Posted by Henry Butz on June 25, 2005 at 17:37:56:
I do not think there is anything wrong with viewing artistic nude photographs of the human body. Some people agree with me. Others do not. My take on this is, I believe that younger people should be sheltered against images of explicit sex. As teen-ager's struggle with developing relationships with the opposite sex, they are easily confused by images of adult entertainment. Sexually graphic images in the hands of young people may lead to date rape and domestic violence. This is a social problem which needs serious consideration.
On hbutz.com, I have a wide variety of images, ranging from landscape, still life, up through and including erotica. These images are segregated into sections. To enter an area which contains nude images, I ask you to be at least eighteen years of age and agree to a set of terms and conditions. To enter the erotic area, I verify that you have a valid credit card number. However, I am not your parent. It is not possible for me to verify who needs to be here and who needs to go elsewhere.
If you are a parent, you have almost certainly heard of the "V-chip." For the latest information, visit http://www.fcc.gov/vchip/. Broadcast television content is labeled according to a rating system, over which parents have control. A television or cable box may be programmed to prevent the viewing of objectionable content.
This website has an electronic form of "V-chip." It works silently in the background and conveys content ratings for nudity, sex, violence, and language on almost all pages. For more information, please visit the IRCA at http://www.icra.org/about/. Internet Explorer 6 allows parents to set the content ratings which would be acceptable for their children. To configure, visit this page for step-by-step instructions. You have the power to quickly and easily lock out nude content on your computer.
Otherwise known a "PICS" tag, this V-chip rating system for websites opens a can of worms, as expressed by the A.C.L.U. If we begin to second-guess ourselves and censor ourselves, then we loose our artistic freedom of expression.
I have chosen to rate my website. The mission of hbutz.com is to solicit models to pose for photographs and to promote said photographs for public display and sale of fine-art prints. If you wish to block this website, then you are not my customer of mine - so, I would like to educate you on how to block my website from your computer. I do this in the hope that we can both live in harmony on this Internet, existing apart from each other and with our respective differences.
My views on artistic nudity is that it is normal and healthy. It makes us feel good about ourselves as human beings and allows us to take a look at the human condition without confusing nudity with sex. Just as I enjoy the freedom to express myself on this website, I defend your choice to hold a different opinion. Computers are complex beasts and the Internet holds a wealth of diverse information. I have assembled a list of links for you, as parents to visit and do further reading on this topic.
Henry
Safety guidelines on the Internet and user contact.
Content issues including evaluation, marketing, and pornography.
Software for blocking, filtering, monitoring and rating the Internet.
[ Back to announcement board ]
Scripts and WWWBoard created by Matt Wright and can be found at Matt's Script Archive
Copyright 2000, Henry Butz.
For more information, suggestions, flames, or comments contact The Photomaster