the Naktiv site has a clear <a href="/mission-statement">Mission Statement</a>, and extensive documentation describing the function of the site; what the <a href="/rules">Rules</a> are; how to use the <a href="/permissions">Permissions</a> system; <a href="/copyright">Copyright and Attributions</a> guidelines; <a href="/photo-uploads">Photo Tips</a>; etc. and so forth. It's hoped that the clearly stated site policies, (which everyone signed up to when they registered), are clear enough, but perhaps some of the documentation is unclear, hence this singular and exceptional blog post from the administration to the membership.
What do you think? Are the <a href="/mission-statement">site policy</a> pages and help documentation, clear enough, or do they need more explanation? Perhaps they are too complicated, or are they too simple? Or are they open to misinterpretation in some way which has not been understood by the writer? This is the right place to post any replies and comments on this issue, and your feedback and suggestions, as always on the Naktiv site, are appreciated.
A valiant effort at applying the KISS principle to a very thorny problem. Very well done Richard, especially with Rich Pasco's eloquently phrased tweak to your original wording, now incorporated. I believe that our mission statement adequately places the need to maintain this forum as a place for open unrestrained discussion front and center, a model for where we are trying to guide our greater society. And so it must be if we are to build the coalition necessary to advance our primary agenda of working to free the natural human body in our culture.
With freedom, comes both responsibility and risk. A significant risk here unfortunately as with any forum that discusses the concept of body freedom through various points of view is that there will be exhibitionist and pornographic activity. We must accept this risk. As Paul has been pointed out earlier, there are work-arounds to most any procedural deterrent that we may throw up as in mandating naked photos in our profiles. And so be it if people choose to lurk and not contribute. I like to think that for every pervert who comes to oggle at our photos, there is at least a hundred, perhaps thousands more who are intrigued with what we discuss here but choose for various reason's important to their own lives, to passively absorb what is said here. That is one way in that public opinion may be changed over time.
Our responsibility collectively is that we do our best to keep prurient activity to a minimum here both by exercising our own self restraint and by politely but firmly informing those opportunists as they appear amongst us that there is sacred beauty in the naked human body in all of its forms and that these people's narrow agendas do not acknowledge that reality. Most of us here are achieving that goal simply through our demonstrated passion for the topics that we place upon the table and our manner of discussion of them. Further, that we make it clear to them if necessary, that their self serving points of view have little place in a broader intelligent discussion about body freedom in forums such as ours. I believe that this is about the best that we can do in an ongoing basis without risking becoming a clone of the ham-fisted perverted Goliath that spawned this site in the first place.
Thank you for taking on the challenge of perpetuating this unique place Richard.
-Dan
I am not concerned about myself or my wife and yes I agree about privacy settings I would change if I wanted to.
Don't forget you can "nest" replies 🙂
Absolutely true, and there may already be such people here, seeing how many members there are and how many of them actually post and contribute.
Or people who join just to advertise their own place, like I saw someone who joined and immediately started mentioning a nudist dating site.
Demand a nude picture, I'm fine with that, but there are too many ways around it. One of them is http://images.google.com
People have different agendas. So long as they don't try to flood the place, posting links to offsite places of possible interest to the membership is what websites are designed for. That's what the HTTP protocol is all about, (despite what some might think), sharing information 🙂
That is possible I agree, but what worries me is they are joining a site to look at naturists and it is possible they are only on here for looking,not contributing.
You have this all over the internet. If you are concerned about who is looking at you and what their motivation is, you might be interested to read about the privacy settings here: http://www.naktiv.net/permissions/
I can see issues with a compulsory nude picture. many people are okay with being naked and see like that in real life, but the internet is a weird place. Not everyone is comfortable with a nude picture of themselves online. No matter how nice everyone is, there can always be someone who copies the image and spreads it.
I agree with the mission statements and comments posted , but would like to raise issue regarding new members not posting naturist picture of themself, if they want to join site should it not be compulsary to also post a naked picture of themself?
As the http://www.naktiv.net/mission-statement/ makes clear "this is NOT a nudist site", so we have artists here and all sorts, many of whom do not wish to be naked themselves, but perhaps they wish to discuss nudity, or paint naked people, or learn from other people what their ideas are. There is NO requirement to post naked photos here.
I agree with Rich and Maurice. The part about photos in -A- should be more fine-tuned. E.g.:
"…to post Naked and Active content, to share both images and our opinions as far and wide as possible."
could become:
"…to post Naked and Active content, to share both images and our opinions as far and wide as possible. Please note that this refers to images and opinions about nudism, naturism and other /non-sexual/ forms of nudity. Also see point -F- of the Mission Statement."
As this is something crucial I think it should be addressed in the first paragraph as many people don't go further than that at first read.
First paragraph is an important point. I think it all needs to be kept short too, on the KISS principle.
I believe both parts of this statement should pertain to "mainstream", as nudists would already understand the second part as well…
"Just as the mainstream needs to understand that not all nudist activities equate to swinging, so too do nudists need to understand that not all images with visible genitalia are pornography."
Rich Pasco pretty much states my own feelings.
The mission statement is vague on the subject of sexually-focused photos (and text). It does link the Rules, which are clear, but I think the mission statement should give some reasoning. We all know that sex is one of many things people do naked. Non-naturists may think it's the only thing, and traditional nudists deny that we do it at all.
I've cut'n'pasted your phrase, Rich, as it was so very clear.
Thank you. I am flattered.