April 29, 2006
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Flagging
There has been a lot of talk in the halls of xanga about the new policy on flagging. I personally don’t think it is going to impact the average blogger. I think sometimes we think the worse is going to happen only to find out no such thing will take place. The idea that xanga will just start shutting down sites because of a little cursing or even a little of racy content is paranoia at the highest level. Xanga needs us to be unedited in order to continue to be xanga. I just think that everyone who currently reads this blog is not going to be impacted. All it will do is help identify illegal content quicker.
Flagging: Yes or No?
Comments (160)
no
No. If you don’t like a Xanga, don’t read it.
let me verify: I think that users that flag content will get careless and flag content just because. Things on that line of nature.
It is, however, a good idea, I just don’t think most Xangans are mature enough for it.
whats the point?
‘of that nature’, not that line of nature.
Maybe…
Keep it unedited. But how about this for a novel idea. Let’s edit ourselves.
I just hope people don’t flag others just for the heck of it….
Candy
sure. why not.
I don’t really care either way. I don’t seem to have the problems that some Xanga users have.
no
I want to be flogged
Wait and See.
It has a lot of potential for abuse and harassment.
And Who Decides?
What’s fine with me might offend the hell out of you.
Every time I see that word, I think it’s “flogging”
Yes for flogging!
no, i don’t even care about pro ana sites
if you’re a girl and you are going to literally starve yourself
either you already have a latent eating disorder and were going to anyway
or you will just stop after 2 days and thinik “i’m hungry”
Oh please flog me…………..
KIDDING, I WAS SO KIDDING
I have no problem with it.
don’t really care either way…
fuck no. people will continue to be themselves, it is pointless and a waste of resources
Fuck no, man, it’s pointless.
I’d say yes, however prior to a site being shut down, maybe xanga headquarters could provide serious warnings to the owner of the site. Maybe a 3 strikes rule or something. This way, the owner could provide some reason as to the innappropriate post…and there could be a fair ruling on the matter. Maybe even the person flagging the site, the owner, and the xanga headquarters rep could come to an agreement as to a satisfactory arrangment. This way, it’s fair all the way around….although many details still would need to be factored out.
just a thought.
I don’t care either way. I was thinking the flagging may have more to do with the sites that talk about killing people or show child porn. As far as swearing, how could they stop that? I think the majority of people would be booted off…myself included.
I agree that most Xangans will not be affected and the people who are making the most noise about it are paranoid. Yes to flagging, although some of the terms need to be refined.
I don’t see it affecting my personal blogging habits.
maybe
yes.
We’ll see. In the meantime, RYC: The washout of light makes things look a lot nicer than they do to my eye.
It doesn’t matter in my book – I don’t write anything that could be flagged… unless someone REALLY tried to find it. =) And I’m not going to go around and flag random people due to their content.
*A*
If they shut them down the bloggers will go to another blog site and build a blog just like the blog they had here, and the bloggyness will only continue in it’s bloggy way, just not on xanga. No on flagging.
wait,we’re flogging? I’m ok with that.
sure why not
sure, why not??
instead of flagging, let’s let the people who break the rules keep their xanga. Only, for punishment, they have to write out the entire terms of agreement longhand and fax it over. Then we flog them.
I think it’s really going to be a lot of extra work and will end up either getting bogged down in junk flaggings and not work, or it will be rare and highly effective. ha – that’d be the day. Most likely it’ll end up being enforced about as much as xanga’s current rules are.
If you are a good person then you should have no reason to worry about it.
Flagging is a definite yes.
No. Because I’m a paranoid person
The flagging feature will probably be highly abused, but that doesn’t mean it’s not any good. I think that it opens up a can of worms for the administrators, to figure out which flags are real and which flags are pure malice.
No idea…
~*~Paige~*~A.K.A.Twinkie!!!
NO!!!!!!!
FLOG the offenders! hell, it’s all they deserve if they show such disrespect for the privileges xanga provides to the general public, dammit!
jk, thanx, this was my laugh for the day. I was browsing blogrings and came across yours via someone else’s; a one-led-to-another sort of thing, but your title, “Theologian’s Cafe” was an interesting one, esp since I’ve been engaging in theological discussion here lately on my site. Therefore I had to stop and comment. Esp. after reading the ‘flagging’ news. Hadn’t heard this yet. whoa, Big Xanga is Watching You. I can see porn, or whatever, being a concern of course; but the occasional cuss word? get real, xanga!
*Don’t cuss, call us! We specialize…*
I think there should be FLOGGING. Especially for stupid Xanga sites.
No.
Yes, though the most likely result is that users will flag so much that they will be too overwhelmed to actually check each flagged site.
last year a xangan wrote something that disturbed me and i complained and nothing happened!
no
I wonder if it is just something Xanga enabled to help their legal liability if somone posts child porn. I can see why having such things hosted by the Xanga servers could be legally problematic for them.
No.
Someone decided to shut down my poetry site…
What happened to freedom of speech? It’s fucking POETRY for god’s sake!
I don’t care.
I don’t think anyone will flag me, and I don’t visit sites that I would flag.
I just think all the grandmas and do-gooders on here will start a massive search of blogs just so they can flag the ones they don’t agree with.
No.
This blows goats…
Yes…although I think they need to clarify how it works a little more.
No
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The phenomenon of flagging is an extension of a trait I see often. When we encounter something we find objectionable, we look to another authority to remove it for us. Lets make a policy, or pass a law, or something like that, rather than being proactive and taking action for ourselves.
If a parent doesn’t want a child to see something, it is their responsibility to guide the child away from that which the parent fears, or instill a moral foundation strong enough to counter the effect of a sex, drug or hate blog.
The only flag I remember being worth a hoot is the child porn flag, and to be honest, if someone has underage sexual content on xanga then let the feds step in and do their thing, and that person will crash and burn or the reckless kid will have themselves in a spotlight that will be very uncomfortable.
Ill keep my drug/illicit sex/socio political-adolescent blogs going till they take them down. The message at the end of all of them is YOU MAKE YOUR OWN WAY. See with clarity, remove the fog of illusion and live without regret.
And I am one righteous bastard!
dang it, I keep thinking it’s “flogging” too. although that might be more effective. lol
Yes.
Kinda puts a damper on free-speech, however. But, it’s Xanga’s site…So they can do whatever they want.
Umm…yah…what’s flagging?
I agree with macastat way back on page 1.
no
It seems more intelligent to have flagging for those under 18 posting pictures and entries with sexual themes/nudity.
So…no.
i honestly dont care.
No. Because xanga is a web diary, and how can people express their feelings without the occasion swear word or the occasional racy comment? It wont be expressiveness, and xanga wouldn’t be xanga.
I don’t think so. If Xanga shuts down sites for just cursing and minor things like that, it will scare people away from xanga. That would be a bad thing because Xanga will have fewer and fewer people blogging. So, it’s basically and slap in the face if Xanga decides to shut down sites for little reasons. But if racial slurs are being thrown around and porn is being posted, then that is when Xanga needs to step in and take care of it.
Yep, if you’re really worried about flagging, it’s because you have something to be worried about.
this is this first i’ve heard of ‘flagging’ on xanga. i’m not concerned.
So what made you decide not to pursue photography more than just playing around with it?
probably not, you’ll get some people who will take it upon themselves to be the xanga police, flagging anyone they just dont like. Done right it could be a useful tool, but I dont see that happening. Though maybe I have not seen the worst of what is out there in Xangaland?
FLAG the child porn sites.
PPL like the dumbo who has nothing better to do then thrash Joel Osteen and other preachers certainly has the right in FREE speech America to do so in his posts – Even if he comes off as a Jerko Christian!
No…… but to a certain extant yes………… it will help keep sights cleaner for parents that dont want there kids swearing but thats aboot it.
I don’t think it really matters all that much. xanga will get a lot more complaints than they do already and it will make it easier for them to enforce their TOS in the beginning. I don’t think they will just be shutting down sites because someone complains unless the issue is a violation of their terms of use. After a while they will receive so many flags for things that aren’t in violation that eventually they will be overwhelmed and stop looking into the “flags” and people will be bitching that they get no response or results when they flag a site.
Yes.
It won’t effect me, but sure, I’m all for it I guess.
Hey there!
ryc: Thank you, so far my weekend is going well, I hope your is too!
no to flagging
Freedom of speech, yes or no?
Let’s call a spade a spade, shall we?
Yes.
No
it doesnt matter to me as long as it doesnt get in the way of the way i write in my xanga….have a good one dan
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For flagging: Avoids indecency and other such things people just do not want to see. It’s Xanga’s decision what Xanga puts online.
Against flagging: The Internet is supposed to be the epitome of free-speech. Some things might be harsh by most standards, but should be able to be posted. It might be abused if it is automated, giving everyone the power to put minor flags on any xanga they want with punishments put out based on those. Besides, there already is flagging. It’s called “reporting”. If you see something that shouldn’t be allowed on xanga, tell an official so it will be properly handled.
I say, forget flagging. All we need is the ability to report to a representative.
Keep it unedited. But how about this for a novel idea. Let’s edit ourselves.
Posted 4/29/2006 at 10:44 AM by BillBryant
I totally agree with you there! It’d be nice if people used a little tact in their writing. I’m not easily offended, but some of the things I’ve seen on Xanga make even me queasy.
instead of flagging, let’s let the people who break the rules keep their xanga. Only, for punishment, they have to write out the entire terms of agreement longhand and fax it over. Then we flog them.
Posted 4/29/2006 at 11:18 AM by Oobertracker
Hehehe…I like this idea, too. That’d teach ‘em!
Basically, I’m of the opinion that if your blog offends me, I’m not going to read it. Some of the things I’ve seen on Xanga are tasteless, rude, insensitive, disgusting, lewd, or just creepy, but the fact of the matter is that you can’t stifel free speech because you happen to disagree with it. So I’m against flagging on principle. I also think there’s a lot of potential for abuse- people taking their personal vendettas up with other Xangans by flagging.
However, I tend to think that most people are way too lazy to make much of a deal about it. Yeah, they might get offended, but I don’t know that they’re going to take the time and energy to actually flag people on a regular basis. Granted, it doesn’t take much effort to flag, but you’d be surprised at the human capacity for laziness.
So yeah, I’m against it on principle, but I think it’s kind of an empty threat in most cases. I’m certainly not going to lose sleep over it.
YES
no…
Sorry about earlier
I’m back though.
Flagging for underage or non-protected porn, yes. Everything else, no. Freedom of speech, man. Otherwise I’d be shut down for language, talk of suicide and self-injury, and god knows what else.
What “illegal content” are we talking about here? Under the US Constitution, there is no “illegal content.” The only things I can think of that might be questionable under US law would be:
1. Incendiary hate speech (not ALL hate speech is incendiary. I could say, for example, “I hate Jews,” and that’s protected. If I say “Kill the Jews,” that’s not protected. And before you people get all uptight and send me a bunch of hatemail, I’m half Jewish. If you wanna send me hatemail for THAT, kiss my ass)
2. Kiddie porn (I’m NOT talking about your 2-year-old in the bathtub)
3. Advertisements selling drugs, kiddie porn, etc.
On the other hand I should say that, Constitutionally speaking, Xanga is, in a sense, our publisher, and as such has the right to censor or omit material from it’s published content, just as the publisher of a newspaper has every right NOT to publish a story. And before the journalism majors get pissy and say “Oh! Woe is me, they’re infringing on our 1st Amendment rights” check the Constitution. It says “freedom of the PRESSES” meaning the OWNERS of said forums. Create your own forum and you can say whatever the hell you want!
Everyone is so worried that people will get carried away with flagging. . . but isn’t it going to be the xanga moderators who make the final decision? If you get reported and they don’t find “illegal” content on your site, you don’t get flagged.
Yes. Go to My Space if you want to post trash.
Flagging of some type is a good idea. However, as many have said, it will inevitably be used irresponsibly.
Xanga currently has an email reporting system in place by which one may report inappropriate content. This system seems to work, as each case is reviewed by the Xanga team. Why change?
Flagging may have another advantage. Like “warning levels” on AIM, flagging could serve as a way to warn fellow Xangans about posts or users that might not be appropriate. This system would work well so long as you could only submit one flag per post/user, so that there wouldn’t be a few people spoiling all the fun for one user. The system also has a few other advantages.
Currently, if you tick a fellow Xanga off, the worst they can do is block you from commenting. If you offend someone, they have no power over you. This is both the beauty and danger of Xanga’s system. I think a bit more responsibility is in order, and that it won’t really interfere with the people abiding by the law and the Xanga rules.
Another possible policy for flagging might be to have a system by which there are ranks of flags, and possibly a limited number of flags that one can deal out. Spam flagging would not be cool, so we’d want to avoid that possibility. Perhaps a yellow flag for a single flagging, and a red for the second? Perhaps there could also be auto-flags set up for instances of the following:
- Off-site pictures
- Swearing
- Sexual refferences
and a few other things. I think flagging as a basic concept is brilliant, though.
No, to a point. I think that such things as child porn should be edited out, but if someone were to say something controversial, or swear, that’s freedom of speech…not something to be silenced…no matter how much it offends someone.
no
i am amazed at how many people will continually answer questions about anything. wow.
DAN,
This is sort of funny. If you go to google Images and type in aied8pes, it shows a picture of the Hawaiian islands ( one of my profile pics) if you click on the photo, it leads to YOUR site!
my answer is no flagging becuase some people use xanga to express emotions about there bad day or there life and in order to do that some language might be used in order to make you feel what they feel now the like racial part should be flagged just because im anti-racist but whatever
I don’t think shut downs will be a problem. Xanga will, no doubt, review each flagged site before making a decision. I suspect it will be harder on the management than on subscribers or members, at least until we use some common sense about who to flag.
Eeh.. i dunno what it is, and I haven’t seen it yet. no comment.
I’m not sure. If it’s only as you say, then yes.
Larry
(For the Dan-litists, I have already supplied a thought-out, thoughtful, and thought-provoking comment to this entry. I’m allowed a non-related one.)
Y’know Dan, at get-togethers people arrive at insanely different times. A select few people come at the time specified as the starting time. Others are 10-15 minutes “fashionably” late. Others, with no excuse, can show up over an hour into an event. Use your power to settle the question, “Why do you come to parties when you do?”, if you will.
Eh, it’s a post. I can’t imagine thinking up as many as you do and I’m an improvisational actor!
LOL! With this font, I keep seeing FLOGGING instead of FLAGGING!
No FLOGGING!
Flagging – but only if it is not anonymous! It should be like eBay – people should be responsible for their good or bad comments – as well as their site content!
I am not interested in anonymous flag and run – or false Ebomb flag campaigns! People should stand by their comments!
no flags
I understand what they are trying to do, but I don’t think it will have the results they hope.
no
Jess~
nope
No, except the ones about scamming.
Actually, maybe those.
If you’re stupid enough to part with your money that way, you don’t deserve the money.
no.
I think they should get rid of some sites. Make it become cleaner.
From what I’ve seen on xanga, most of the sites that will be flagged aren’t really worth reading anyway. From what I’ve experienced in life, most people who curse that much are lacking for words. Even intellectuals who use language like that are censored in a way. ee cummings had some crass poetry that many people have never heard of because it is so harsh. Should it happen? Why not? schools and jobs and the real world demand a standard of the people involved.
yah i don’t see why not
Lucy the blogger doesn’t like censorship.
Then there is Lucy, the mom of underage bloggers – she loves keeping xanga safe.
I heard something about self-ratings, i like that idea.
Flagging has the potential for abuse and the potential to become a censorship tool.
18+ doesn’t need to be censored, but then again, i’ve found some very adult kids here. So, what the $%$^& do i know?
No. I think there will be a lot of abuse with this new feature.
ryc: Thanks so much! It’s nice to be done….a little sad, but mostly nice.
Good afternoon and was passing by and wanan say Hi
You’re right.
And even though I say no to flagging, I still think it won’t affect you and me and our readers much, if at all. That’s if it happens. And I think it will, due to my unofficial count of the “votes” at john’s page.
No
If xanga is making money they will probably do whats in xanga’s best intrest to continue making money. What is in xanga’s best intrest? I don’t get paid by xanga so it’s not my job to find out.
As a recovering bulimic, I use my xanga site as a tool. I get support that I can’t find anywhere else. Just because the words ‘eating disorder’ appear on my xanga doesn’t mean it’s a pro-ED site, but I’m afraid they’ll shut it down anyway.
It doesnt matter to me, either way
I appreciate that Xanga, unlike Myspace, has taking steps towards protecting its younger users. So YES. I don’t agree with every single flag out there, but I’m sure they are negotiable.
In response to SkinXBones16′s comment, I have a problem with the “advocates self-harm” flag as well. I’m a binge-eater myself and I have blogged about my eating disorder as well. I know of several other Xangans with eating disorders and/or cutting problems who are wonderful writers and awesome people. That’s the flag I have the biggest problem with right now. I really hope that Xanga comes around to see that alienating this large community of users will do more harm than good.
But as far as sharing personal information about another person without their consent, underage users, pornographic content, violent threats, hate sites, etc. goes, I’m glad Xanga’s finally taking a stand.
double hell no to flagging.
Let Freedom Ring
Yes.
I must not be flagged!!! I must be allowed to write freely…must break free…can’t breath…can’t see.. everything is going blurry…oh, I see the light…must go to the light…must seek out light through dark…so dark…*ghasp*
I’m not real crazy about the flagging thing, but it really depends on how far they’re going with it. If they flag every bad word or every vent or every rant…it just depends…
I’m also not really crazy about what some people post, but I don’t have to read it.
I just hope that there is a review process so that people aren’t punished when their site is flagged unjustly.
What good would it do? They’d just go to another site and do the same thing. Then another, then another. Our Constitution assures them freedom of speech, no matter whom they offend and they don’t care. So ….. The best thing is not to read their blogs and maybe after they’s ignored long enough, they will just go away.
No, I don’t believe in censorship. If content is illegal, that’s one thing, but generally I’d say that if you don’t like the content of a certain xanga, click the little x in the corner and be done with it — everyone’s going to be offended by something and if they would only be able to accept that offensive things exist instead of going on a crusade, everyone’s lives would be easier.
I haven’t been ‘flagged’ in a long time(!), but NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the one for porn i can understand… but my free speach says i don’t like the idea for written content to be censored.
I don’t think there should be flagging because people will misuse it. I think that if you see something inappropriate, you should be able to report it to Xanga and have them check it out and take care of it, but flagging could result in sites being shut down for no reason and stuff like that.
eh, i think some things need to be changed first.
I am happy with it the way it is. But whatever Xanga wants to do. Like you said, I don’t expect it to have a great impact on my blogging or browsing.
L,r
No…..except for Child Porn but that is really the foot that keeps the door open for censorship. No sane person wants child porn but I do not know about anyone else but I am getting tired of having to be politically correct. I just want to write in my journal and if I say anything that offends someone…..they can either tell me or not visit my site. How hard is that? I may not agree with your ideas and opinions but I am glad that we can have ideas and opinions that differ from each other. If I am wrong in my opinions…..convince me that I am incorrect. We may just have to agree to disagree. Flagging seems a little overboard to me.
no flagging
If flagging is made viewable for the general reader (I don’t know if that is how it works or not) but then it will also allow people who do not wish to view certain content able to avoid it.
no!
Yes. I know it won’t affect anyone I read.
(((((( GRANDMA HUGS ))))))
Lori
yes, people need to have their bidness looked into for terrorist activity. f*ck hippies
no
b/c i know ppl will abuse it…and pics of me and my boyfriend doing norma lthings (kissing) might be flagged….for no reaseon…
Kelly
No to flagging. If some one doesn’t like what they’re reading, then they can just leave that particular site. I invite you to spread awareness of this idea on my site.
Thank you.
no
Yes and possibly no. Yes: because the people that would make serious threats against other people or do the whole eating disorder promotion or talk about their cutting for attention should be booted. But if, say, your average blogger made a sarcastic referrence to choking or otherwise harming the idiot that was messing up their surgery appointments/driving poorly on the interstate/annoying co-worker/whatever, I don’t think they should be flagged. And that’s not really clear in the flagging posts that I read from “Mary”. For that reason, I now watch what I say were as I wasn’t particular about it before…and I’m still not really sure how I feel about that…
whatever
Xanga should take out and shut down any content that depicts children in sexual situations. Further they should notify local authorities so the cops can go arrest the sick freak who put it up.
Other than that the rest should be uncensored as per the First Ammendment of the US Constitution
yes
no
No.
I could care less what people post on their xangas.
Just give us our unhindered free speech already.
no!
BTW, where are the “halls of xanga”? I keep getting lost in the lobby!
So much for the constitution…(I probly would be “flagged” for 2 things…ocasionally I get “explicid” in my xanga…and I have a second one, where I am “rping” someone who is dead :S. I feel I am defending him the only way he can be now, and it’s therapy for me…I was planing suicide the same time he was…his death, and one of his friends, got me to get help for myself…if I could I’d make him a “saint” because he saved my life 0_0 .)
no because then people cant be themselves.
I believe flagging may be used in retaliation, not as a useful tool; therefore, I am not in favor of it. It is a subtle ” censorship ” tactic, in truth.
The blog site that should be shut down is My Space .. this is a dangerous arena for children; and some unusual adults .. I got a site just to monitor my daughter, and her friends.
Hell No to Flagging.
Yes, Summerbaby007; you have a good point.
yes. There are sites out there that are just plain nasty. I happen upon them in featured content, which is very ironic. Flagging will make xanga an even better xanga. Xanga respects freedom of speech and I think it only affects those who go to extremes.
na.
noooooo flagging. that sucks.
nope. jeeze if they flagged my site i’d be gone.
Yes
no!
in the words of general akbar: “It’s a Trap!”
Until I am convinced that there are safeguards to prevent a clean Xanga from being unjustly flagged, no.
No, “THIS” is a good one for that, but, no one is protesting my comments, at all. I wonder if I am being “PROTECTED” from irate blogs. I thought I would have to be convincing everyone who read my site. As it is, as far as I know, I have had only two comments back, one good reaction, and one bad. That’s it. It’s OK. It is a lot of fun to use <the freedom of speech>.
> I think that it should be done; if there are several complaints about a site, then maybe it should be pulled. But I agree with ok123, there should be some refinement. But also I can’t find anything about this flagging except under settings. Where do I link to find it??? Any help would be appreciated.
Peace
Flagging rocks.