MySpace Censorship: Filtering Images Gone Wild
Another good idea is proving to be problematic when put into action on MySpace. They have an image filtering solution in place which (in theory) converts TOS violating images into a little image which simply has the text “Terms of Service Violation” on it. It does so by checking urls within image tags against a blacklist and replacing blacklisted image urls with the url to their TOS image.
Example:
If a MySpace admin adds http://www.ghettowebmaster.com/images/naked-dead-hooker.gif to the blacklist…
this…
<img src="http://www.ghettowebmaster.com/images/naked-dead-hooker.gif" />
will be converted into this…<img src="http://x.myspace.com/images/tos.gif" />
…every time someone attempts to post it.
All instances of the original image posted before the url is added to the blacklist will remain as-is. The only exception to this is instances of the original image posted as part of a profile. In that case, the image will remain as-is until the profile is updated.
This system is currently filtering images on profiles, profile comments, groups, forums, and picture comments. MySpace blogs and their comments are still free from image and url filtering.
Good idea, right? I’ll gladly argue you into the ground if you think otherwise. So, where’s the problem? Many of the computers used by MySpace admins are infected with a serious case of the PEBKAC Virus. For those of you that don’t know and are too lazy to click that last link, PEBKAC is an acronym which stands for “Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair”. Some of the MySpace admins are being insanely overzealous with their magical image censorship wands.
— FAIR WARNING —
*** Scrolling Further Down Will Reveal Images MySpace Has Deemed Obscene ***
— FAIR WARNING —
*** The Below Makes Cable TV Look Like Hardcore Porn ***
— FAIR WARNING —
*** [Insert Something Witty Here] ***
— FAIR WARNING —
*** [Insert Something Here That Makes You Question My Comedic Ability] ***
— FAIR WARNING —
*** [Insert Something Here That's Hilarious When Coupled With That Last Line] ***
— FAIR WARNING —
………………………………..
……………………….
………………..
…………
…….
….
Blacklisted Image URL:
http://critiquesdemusic.canalblog.com/images/Nirvana_Nevermind_Front.jpg
Image Hosted There:
I have to agree with Kurt on this one…
Geffen prepared an alternate cover without the penis, as they were afraid that it would offend people, but relented when [Kurt] Cobain made it clear that the only compromise he would accept was a sticker covering the penis that would say “If you’re offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile.” – Wikipedia
Blacklisted Image URL:
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6387/velveeta7an.jpg
Image Hosted There:
That’s not an old ad by Kraft. It’s a piece by artist Mel Ramos from 1965. He was part of the artistic movement from which Andy Warhol is most famous.
The above examples were posted in this group thread.
Another Filtered Image:
I don’t have the blacklisted image url for this one.
I had an image on my profile that someone apparently took offense to, so MySpace replaced it with their “Terms Of Service Violation” picture (a gif that says Terms Of Service Violation in black letters on a white background…
Oh, I forgot to mention a couple of things about the picture. It was of a painting of Eve and the serpent representing the beginning of sin, and was in fact called “The Sin” (Die Sünde in German). It was painted by the German artist Franz Von Stuck in 1893, and is currently located in the Neue Pinakothek, a museum in Munich, Germany. The museum describes itself as, “the Neue Pinakothek is now the most important museum of art of the nineteenth century in the world”. – RaScarabous
Modern Nipples However Are Not Obscene:
What was the most popular MySpace blog entry on May 26 of 2007?
I’m glad you happened to ask…
I got a bunch of messages that day from people bitching about a nipple making an appearance in those “Hot Preview Pics”. MySpace surely got a bunch of messages about it too. They have always turned a blind eye towards the Suicide Girls though. Why? Those chicks all have TONS of friends on MySpace and produce thousands upon thousands of page views everyday. So, it’s a money thing. And, the Suicide Girls are one of the many things that helped MySpace build up traffic / members in the first place.
The picture in question is still posted on that “blog entry” (ad for their softcore porn site).
Not That It Matters:
I really don’t know why anyone would bother but the filtering can easily be circumvented. The blacklist is comprised of strict urls, so simply adding a “www” prefix to the Nirvana album cover got it through. Tossing one (or several) extra backslashes into a url will also do the trick…
http://www.ghettowebmaster.com//////////images//////naked-dead-hooker.gif
In Summary:
I think the image filtering solution is a good idea. MySpace just needs to police / train their admins better and only filter images which blatantly violate their TOS.
They’ve been doing this for a while, (and while I’m sure my old antics on myspace didn’t help things at all) like you said, there are ways around it. I usually just uploaded the pic in question to my photobucket or any other image hosting site and used the new URL that they automatically assigned to get it through.
Either way, I’m not at all surprised that myspace would be censoring art that has no effect on their financial bottom line. I’m even less surprised that a monkey with a keyboard can get around the only security measure they put into place to make sure no ones eyes are ever soiled by the sight of infant penis….
By the way, how the hell are yah meing? Lots of changes in the hood since I left I see lol. Be good to the Ninjina ;-)
Lata
Nick
All good in the hood this way, Nick.
/infant penis is teh scary. Runs!
So sad that ANYONE would take offense to something as innocent as a baby’s penis! The poor thing was too young at the time of the picture to even have “naughty” or “dirty” thoughts. It’s a damned shame that people have pushed “religion” into every aspect of everyone else’s lives… even those that don’t believe in it… so much so that we all have to watch what we say or do, because we don’t want something as innocent as a human body to offend someone else who happens to think that our own bodies are “sinful”, and that our sexuality (or our thoughts about sexuality) are somehow “sinful”. The whole thing pisses me off. Obviously a bunch of idiots over there… to the point where I hardly use myspace anymore. It only serves to piss me off.
… by the way… it makes me wonder if some of these people even realize that without “sex”, none of us would be here, lmao! What on earth is so dirty about it? And, if it’s so dirty, then how come it is the ONLY thing that ensure’s the survival of humans?
You know that’s why they take such offense about something like a nipple… it’s too reminiscent of sex and sexuality. Seems like myspace needs to hire some ADULTS over there!
I hate that nirvana cover, always have. Kurt should have stuck to music and left decision making and suicide to emos.