Blood Dim and the downstairs gay corner

Hey everyone, quick heads-up.
I’m locking this thread and moving it to the archives tomorrow—mostly because it’s packed with images that aren't exactly "family-friendly."

Feel free to start a new thread, but please—let's have a fresh start without dumping all kinds of random stuff, especially the "NSFW" kind of photos that have been popping up all over this topic.
Keep chatting and hanging out, just leave the nudity out of it.

This is supposed to be a chat thread, and honestly, trying to moderate every single post containing those types of images is becoming a massive headache.

Later.

It doesn't feel particularly fair to just shut down a thread out of nowhere—especially when the only reason given is that some pictures aren't "for kids." 🙂
Could you maybe clarify which specific images are considered inappropriate? It would be helpful to know ahead of time.
Thanks.

So, look, some of the pictures floating around in this thread—not all of them, obviously, but yeah, some of them—are just totally inappropriate for a public forum, and I happened to stumble upon them by accident the other day.
Since this is basically just a massive chat thread with an insane amount of posts, trying to scroll through the whole thing to find everything is pretty much impossible, especially now that we don't have the IMG code anymore.

I never actually told you guys that you couldn't start a new thread, and I think I even mentioned that you should go ahead and do it since I’m planning on wiping this one out anyway.

So, yeah, feel free to spin up a new thread and pick up right where the conversation left off, but please, I’m begging you, don't go posting all kinds of NSFW stuff that's gonna break the site rules.

Later,

northernpilot2 said:Some of the images in that thread—not all, obviously, but some—really shouldn't be shared on this forum.
Since it's a general chat thread with a massive amount of posts, scrolling through the whole thing is basically impossible—especially now that the IMG code is dead.

People were posting images in previous chat threads too (I'm assuming you weren't a mod back then) and there was never an issue. Honestly, I don't get why a photo of a guy—as long as it isn't straight-up porn—should be flagged as "not for sharing." And you really don't need to police the thread quite as strictly as you are.

I haven't forbidden you from starting a new thread; in fact, I said feel free to open one since I'll be moving this one to the archives.

So, go ahead and start a new thread to pick up where the chat left off, but please—keep it civil and don't post any "nude" photos that would violate the forum rules.

Look, we know you didn't ban us from starting a new thread, but it's a matter of principle here. Personally, I have zero interest in posting in a new thread if this one isn't unlocked so people can just type and dump images like they used to. I know the rules well enough—and as far as I know, it's only prohibited to post images of completely naked men. We weren't doing that. If anyone actually did, they were reported by the people participating in the thread.

Honestly, I have zero clue what kind of images used to get posted here before I took over as mod for this section, and frankly, it doesn't even matter now. Since I’m running the show today, I might as well address the actual issue at hand.

I spent most of my evening scrolling through this thread—and just scanning random pages throughout the whole thing—and I ended up stumbling upon some images that just don't belong on this forum. I mean, look, nobody is completely naked (doesn't really matter if they're guys or girls), but the point is, this kind of stuff isn't appropriate for our community.

I’m not going to call anyone out by name, because let's be real, this thread is massive—like, 8,000 posts deep—so it’s just easier to start fresh and move this entire thread into the archives.

If you guys want, I can just open up a new thread containing the last hundred or so posts; I don't really mind doing that.

hi 👋

Since I'm technically in charge of the Offtopic section, I figured I’d weigh in here:
You might have noticed that the forum is dealing with some technical hiccups, so we've had to disable IMG code everywhere.
That means northernpilot2's warning wasn't just him being bossy or acting like a moderator for the sake of it 😉
So, if you could all just be patient and work with us, we'd really appreciate it.
The forum is public, and what seems fine to a few of us might actually be an issue for the general public. It's kind of the same deal with this thread—even though it's "your" topic, it's still open for everyone to see 😉

A quick tip for next time: it's probably better to just post links to images rather than embedding them directly 😉 especially if you think the content might be considered "sensitive" by some people 😉

Honestly guys, this isn't some power trip from the mods, nor are we picking on your thread or you personally 😉 but moving forward, we really, really need to be careful with how images are handled.

Thanks again for understanding.

Even though I don't usually post in the lower sections, I just can't stay quiet about this.

If people can regularly post shots of their chests or backsides on MK and JK without anyone batting an eye... not to mention all those threads over on the main boards where guys post half-naked photos with zero consequences... then I don't see why it's suddenly such a massive issue down here in the Offtopic section.
I spend plenty of time reading what everyone is saying in the chat, and honestly, I haven't seen a single image that actually breaks the forum rules. And look, if some new guy wanders in posting stuff like that, the regulars are actually pretty chill—they’ll give him a heads-up or even report it to the mods themselves. They play fair.

Or maybe it's just that you guys find it "inappropriate" when dudes drool over other dudes because it might be "problematic" for the general public?🤷
I highly doubt anyone who actually has an issue with the gay community would bother starting a thread with this title just to come in here and read it. Besides, if it bothers them, they don't have to read it. In my opinion, shutting down a thread that didn't break any rules—especially without a single warning—was a total bad move...

Just a heads-up for everyone: nudity is generally a no-go on this forum. When I say that, I mean anything showing nipples, bare buttocks, or genitals is strictly prohibited. We also can't have any images that might be considered disturbing or run afoul of US laws. If you’re dealing with something controversial, you might be able to post it as a link, but please, don't use an > code for that kind of content.

This isn't just some rule specific to one particular sub-forum; it's a standard that applies to the entire site.

Matthew Carter said:Or maybe you guys just feel like it’s somehow "inappropriate" for dudes to be thirsting over photos of other guys because it might look "problematic" to the general public? 🤷
I mean, if someone actually had an issue with the gay community, I highly doubt they’d even bother starting a thread with this title just to come here and read it. Besides, they don't even have to read it if it bothers them, but honestly, I think locking a thread that didn't even break any actual rules without giving a heads-up was a pretty bad call.

Obviously, that isn't the reason, and nobody is being homophobic here.

Like rustydrifter10 mentioned, this applies to all kinds of images, and I already pointed out that it doesn't matter whether the subject is a man or a woman.
Inappropriate pictures aren't allowed anywhere, including on Offtopic.

Just because some person won't click on this thread to read it doesn't mean Google won't find it, and Google indexes everything on this forum.

The thread wasn't deleted without warning. I put a notice right on the thread itself saying people are free to start a new one since I'm going to clear this one out. I did close it, yeah, but only so people would stop posting here and just move straight to a new one instead. The thread hasn't vanished into thin air yet, but it will be gone soon; the crew from the thread is more than welcome to start a new one with the same title, or I can even migrate the last hundred posts over for them so they can pick up the chat and hanging out right where they left off.

northernpilot2 said:I spent most of the evening scrolling through this thread—jumping around pages randomly—and stumbled upon some images that just don't belong on this forum. To be clear, nobody is fully naked (doesn't matter if they're guys or girls), but that's the point—this kind of content isn't appropriate here.

So, if they're "inappropriate," does that mean I shouldn't even post them as links? Apparently, we've reached the point where I can't even link a shirtless guy without breaking rules. If that’s what counts as inappropriate now. We all know full nudity is a no-go, but you're saying even photos of people who aren't naked are somehow problematic too. Fine. I guess we'll just wait until winter—then I assume it'll be perfectly trendy to post pictures of dudes bundled up in heavy parkas.

I wasn't calling anyone out specifically. This thread is massive—around 8,000 posts—so it's just easier to start a new one instead of letting this one head to the archives.

Is the thread slowing down the server? Is it causing technical issues? Or is someone going to have a literal heart attack when they try to read our thread and we force them to open a new one?

If you want, I can start a new thread containing just the last hundred posts. It's no big deal.

No thanks—at least not for me. And if you do start a new one, leave my posts out of it. Thanks.

Emily Fowler52 said:The forum is public. What many of us don't find an issue with might bother the general public. That's the situation with this thread—even though it's "yours," it's still accessible to everyone else.😉

It's only problematic if someone posts a photo of a user actually typing in a thread, because that compromises their privacy and opens them up to risks. Everything else seems fine to me. Though, maybe I'm just being selfish... maybe you guys are doing us a favor by making sure society gets a "cleaner" image of us, since so many outsiders read this stuff.🙂

Advice for the future: it's better to just use links for images rather than posting the image directly😉 especially if you think a photo might be "problematic" for someone.😉

So, by posting an image as a link, what exactly are we saving ourselves from? If someone’s curious, they’re going to click—whether it’s embedded via IMG code or just a plain link. Honestly, I don't see the issue here, other than maybe someone getting a little startled by some male nipples. I still don't think there's any reason to lock the thread or force everyone to use links. If you wanted things done this way, you should've cleaned up the options on the Offtopic subforum and the hazelnut section first. Then we wouldn't be in this mess.

guys, seriously, this isn't some moderator invention or us flexing our power—it's not like we have anything against your thread or you 😉—but moving forward, we really, really need to be careful with images.

Why? What’s the worst-case scenario? How could we possibly be causing harm? 😁

rustydrifter10 said:Generally, nudity is banned on the forum. That means anything showing nipples, bare butts, or genitals. Also, anything that could be considered disturbing or illegal is off-limits. Controversial photos can potentially be posted as a link, but not using IMG code.

This doesn't just apply to one specific subforum; it applies to the entire site.

We know which images are banned or "disturbing." But unless I'm mistaken, how is someone seeing a nipple going to ruin my life? 🤷 We aren't posting genitals or butts, nor do we intend to. If people were actually posting stuff like that, I'd be the first one to stop typing in the thread. Besides, I don't get why a photo is supposedly less "disturbing" if it's a link versus being embedded via IMG code—it's all just one click away. I don't see the point in hiding them behind a link. You're seeing it either way. Is a photo going to offend me more because it's a link or because it's embedded? It's the same thing.

And why didn't anyone say anything about the chat earlier when people were posting images too? Was that rule not in effect back then?

northernpilot2 said:Inappropriate images aren't allowed anywhere—including Offtopic.

Just because someone refuses to click on this thread doesn't mean Google won't find it. And Google indexes everything.

I just Googled gay corner and was hit with a mountain of results—mostly images. 😁 Even on a site like Reddit, you can't even embed certain images using IMG code. I'd say they're inappropriate, even if they're just posted as links.

So what's the move here? Do we just archive the whole thread on Reddit—or better yet, delete it entirely—just so we can start over from scratch with a new one?

I really have to give a shout-out to everyone who’s finally stepping up to address the whole image issue
I honestly can't thank you all enough for taking this on
Best regards,
And look, I know I'm an adult,
but it’s genuinely uncomfortable for me to stumble upon vulgar imagery
especially in the specific threads where I tend to hang out
So, thanks again, seriously

Hi there!
I’m usually more of a lurker—I rarely post in these specific threads—but I felt like I just had to jump in here. I find myself agreeing with the OP on every single point regarding that controversial locked thread and why it was shut down in the first place. It doesn't matter that people are technically allowed to start new topics; I think @Matthew Carter/">@@Matthew Carter hit the nail on the head, though it seems like he’s being ignored for some reason. Maybe 😉 because of a few minor inconsistencies.

Hey Blood Dim and our admin rustydrifter10, could you take a look at the last page of this thread? Just imagine if those were actually IMG code instead of direct links. And keep in mind, that's just the very last page of all those posts. 😉The images in this thread are definitely meant for kids. I guess that's pretty much everything I have to say.

Matthew Carter said:Or maybe you guys just don't think it's appropriate for dudes to be drooling over pictures of other guys because it might be "problematic" for the "general public"?🤷

Most likely this

lonegull16 said:So if they aren't considered appropriate, I guess I shouldn't even be posting them as links? I mean, we’ve somehow reached a point where I can’t even post a shirtless guy as a link. If that's what counts as inappropriate now. I mean, obviously everyone knows naked guys are out of bounds, but you're telling me even photos of people who aren't totally naked are problematic too? Guess we'll just wait until winter rolls around, then maybe it'll be trendy to post pictures of bundled-up queers.

Look, I never said that. I just said you can't post inappropriate images. It was rustydrifter10 who specified which ones count as inappropriate.

That includes anything showing nipples, bare butts, or genitals. Generally speaking, any images that could be considered disturbing or run afoul of the law are also banned.

A guy without a shirt isn't an inappropriate image, and I certainly don't think it is.

It becomes a real issue if someone posts a photo of a forum user typing in a thread, because that compromises their identity and risks way too much. Everything else doesn't seem like a problem to me. Though, maybe I'm being a bit selfish... maybe you guys are actually trying to help us by making sure society gets a clearer, better picture of us, since there are plenty of outsiders reading this.🙂

That falls into a completely different category of "problematic images" because it involves exposing someone's identity, which is strictly against the rules.
I'm not labeling you people as "something" just to paint a certain picture for others. To me, a person is just a person. Regardless of gender, religion, sexual orientation, whatever.

What exactly are we saving ourselves from by posting images as links? If someone is curious, they're going to look at the picture whether it's embedded via IMG code or just a link. Honestly, I don't see any issue here other than maybe someone getting shocked by some male pecs. I really don't think there's any need to lock the thread or force everything into links. If you wanted it this way, you should have sorted out the options on the Offtopic subforum, just like you did for hazelnut. This wouldn't have even happened.

I also don't see why we can't just move the chat to a new thread. But hey, if you guys are dead set against it, I'm not going to push it; I don't gain anything from it. You don't have to start a new thread, it's really up to you.🙂

I skipped some parts so I wouldn't just be repeating myself, since I'd probably say the same thing anyway.

stormycrane3 said:hey there!
I'm usually more of a lurker, you know? I rarely post in these specific threads, but I just felt like I had to jump in here and say I agree with the OP on every single point regarding that controversial locked thread and why it had to be shut down. It doesn't matter if people are allowed to start new threads or whatever; specifically regarding @Matthew Carter, he pretty much hit the nail on the head and is 100% right, even though it seems like nobody else is giving him any credit. Why is that? 😉There are some minor contradictions going on.

Hey Blood Dim and admin rustydrifter10, just take a look at the last page of this thread. Now, just imagine if instead of links, those were all posted using IMG code. But that's just the last page filled with those images; 😉the pictures in this thread are definitely not for kids. I think I've made my point.

Most likely this

Nah, Matthew Carter didn't actually get to the heart of the issue because his reasoning was off.
I want to make it clear right away that homosexuality has absolutely nothing to do with why this thread was locked. If that were the case, I wouldn't have allowed a new thread to be opened at all.

I've never really liked living in a small, conservative country where there's always a hierarchy of who's "more equal" than others. Personally, I can't stand conservatism or any kind of discrimination. In my own life, I hang out with gay people all the time, and even here on the forum, so saying the reason for closing the thread has anything to do with gay people posting on it is totally wrong.

Anyway, to wrap this up.
The thread was closed because it contained inappropriate images that simply don't belong on this forum. Because the thread has become so massive, we aren't going to go back and scrub through everything since it's basically a chat thread; instead, it's going to be deleted like I mentioned before. Feel free to start a new thread and pick up where you left off.

Just noticed I left a few typos up there, but I definitely need to fix this one:

A shirtless guy isn't some inappropriate image, and honestly, I don't even think it qualifies as indecent.

What I was trying to get at is that a shirtless man shouldn't be grounds for a ban. That kind of stuff is fine, whereas the things that actually cross the line were already listed by rustydrifter10.

northernpilot2 said:I just realized I had a few typos above, but I really need to fix this one:

I meant to say that a shirtless guy isn't necessarily inappropriate enough to warrant a ban. That might fly, but as for what actually crosses the line, rustydrifter10 already laid out a list.

And on MK, if you check the women's anatomy thread, it’s absolutely packed with those kinds of images or links leading to questionable content.

rustybadger17 said:And over on MK, specifically in that women's anatomy thread, it's just flooded with those images—or rather, links leading straight to questionable content.

The links themselves aren't really the issue.
It’s more about the actual images being posted using IMG code that causes problems.

They're going to be cleaning up and deleting stuff across all threads on the entire forum, not just in Offtopic or the gay corner. 😉
That specific thread was basically just the first active one where they realized it was too massive and packed with problematic images to effectively moderate, so it got locked for that reason alone—nothing else. There have actually been plenty of other threads cleared out from Offtopic too, though maybe you didn't notice since they were older, inactive ones. 😉

You guys just shut down entire threads with over 8,000 posts where someone's just stripping down, while on the web design boards they're spamming gay links, and after reporting it, absolutely nothing happens.

Check out that third link—I mean, seriously, it’s absolutely brutal. Just pure filth, semen everywhere. I have to mention that my little sister was standing right behind me when I clicked that link; unbelievable!

rustydrifter10 said:The vibe on this forum is generally... Nudity is strictly prohibited. To be clear, that includes any images where nipples are visible.Nudity, specifically involving buttocks or genitals, is strictly prohibited. Generally speaking, any imagery that could be considered disturbing or violates legal standards is also banned. If you have controversial photos, you may post them as a link, but never use an IMG code.

This isn't just about one specific PDF; it applies to the entire forum.

northernpilot2 said:I wanted to say, A shirtless guy isn't an indecent image that warrants a ban. That kind of thing can fly, but there are actual lines you shouldn't cross, as rustydrifter10 pointed out..

So, is a male nipple actually banned or what? Usually, you see guys walking around shirtless with their nipples on full display, unless they’re out there wearing a bra. 😁

lonegull16 said:So if they aren't considered "appropriate," does that mean I shouldn't even be posting them as links? Are we really at the point where I can't even share a link to a shirtless guy?

Look, you absolutely can; links aren't the issue here. We've gone over this multiple times now, and I honestly don't see the point in dragging it out further.

lonegull16 said:Does this thread actually slow down the forum, cause some other technical headache, or is there a risk someone’s going to have a heart attack when they stumble upon our discussion and need a whole new thread started?

Threads get locked and new sequels get spun up once they hit about 10,000 posts—that's standard procedure for both
OFF topic and this specific thread, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Given the recent hiccups and those controversial images, we just decided to start a fresh one a little early, but it shouldn't be an issue. Honestly, you guys would have hit that post count pretty soon anyway, and we would've ended up doing the exact same thing.

lonegull16 said:What exactly are we saving ourselves from by posting an image as a link instead? If someone is curious, they're going to click it regardless of whether it's embedded in an IMG tag or just a plain old link.

Google crawls images, not just links.

Personally, I don't think male nipples are a big deal, and I think those kinds of photos should be perfectly fine to post.

rustydrifter10 said:I don't think male nipples are an issue—those kinds of shots should be fine.

Well, then we’re basically discriminating against female nipples. 😢 So, what—is linking images only okay if it's full-on nudity or something else? 🤔

Blood dim, you already said you're going to do whatever you planned with this thread anyway, so honestly, I can't even be bothered to argue. If these same rules apply to everything else—meaning if there's a site-wide purge of inappropriate images happening—then fine. I'm not complaining. And yeah, don't bother starting a new thread; some jerk will probably just jump on that if they feel like it. 😬

Anyway, that's my two cents. 👋