Regarding Recent Events · 11:33pm Jul 18th, 2020
Hello all,
I am posting this in a personal rather than site blog for a couple of reasons. For one, as the situation changes we may have to change our approach, meaning I’d rather not have constant blog posts about how we’re trying to deal with things. Secondly, I don’t feel like fanning flames more here on what I ultimately consider to be some fairly minor changes.
Stories about Aryanne are a hot topic at the moment, as is the discussion about their relevance to promoting nazi ideals. Having a nazi in any story is not something I see implicitly as an endorsement. It is not even sufficient to make a distinction between whether the character is used as a hero or villain, as a story where a character is a villain can still be written in an way that makes them sympathetic, and similarly a story where the character sees themselves as the hero can be written in a way to point out their ludicrous nature. Context is important to the implication a story has, and I would hope that that’s a point that can be agreed on.
Nonetheless, regardless of what context exists, Fimfiction has a right as a site to deny posting of any story we see unfit for the site. It is well understood that freedom of speech is a freedom from governmental persecution of speech, and a private business generally has a right to deny service. However, my personal position has always been that freedom of speech is important for private business to try and maintain too, as without that the speech may as well be banned anyway. Thus, for any content on the site there is the implication of a conscious choice to permit it. Indeed, there has never been “free speech” in regards to content allowed on Fimfiction, we have a whole list of rules people have always had to abide by.
Fimfiction is a large website, and at the risk of sounding egotistical, somewhat of a monopoly over fanfiction in the MLP community. It is my belief that we should strive to maintain the ability to welcome all kinds of people as well as content. Clearly this is an area where this balance can be seen at odds with one another. I understand why people may feel that objectionable content will push other users away and I believe this could be said about a lot of content. It’s also important to know we do already ban various types of hate speech, something we did further clarify back at the start of the year, and stories which actively support nazi ideals are very much covered under those rules.
With that out of the way, we have a couple of preliminary changes we have been discussing at lengths which we are going to bring in.
Firstly, stories which we deem as being either intentionally/excessively controversial or baiting of rule breaking discussion/trolling will have their ratings and comments removed/hidden. This means they will not be able to be featured/show up when searching by heat and their comment sections will not be able to be used as casual battlegrounds which create a chain reaction of rule breaking behaviour. This will be very much under mod discretion. Being at our will without a truly concrete set of reasons is not something I am happy with, but it’s also not something that I feel can be written into rules (Note that it will probably be myself making any calls on the controversial content currently, so if you want someone to direct your anger at, please have it be me rather than the mod team). However, it means that the stories can still exist in the site in a limited form, but not be used so easily as tools for trolling and baiting.
Secondly, we will be banning certain types of imagery on the site. Specifically we will not allow depictions of the swastika, though this is not all encompassing and we will consider any other imagery that comes up as it does. One of the big reasons for this is legal, though I want to make it clear it is not the only reason. There is a lot of unobjectionable imagery that is banned in various countries around the world that people would probably be quite appalled if I banned. Such is the nature of running a website made up of people from around the world on a global platform. Several European countries ban non educational depictions of various iconography, and having said imagery on the website is a risk to them using it, and as I believe Fimfiction is mostly about the writing, I don’t think this is a change that particularly affects people’s ability to be free in their writing. I don’t want to add the ability to use it educationally as I believe it opens up a lot of potential for abuse, but as with all of our rules, there will be case by case consideration on the particular instance.
I recognise these proposals will simultaneously be seen as insufficient and overbearing, and I have been paying close attention to the situation at hand to try and approach a solution I am happy with endorsing. Myself and the rest of the team appreciate the patience generally shown by the site’s users.
Get ready for the people who think you can't take away their ability to post certain stuff on your own website lol
Don't worry knighty! We will do our part!
Alright I agree to this *Thumbs up*
I respect this approach in all honesty knighty. It's a good strong position.
This path makes logical sense.
I wish the best
Seems like a reasonable and well thought out response to the situation at hand.
Amusing to see that we already have people screeching about SJWs and such.
Not the worst. Definitely a fair and balanced outlook. I can respect the decision though I do disagree with somewhat controversial topics that may be viewed by a mod as trolling or baiting. Though there is not much to be done in that regard as controversies are nuanced issues. I am glad to see the site is staying open and allowing Freedom of Speech.
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Let us all remember these words and allow others the ability to express themselves. Even those foolish to believe that depicting unsavory characters automatically makes it an endorsement of an ideology.
A much more reasonable position than the rampant flip-floppery that Derpibooru fumbled with. Props for trying to keep things under control.
thank you finally that was getting really annoying especially when people kept fighting about a fictional character in a story we all got more important things to worry about like covid and the BLM but mostly Covid
Thank you, knighty! It's not as much of a change as I wished, but it's a great start.
I kinda agree with this but this story was left alone
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/473182/this-is-a-story-where-windigos-show-up-on-earth-and-freeze-all-the-irredeemable-bigots-to-death-because-i-feathering-need-the-catharsis
So yeah, uh, it's kinda clear one side was favoured over the other.
It's great to see you doing something, good shit.
5313510
come on! Really?!
cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/654007020361613316/734193766751273001/qlqIRmpuiR8UPms4Gwqj2QAAAABJRU5ErkJggg.png
Will stories that were published in the past containing these topics or discriminatory iconography be grandfathered in? Reading the blog doesn't make this particular piece of information clear.
Also, will the rules be edited to include this piece of information? So far, the only post I can find with this tidbit is this blog.
Noice. Thanks for the update.
5313533
I Did Not See That Coming has had its ratings and comments disabled, so they're not being grandfathered in apparently.
Was seriously considering deleting all of my fics from this site before this blogpost.
Thanks for this, Knighty.
5313533
Existing content will be grandfathered in if it has content that goes against the second rule outlined. Generally I sit on the side of leaving old material alone but since part of this is a matter of legality, it's different. On the former, probably not as that rule is mainly there to target new content which is most relevant to the current issues.
As far as the rule being written down goes, as I said at the start of the post, things are a little fluid. It will most likely be better outlined there shortly though.
5313536
And yet https://www.fimfiction.net/story/473166/aryanne-gets-executed has been left with comments enabled. Inconsistent silencing of opinions, nice.
5313540
So I don't confuse will FOE stories be put in this to or do they not fall into this? I am just asking just in case.
5313510
There is, of course, no one forcing you to stay here.
Good. Fuck nazis.
Interesting compromise.
And I think, if nothing else, we can all agree that it's nice to see an actual, solid decision being made, instead of constant flip-flopping.
Such is life.
5313541
You clearly didn’t read where he explicitly stated they’d be left up with comments and ratings disabled
5313541
The ratings are disabled.
5313540
Okay, thank you for clearing that up.
5313549
Comments and ratings were disabled on TittySparkles' and Clops' stories, but comments and comments/ratings are available on the other two that have been linked in this thread that were anti-Aryanne and meant to cause drama.
5313536 Hi
5313550
But the comments are still up.
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/473182/this-is-a-story-where-windigos-show-up-on-earth-and-freeze-all-the-irredeemable-bigots-to-death-because-i-feathering-need-the-catharsis
This is a better example. It was sandwiched between two Aryanne fics also.
5313549
You clearly didn't see where the comments were still enabled at the time I posted that, after Knighty made his post.
5313550
Yes, now they are. Just had to prod the clout goblin.
5313555
That one is definitely a better example. Mods might take action against the comments in the other story, regarding the execution.
5313556 so it’s your word against mine as well as the Pseudo Website God? Because I don’t see your proof of these claims
5313556
The ratings on that story were actually disabled upon publishing. I was one of the first comments, and the ratings were disabled then.
5313539
Forgive me of course but he is right. Other countries are more sensitive when it comes to certain things. So for the moment, this is the best. Also, it's good that this happen with respect and not insanity like that other sight. Of course, I never used but think of it this way this is nothing of an SJW thing. It's more for a thing to keep people sane.
Imo this is fair and balanced. I can respect it.
Thank you Daddy Knighty uwu
5313559
I wouldn't have said anything at all if it didn't seem so obvious to me, you know? Like, look at this: cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/703765881888702495/734196554688364554/ddd.PNG
5313563
So was I. I never said ratings, so what's your point?
Thank you knighty for acting decisively. I appreciate your commitment to speech while simultaneously maintaining a focus on real fiction rather than trollfics and controversy-seeking. My support of your platform is validated again.
Have a fantastic day.
5313572
How dare the site owner use his authority to ban literal hate symbols on his own website. Go cry somewhere else.
Hey! I already made a blog telling everypony to help the staff! Please read it, and understand this!
5313572
I find it funny that you're complaining about SJWs when I heard through the grape vine that you sent lewd images of yourself to an underaged person.
5313541
Where are you getting this? The comments and votes are clearly disabled.
My full view on this. Is thank you for a calm decent it seems to please well not all sides. It happens not everything is going to please all sides it's a sad truth. But it's more like how one so stuck in the center of all would handle it. I would remove certain images though swastikas though yes. If there is a way I am sure there is if there is something like a pic or drawing would bother folks. I am sure there are types of filters that could be made.
But this is just me going eh finally for now hopefully for good this silliness is over.
5313566
"Censorship for the sake of other countries laws is the most balanced approach"
FUCKING WUT!?
The site was made in the states, we made the tech.
US having custodianship over the internet has allowed more people to have a voice than ever. If I trash talk China on here, no matter how true or false it may be, would an American site pull my speech to follow Chinese laws?
The slippery slope is NOT a fallacy.
5313582
Look at the time of my posting that comment. Look at the next post I made. Look at the time you are posting. And as you can clearly see, the comments in 5313555 are still up as well.
5313539
They already have. Many authors have been banned from the website for repeatedly posting erotic images, for one. This is because Fimfiction is primarily a site for stories about My Little Pony.
Lot of people won't like this. Fortunately I am not one of them.
5313582
Likely by the writer himself, since he had already turned off the ratings beforehand. Meanwhile: This