DearDiary1
Dear Diary.Net Admin Diary

Diaries with Adult Content
Tue May 29 2001

This is probably long overdue but finally, we're pleased to announce protection from diaries with adult content for the kids, and protection from breaking laws for authors of adult diaries. A win win situation, we hope!

If you write a diary that contains adult content you MUST place your diary in the Adult Genre. Any diary in the Adult Genre will NOT allow access unless the person concerned has a valid AdultVerifier account. An AdultVerifier account will verify your age by means that are accepted legally in the US, and probably most of the rest of the world, by charging a membership fee to your credit card. Yes, sorry its another pay for service, but in reality there is no other accepted online way to prove your age. We hope people who want to read the adult diaries will understand, particularly since there are so many kids who read and write diaries here.

We had a choice really, that was to provide an option whereby adults who want to read adult diaries have that freedom, and indeed adults who want to write adult diaries also have that freedom, but without exposing under age people to what may be in their content, or to completely ban adult diaries.

As you know, DearDiary.Net ISN'T as free and easy as some of the other diary sites. Thats because we believe we have a duty to protect the children of our world and protect the general, decent people from those that would abuse their anonymity. However, we don't disagree with adult material, in the right place and shown to the right audience, so these checks are in place to ensure that the material can only reach the right audience. (Incidentally, that first sentence isn't intended to imply that authors writing adult material aren't decent people!)

Anyway, feel free to provide feedback about this to the usual addresses...

A note to ALL diarists who write adult material. PLEASE move your diary into the Adult Genre as soon as possible. The Terms and Conditions will be updated such that adult diaries will be made immediately private if they are found outside of the Adult Genre. Please respect our policy on this. To change the Genre in which your diary is placed, login, click Customize then choose General Diary Option > Basic Settings. You will see the genre list. Adult is (at least at the moment) at the bottom.

If you're NOT an adult diary reader, and you come across an adult diary that is not in the Adult Genre, please mail [email protected] and let us know the user name or diary ID. We will move the diary manually as soon as possible.

Before I sign off, I know this may be controversial, and I understand if people don't like the idea. Please feel free to express your opinions to us on the issue. I can't guarantee we will be able to please everyone that writes, but we will try where we can.

Steve.

38 Comments

From:
DaffyDuck (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
This is a great move!!! Thanks guys!!!
From:
ShadowRose (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
As a parent, I wholeheartedly agree with this and appreciate it very much. Thank You!!
From:
Jamisinc (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
As a mom I say thank you.
Jami
From:
Bickmea (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
As a teen, I think this is a great move, but just wondering....
What exactly do u define as an "adult" diary??
Thanks!
-Bickmea-
From:
Salamander (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Right on.
From:
Daveinbawlmer (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Ok,
So now I pay for the Premium User and now I have to pay to access my own fucking diary! I just changed mine to adult and now I have to pay $20 to read it. Fuck this shit!

Let parents do their fucking jobs and watch what their kids are doing.
From:
Franny (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
hi guys,
this may sound kind of funny, but what do you consider an adult diary? someone who writes sexually explicit material, someone who uses adult language (ie.cuss words), etc...
i moved my diary to the adult section, but i'm not sure if it should be there. dang, half the time, even if i write entries with sexual content, noone can figure it out cuz i write too dang cryptic!LOL! anyhow, i was a little worried about the kids and what they were reading.. so i think this is a great idea, what i'm worried about are people who might access my diary from clix...will it be a pain in the neck for them? and will i have to pay to access another diary in the adult section? i'm a little unclear about the payment information. would appreciate some clarity. thanks guys.
:-) as usual, you guys are on top of things!!
From:
Daveinbawlmer (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Hey,
At least change it so if I log in under daveinbawlmer i can look at my own fucking diary without the age verifier. Shit. You guys honestly think I'm going to pay someone $20.00 to read my own fucking diary.

Get a fucking clue!
From:
NightHawk (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
daveinbawlmer,
You should keep your big dirty mouth shut if I was you! Your entries are really sexually explict. It's like watching a porno movie. You should be more responsible for what you write. If you want to write these kind of things, you shuold have made these nasty entries private...there wouldn't be a problem!
From:
Coolmom (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
This is definitely a smart move on your part and as a parent I am appreciative. However, there could be a fine line on some "adult" material. A lot of people swear in their entries (myself included). If your diary doesn't have sexual or drug content in it, does it have to be moved to the adult genre catagory? I think this may cause a lot of confusion, but in the end I'm sure everyone will be mostly satisfied. Keep up the good work!
From:
Atlas (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Woah there. I'm a bit confused by that animal thing...

We can still write about illegal things, right? I mean, if I rob a liquor store I can still write about it?
From:
Franny (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
what about making it mandatory that the sexually explicit entries be made private? sometimes i write "normal" entries with no cuss words, rarely do i write sexually explicit entries and if i do, they are very abstract. how can and who can distinguish and make these decisions. i have a sneaking suspicion that many diarists fall in the grey area as opposed to the black or white of it. also, i believe this will have an impact on the hits dd gets, noone will want to shell out $$ every time they want access to an adult diary, and if they are not dd diarist, they will soon grow weary of accessing anything at dd. now i am not implying that protecting children is not top priority. i have often not left comments in their diaries fearing they might look mine up...and before the comment policy was in place, i'd use other names such as feathergirl...so, sounds like you guys have your work cut out for you. but i don't doubt you'll come up on top. :-)
From:
DaffyDuck (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
To Altas,
ROFL!!!
From:
Miraclewhip (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
There's some professor of ethics at Princeton who advocates the 'animal thing', I don't know if that means its legal in the USA or not. Thank God for British sensibilities, or he'd be able to disseminate his nasty ideas in DD.

Congratulations on trying to implement a rating system, there of course will be nuances you'll have to work out (like how frequently can you get away with the F word and still retain general rating)...I'M SURE YOU KNEW YOU WOULD GET A LOT OF FLACK FOR IT, BUT HANG TOUGH!

I sometimes get the feeling that 15 year olds think the only way they can 'be popular' online is to run a JrErotica Site. Hopefully this move will take some of the pressure off them.
From:
Hlmurphy (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
I understand people's frustration about the charge- but I appreciate your efforts to keep this a site that everyone can use- both adults and children- without getting in one anothers' way.

And for Atlas, I'm pretty sure this diary could be used as evidence after you commit that felony.
From:
LisaMarie (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Way to go guys. You know I've been asking for this since way back. I know its going to be rough to decide what is suppose to be in the adult genre and what is ok outside.

About the $20 fee for the verifier...think of this folks...that verifier is used in more than one site so you don't just get access to the adult DD journals and no money is going to DD for this. Its still a free place to write if you choose to do so.
From:
Deardiary1 (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
To answer LisaMarie (and I'm bored of keep writing entries!) we do actually get a percentage of the fee thats sent to adultverifier.

Most of that will go toward my time tonight answering this bloody lot! ;-)

Steve.
From:
Acharmedlife (Unauthenticated) (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
So, excessive use of the * F * word will be considered adult content?? I would think and hope so.

Heres what I see; People who use these animated backgrounds and then use expletives straight from the back alley. I hope that language falls under adult content

PS. I do have a diary here but it seems as if I can't log in to leave comments.
From:
Miraclewhip (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
LOL! It's not like I'm proud of it or anything.
From:
Sparkler (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
::Scratchin head not sure if she likes all the sounds of this or not:::

So umm help me out here. I cannot afford to pay the $20. If I could I would. So does this mean I cant read any adult material diaries?? Cause I have some fave diaries around here, so will I be banned from visiting all of them if they are in adult category?

Matt and Steve Ill mail you a copy of my drivers licensce?? ::giggles::
From:
ShadowRose (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Sorry this has been a big hassle for you guys and that you've caught so much flak about it. But, you're doing the right thing and I really appreciate it.
From:
Silent (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
wow..you guys are awesome. that is really cool. sometimes i read the "bad" entries- dont really want to, but they're addicting. so glad i cant now. thanks!

sarah
From:
Serenity (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Thank you guys!! Thanks for fixing the pop up ads too!!!

You guys are great!!!

Fi Amanillah
From:
Plaything (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Here's a question that I haven't seen answered as yet:

If I have sex, can I still write about it? If I can still write about it, is it that now I can't describe it? Or can I describe it, but just not pornographically? Who gets to choose my words? Is there a certain percentage of content that must appear in a diary to make it adult?

What about adult situations like domestic abuse, or rape, or things like that? No longer allowed without the adult banner?

Just don't see how this is possible... or why it's necessary. What happened to parents policing their own kids?
From:
Pringles (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Hey!!...fantastic!!!..really, I want to congratulate you guys..I've seen a few diaries out there that just shouldn't been public...daveinbawlmer was one of them..especailly that mirror mirror one!...anyway, thanks..*S*....GREAT JOB!!
From:
Miraclewhip (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
This really isn't all that confusing.

Don Quixote has a rape scene in it and it's not X-rated. Domestic abuse is described in Dickens without his needing to be racy.

X-rated material is written with a clear intent to sexually arouse its readers.

Nobody who's smart enough to write that way should be confused about what is and isn't adult writing.
From:
Plaything (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
Well, I just happen to be eloquent and I don't think I should be penalized (no pun intended) for my word usage, just because *someone* might find it offensive.
From:
Princess16 (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
I am not quite sure whats going on here. What do you consider "adult material"? Is it just crude vulgar language or what? I mean I use profanity in my diary but my diary by far is not "adult material"...
From:
Buggie (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
*smiles*

thank you :o)

now i have to stop swearin...
an thats a GOOD thing too.
So it aint just helpin kids not see stuff they shouldnt but its helpin kids like me cut down on swearin which is a bad habit anyway hehe

An just so u no...
too all them ppl sayin why don't parents poilce wot kids see...
well some parents do.
i no momma rose dus for me.
but some kids sneak online to vent in a diary cos they aint got nowhere else to write wot is goin on for them that is safe.
not all parents r good parents.
an no amount of "this is the parents responsibility" is gonna chage that.

the DD team care bout kids
an sometimes for some kids they r the only ones lookin out for em.
is that a crime?
no its commendable.
an even tho momma rose likes too keep up with wot i am doin on the net
i am grateful for the extra backup :o)

so thanks unkies
ur doin a great job

an for all them complainin...
well there r other diary sites
so it aint the end of the world is it?

an on another note...

i am havin truble leavin comments in ppl's diaries.
if i have more than one diary open
an i wanna leave a comment in a diary
it opens the last diary's comments page an not the one i wanna leave a comment in.
like if i wanna leave a comment in here for instance but i have mine open it opens my comments not urs.
is weird
am i doin somethin wrong?

*leaves snuuggles*

thanks :o)

love lil buggie
From:
Mouse14 (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
^^^^^^^^^^^^^

thats the same thing it did to me

i think thats why my comment showed up in 2x in your diary buggie... im sorry :o(

mousie
From:
Just Passing Thru (Unauthenticated) (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
I agree that sexually explicit diaries shouldn't be easily accessed. However, don't you think that some diaries here promote hatred and animosity towards certain groups and other diarists?

Should our children be exposed to that kind of brainwashing too?

Something to think about!
From:
Lilith (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
No questions. I understand the above :)
I will clean up my potty mouth.

I'm still a virgin so I don't write about sex.

I don't mind the banner ads at all. I click on them from time to time.

Good work guys.
From:
Lilith (Legacy)
On:
Tue May 29 2001
I just read all the comments.

LMAO

What a headache.
From:
Miraclewhip (Legacy)
On:
Wed May 30 2001
Yeah, where is Steve while all this is going on?
From:
Miraclewhip (Legacy)
On:
Wed May 30 2001
I APOLOGIZE FOR MY UNCLEAR COMMENT ABOUT 15 YEAR OLDS MADE ABOVE.

I meant to say SOME 15 year olds, not all.
Thankyou.
From:
Bbwgoddess4u (Legacy)
On:
Wed May 30 2001
Passes Steve the headache relief medicine...gee folks, lighten up on the guy. I personally think he and Matt do a phenomenal job providing a service most of us use for FREE. This is the thanks they get for trying to keep this site open and accessible to people of ALL ages and temperaments? You act like they are saying there can be no adult-content diaries. They could have chosen that route. You don't HAVE to pay extra. You will CHOOSE to pay extra for the access to adult material. Most sites use the same kind of service.

As for the stupid comments about people policing their own children. Is it okay for a flasher to expose himself to children as long as HE doesn't have any children? After all, the parents should have kept the children away from him. Grow up and be responsible for your own actions. If you are "adult" enough to write an explicit diary, you should be "adult" enough to do so responsibly and not whine like a toddler about how terrible these good people are.

Steve & Matt, perhaps you should CHARGE for the abuse?
From:
Bridgetluvszach (Legacy)
On:
Wed May 30 2001
i just wanted to say that i also think that this is a great idea. i don't think my diay is considered adult content. but there may possibly be a couple of entries where i used the f-word too much.(mad at the boyfriend) i just wanted to say that you guys are doing a great job.
From:
BargeArk (Legacy)
On:
Wed May 30 2001
Just in case anyone is counting I would like to add my support to the many others and state quite firmly that those who think its no on should grow up (then they may understand).

I have part-time step parent responcibilities for a 7 year old and KNOW first hand the damage which can be caused to young mind from teen and adult PlayStation games which he is allowed to play by his mother. I dread to think how this little lad would turn out if he was exposed to some of the diaries I have read on this site.

More power to your elbows lads

DearDiary1 Dear Diary.Net Admin Diary

Diaries with Adult ContentTue May 29 2001

DearDiary1
Dear Diary.Net Admin Diary

Diaries with Adult Content
Tue May 29 2001