Politics is life, like breathing, eating and drinking.

Should we stop that too?

msg has a huge international and interesting audience. I love learning something new about the world.

We are humans not robots.

What you are calling for here is generally referred to as censorship 

For reasons Cobalt mentioned, this is exactly the right place for political discussions.
Since the topics in the forum are also neatly separated, no one should actually feel harassed.
In this respect, I find your demand quite incomprehensible.

This is no place for political discussions of any kind.

If by Political Discussions you mean nasty postings that denigrate others, yes. 
Otherwise, discussions "of any kind" should never be suppressed or restricted.

This is no place for political discussions of any kind.

Well, true, not so much in the 'Top Sites' forum. There's an 'Off Topic' forum which would be a better place to start one. Or a counter-argument against one.

Ha, for some others arguing censorship. Without moderation or any standards or rules, all we'd have is chaos, disorder, and anarchy. The forum would become disorganized and dysfunctional. Leaf runs the forum and started it and owns it, he can restrict as he wishes. This isn't the right to free speech for news and public speaking. It's his forum.

Ha, but it wasn't Leaf who has that claim.
 
Since I've been reading along here, political discussions have also been taking place. There are not many forums where you can exchange quite cultivated on an international level. I'm interested in how you, for example, Pete, as an American, judge things.

If now a single person (or several people) want to suppress political discussions without justification, I would find that not only a pity, but corresponds to my idea of censorship.

I understand where Josephine is coming from. This is after all a microstock discussion forum that does not have anything to do with politics unless politicians engage in this sector in any form. Also there are plenty of other places to interact that have political discussions that have nothing to do with microstock.

I also agree with Pete that it is Leaf who decides what shall pass or not. It's his forum. Rightfully so he closes topics or removes posts at his discretion.

Furthermore it seems that a large group wants to hold poltical discussions so that is also a factor to consider. Probably because they do not only want to engage with eachother on microstock topics but apparently also on other levels.

But I do understand that when you come here only for microstock (maybe also to get away from political life) it can be annoying to see politics showing up here as well. And even though it's off-topic it's still in your face when you go to the home page. I also think it is a bad promotion for this site for newcomers because they expect topics on microstock and not on Ukraine for example.

My suggestion would be to add an option to leave out off-topic threads in the home page when you sign in and be strict on people placing political statements in non off-topic threads unless it is politics having a say about microstock (like laws and stuff).

Just my two cents

interesting analysis.

I think there is nothing wrong with some off-topic but obviously the main topic remains the microstock.
why not discuss other off-topics,always with mutual respect and respect for other cultures?

in any case,I'm already tired of talking about politics too,and i don't have all this time,at the moment i'm zipping�in the meaning that i'm creating a lot of ZIP folders because i have a lot of old vectors to upload!

I think it is very difficult to separate the microstock business from political issues. Politics engages microstock contributors in the same way as landscape, architecture, wildlife or whatever topics.
The agencies' databases are full of politically influenced images.

Contributors present their opinion or their concepts in images. Or they photograph the reality shaped by politics. Or politicians themselves. Or their opinions on banners. Politics shapes our lives and their contents. If we produce images about it, why shouldn't we also verbalise our opinions about it?

Wouldn't the logical consequence of "stop about politics" in a microstock forum then also be "stop shooting politics" for a microstock agency?

If you want to argue politics you should go to a political forum. If you want to discuss microstock and photos come here. Do you go to a cooking forum to argue politics or national differences? Asking the people stay on topic is not censorship. The only people who will shout how they are being censored are the ones who want to argue politics everywhere they go all the time. Politics shapes our food and diet, many places by location, but that doesn't make a food forum a place to argue politics.

Quote from: Wilm on June 03, 2023, 15:04

I think it is very difficult to separate the microstock business from political issues. Politics engages microstock contributors in the same way as landscape, architecture, wildlife or whatever topics.
The agencies' databases are full of politically influenced images.

Contributors present their opinion or their concepts in images. Or they photograph the reality shaped by politics. Or politicians themselves. Or their opinions on banners. Politics shapes our lives and their contents. If we produce images about it, why shouldn't we also verbalise our opinions about it?

Wouldn't the logical consequence of "stop about politics" in a microstock forum then also be "stop shooting politics" for a microstock agency?

If you want to argue politics you should go to a political forum. If you want to discuss microstock and photos come here. Do you go to a cooking forum to argue politics or national differences? Asking the people stay on topic is not censorship. The only people who will shout how they are being censored are the ones who want to argue politics everywhere they go all the time. Politics shapes our food and diet, many places by location, but that doesn't make a food forum a place to argue politics.

Interrupting and mixing a thread with classic stock topics with political topics is definitely not ok.

At the moment, 3 threads with political discussions are running here, neatly separated.
Nobody is forced to read these threads. So where is the problem please?

Quote from: alan b traehern on June 09, 2023, 07:52

Quote from: Wilm on June 03, 2023, 15:04

I think it is very difficult to separate the microstock business from political issues. Politics engages microstock contributors in the same way as landscape, architecture, wildlife or whatever topics.
The agencies' databases are full of politically influenced images.

Contributors present their opinion or their concepts in images. Or they photograph the reality shaped by politics. Or politicians themselves. Or their opinions on banners. Politics shapes our lives and their contents. If we produce images about it, why shouldn't we also verbalise our opinions about it?

Wouldn't the logical consequence of "stop about politics" in a microstock forum then also be "stop shooting politics" for a microstock agency?

If you want to argue politics you should go to a political forum. If you want to discuss microstock and photos come here. Do you go to a cooking forum to argue politics or national differences? Asking the people stay on topic is not censorship. The only people who will shout how they are being censored are the ones who want to argue politics everywhere they go all the time. Politics shapes our food and diet, many places by location, but that doesn't make a food forum a place to argue politics.

Interrupting and mixing a thread with classic stock topics with political topics is definitely not ok.

At the moment, 3 threads with political discussions are running here, neatly separated.
Nobody is forced to read these threads. So where is the problem please?

right, and those threads are in 'off topic / ranting'

one of the big advantages of discussing here rather than on a huge, anonymous platform is you can get to know participants from their posts on other topics

Agree, it is quite easy and visible to ignore the obvious political threads. msg has quite a well organised community.

Also editorial/politics is always creating trends that we shoot for.

Stock has real world use content, it does not live in abstract fairyland with only roses and sunsets and only happy people.

Many of us upload activism content for lgbt rights, environmentalism etc�and many do editorial.

I really don�t understand people who shrink from politics. You cannot hide from real life. It is just not possible.

Well said. Yes, stock photography is about everything!

Quote from: RalfLiebhold on June 09, 2023, 08:44

Quote from: alan b traehern on June 09, 2023, 07:52

Quote from: Wilm on June 03, 2023, 15:04

I think it is very difficult to separate the microstock business from political issues. Politics engages microstock contributors in the same way as landscape, architecture, wildlife or whatever topics.
The agencies' databases are full of politically influenced images.

Contributors present their opinion or their concepts in images. Or they photograph the reality shaped by politics. Or politicians themselves. Or their opinions on banners. Politics shapes our lives and their contents. If we produce images about it, why shouldn't we also verbalise our opinions about it?

Wouldn't the logical consequence of "stop about politics" in a microstock forum then also be "stop shooting politics" for a microstock agency?

If you want to argue politics you should go to a political forum. If you want to discuss microstock and photos come here. Do you go to a cooking forum to argue politics or national differences? Asking the people stay on topic is not censorship. The only people who will shout how they are being censored are the ones who want to argue politics everywhere they go all the time. Politics shapes our food and diet, many places by location, but that doesn't make a food forum a place to argue politics.

Interrupting and mixing a thread with classic stock topics with political topics is definitely not ok.

At the moment, 3 threads with political discussions are running here, neatly separated.
Nobody is forced to read these threads. So where is the problem please?

right, and those threads are in 'off topic / ranting'

one of the big advantages of discussing here rather than on a huge, anonymous platform is you can get to know participants from their posts on other topics

No, you mean you can put them in boxes where you you think they belong while they are actually not in there.

I am not gay, I simply support human rights.

And there is a huge demand for human rights related images and video in stock.

There is also a huge demand for religious images of all kinds in the stock world. I supply lots of christmas greeting cards and imagery for various spiritual uses.

If your personal life views are discriminatory and against human rights  that is your private decision and of course you can supply content to further your views. But many deeply religious christians support human rights. The US maga version with guns and intolerance of �christianity� is not universal, it is a local variant.

The customers need all kinds of content, if for instance maga is your personal thing, upload away and earn your money. Guns and bibles together? Children and family christmas cards with their gun collections? I am sure there are buyers for that, after all we see lots of those images going viral on the net.

Political content is a huge part of stock. News related and editorial as well.

Or maybe you should spend time on a simple photography forum instead? There are lots of places with pretty flowers and sunsets etc�

Not everybody has to do stock.

eta:

jeepers creepers  (oh, we cannot write  the name of the son of David of Nazareth, interesting) was a jewish man who never married, lived with a band of brotherly friends and showed kindness and mercy to prostitutes, the desperate, the outsiders.

He never took up weapons or asked to ostrazise humans from society.

He was the ultimate integrator and embodiment of love and kindness.

I don�t understand the US MAGA movement. It does not look very christian to me.

But I have no complaints if someone wants to create and upload content for their �mission�.

Or maybe it is a commercial opportunity to create a MAGA oriented stock site with only suitable imagery.

Millions of people in the US follow the movement. They could have their own �safe� stock agency filled with obedient housewives dressed 1950�s style and perfect children holding guns even as toddlers.

Freedom of choice and freedom of business.

Then they don�t have to complain that looking at the content of international stock agencies is somehow out to get them.

Or maybe it is a commercial opportunity to create a MAGA oriented stock site with only suitable imagery.

Millions of people in the US follow the movement. They could have their own �safe� stock agency filled with obedient housewives dressed 1950�s style and perfect children holding guns even as toddlers.

Freedom of choice and freedom of business.

Then they don�t have to complain that looking at the content of international stock agencies is somehow out to get them.

Right off you change the subject and avoid the issue. Men do not belong in women's locker rooms. Men do not have the same bodies as women. https://nypost.com/2023/06/12/trans-cyclist-austin-killips-wins-nc-race-by-5-minutes/
You can dress as you want, think you are happier in another body, or have sex with who you decide. Noone should be allowed stop you. But if you want to know what sex you are, look between your legs. If you had some conversion, look at your birth certificate or your genes. That's real. The rest is a make believe world.

It is unfair to natural born women to have to compete against fake women.