SmackJeeves, as I noted, backstabbed the very creators who helped to build their site's readership in the first place. Some of us, in fact, were major monetary supporters of the site that kept it afloat with their "premium" memberships and the like. They paid us lip service by asking for our opinions on their proposed doing-away with more mature content, but they had no intention of listening, as I later discovered. You apparently weren't there, but I was, and I'm evidently not the only one in this topic. But I may be the only one who recalls so clearly, likely due to its coinciding with a major life event at the time.
If you're really interested in a more detailed chronicle of the situation, placed in the context of this potential debacle, you can read my post here.
I was careful to point out in my earlier post here that these types of content are not illegal and that, especially in dealing with art and fictional models, it largely depends on the site's own willingness (or unwillingness) to include them. Presenting a different face to draw creators in and switching later is something done with alarming frequency, and if I seem ready to believe it? It's because it happens too often, and it has happened to me too often. Creators who concentrate on an audience of adults tend to be treated like a barge of medical waste.
I think you're speaking out of ignorance, not aggression or antipathy or any kind of malice, so that will be my operating assumption here.
Maybe if you have this sort of thing happen to you repeatedly over the years, you'll have the same reaction when you see the same kind of writing on the wall. (But I do hope this never happens to you! I don't wish it upon anyone, least of all someone I consider usually friendly and reasonable.) Considering the very curious seeming focus of this suddenly active troll, I'm entirely certain I have every reason to be alarmed and even defensive.
Regardless, the two extremes you mention as per staff dialogue are probably neither one of them on the nail, although I will point out that numerous sites in past -- which I have dealt with, and which I have had the misfortune to do so -- have targeted the male figure, most especially male nudity, and done it all as ignorantly as possible. The justification is, of course, that the female form is naturally "artistic" and other such asinine claims, usually with people attempting to bully others without any practical knowledge of anatomy...so they're unable to judge whether or not something is even likely sexual at all.
Regardless, treating any kind of sexuality, explicit or implicit, like the devil is a foolish attitude to begin with.
Again, content that is not "work safe" is not illegal. The worst that could happen is that the app would be removed from the relevant app store pending enquiry. Unless you are peddling literally porn -- which none of these series are -- there's no further complication to the issue. Pornography tends to be little more than a flimsy causal veneer intended to facilitate explicit sex. You don't work on comic pages for 12+ hours, generally, to go "oh yeah, this will be the best meaningless popozuda-pounding evar, this will be utterly devoid of artistic value for anyone", or at least I hope you don't.
App stores are problematic. Apple...is problematic, and I'll say this freely even sitting here typing on an iMac. Any time a creative endeavour is forced to censor itself (or, as in this case, pressure its content creators to do so), that is problematic and cause for concern. It is not necessarily the worst thing in the world, but it's an especially insidious way of creeping more and more control which, of course, these companies would instantly deny. It's also worth pointing out that, at this point, Tapastic could take their app off of most if not all of the prominent "app stores" and would do just fine promoting it themselves (barring them losing their minds and advertising skills, or some great and unlikely Tapas crisis).
Having one's creative work targeted by anyone is not funny. Speaking as someone who has endured this same thing multiple times over the course of my career -- and usually for no valid reasons -- I can say I don't wish it on anyone. It's a terrible feeling, and it's a betrayal of trust, for a number of reasons.
I also think it's especially reprehensible to imply that just because something might have adult content, it's presumably not good. I don't know if that was your intent -- you don't seem maleficent usually -- but that's how this statement came across: as casually hateful.
Forgive my saying so, but when other parties set bounds in your own creative endeavours, that becomes cause for concern. Especially considering this is a "trickle down" process where ultimately the power and freedom over creative vision are robbed from those who should be the ones determining its direction. This has a marked influence on art and creativity, and I believe it is a deleterious one.
If a third party, to whose standards I did not agree, force an alteration of the interpretation of the terms of service I agreed to when I signed up and starting posting...that is problematic. This is where we actually do get into legal complexity, not with inked T&A. I took the time to write quite some time before coming here and kept myself abreast of changes as they happened. I am not here for another company; I am here for Tapastic.
I do not -- and will never -- respect Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon...none of them, for attempting to do exactly that. They are corporate machines attempting to dictate "one size fits all" terms regardless of medium or intent, and it's slowly becoming clear how that doesn't work so well. If you use them as a stepping stone, the time will come when you've taken the step and no longer need them. It's just unfortunate that so few have taken that necessary measure and cut them out once they're far enough along. It's a complacency that tends to bite on the posterior sooner or later.
Certainly. It's the single most significant reason I didn't just cut and run.
That said, however, I'm not under the delusion that staff are on my side, by any means. Maybe you are, but that's almost never a sound or accurate assumption that can be made, considering it has never once been true in my nearly two decades of working in this field. It would be a pleasant surprise if it were so. I'd like to think it's possible, but you will understand, I can never allow myself that assumption.
I am glad if you're using this as an opportunity to reach out to creators and help them deal with this unsavory situation. It comes at a time of noted tension between certain sections of your creator base and certainly should be handled carefully.
My experience in the field, and especially with this issue, may be overwhelmingly negative, but I do hope that by conveying it here, it can be learned from and applied in a positive, constructive manner. Good things can come from bad experience. I would very much like to stay at Tapastic and feel comfortable, not that I have to have a proverbial case packed at all times, just in case I have to walk away. But this issue does not inspire trust or comfort and, honestly, I don't know if any address of the matter could be reassuring. With due respect, this response sounds a little too slick, and I find it difficult to take as sincere. But I hope that my impression is incorrect and that it is meant with sincerity.
In any case, I appreciate direct address of the concern in this topic. Thank you for that.