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Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

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Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#561

Post by kulahan »

mixologist wrote: post #467

This actually took longer than I thought. It is really weird that for all my adult content I have to go to a dedicated adult store, yet for games I can find them on Steam and gog where kids shop for games. You don’t get porn movies on Netflix or Disney stream. You don’t get adult toys in your local grocery store. Why do we sell porn on Steam? Why haven’t game stores just spin off separate store front for porn content…

Back in my day, we went to the blockbuster, and you had to muster up the courage to walk back into the adults only section!

Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#562

Post by doctor_blood »

pyuser583 wrote: post #318

I read from a fairly reputable source that money laundering is a huge problem in online sex industry. Which makes sense - you have buyers and sellers who insist on anonymity, services that leave no trace once rendered, buyers and sellers lying to family and friends about what they're doing, etc. There's often no "normal" amount of consumption, for example, some sellers receive million dollar tips. Money laundering is…

That doesn't explain why Visa/Mastercard have gone after written erotica (gumroad, patreon, etc), Japanese manga/doujinshi distributors (DLsite), and video games.

Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#564

Post by temptemptemp111 »

can16358p wrote: post #105

What is wrong with these people who try to block certain content? Don't like porn? Don't buy it. Simple as that. No one, including governments or payment processors, should be in the position to decide whether a platform can sell something or not. I wish there was a payment processor who was brave enough to say a big fucking NO to censorship.

[dead]

Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#565

Post by mouse_ »

willis936 wrote: post #559
ben_w wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Don't like porn? Don't buy it. Simple as that. The claim isn't "we don't like it", the claim is "this is damaging to society". I don't agree with such things in many cases (and many people disagree with me when I'm the one saying something is damaging to society), but it's important to note the difference or you will always be arguing against something other than their claim. > No one, including governments or paym…

We regulate speech based on its damage to society? Well, sounds like a certain canidae TV network ought to be regulated out of existence.

yeah but that network benefits the rich and powerful people who orchestrate our society

Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#566

Post by fenomas »

ben_w wrote: post #241
can16358p wrote: post #105

What is wrong with these people who try to block certain content? Don't like porn? Don't buy it. Simple as that. No one, including governments or payment processors, should be in the position to decide whether a platform can sell something or not. I wish there was a payment processor who was brave enough to say a big fucking NO to censorship.

> Don't like porn? Don't buy it. Simple as that. The claim isn't "we don't like it", the claim is "this is damaging to society". I don't agree with such things in many cases (and many people disagree with me when I'm the one saying something is damaging to society), but it's important to note the difference or you will always be arguing against something other than their claim. > No one, including governments or paym…

> The claim isn't "we don't like it", the claim is "this is damaging to society"

That's their framing, it's not what they actually do.

If Collective Shout was a group that studied which things caused harm, and then campaigned against those things, then the point you're trying to make could stand.

They're not. They've campaigned to ban rap artists, GTA 5, "50 Shades", lingerie ads, whatever random thing is around at the time - always under the pretext that it harms someone, but never with any evidence or substantial arguments that it does.

In practice groups like this campaign against whatever they don't like, so it's correct to refute them on those grounds.

Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#567

Post by vunderba »

simplify wrote: post #505
godelski wrote: post #444

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Banning porn is not going to do a whole lot. Pornography is illegal in South Korea Yet, there's a lot of porn there too. A whole lot of voyeur porn too. As well as prostitution, which is also illegal. Making something legal or illegal is just signaling. The real part is how it actually is implemented in practice. And as you imply, things are pretty complex. We really need to be careful about our own tendencies to w…

Not being 100% effective isn't backfiring. No law is ever absolutely effective. But making something illegal objectively makes it more difficult to obtain, and is certainly effective at reducing access, even if it's not 100%.

In many cases, bans can have unintended side effects which might make the means of acquiring/distributing/producing "banned X" far worse (aka the cure is worse than the disease).

Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#568

Post by cortesoft »

drdeca wrote: post #519
_bent wrote: post #515

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it looks like it's causing more damage what damage is it causing?

I can say that I think my past use of pornography has harmed me. I haven’t used it in over 2 years, but I still on a daily basis observe the effects it had on me. Others might argue that it is only because of my views that the effects are “harmful”, but I think they are wrong.

What were the effects?

Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#569

Post by makeitdouble »

Loughla wrote: post #488
mixologist wrote: post #467

This actually took longer than I thought. It is really weird that for all my adult content I have to go to a dedicated adult store, yet for games I can find them on Steam and gog where kids shop for games. You don’t get porn movies on Netflix or Disney stream. You don’t get adult toys in your local grocery store. Why do we sell porn on Steam? Why haven’t game stores just spin off separate store front for porn content…

Grocery stores absolutely sell sex toys now. Wal-Mart carries them as well. I'm no prude, but it's really weird to me.

I'm curious how do you define "prude". My definition of it would be to be highly sensitive to sexual things, which is basically why you'd be weirded at seeing them in a daily place, for better or worse.

On their presence in the first place, I'd say if a shop is going to sell condoms and lubricant, also holding basic sex tools isn't a big stretch.

Re: Steam, Itch.io are pulling ‘porn’ games. Critics say it's a slippery slope

#570

Post by supplied_demand »

drdeca wrote: post #519
_bent wrote: post #515

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it looks like it's causing more damage what damage is it causing?

I can say that I think my past use of pornography has harmed me. I haven’t used it in over 2 years, but I still on a daily basis observe the effects it had on me. Others might argue that it is only because of my views that the effects are “harmful”, but I think they are wrong.

Can you clarify how it “harmed” you? You didn’t quite answer that question.
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