The Censored Project: Final 100

Far be it for me to complain about a system that I willingly chose to be a part of censor my work. I could leave Flickr.com at any time, so could everyone who complains about it. We choose to be a part of this system because it works. Its not perfect, but it gets the job done and pretty damn well, I might add.

So why do people complain when they knowingly break the rules and get censored for it. Its happened to me a total of four times now, my account being all but frozen with only 4 images visible. I didn't complain, I re-classified a few images, asked for a re-review, and POOF! Back to normal.

Still, I was made more than aware of just how arbitrary the restrictions they place on what is "decent for all viewers" can be. Why did a photo of a buxom pin-up make the cut, but all my images of children and landscapes become censored? Why did a nude woman whose nipples couldn't be seen be fine, and yet an almost fully covered woman with a partially exposed nipple be irrevocably restricted?

I "censored" my first woman as a joke, but got such a good response from it that I sarcastically told someone I was going to try for 100. I am more shocked than anyone that I managed to pull it off. From start to finish, it took almost 5 months, which in a small, fairly conservative town like mine is quite an interesting feat. The final 100 includes women of every race, ages ranging from 18-54, over a third of whom are moms, one grandmother, and over half of the women I had never met before the day they showed up. They are all special people, a few more special than others, but I am indebted to all of them for making my idea come true. This project taught me more than I ever would have guessed, introduced me to some very special people, one in particular, and overall once again reminded me that you can achieve anything when you stay focused.

Lastly, I just want to thank everyone who participated and supported me in another hair-brained scheme. Sadly, a few months after I finally finished this project, my Flickr profile was irrevocably censored to a "moderate" level, making it unable to be viewed by the average web-surfer. So, finally, I have set up an account here on ipernity. Here's hoping...

And no, I will not send you a larger version. :)