP manage as it has been up until now, for a couple more months? The income can't have dropped off that much in the past few months to require such a quick fix?

We're not having any income problems, and the reason for the Adsense banners is not the added income.

Also I can't see your advertisers wanting to move to Adsense to get their adverts seen…

Actually, several are already active on Adsense.

…so what are the options for them? Same banner system as before?

We are still exploring.

If the reason for Adsense isn't the added income, then what is the point of it?

Prebuilt, prepackaged ads that simply require copy-pasting text provided by a third party that injects third-party material into the website. Saves on TMP's servers (since the ads are hosted by Google), saves Bill time (since he does not have to do any work on the ads). Perhaps TMP 4.0 is going to be from a prebuilt package that Bill uses by license, instead of being text that he built, and in such a new environment ads will not be hosted by TMP but instead rented from ad/marketing companies.

I come here for gaming info and painting insight and the occasional banter. Not, what was it? "gender neutral" dating sites…How about some ads for "Adult Friend Finder"? Who's moral compass are we guided by anyway? Does "Frothers" have it right?

…then what is the point of it?

We might use Adsense with TMP 4.0, or we might not. Just exploring right now.

Who's moral compass are we guided by anyway?

Dating is immoral?

I go to news sites for news but still get the most ridiculous ads showing up.

You're a Supporting Member, why are you seeing Adsense banners?

You're a Supporting Member, why are you seeing Adsense banners?

There's more than one website on the internet.

There's more than one website on the internet.

Well, yes, but if he's complaining here, I would assume he's speaking about this news site…