Nude & Natural Magazine Naturism is the Way. |
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Nude & Natural Magazine Naturism is the Way. |
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No Net Nudity Allowed!
THE INTERNET was first established as a communications network for sharing information between government entities. The system of interconnected computers at remote locations was meant to insure that if one area was disabled, communications could continue without it. It was, essentially, designed to be a defense tool during times of national crisis. In time, educational institutions, businesses, high- tech developers, and technology-savvy individuals joined the government in exchanging information through this vast network.
In the early days of civilian use, there was a certain idealism on the Internet that suggested all users had a legitimate voice, and that any opinion possible could be opened up for discussion. The sometimes anarchistic nature of the early Internet represented for many a true embodiment of the principle of free speech.
After two decades, however, things sure have changed. Commercialization of the Web is rampant, and the profit motive trumps progressive thinking in most quarters of the net. Pressure from conservative socio-political factions with religious-sounding names has clipped free-speech rights. And as naturists try to establish their own small corner of the Internet, they're finding it increasingly difficult to locate a host for their club or personal pages.
Many Internet service providers today, including the online giant AOL®(1), have essentially banned nudity from their systems. It matters not whether the nudity is associated with pornography or with art, science, health or naturism. In the grand scale of millions of users, the rights of a handful of naturists appear to be unimportant.
Not long ago, AOL severed links to a popular naturist message board during a system wide "reorganization." For nearly two years, the only way one could access this area was by knowing the direct AOL link and typing it into the "Favorite Places" menu. Despite the efforts of many a naturist who sought intervention, AOL took no action to fix the problem. Undaunted, naturists passed on the "secret handshake" and kept the area alive - longer, no doubt, than AOL had anticipated - but then it simply went dark one day. A new area eventually was established but only after many months of persistent action by AOL naturists.(2)
Many ISPs(3) argue that they must eliminate nudity from the sites they host in order to avoid strain on their systems. A single popular porn site, for example, could overwhelm their servers. But in banning all nudity, they have done like so many others and thrown out the baby with the bath water.
For some ISPs, it's a matter of plain ignorance about what naturism is and what it isn't. I found that education is key to solving this problem. I shopped for months to find a new ISP for one of the Web sites I host. Many ISPs simply refused to talk to me. Others offered space on "adult" systems they run under different business names (a dirty little Internet game that a lot of ISPs play). Others offered space but wanted to charge a premium for allowing "adult" content. Arguments that naturism was not an "adult" subject fell on deaf ears.
Finally, after several months, I managed to get the ear of a salesman and asked him to review my pages. He did, and afterward offered to intervene with management. A deal was finally struck.
An alternative to all of this is to become your own Internet host. If you have the funds you can set up your own system and bypass the trouble of ISP censorship. But there are drawbacks, including the added personal effort, training and expense. And it does not address the larger need to educate ISP managers about naturism.
Each victory for free speech on the Internet means it will be easier for naturists to have their own corner of cyberspace. So, if an ISP refuses to host your naturist Web site, call and ask why. Speak to the management. Ask them if they know the difference between naturism and pornography. Ask if they know that naturism is a lifestyle of positive body awareness, embraced by families with family values. Ask if they know that most naturists also dislike pornography and what it does to society, especially our own lifestyle. You may get a manager who will listen and learn something.
(1) - AOL® - is a trademark of the America On-Line internet service.
(2) - Messages are now found in a nude beaches area within the Travel Channel message boards.
(3) - ISP - Internet Service Provider.
A survivor's guide to newsgroups
ONE OF THE EARLIEST interactive features of the Internet was the newsgroups area, sometimes referred to as discussion groups in some browsers and readers. The name of this network is Usenet, a series of topical message posting areas or message boards.
Usenet operates much like a bulletin board loaded with notes in a crowded room. Many people might read what's posted, but not everyone will tack on a response or comment.
Usenet is where one finds rec.nude, one of the first topic areas established on the net to discuss naturism, nude beaches, and related issues. But unlike commercial services with their chat boards, list servers, and instant messages, Usenet remains much as it was in the beginning, a somewhat haphazard interconnection of users. Some 61,000 message areas are devoted to topics ranging from the mainstream to the truly bizarre. To cut down a bit on the noise, a few newsgroups are overseen by a moderator, who helps keep the messages and those who post them in line.
Since there are by and large no regulations, anyone can post anything they want. Remaining "on topic" is largely a gentlemen's agreement, and time has shown that there are few gentlemen in this area of cyberspace. "Spam" - useless or off-topic messages - is rampant.
For those willing to try Usenet, there are a few things you need to know. First, the unfettered nature of the place tends to bring out all kinds of personalities, including some with personality disorders. People will post their opinions as fact. Those who know the least will claim to know the most. It's up to the discerning participant to learn when to engage in conversation and when not to.
For the uninitiated I offer the following handy Usenet-related terms.
Spam - Spam, as mentioned, is a term assigned to useless information or messages, often but not always junk mail advertisements. Usenet is full of it, much of it generated by automated programs. Responding to spam is useless. Save your energy. Some news reading programs allow you to set up "filters," or as we old-timers call them "kill files," which will instruct your newsreader to ignore a specific person, words in a message subject, or postings from specific sources. Become familiar with this feature if you plan to hang out in the newsgroups.
Trolling - Trolling is a term taken from recreational fishing. To troll on Usenet is to post a message that is argumentative or just plain stupid, in hopes that someone will bite your virtual fishing line and get into a meaningless debate with you. A "troll" can refer both to the message posted and to the person who posted it.
The best way to avoid a troll is not to take the bait. They usually come and go quickly, but occasionally one will stick around if the fishing is too good to pass up.
KOTM - Stands for "Kook of the Month." A KOTM may be obnoxious, silly, argumentative, or just out to ruffle feathers. KOTMs are elected by the regular users of a given newsgroup. KOTMs are usually short-lived; however, sometimes one will set up housekeeping and linger. After 60 days a KOTM officially qualifies as an Inter-Nut.
KIA - Not to be confused with a foreign-import automobile, a KIA is simply a "know it all." No matter what you say, the KIA is always right. Even when you agree with what a KIA says, the KIA's presentation of the matter is always that much more correct than the way you or anyone else said it. You cannot reason with a KIA. The only defense is not to engage one. See troll.
In general, most people who haunt Usenet are pleasant souls, who seek conversation or information, and Usenet is one of the best places to obtain that. You will, however, run into all kinds of people, and you need to be prepared for that. If you have ever given a speech on the town common and were heckled from the back row, you'll fit right in at Usenet.
The Nudism Web Ring
www.ticktockcroc.com/ring
A "WEB RING" is a collection of independent sites that pertain to the same general topic. Usually member sites display a special navigation bar that visitors can use to link to other sites within that ring.
The Nudism Web Ring was established by Dan Inmon. Dan Vath is the current moderator, who oversees the rules and content. The Nudism Web Ring specifies that all its sites must be devoted to the topic of nudism/naturism, and none of its member sites may include or provide links to sites that include sexually explicit material.
The Nudism Web Ring currently includes about 200 club, commercial and personal sites. The directory at Dan Vath's business Web site (ticktockcroc.com) is the present ring "hub" or kicking off point for The Naturism Web Ring. Member sites have links to the index as well.
IT SEEMS that we no sooner reviewed Charles Daney's naturist pages in this column (see N 21.2) than his Web host was bought out. Daney's pages may be found instead at www.mbay.net/ ~cgd/naturism.
| Dennis Kirkpatrick has never been elected KOTM; because of that, he was entrusted to hold and post the rec.nude Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) file, a road map on how the main Usenet naturist news group operates, and a general beginners' guide to naturism online. Copies are available at www.faqs.org or by asking Dennis where to find it on the net at sunclad@sunclad.com. |
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