Warning: High On Sex is Objectionable

Update 1/20/2010

What's up with the interstitial?
The warning page was forced on by Blogger after flaggers deemed this blog "objectionable". I decided to use the self-selected version of the warning page (text is different than the image below), since it doesn't censor results in Google.

Problems
Since the implementation of the forced warning page High On Sex has disappeared and then reappeared on Google Search. The interstitial still interferes with online services like Google cache. Blogs containing harmless nudity are associated with porn blogs. The warning page hinders and annoys. Objectionable blogs are unfairly treated. In respect to free speech, all blogs should be treated equally.

The Latest

Blogger is the only free major blogging service (Tumblr, Wordpress) to force a warning page on objectionable blogs. But for the last several months, I've been in talks with the heads of Blogger to reform the system. A new labeling system was proposed, and it was to be integrated before the end of 2009. As of early 2010 the new system has not been implemented and Blogger has notified me that the issue is currently not a high priority. When and if we get reform is now up in the air.

*****

I could have switched to another service or my own server months ago, but decided instead to try and fix the issues with Blogger. That said, as they've failed to deliver change after all this time, I'm beginning to lose hope. Moving High On Sex elsewhere is becoming more likely every day.

End of Update

Since Thursday Oct. 30th visitors of High On Sex have been greeted with a 'Content Warning' message before entering. The message was not instigated by me, but by an anonymous group of readers (or haters) who have flagged High On Sex as 'objectionable'.

I expected to get flagged sooner or later and am astonished I managed to escape the content warning for this long. Far less sexually explicit Blogger blogs have been branded, so it only seems fair to mark High On Sex.

Right, well, this warning splash page system is heavily flawed. Children 'stumbling' upon strong sexual content is probably the most feasible reason for a warning page, but that's hardly an excuse. Hate me if you want, but I doubt (with progressive education and parenting) an unplanned sighting of something as natural as sex, much less the human body, will have a negative effect on a minor. But this is an argument for another time, and I'm not advocating to show minors pornography.

Other purposes for a warning message are less sound.

Adults who avert sexual content or are in a work/school environment should stay clear of sites entitled "High On Sex". If you complain when you come upon pornography unwillingly, grow up. I don't plead for an alert reading, "Warning: Christian Propaganda," every time I stumble upon The 700 Club while channel surfing. Life is full of offensive things and we all try to avoid homophobia, racism, etc. as best as we can, but every now and then someone screams, "Kill him!" Beside the point: I'd much rather stumble upon sex than hatred. Like public places, the internet is a playground for free speech. Expect offensive material when surfing aimlessly. Once you're familiar with the web you have the liberty to choose which sites you want to visit. Similarly, on cable I can choose to skip ABC Family.

More importantly, the splash page is annoying! After clicking "I Understand and Wish to Continue" the message will not show up for several hours. If you decide to visit the next day, you must click through again, even if you already agreed to continue the day before. This applies to me as well, the blog author. Hmm? Objectionable content? Do I wish to continue? Yeah, I wish to continue; it's my blog! Oh no, I object to the very own content I publish.

The wording on the warning page is too vague. A blog featuring art like Art Nudes and one featuring simple comics are forced to use the same message. So a person coming across The Happy Freaking Ray of Goddamn Sunshine might assume it's all about pornography because of the warning message and never continue passed it. In fact, that person would have missed out on some funny safe for work comics.

That brings me to the final gripe. With a content warning message a blog's traffic suddenly drops. Visitors are relying on the inexplicit default warning message instead of making their own judgment on whether they find the blog offensive or awesome. Traffic issues don't matter much to me since I'm not running ads or making money, but other bloggers are in it for the cash. Less views equals less money. That aside, the warning message acts as indirect censorship, much like the NC-17 rating of the movie world. Adult blogs like Fleshbot are not hosted on Blogger and, therefore, subject to their own rules and don't use a warning splash page. But the little guys using Blogger, a free service, must comply with the warning page if they seek to publish similar content. As a result their viewership and voice is lessened among the unhindered commercial bloggers.

Of course, you can argue that the type of visitors no longer visiting are the stumble-uponers who would not have visited previously if they had known of the site's content. But were 1/3 of my audience unaware stumblers? That's about by how much my page visits sunk (see graph).



So what can Blogger do to fix my and other bloggers' frustrations? I doubt they'll completely stop enforcing the content warning page, but they can improve it:

• Add a check box reading: Remember my answer. That way visitors will only have to click the continue button once.
• Disable the warning message for the author(s) of the blog
• Give Blogger users an option to disable all content warnings messages in their account settings
• Give Blog authors the option to add their own words under the default message and/or give them a selection of content descriptions to place on the warning page: Nudity, Pornography, Violence, Other, etc.
  

The first is the most desired, but all can be easily implemented. If you feel the need to take action please suggest one or all of these features at Blogger Help and express yourself in the Blogger Help Google Group.

I've added a poll on the sidebar about the subject. Please take the time to vote.


Other blogs with the warning message: "I Understand and I Wish to Continue" Award