Conspicuous marking for minors

Do you have an idea to make the forum better? Easier to use? Submit it!
User avatar
Alys-RaccoonReadings
venerated member
venerated member
Posts: 2766
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 11:43 pm
Answers: 0
8
You are...: a practitioner
My super power would be...: Ability to shape-shift
My magical/paranormal name...: Alys
Zodiac:

I’ve been thinking about this over the last year or so, and I think it would be beneficial and probably wise to create a clear marker for children under the age of eighteen next to their names (including in mobile mode) when they post. It could be appended to their profile pictures or next to their names.

This would serve two purposes.

First, it would somewhat protect adult members legally. In some jurisdictions (including some US states,) it is a tort to interfere with a minor’s religion in a way that is contrary to their parent/guardian’s wishes. While it is a rare action to bring, it is still brought and sometimes successful.

Second, it would allow forum members to better tailor suggestions and advice when such are requested. We are much more careful, for example, about recommending coming out of the “broom closet” when we know someone is a minor. You may have a 17 year old and a 19 year old in situations that are otherwise the same, but to one you might say, “You do you,” and to the other you might say, “Careful what you do—there’s time to be free later.”


User avatar
Likes2Read
sanctified
sanctified
Posts: 10265
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 7:49 pm
Answers: 0
10
You are...: a practitioner
Number of Spirits: 0
Spelled Number: 0
My super power would be...: Ability to shape-shift
Zodiac:

I have another reason why this is a good idea: so they can’t be approved for the 18+ forum until they actually are 18. I know minors can very easily locate adult content online, but it doesn’t have to be here. ;)


Visit The Lightworker's Sphere on Etsy for my handmade wands, metaphysical gemstone jewelry, and meditation binaural/isochronic audio files.
User avatar
Alys-RaccoonReadings
venerated member
venerated member
Posts: 2766
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 11:43 pm
Answers: 0
8
You are...: a practitioner
My super power would be...: Ability to shape-shift
My magical/paranormal name...: Alys
Zodiac:

Likes2Read wrote:I have another reason why this is a good idea: so they can’t be approved for the 18+ forum until they actually are 18. I know minors can very easily locate adult content online, but it doesn’t have to be here. ;)
Hard agree. Although, I admit, I had until this moment naively assumed that there were already some kind of automatic safeguards in place to prevent that from happening. If there aren't, that is huge criminal liability exposure for all adults involved, including CH.

I remember running across a thread not so long ago where the poster was asking for advice about whether to get an incubus/succubus/nypho type spirit, and everyone was very encouraging of that. Until it came out that the poster was FIFTEEN. And it immediately became, "Oh, honey, there is time to wait on that." And that was NOT in the 18+ section.

I'm also remembering the incident in chat not too long ago where a minor threatened suicide. Again, that's a huge potential issue for everyone interacting with a minor under those circumstances.

And while I'm talking a lot about the liability and conduct of the adults, all of those considerations are designed to protect the minors. No one wants a child harmed (kicked out of their home) or traumatized (repeated traumatizing attempts to correct unapproved behavior) because they were treated like an adult or given the kind of advice one might give to a financially and legally self-sufficient adult.


User avatar
Adrasteia
active contributor
active contributor
Posts: 579
Joined: Wed May 23, 2018 3:47 pm
Answers: 0
5
You are...: in the learning process
Your favorite spirit to work with: Human and Vampire
If I could be anything, I would be...: a valuable person
My super power would be...: Ability to shape-shift
Zodiac:

Wait, isn't there a membership for minors? (Okay, this doesn't seem to work obviously.)
It's not a bad idea but how should they verify their age?


Image
User avatar
Alys-RaccoonReadings
venerated member
venerated member
Posts: 2766
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 11:43 pm
Answers: 0
8
You are...: a practitioner
My super power would be...: Ability to shape-shift
My magical/paranormal name...: Alys
Zodiac:

Adrasteia wrote:Wait, isn't there a membership for minors? (Okay, this doesn't seem to work obviously.)
It's not a bad idea but how should they verify their age?
Short of those containing pornographic material, most sites seem to simply require you to provide your birthdate and check the box certifying it's true. Just as is the case now, that birthdate does not have to be visible to all of us. Just the under eighteen marker does.

My hunch is that would be adequate for the purposes most of the forum members so long as they were not attempting to interact sexually with another member through the PM system. The default--that is, without a member outing themselves as having lied on the age verification--would be that we would be relying in good faith on the member's not lying (and good faith is not always good enough in that PM situation.)

CH's attorney would absolutely know best whether that suffices for CH's protection when accessing the 18+ sections.

But in the general realm of the ethics, morals, and practicalities of the question...self-reported age verification with under-18 profile-marking attached to that is the bare minimum that should be done now that we are discussing the idea.

I want to be EXTREMELY clear about something: I'm not saying CH has been careless of this up to this point. I know they take this kind of thing VERY seriously. They have said they do, and I 100% believe it. I'm only suggesting that, after a lot of very careful consideration, I think it's best for everyone--especially CH--to make this change. That suicide-threat incident could have had very detrimental consequences for CH, I care about CH, and I think this is an easy-to-implement safeguard in the wake of that.


Noctua
sanctified
sanctified
Posts: 12651
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 6:24 pm
Answers: 0
14
You are...: experienced
Zodiac:

But, let's emphasize this.. kids lie.
Lol.
If it worked, that'd be great though. (And yes, as far as I recall there was a membership level for 'Kids' but I don't see it active at all, so who knows what happened with that..)

We could just offer two forms of advice, under 18 advice *THIS WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU ARE UNDER 18*, and over 18 advice *THIS WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU ARE OVER 18*. And really strongly, like yell that in all caps so they understand.

Age verification never works anywhere unless you have faith in people not to lie to circumvent rules they may not understand are in place for serious reasons.

So I agree, that marking of people Under 18 would be helpful, but I have no idea how it could be implemented in a satisfactory way.


User avatar
Alys-RaccoonReadings
venerated member
venerated member
Posts: 2766
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 11:43 pm
Answers: 0
8
You are...: a practitioner
My super power would be...: Ability to shape-shift
My magical/paranormal name...: Alys
Zodiac:

It would in no way be foolproof. But it’s the least that could be done.

I, for one, am more comfortable offering the wrong advice to a lying minor than to one who was honest but that I just didn’t realize was a minor.

I apply that preference on both the ethical front and the legal exposure front. It’s a small and simple thing that would have some positive effect and shift some risk. It’s a great case for never letting perfection be the enemy of improvement.


Noctua
sanctified
sanctified
Posts: 12651
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 6:24 pm
Answers: 0
14
You are...: experienced
Zodiac:

By all means if we can get the Kid label up and running again I approve of it, I'm just going to have to very gently scrutinize persons I know are lying and give them underwhelming advice until they are real with me. Lol.


User avatar
Alys-RaccoonReadings
venerated member
venerated member
Posts: 2766
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 11:43 pm
Answers: 0
8
You are...: a practitioner
My super power would be...: Ability to shape-shift
My magical/paranormal name...: Alys
Zodiac:

Lol, does scrutiny really have to be very gentle? Surely navigating rigorous and unemotional scrutiny is an important life lesson at any age? ;)


User avatar
Regholdain
venerated member
venerated member
Posts: 2190
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:16 pm
Answers: 0
5
You are...: in the learning process
Male/Female: Male
Number of Spirits: 35
Spelled Number: 40
Your favorite spirit to work with: Demons
If I could be anything, I would be...: Human. :)
My super power would be...: See spirits in true form

So what really surprises me is that Nympho/Incubus/Succubus are NOT in an Adult Only section. I find that actually to be a bit odd. They are sexual spirits and in my mind should not be able to be openly discussed in a non-adult section.

Additionally, the only entity in CH's shop that does not have this warning: "You must be over 18 years of age to read or purchase this listing." is the Concuan Living Entity. I think it's very odd this isn't also on the Nympho/Incubus/Succubus spirits as well, especially considering the descriptions provided for nympho are pretty graphic when purchased.

So their shop could use some further commentary as well, supposing their legal team deemed it appropriate. I'm going to guess it was already considered at some point and was considered unnecessary based on account requirements for purchasing, but even browsing the shop without an account could expose a minor to all the sex spirits without giving the "over 18" warning. Sure, minors probably ignore that (I know I did growing up when hitting up internet bulletin boards for pics), but I'd think the warning should be there.

Regardless, that said, I agree - I'd like to see a "under 18" tag also, so I know who I'm responding to, at least on the surface. I post a lot in the Nympho/Succubus/Incubus section, since that was my first spirit and my most interactive spirits.

Either way this is a good reminder to control content of discussions in any section. I don't always censor myself in every thread. LOL


X..X Memento Mori X..X
*>* Memento Vivere *>*

"I look upon death to be as necessary to our constitution as sleep. We shall rise refreshed in the morning." - Benjamin Franklin
Post Reply

Return to “Forum Suggestions”