MeetFighters News

Big Changes in Photo Moderation

Before I go into what I have in mind here, let me share a little background information.

[IMAGE:http://www.allfighters.info/Content/images/Admin/photomod1.jpg]

As you might have noticed, the photos on AllFighters are moderated. There are multiple reasons for this; first and foremost complying with local laws, that are rather pointlessly try to make the internet "family friendly". Second, it is a matter of choice and direction where I want to take this site; I want a site more about the physical aspect of manly combat than a fantasy realm or simply a dating site. If you want a dating site for guys, I'm sure you know where to find one; this one here is a personals site specialized for fighting.

Simply put, I simply do not want a bunch of pornographic photo thumbnails to appear in the member ticker every time someone opens the site.

Unfortunately, this has lead photo moderation to become the worst point of friction between site administration and a segment of membership. While most of the photos are OK, there are some that are not, and once they are uploaded, we need to deal with them. Dealing with them involves sending a warning to the member, which is not a good experience for either party. And then this goes back and forth and it would seem that some guys just have to upload their extreme crotch closeup photos, no matter the price.

Personally I think the site is being misused because it can be misused; a perfect system is one that doesn't offer a bad option. So, I started thinking about a system that both promotes the site's original goals, mitigates the problems of the previous system, gives people more of what they want AND reduces my daily workload.

So, Where Do We Go From Here?

Here's my latest idea for dealing with photo moderation, modeled after the movie classification system that most people would be familiar with:

[IMAGE:http://www.allfighters.info/Content/images/Admin/photomod2.jpg]
  1. The process starts when a member uploads a photo.
  2. The freshly uploaded photo is "UNCATEGORIZED".
  3. A number of veteran members are given the right to categorize photos. They can see the list of "UNCATEGORIZED" photos, and quickly categorize them.

The proposed classifications are:

  1. "XXX" (Nudity, obvious sexual act, cock/ball grabbing or S&M.)
  2. "Softcore" (A photo that shows a closeup of the crotch, ass, or otherwise lets you make an educated guess as to the endowment of the depicted person. Also photos that depict something that resemble mating more than fighting.)
  3. "Clean" (General audience; no nudity or explicit content.)
  4. "G with face" (Same as above, but also shows the face of the person)
  5. "Gallery" (Drawing, closeup of shirt that shows no personal traits. Also, a photo that shows more than one people where it is unclear which is the profile owner. Also, a photo that is obviously not the profile owner because of a difference in age or build. Also, any photo bearing a logo of a video production company.)
  6. "Softcore Gallery" (Both "Gallery" and "Softcore" apply.)

In turn, photos with a given classification can be used in different ways:

UNCAT XXX Soft CleanClean+F Gall
Can be attached to message + + + + + +
Can be shown to members in profile - - + + + (1)
Can be shown to unregistered visitors in profile - - - + + (1)
Can be primary photo - - + + + -
Allows you to send messages or chat - - + + + -
Can appear in member ticker - - - + + -
(1) can only be shown in gallery
Private photos behave as if they were UNCATegorized
Softcore Callery is same as Gallery, except only registered members can see them.

Have a look at the recent moderations page for a few examples of each category.

[IMAGE:http://www.allfighters.info/Content/images/Admin/photomod3.jpg]

There are some benefits to the new system:

  • The new "Softcore" category is a middle ground between "moderated" photos and "Clean" photos.
  • More people can get involved in photo moderation.
  • No more administrator warnings for photo uploads!

Unfortunately the system will have some drawbacks as well:

  • A freshly uploaded photo might take a while to be properly categorized, forcing new members to wait a few hours before they can make full use of our site.

So, what do you think?

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Last edited on 9/06/2010 4:17 PM by Admin
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Comments

33

alnm (26)

9/02/2010 9:03 AM

I think it's a good job ;) I definitely agree with on the point that if u want a date, there ar emany more websites for this

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tonytrrr (7)

9/02/2010 9:07 AM

Too Confusing, too many grey areas.

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Opon84 (73 )

9/02/2010 12:16 PM

To me it seems a good idea .. hope only that the rating works in a matter of hours (24 or 36 maybe) and not of days or weeks, but that depends obviously on how many veterans there are and how often do they log on ... and this i don't know :)

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Churd (83 )

9/02/2010 1:16 PM

I think that this is a good idea. It will be interesting to see how it works out in real-time.

How many veterans will be required?

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Admin

9/02/2010 4:50 PM

Since this is a fighting site and all, my concept of "veteran" is someone who has many past opponents and positive recommendations. In a site like this, those are the people who should have a say in these matters.

To a lesser degree, I would consider geographic location (e.g. it's important to have moderation-capable members in all timezones), and to a yet lesser extent, donations, amount of time spent on the site, etc. What I want is a system that guarantees that there are eligible photo moderators online 24-7.

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Churd (83 )

9/02/2010 5:46 PM

(In reply to this)

More than happy to help if asked.

Since this is a fighting site and all, my concept of "veteran" is someone who has many past opponents and positive recommendations. In a site like this, those are the people who should have a say in these matters.

To a lesser degree, I would consider geographic location (e.g. it's important to have moderation-capable members in all timezones), and to a yet lesser extent, donations, amount of time spent on the site, etc. What I want is a system that guarantees that there are eligible photo moderators online 24-7.

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Riviera Wrestle (128)

9/03/2010 11:40 PM

(In reply to this)

Very happy to help, however,I think there should be less category

Since this is a fighting site and all, my concept of "veteran" is someone who has many past opponents and positive recommendations. In a site like this, those are the people who should have a say in these matters.

To a lesser degree, I would consider geographic location (e.g. it's important to have moderation-capable members in all timezones), and to a yet lesser extent, donations, amount of time spent on the site, etc. What I want is a system that guarantees that there are eligible photo moderators online 24-7.

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Tyger (106)

9/02/2010 6:21 PM

is there any way to have a bank of private photos here, which a member could attach to a message if they want to? some of us don't want to have our faces on general display, but happy to show our faces when we're fixing up a match. that way if some members want explicit pics they could be hidden away, and only shown in appropriate circumstances.

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Admin

9/02/2010 9:50 PM

(In reply to this)

You can already do this; just upload your photo as "private".

is there any way to have a bank of private photos here, which a member could attach to a message if they want to?
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UKrenegade (86)

9/03/2010 12:10 AM

I think the 'solution' is excellent. The great thing about this site is the relatively few fakers which makes it the BEST wrestle / fight community on the internet. We should all applaud Sile for the GREAT job he has done and give him all necessary support to keep the site on track. Innovations like past opponents and recommendations are clearly a major part of this but 'peer photo moderation' works great too. Gay Romeo uses such a system. We don't want the site hijacked and made into another general mess like many others.

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saesneg (0)

9/03/2010 3:49 PM

Am I right in understanding that pictures with a company logo on are to have restricted use on profiles?

The rason I ask is that all of mine do simply because I own them and copyright them as any other film maker would.

So you see I could fall foul of this even though I own the pictures.

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Admin

9/03/2010 5:01 PM

(In reply to this)

No. I wasn't talking about photos with a company logo. I was talking about photos that are logos, like this one.

Am I right in understanding that pictures with a company logo on are to have restricted use on profiles? could fall foul of this even though I own the pictures.
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saesneg (0)

9/04/2010 9:05 PM

(In reply to this)

I couldn't view the picture you link to as it no longer appears to be there.....but that's fine as you've answered my question anyway.

Thank you.

No. I wasn't talking about photos with a company logo. I was talking about photos that are logos, like this one.
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saesneg (0)

9/03/2010 3:56 PM

Am I right in understanding that pictures with a company logo on are to have restricted use on profiles?

The reason I ask is that all of mine do simply because I own them and copyright them as any other film maker would.

So you see I could fall foul of this even though I own the pictures.

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need2wrslnow (5)

9/04/2010 11:56 PM

Sounds complicated.

I just moved one of pics and now it`s deleted LOL.

Thanks

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nu2rasln (43)

9/05/2010 5:42 AM

Sounds very good to me. Im here to wrestle and fight.

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MCRLON30UK (54)

9/05/2010 10:21 AM

No porn on here, please. If people are into erotic wrestling it's quite possible to put suggestive pictures on your profile without having your genitalia waving around. There are other users on this site who are here for sport-only and it won't encourage them to participate if there's a possibility of a waving penis every time they click on a profile. If we *really* need overtly suggestive pictures (like headscissors or similar), then these can be kept as private only pictures that can only be attached to messages. Otherwise profile pictures should be gratuitous-free, but of course people could push the buck a bit there by wearing skimpy gear, but as long as bits aren't hanging out, that should be fine. The categories I'd like are Softcore with face (only for messages), softcore without face (only for private messaged), G (for profile or gallery), and G with face (only on the front page of your profile). Ideally, no copyrighted images should be in the gallery (some people just hit copy/paste on UFC or BG East or similar pictures, and they shouldn't, really), of course, if they're your OWN pictures that are copyrighted, that's fine, as long as you don't mind that they're probably going to be copied by other pic collector users. With the photo moderation, I'm already doing it, and I'm happy to continue to do it, although of course I have less free time now that I'm full-time employed, but I reckon I should have enough time to do some of it. Anyways, the site is free! If you have to wait a few hours for your profile to be approved, that's a small price to pay, really. And no completely off-category pictures (ie. some people upload the default Windows desktop backgrounds as their category), or a tree, or your pet. It's irrelevant, it takes up server space, keep it for your Facebook page or similar.

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AZTRAVELGUY (0)

9/05/2010 11:21 AM

Proposed new rules are too confusing. Leave nudity out of the site. Members are always free to send these photos on their own to any interested party they hook up with. You can also list your web link that contains them.

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hashbock (135)

9/05/2010 8:10 PM

I'm a little confused about how to rate photos that have two wrestlers wrestling in regards to profile/gallery, so I'm asking for some guidance.

As an example, I have two photos on my profile, both of me and another wrestling (different opponent in the two pics) In both pics, I'm the only wrestler whose face is visible. In one the other face is blurred, and in the other the person's face is behind my torso. Should photos like this be rated as gallery pics, or can they be rated as profile pics?

In my opinion, I think it's pretty clear which wrestler is me, so I tend to think these two examples should be allowed as profile pics, but I'm unsure.

When we are rating this type of pic as profile or gallery, should we use any judgement about whether it is clear or not which wrestler is the profiled wrestler?

If so, which of the following criteria, would be acceptable? Other face blurred, blacked out, not visible? One face masked, one face not? One face consistent with the face appearing in other photos on the profile?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

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Admin

9/06/2010 4:15 PM

I added a new page showing recent moderations that will give you a few examples for each category. I hope this helps!

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StrikeFighter (61 )

9/06/2010 7:49 PM

In a few words: excellent idea; too many categories.

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MancsMonkey (0)

9/07/2010 5:00 PM

People use this site for different resaons - many connected with sex and they like to mix it with wrestle like I do. Indeed, the way the site is set up encourages that - likes and dislikes etc. Other guys simply want to hone their wrestling skills with another (gay/bi) guy and feel comfortable and perhaps not risk homophobia. So comments about "manly" men reflect Neanderthal views on what counts as properly masculine and the barbed comments about "dating site" comes across as Polyanna-ish barely masking quite a dictatorial and paternalistic intent.

Quite simply, rather than this over-elaborate system of censorship being proposed - and we are all grown-ups on this site by the way - and if crotch shots still offend, issue a warning upfront and if that is ignored then you have every right to say that the perssn has infringed the terms/conditions of site membership. On the other hand, relax, take a chill pill, you could just leave it be and let people make their own minds up. Nobody is going to be traumatsied. As a compromise, and like the Recon site (which has a Fighting group) and the Caffmoss community site (for older gay guys) why not have a hidden gallery for more explicit photos and where anyone who wants to view them might ask for a password from the profilee who also has the right to withhold access/viewing. The point is there is a way round this that is simpler, fairer and better than the asinine one being proposed. Sorry but I hate any whiff of paternalism or reduction of the service to the whims of one person when people use this site for different reasons. But thank you organisers for making this a community site and I do really like and appreciate it!

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Sturdy (31)

9/07/2010 9:19 PM

This system works well on other sites and I'm sure it will work here.

I agree wholeheartedly that this site should be focussed on fighting. Guys who want erotic, fantasy or any other kind of pretend fighting can go to the fetish site Recon. Let's keep it real!

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WrestleForFun NL (11)

9/10/2010 2:29 AM

I really like this site and understand that nude/suggestive pictures make feel some people uncomfortable here, so let's restrict these to private messages or to xxx-galleries.

But don't get too strict/fanatic please, I disagree that this site should be 100% about fighting for everyone. People with no interest in fighting wouldn't look for this site anyway, you can be sure that every member here likes fighting.

By the way, I'd like to help with the moderation.

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MancsMonkey (0)

9/10/2010 11:16 AM

Yeah, sorry admin guys, my mistake. Problem of skim reading and 23 other commentators does suggest a keen level of interest and should have left my comments here alone. Yeah, I guess I am in favour of the present more laissez fair - leave it to members to decide for themselves - system. It seems that most commentators are in favour of the shift in emphasis onto the combative rather than the erotic though many of us find that a distinction that is hard to make and it was a big part of motives to take up the sport. However, their voices may not be representative as those opposing the move may for whatever reason have been less inclined to comment. At root, the way that profiles/preferences etc are configured legimates the emphasis on sexual enjoyment. To offer this from the start and take this away now just seems wrong to me and others who enjoy the site for the very real opportunities it gives for grapple-sex. The answer is very simple. Guys are quite capable of signalling upfront that they dont want sex and that it is all about the grapple tho even this has distinct sexual undertones. Also, not everyone wants to go on Recon for a whole range of personal and economic reasons and if u cant afford Recon (or even Global Fighters) full membership, your acess is restricted to only so many messages a day. I am astounded at the level of almost Whitehousian puritanism about explicit pics when all of us must have consumed some kind of porn at some point. I think the above commentator has hit the right note when he counsels against being too "fanatic/strict."

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readyforit (102)

12/15/2012 7:39 PM

(In reply to this)

I agree with MancsMonkey. The site is brilliant as is because it allows all sorts of guys with an interest in wrestling to join in. And astonishingly it is free. In their profile members feel free to be candid and are able to express what they want, be it pure wrestling or wrestling mixed with erotic fantasy. That is the beauty of the site. It has been created for all types of people with all types of preferences based around wrestling. As for erotic pictures of members, they instantly flag the type of bouts they wish to have. They are obvious and members who are into pure wrestling can just ignore those particular members. Variety is the spice of life. Long may this astonishing site continue.

Readyforit

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B-Grappler (4)

9/11/2010 8:00 AM

I totally agree with classification of photos and availability based on type of photo and member. There may be a few too many categories, but not a major issue.

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Sturdy (31)

9/11/2010 11:50 PM

"There are no photos to moderate at this time."

Looks like we did it!

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need2wrslnow (5)

9/13/2010 2:13 PM

Firstly, my photo`s are set to restricted and G-Rated -

so none of my pics have or will ever be in the ticker tape.

I am here to arrange matches.

With this new moderation system of censoring -

my photo`s have been placed repeatedly in my Gallery

instead of in my Main Cover profile section.

On occasion this had rendered my membership as extremely

limited - no chat and can only answer messages from other

members.

This is both frustrating and pointless as it applies to my

profile here on AllFighters.

This only encourages us to have a stagnant page here,

because upon changing any of your pics you risk them being

placed in the Gallery section - thus rendering your

membership as virtually useless, unless you repeatedly

re-up said photos and someone has the sense to realize that

they are indeed cover pics and Not Gallery photos.

This is a huge flaw in the new system, and only encourages

two things -

(1) never change your profile and remain stagnant

(2) non participation in the site

The solution would be to have a less limited rating system

as applied to designating one`s Cover photo to be placed in

said Main page.

Thanks

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Sturdy (31)

9/14/2010 1:01 AM

need2wrslnow - What type of picture do you want as a cover photo? Are you uploading pictures that show you wrestling, or pictures that are just of you?

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need2wrslnow (5)

9/14/2010 2:45 AM

(In reply to this)

need2wrslnow - What type of picture do you want as a cover photo? Are you uploading pictures that show you wrestling, or pictures that are just of you?
G-Rated photos of just me - usually in a t-shirt. That`s it.
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Sturdy (31)

9/14/2010 11:57 PM

Weird. I'll look out for you when I do my moderating (which I do about every day)

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need2wrslnow (5)

9/15/2010 9:52 AM

Weird Yes. Thanks Sturdy. Good looking out.

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