Redlemon

If there were no porn, would TFP then become open to the under-18 crowd? I suspect that it would negatively affect the quality of the board; even if not, it would change the feel of the board considerably.

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I can't read your signature. Sorry.

Plan9

Yeah, we already have enough children here!

(waves hand)

...

I actually have a lengthy response to this typed up, but it needs editing.

...

Like anybody gives a fuck.

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

The_Jazz

Wait, you're capable of EDITING? When did that happen? I always figured we saw your complete stream of conciousness.

Personally, I think that we need the porn traffic. It's our most consistent source of new blood, and I think that anyone who says that we don't need new blood hasn't been around long enough or paid attention to the ebb and flow of personalities sites like TFP go through as a matter of course.

That said, I wouldn't mind if the porn went away. It would probably encourage me to share it more readily with friends and family; as it stands, this is my little secret, except for the wife.

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

telekinetic

Ridiculous thought that reveals the depth of my un-knowledge about message board databases: Can we have our cake and eat it to?

Can we have TFProject.org be this exact board, and Upstanding.org (or something) be the exact same board, sans errogenous zone? Different URLS, and no links from upstanding to tfproject, but all the posts in the non-erogenous zone get mirrored over both domains?

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twisted no more

Randle2I

I must say I find this sentiment to be odd. You yourself found TFP due to the porn, yet you wish to kill the very thing that generates the most traffic? Why kill the only thing keeping your community alive and thriving?

mrklixx

I give 'em out, but nobody takes 'em.

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This post is content. If you don't like it then you are not content. Or perhaps just incontinent.

This is not a link - Do not click here

I hate animated avatars.

kutulu

It's kind of a common theme among most of the replies too.

World's King

Isn't the porn section basically just a place for bobby to keep his personal collection?

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heavy is the head that wears the crown

Daoust

Abaya said:
I think this is right on. I would not be surprised if this board was 80-20 males to females, and its doubtless due to the porn draw. I'd love to even the numbers. How should we do this? Maybe open up more threads for women? Is that possible? I don't know how we would advertise to women? What about if we upped the porn for the ladies? What if we created a Josh Duhamel thread or a Scrapbooking thread? What if we just got rid of all the porn and replaced it with threads on scrapbooking?

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I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace
But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys

Manic_Skafe

While I wouldn't care too much if the adult forums were gotten rid of, I don't think getting rid of them would do much to solve many of the problems here. In fact, I think those problems would only worsen.

Higher quality porn, reinstating the post requirement before being able to access those forums, and more aggressive moderation would do much more towards bringing in new members and keeping this place interesting than axing it all together.

But when it comes to Hal's Job opportunities....it's not worth limiting him.

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"Porn is a zoo of exotic animals that becomes boring upon ownership." -Nersesian

Amaras

Twistedmosaic, you blow my mind. Thanks for reminding me
what is possible.
Halx, although I've yet to truly contribute, thanks for providing the forum.
If porn provides, then let there be porn.

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Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.
-Noam Chomsky
Love is a verb, not a noun.
-My Mom
The function of genius is to furnish cretins with ideas twenty years later.
-Louis Aragon, "La Porte-plume," Traite du style, 1928

inBOIL

I completely agree with this, except for the cheapening the community part.

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And you believe Bush and the liberals and divorced parents and gays and blacks and the Christian right and fossil fuels and Xbox are all to blame, meanwhile you yourselves create an ad where your kid hits you in the head with a baseball and you don't understand the message that the problem is you.

noodle

I didn't stumble across the site for porn, I was looking for women's perspectives on a certain issue. I don't frequent the Titty Boards unless I'm actually bored.
But sometimes a girl needs a little Monty.

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Telluride

I joined TFP because it looked like a good place to have online discussions...and it is. The TB was unavailable at the time that I joined and I only learned of it's existance by coming across some comments about it.

I look at the TB every once in a while, but whether or not it's here won't play any role in whether or not I'm here.

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"I am certain that nothing has done so much to destroy the safeguards of individual freedom as the striving after this mirage of social justice." - Friedrich Hayek

MSD

I wouldn't have found this place if it weren't for the porn. I'm throwing ideas around in my head about what to do, but I'm nor sure as of now.
No.
Unless you want his house to collapse under the weight of thousands of hard drives, there's no other choice.

abaya

Glad to hear your enthusiasm, Daoust. (Was wondering if anyone else felt this way.) However, I have no idea who Josh Duhamel is, nor have I ever touched anything related to scrapbooking. So if that was going to draw women, it wouldn't have drawn me.

I came here because ktspktsp was a lurker and he introduced me to it... but I don't mind the porn (it's easy access when I want something for masturbation--but otherwise, I don't think I would've found it on my own). I'm still trying to think of how we would draw women here... other than creating a forum for Tilted brides or something (another forum I've enjoyed is for "indie brides" and it's LOADED with women, most of whom are smart and definitely non-mainstream... the kind we like around here). But yeah, most women aren't on the internet looking for porn... so how to get them here?

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Martian

Why does it matter if you're a man or a woman? Do your breasts somehow contribute to the content of your posts? Does my penis detract from mine?

I mean, yes, there are issues that are gender-specific and y'all have your own semi-private corner specifically for the ladylike discussion. But really, I don't see how a fifty-fifty gender distribution is inherently better than any other arbitrary ratio.

In other words, I'm quite satisfied with the fine ladies we've already got.

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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

tecoyah

Wait...theres Porn here?






seriously though, its almost as if we have two cultures in TFP. One exclusive to Boobies, and one that barely even notices its here. The nice thing is we sometimes get very cool contributing members from the Porn culture...think of it as therapograghy.

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Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

hagatha

Actually what if we eliminated gender? Think of it, the internet is pretty much the only place where you could do that. If posters had no identifiable gender affiliation, would it change the tenor of discussion? Would people feel freer to express themselves?

I think it would be a very interesting social experiment.

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Thats the last time I trust the strangest people I ever met....H. Simpson

ShaniFaye

I didnt arrive here for the porn, I dont look at the porn, unfortunately there isnt any here that interests me....gay looking pretty boy naked men dont do a thing for me, so I would not miss it one single bit if it were gone

I guess it all depends on whether or not we are getting people that stay around and contribute from the porn or not

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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

abaya

I don't think it's necessarily better... I have no data from which to draw that assumption. But I am the type to always want more balance. And I do think that men and women often contribute substantively *different* perspectives, and that's a good thing... so I'd just like to see what that looks like. I'd like to hear more women's voices, more than the usual who are always talking (like me, lol).

The problem could also be that men are just more vocal/present in the forum, and women tend to keep to themselves for the most part. I notice this on polls where it asks for "if you are a man" vs "if you are a woman"... and there is a HUGE difference in how many people from each gender responds, even with a totally random topic. I have never known if this was a problem of actual numbers (e.g. less women members), or lurkers (e.g. same # of women, but they are more quiet than the men)... but I am leaning towards the former, in the absence of actual demographic info.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

inBOIL

You could go trolling for women on the indie brides site and recruit them to come here. Like a cyber Jehova's witness, but without the waking-your-ass-up-early-Sunday-morning.

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And you believe Bush and the liberals and divorced parents and gays and blacks and the Christian right and fossil fuels and Xbox are all to blame, meanwhile you yourselves create an ad where your kid hits you in the head with a baseball and you don't understand the message that the problem is you.

Psycho Dad

That may not be all that bad an idea. I don't know what indie brides are (I guess I could google) but were there a topic discussed there (or any forum for that matter) that is perhaps better discussed here, then the tfp post could be linked.

Unless of course the other board owner frowns upon that. Then there is the option of PMing the link to someone who could find the tfp information useful.

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Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

Meta

I've been a member here for awhile now, though I pretty much lurk – as my posting attention was taken up by another board and I couldn't really pay attention to two. But I do come round and read, and I think it seems to me that a lot of the 'type' of people who come to TFP - as others have already said - are folks who come for the porn and then find that there are people to talk to as well!

And those folks do end up being pretty cool more than not, I think. Maybe it's just a thing to attract the kind of folks who fit in here. Otherwise, what do you get? Internet forum junkies? Board trollers? Nobody wants that.

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There's room for all God's creatures.
Right next to the mashed potatoes.

abaya

I think I've actually "advertised" there a couple of times, but yes, perhaps I will step it up... They do have one lil' "Sex and Health" board there, but I'm sure many of those women wouldn't mind getting more info elsewhere...

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And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Ustwo

There is only one regular female poster that wouldn't be identifiable as female that I can think of.

I'll give you a hero cookie if you can guess who

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Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

Kryptoni

Porn? This site has porn????

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Two Ball Cain?

Blackthorn

I've actually fallen off in contributions to the core of tfp and should spend more time doing just that. At a place like fark the trolls run wild and will flame you for nearly anything you post. Here you get civilized discussion, a true trade of ideas and a sense of community that you just can't find anywhere else.

I came for the boobies and still enjoy a peek-see for exactly the same reason Halx mentioned. You can take a quick break from the reality of the day and do it safely here. You won't get ads or viruses or other crap you don't want, don't need and certainly wouldn't go looking for. It's clear the porn keeps new blood coming in but perhaps as other posters have said the post limit should be reinstated to get new people to contribute. Maybe reset the post counts periodically so that traffic is driven to the heart of the forum.... I would miss it if it were gone because of the safety factor. You know you're not going to get crap you don't want when you visit the tb. I would still come back to tfp regardless. This is just a cool place to be....

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What are you willing to give up in order to get what you want?

Elphaba

I prefer oatmeal raisen.

Edit: Dayum, I participated in a threadjack.

I was invited to TFP by Mal and there was no mention of a porn element. At that time, one earned their way into some of the forums. I don't consider bare breasts as porn and it seems pretty harmless to me, but as others have said, I don't invite people here because of the more explicit images.

I applaud the recommendations to separate the board with self-referring links. It's possible that new traffic would increase if the porn and nonporn sides were advertised in different communities. I think the idea to promote and expand the interests of women might also offer good traffic prospects. Not scrapbooking, but emphasis on the issues/interests of the "modern woman." Ladies Only serves a purpose, but limits broader conversations with men as participants.

Hal, I have been meaning to ask you about how "safe" it is that members have personal exhibition posts here, when it appears that you have removed your own pics. The same job concerns you have mentioned might also effect your membership. Do you have any specific advice to share?

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"You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to." Molly Ivins - 1944-2007

Schwan

Porn is the norm now, and you can get it so easily. The value lies in the porn generated by the users. I say get rid of the Titty Board and hide the user's pr0n somewhere.

Halx

This discussion has given me some good ideas. It helps to know the attitude of the community so that I can shape my plans for it better.

Regarding exhibition: My advice to anyone who wants to post in exhibition is to stand by your post; do it because you want to express yourself, not because you want people to like you. Use the file attachment feature on the board so that the images cannot be hotlinked elsewhere and that they can be taken down on notice of foul play. Too many people revoke their contributions because they feel unappreciated by the lack of reaction - only post if you're committed to your own expression. Elphaba, I haven't really removed my pics; most of them were hosted under tba-ownz.org which the original registrar parked prematurely. The others met a similar fate. If they were still visible today, I wouldn't take them down. I see no need to repost them. I'll probably post more in the future, but I haven't felt inspired to do so in over a year.

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You have found this post informative.
-The Administrator
[Don't Feed The Animals]

Aladdin Sane

When I first came here I wasn't aware of the Titty Board. I came for the political discussion and stayed for the porn. I don't do political discussion anymore, but I continue to enjoy the porn. Come to think of it, there's not much difference between the two.

My routine when I sign on to TFP is to first search the new posts. If I find something that interests me, I add a post. Then I head on over to the Erogenous Zone. I don't think I'm alone when I say that the EZ is an important part of this community for me. I do wish I would see more of you over there...

I also think having more girls around would spruce up the old place. The answer is to find new girl members who enjoy porn! We now have at least one regular female contributor on the Titty Board. She has added a wonderful new dimension to the place, in my view.

I wish we had a sprinkling of all kinds of girls, although indy girls are probably the only kind that'll stick around a place like this for long.

I would not like to see the porn go bye-bye.

I wish Hal could find a way to use TPF on his resume. Hal, have you considered separating the porn from the rest of the board-- the way someone mentioned earlier?

And now I'll make my way over to the TB. See ya there!

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Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Shauk

II don't really frequent the TB much but I say in the interest of your community, keep it. I'm more of a "video" guy, not much of a "photo" guy.

The one thing that we all seem to have in common is that we're not attracting prudes to this site on the front of the sexuality forum discussion at least.

If you can't demonstrate web design skills using a site other than TFP I dunno what to say, not that I don't appreciate the solid nature of these forums but I don't find vbulletin mods to be an outstanding example of.. well, whatever you're trying to demonstrate on a resume. Perhaps I'm missing something. I don't know.

Keep it though.

Infinite_Loser

Life exisists before and after porn.

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I believe in equality; Everyone is equally inferior to me.

Psycho Dad

I dunno. Interest in the opposite sex has gone on as long as there have been oposite sexes. Porn just organizes it.

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Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

dlish

i didnt come for the porn. i found it through a search engine, and glad i clicked on it. best site ive come across in my 12 years of being online.

i dont really care if it stays or goes. as long as if it goes, it doesnt take tfp away with it. so im neither here nor there.

bobby would be missed though...

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An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

zed wolf

Ive been thinking about this a bit more and all I can come up with is either way, whether the porn stays or goes make sure the decision is made for the right reason.
If you decide to keep it it should be because you want it here.
If you decide to drop the porn then do it because thats what you want to do.
Don't make a decision based on what you think the general public thinks you should do, ie, to make a resume look better, that would not be being true to yourself, living your life the way you want to. It wold be allowing others to determine how you should behave and interact with the rest of the world.
If a potential employer wont hire you because you have a website that includes pictures of people without clothes on then maybe you don't need to be working for them.
There is no shame in being naked. No shame in having sex. Without our clothes we are all naked. (maybe that one should be in the inane analogies section!)
I think the bottom line is live how you want to live, not how I or anyone else wants you to.

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Wait a minute...you google searched uncircumsized wang?
And we're the best that you could find?~~~~~~~~~ Bill O'Rights
____________________________________________________

stevie667

Keep ze pron, it iz for ze gud of ze peples zat ve keep ze pron.

As said before, a significant number of people on the board came for the sex and stayed for the discussion, a bit like a relationship We all know what happens when you take away the sex in a relationship, everyone spends too much money on cars.

I for one do not have enough money to spend on any car big enough to house an ant or bigger, so wish to keep the porn.

Or something like that.

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Office hours have changed. Please call during office hours for more information.

StanT

This also seems like the ideal solution to me. A SFW_tfproject site that mirrors the original and excludes the porn. Halx puts it on his resume, Elphaba recommends it to her friends, and I can view it from work (safely). I'm entirely in favor of porn, but it isn't appropriate everywhere and for everyone.

inBOIL

Considering the subject matter of some of these threads, I wouldn't say that the discussion part of the site is SFW. The nekkid pics are just easier to notice at a glance.

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And you believe Bush and the liberals and divorced parents and gays and blacks and the Christian right and fossil fuels and Xbox are all to blame, meanwhile you yourselves create an ad where your kid hits you in the head with a baseball and you don't understand the message that the problem is you.