Suddenly I'm getting a new rash of sex-related emails. A bored girl wants to talk to me. Someone asks if I have ever dated a lonely housewife. (No, actually.) Some bloke is advertising his 'cherry-walloping cock'. (Yuk! There is a nasty level of violent misogyny in some porn.)
OK, these things do turn up from time to time, but why now in such numbers? Then the penny drops. I've just told Google that my new poetry blog, The Passionate Crone, will contain 'adult content'. This is because I might occasionally include some erotic pieces – more metaphorical than explicit, I'm afraid - and there might even be a swear word now and then. I decided to self-censor at the outset, so as to be free to post unexpurgated poems.
Now, when I or anyone else attempts to view that blog, we encounter a Content Warning saying, 'Some readers of this blog have contacted Google because they believe this blog's content is objectionable. In general, Google does not review nor do we endorse the content of this or any blog. For more information about our content policies, please visit the Blogger Terms of Service.' We are then given the option whether or not to continue.
That's a bit rich for a brand new blog, when its author could have been the only person to report the 'adult content'! And I think it probably explains the sex-based emails.
Hey – I'm a girl! Not all that interested in sexy housewives, vicarious cherry-popping, etc.
Oh wot-the-heck, I expect they are generated by machines.
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The content warning appears to have gone now. Did you take it off? And if so, did the emails stop?
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny. Yes, I took it off. Just couldn't stand the flood of spam any more. After all, I don't have that much questionable content anyway, and if I decide to post any, I'll resort to asterisks if necessary. The alternative's worse!
ReplyDeleteNo, the emails haven't yet stopped – I only removed the notice late last night, and I think it will take a little time – but my spam filter now recognises most of them for what they are.
Whew!
It's funny how much of an effect it had. I wonder how it is that so many dubious sites come up when you click 'next' on the blogger toolbar when you're supposed to set adult content warnings if you have it. These people are ruthless!
ReplyDeleteWell, it may have been coincidence - with even nastier implications. See blog I'm about to write.
ReplyDelete