The only people needing to do something about it are the relevant authorities.
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Kotaku (Stephen Totilo) apologizes for "that" recent porn article
- Thread starter Chairmanchuck (另一个我)
- Start date
The only people needing to do something about it are the relevant authorities.
I forgot about all the impressive, well-written think pieces I've read about Harry Potter threesomes. You're right.
I'm pretty sure Kotaku doesn't spend much time editing a lot of their stuff. That's not a dig on their content or anything-- just spend a few minutes browsing articles that go live, and you'll notice tons of spelling/grammatical errors. At least, it used to be that way, with obvious exceptions.
There's a gaming site that started as a parody of Kotaku, and a lot of their posts were just actual, real Kotaku "first draft" articles that went live with laughable quality.
Yeah, this just reveals to me that you have no fucking clue about this subject. Most of this stuff isn't even illegal in the US, hence why mainstream platforms like Reddit and Pornhub host it. Nor is it illegal in Japan. Nor is it illegal in France, or Spain. Even in countries where it IS illegal (Canada, the UK) you can count the number of people ever prosecuted for it on one hand, they only ever charge individuals (which causes more harm than good anyway) and never actually go after the sites that host this content. Seems like relying on the 'relevant authorities' to handle this problem isn't really working, now is it?
Why was explicitly pornographic imagery hosted on the site? I don't think this is appropriate in any circumstance for a site like Kotaku, even with NSFW warnings. This apology doesn't tell me if that kind of content is normally allowed on their platform, which is important for me to know whether I should consider visiting the site in the future. The apology feels like it's ignoring the elephant in the room and is only addressing the secondary question of "why host articles about porn?" and not the primary one of "why host porn?" People aren't really upset that they hosted a fluff article about porn, they're upset because they hosted pornographic images in that article
What's presented in that apology doesn't need an apology if it's blocked with a warning for NSFW content (and for a website like Kotaku, should require a login). However if there are minors involved, the apology should be for that - which the apology doesn't do.
It does depend on other typical content the site hosts. If they dont cover adult themes, then NSFW shouldn't be there at all.
It does depend on other typical content the site hosts. If they dont cover adult themes, then NSFW shouldn't be there at all.
I imagine its a point of priority that they try and bury this pretty major transgression so they can get back to uppity articles about how someone else in the industry has minorly fucked up. But good luck with that one as 'clickbait article with child porn in' will be quite the comeback each and every time.
I made a vague mention to it upthread but that's also Kotaku UK whose connection to Kotaku (as in the site this article was posted whose contributors include Schrier, Jackson, et al.) is basically nothing except nameplate. There's no staff in common. Arguably they share a dubious monetization/editorial policy as regards their articles.
People must think that being such a low ethical/moral bar to clear (don't normalize sexualizing kids) that it's uniformly illegal and strongly enforced all over the place, and I find it hard to fathom that people actually think that's true especially in light of the last season's numerous reports of how many powerful people swept the sexual abuse of real-life flesh and blood children/teenagers under the rug for so long.
I get that Totilo isn't necessarily going to personally check every routine article that gets published every day. But if he's going to closely review anything, you'd think it would be this-- an article that only existed to be edgy and controversial.
If they do have that view then it is fucking ignorant and damaging, and I'm going to continue to point that out to them as many times as I need to. That's why this "head in the sand" attitude pisses me off so much.
I know Totilo is definitely at fault for having the article even get on the website, but why can't Gray herself write an apology for being careless and posting those pictures to begin with? I can understand if she's worried that the apology will cause more people to dogpile on her, but her silence on the matter makes me wonder if she has any regrets over publishing the article in its initial state. Why can't someone just say, as bluntly and clearly as possible, "you know, posting pictures of minors getting fucked on our website was wrong and child and underage pornography is wrong"? That's their biggest hurdle to getting a lot of people to be like "okay, you learned your lesson" and they just aren't clearing it. People have every right to still be angry at Totilo/Gray if they can't even acknowledge that one thing.
1. I live in the UK
2. Of course I don't want to know any of this shit, it's beyond vile and I'm happy to be ignorant of it.
3. It should be illegal everywhere.
There's a valid discussion to be had about why this material exists, who's viewing it, and what effect it's having. Unfortunately that article was NOT it.
I need to know the mental thought process that the writer was going through when she wrote that article.
Sure, you can write about sex in video games but even the content of the article itself felt sick with how the writer was talking about all the underage fan fictions. There could be other areas to tackle the same subject matter.
Sure, you can write about sex in video games but even the content of the article itself felt sick with how the writer was talking about all the underage fan fictions. There could be other areas to tackle the same subject matter.
Usually you hire editors (or promote them to this role) when you know they are level-headed enough to stop this.
He has editors under him that should have done their job, no need for him to review every article if those ones do it properly.
I really wish Kotaku would say if they're going to work with that author again or not though, and if they do, that she writes an apology as well.
1. OK, so just to let you know, only one person has ever been charged in the UK under your current laws around content like this and that was five years ago, in 2014. One. And he was just a random person who had never abused anyone and did not own or run a website that hosts this content. Seems like your government is being extremely ineffective at addressing this problem if that's all they've done about it. Maybe you should write to your representative in parliament and ask them to pursue an inquiry against the actual websites that host this content.
2. Which brings me to this fucking horrible ass statement you've made here, which is that you are happy being ignorant of the fact that this content exists and is used to victimize children, or simply causes psychological harm to the various people exposed to or consuming it. You shouldn't be happy in your ignorance, you should be ashamed and appalled by it because your ignorance and the ignorance of millions of others is what allows content like this to perpetuate. People like me were abused for years because of the 'happy ignorance' of people like you.
Yeah, I joke but all seriousness the only justification you could accept from Totilo's part would be that he simply didn't read the article in the first place.
User Banned (1 Month): Dismissing Concerns and Pedantry Over Sexualized Depiction of Minors
I was jokingly suggest that we demand heads rolling, but I enter in the topic and see there are already people doing it for real.
I wish there was a community where people can tell fiction form reality apart.
I wish there was a community where people can tell fiction form reality apart.
Mistakes happen everywhere you know. Unless you're implying that Kotaku doesn't filter any of their articles through some form of authorization.
Piss off with that nonsense. The only people responsible are the sick bastards.
And yes the authorities do need to step up but it's also on them not the public to be arresting those that are responsible and enforcing laws to protect people.
So you want to normalise child porn basically?
"Just because it's fiction it doesn't exist" is basically the line you're slinging there
People demanding that all of Kotaku burn for this is a bit much (though they have every right to ignore the website going forward). Fiction "form" reality, though? Any kind of child/underage pornography IS wrong. Thanks for your insightful contribution.
A core part of the issue, as far as I can see, is that Kotaku still employs some people dating back to their "worst" era of garbage articles under Brian Crecente. An echo of the old culture, at least, appears to still be there.
theres a community out there thats laughs at the "baby fuck awwright" manga panel meme. So yeah, 4chan. Theres someone that can tell reality from fiction.
Terrible apology. I still don't think Tolito still fully grasps the issue. No real apology (actually own it and don't make excuses by explaining the rationale, I don't care just apologise for posting child porn), no reprimand (Tolito should have been suspended at least and the freelancer placed on Kotaku's blacklist, Kotaku should also investigate their editorial practices), and no donation to a charity combating child abuse.
Kotaku will not get a click from me again. Hopefully the journalists there I respect take their skills elsewhere before their names are tarnished by this.
Kotaku will not get a click from me again. Hopefully the journalists there I respect take their skills elsewhere before their names are tarnished by this.
No, I won't 'piss off'. I'm sorry if calling you out on how your mindset contributes to this problem upsets you, but frankly it needs to be said. You live in a democracy, your government is beholden to the public just like any other democracy. If you think the authorities in your country need to step up then you can ask them to do that. Being happy in ignorance is what allows the systemic abuse of children and the perpetuation of fictional child abuse content. Ignorance and apathy are what allow abusers to get away with abuse, and what allows platforms to avoid responsibility for the content they host.
I'm literally telling you what the situation is, because I've fucking lived it and suffered for it, and your response is essentially "not my problem".
Yikes... I expected them to sound a lot more regretful in an apology, this sounds like they're dodging the issue.
The imagery of digital minors having sex was not fiction. It existed and was part of the original article. There is nothing to be told apart here.
Like this excuses the total lapse in judgment on display as well as the lingering question of why such images appear to be so normalized at Kotaku that no one stops to think twice about publishing them.
Fuck Kotaku.
Fuck Kotaku.
Unfortunately, I think I'm at this point. Three apologies where they don't out and out say "child/underage pornography is absolutely wrong". I don't really have anything left to contribute to this thread/topic: Totilo/Gray, just, for fuck's sake, suck up your pride and say that it's wrong.
I would say the companies hosting this content share more than an equal amount of the burden.
Yes, this includes Kotaku here, whose article could have, and should have, been something on the level of the examination that, say, Dan Olson did on 8chan's content. That was an important article that highlighted the fact that the site was, yes, used to host images of child sexual abuse and it wasn't an exaggeration or smear campaign. This stuff doesn't just show up on the internet one day as though it were produced by some rogue AI that hates children, there are a lot of steps involved in its production and distribution even if most people rightly never want to encounter it.
That's the point that folks like Ostia and I are trying to make. This is what the article needed to be, because this shit is a lot more common than what people want to admit. No shit the editorial staff failed, because they didn't do even the most basic due diligence on getting an actual story out of the article.
I'm implying that whatever system they were using before to authorize articles being published clearly failed.
If you agreed then you wouldn't be happy being ignorant about the subject. Those two things are mutually exclusive. Either you can want to be happily ignorant of the scope of this problem, or you can educate yourself and want media outlets to do thoughtful coverage on the subject.
Can't tell if the second sentence is more of your joke or you want to account suicide.
With respect, some mistakes should not be made.
It is unacceptable to "ooops" into depictions of underage/child pornography, animated/gaming or otherwise. It is a fire-able offense at best. Something that could have ended with police authorities, loss of sponsors, and loss of site.
I don't want to hear about who is sorry; I want to know who is no longer employed. Again, some mistakes are unacceptable. They suggest an abject negligence and a dangerous level of sociopathy that is inappropriate for a public-facing job with a lot of customers/visitors.
It is unacceptable to "ooops" into depictions of underage/child pornography, animated/gaming or otherwise. It is a fire-able offense at best. Something that could have ended with police authorities, loss of sponsors, and loss of site.
I don't want to hear about who is sorry; I want to know who is no longer employed. Again, some mistakes are unacceptable. They suggest an abject negligence and a dangerous level of sociopathy that is inappropriate for a public-facing job with a lot of customers/visitors.
The writer is less of a problem than the editor who reviewed and posted it is. (S)he/they are the last line of defense. The buck stops with them. They should step down.