When I opened up my email this morning I was pleased to see an announcement from blogger:
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Important Update to Adult Content Policy on Blogger
You are receiving this message because you are the admin of a blog hosted on Blogger which is identified to have Adult content.
Please be advised that on June 30th 2013, we will be updating our Content Policy to strictly prohibit the monetization of Adult content on Blogger. After June 30th 2013, we will be enforcing this policy and will remove blogs which are adult in nature and are displaying advertisements to adult websites.
If your adult blog currently has advertisements which are adult in nature, you should remove them as soon as possible as to avoid any potential Terms of Service violation and/or content removals.
Sincerely,
The Blogger Team
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I'm surprised that they are only giving four days notice of this change, but I'm pleased to see the change itself. I'm sure you've all seen TG cap blogs that are just plastered with advertisements. I've had a wide range of feelings on seeing advertisements on these blogs, but for the most part I've been against it. You see most TG caps involve using photos that are not the property of the artist. As a former photographer I hate seeing someones art being used to make money for someone else. I know, I know... these images have been cropped, changed and tweaked and there can be the argument for free use... but that argument doesn't extend to making money from them.
I make caps for me.
Yes, many of my caps are designed with someone else in mind, but if I didn't enjoy making them I'd simply stop doing it. I share my caps here on blogger so that others can get enjoyment out of them. I don't do it to make money. The only time I would find it appropriate for a TG cap artist to make money from their caps is when they create everything in the cap. The image (either through their own photography, their own drawing or 3D art, or someone else's art with explicit permission to do so), the story, the background.... everything. To be honest the only TG artist that would qualify (that I'm aware of) would be Anne Oni Mouse and her DAZ created caps. I'm sure there are others, but it IS rare.
Then of course there are those unscrupulous people that collect other TG caps and display them surrounded by ads (and sometimes even hide links to ads inside the cap itself!). This rule change from blogger should eliminate these blogs all together. I don't mind people sharing my caps on their blogs so long as I get a link back to here... but it REALLY upsets me when I find one of my caps on a blog that is intended to make someone else some cold hard cash. I believe that the TG cap blog world will be better off without these bottom feeders around.
The only problem I can see is these damn spam comments. They generally will link to a site that has advertisements on them. I don't think that would be a violation of the Content Policy, but it MAY.
So to all of my TG cap artists friends lets rejoice this rule change. None of us (so far as I know) would be in violation and this will help remove some of the other unseemly blogs.
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While I have your attention I wanted to talk a little bit about why I haven't been around lately. It stems from a couple different reasons.
First... I just haven't been feeling all that creative lately. This isn't me having problems being Caitlyn, just a creative slump. I get inspired by a lot of images, but the story idea doesn't hold my interest for long or it dies while I'm trying to write it out.
Second, I feel that my recent caps just haven't been all that original lately. When writing caps like "Workout Partner", "Grace and Elegance", "Sating his Lust", I was constantly reminded that I've already explored these ideas. Sure, each one is a unique take on a well tread idea but I didn't feel that I really made them sing on their own.
Third, I've been preoccupied by other things. You see, I'm still looking hard for that first nursing job. I feel bad after every application that's turned down or worse yet not responded to at all. When I do get an interview then find out that I didn't get the job I feel even worse. But when I've shared these ups and downs here... well that only added another level of disappointment. I love getting the encouragement that's been offered, but I feel on some level that I've not only let myself down by failing to succeed, I've also feel that I've let all of you down.
After sharing my last failure, I decided that I just wouldn't share these ups and downs any longer. It's not that I want to necessarily hide it away... I just want to share my successes and not my failures. That being said I also now feel guilty about NOT sharing these potential successes. I've gone on three interviews since I last talked about my job search here and so far as I know I'm still in the running for all three positions. So hopefully one of them will come through and I'll be sharing that with everyone here.
The first two stumbling blocks will resolve themselves. I do still try to cap each day and I'm sure that one day soon I'll be making and sharing a new cap. The third issue... well that's been going on for awhile now and while I'm not positive that it will be resolved any time soon I'm sure that I'll eventually be able to cap around it.
I agree, this is a good change to the blogger system. It is true that few of us produce entirely original images, except as you say for Anne, and it isn't right that people should be making money off something they have no right to use for that purpose. I can only see this as a good change.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the creative slump sweetie, happens to us all and you'll come back all the stronger once you feel creative once more.
I can't imagine that they would remove a blog due to any sort of spam linking in comments. Everyone gets comment spam that passes through the filters occasionally, and if they do, its bloggers fault for not having their comments scanner working hard enough to eliminate it.
ReplyDeleteYou've still commented on a few of my captions so I knew you were around. I figured you were out enjoying the summer while hunting for jobs.
I also know that you are quite a perfectionist, and the fact that you let some captions out that you don't feel are that good is a sign that you are getting better about stressing too much over your creations. Its that drive though that is what makes many of your captions so good ... that "well what if I do THIS to make it even more .."
I can't wait for all those monetized TG sites to get pulled down. Good riddance!
We have talked a few times about this problem and I got the same email. Like you, it made me happy to see it.
ReplyDeleteI have had moments when I needed a break or two from making captions. Creativity was drained and needed to recharge batteries. Take care of yourself and the rest will come just fine!