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11 NEW Categories Added!

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sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Whiskey_violet


If someone we follow publishes a story in a category we have blocked, do we still get the notification about said story?




good question - i'm not sure, but i will look into it and give you an answer as soon as i have one smile

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by sprite


good question - i'm not sure, but i will look into it and give you an answer as soon as i have one smile


yes - we just tested it out - if you have stories blocked and someone you're following writes one, you will NOT get a notification. :)

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Unknown User
Quote by sprite


yes - we just tested it out - if you have stories blocked and someone you're following writes one, you will NOT get a notification. smile


Thank goodness!

Thank you Sprite, much appreciated. :)
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Whiskey_violet


Thank goodness!

Thank you Sprite, much appreciated. smile


it's what i do. lol

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Gillianleeeza
Normal Adjacent
Quote by sprite


we really get that this wasn't going to be a popular move - to be fair, i'd been pushing Nikki to do this for a while, not because i was a fan, but i wanted to see Lush stay solvent. her deciding to bring them back wasn't a decision she wanted to make.

the reality is that we were probably the only erotica website that didn't post the I stories - certainly the only site of this size, and it was hurting us a great deal. web traffic is what pays the bills. ours dropped by 50% after we stopped publishing those stories. 50% that hurt, especially when we went ahead and added servers anyways, just so this site could keep growing. i am deeply humbled to hear that people would have paid more for memberships, but really, it's still peanuts compared to the revenue we need to keep things running, let alone, growing as we'd like. "porn" sites don't generate the ad dollars that they used to, especially if their web traffic is decreasing rather than growing. it's as simple as that.

yes, it sucks. yes, i wish we didn't have to, but we do - the decision was not made lightly, but it was made.


Thank you, I do appreciate you taking the time to address my post. My mind can understand all the reasons behind the decision. I don't want to see this site go under either. I just don't have control over my emotional reaction to it. There is where my dilemma is coming from. I have hidden the category for now and will not make my decisions just now because of the emotions that are involved.

I am interested in the question that Whiskey Violet posed. ( I just saw you had answered that question, thank you) I also realized that even if I have that category blocked I will still see any stories or poems that make it onto the top ten list on the side. I am not sure that can be addressed or can it?

Thank you again for addressing my concerns. I still need to think about it or in my case not think about it at all for while. I just can't deal with it right now.
Simplicity
Just me
Quote by sprite


this is a privately owned website with TOS which people agree to abid by when they sign up. one of the stipulations is that certain subjects are not tolerated. is one of them. the stories we publish are fantasies. pure and simple. we do not condone the practice in real life.


As an victim, I find this appalling that you would allow this category. You say you dont justify it in real life... only as a fantasy .. well it was my father’s fantasy too, yet I had to suffer this all my life!!!! So since you are saying fantasies are okay.. does this mean fantasies and forced sex fantasies are acceptable because they are “Fantasies.” Why arent they allowed?
Click below to see
JWren
Editor at large
Quote by sprite
'

there was, actually, an annoucement. and, as for as forum posts, it's still not acceptable - only in stories, which are easily blocked.

to address people's concerns. that same standard that applies to other stories applies here. we only accept well written stories. consent is still necessary, the age rule still applies.

bottom line, tho, is i know the stats. the decision really came down to this - either Lush restated this particular category or it eventually we closed the doors. we lost a lot of traffic, which means ads and revenue. that paid member system helped, but the percentage of paid members vs un-paid and non-members is a huge gap. the servers cost, the contests cost, etc etc. personally, i prefer taking on stories over losing what i consider to be the internets best erotica site.

u

All sane people understand when decisions are made for financial reasons. It's a pity this wasn't made abundantly clear rather than reintroduced behind the shield of 11 new categories. That's how it felt to me.
Also, it's good to read in a subsequent comment, that you don't condone in "real life." It sadly occurs in life, that's why it's illegal in vast swathes of our planet. Erotica is one thing, illegal perversion is quite different.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Simplicity


As an victim, I find this appalling that you would allow this category. You say you dont justify it in real life... only as a fantasy .. well it was my father’s fantasy too, yet I had to suffer this all my life!!!! So since you are saying fantasies are okay.. does this mean fantasies and forced sex fantasies are acceptable because they are “Fantasies.” Why arent they allowed?


the stories on here are consensual. i am sorry about what happened to you, i truly am, but what happened obviously was not with your consent. and forced sex are, by their very nature, acts of non-consent and therefore will not be published here.

listen, i get that a lot of people aren't happy about this, and i empathize. we tried it the other way, and it wasn't working, so we're setting back the clock to 3 years ago when we had been publishing I stories since the site's conception.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Milik_the_Red
Internet Philosopher
Quote by Simplicity


As an victim, I find this appalling that you would allow this category. You say you dont justify it in real life... only as a fantasy .. well it was my father’s fantasy too, yet I had to suffer this all my life!!!! So since you are saying fantasies are okay.. does this mean fantasies and forced sex fantasies are acceptable because they are “Fantasies.” Why arent they allowed?


You make a valid point here. The reasons for banning or allowing the return of the once banned genre would be the same for allowing or banning forced sex. It too is very popular on sites where it’s allowed. Personally, I dislike censorship and so I am not offended by either type as long as it IS only a FANTASY. So, why is offending the living hell out of one group okay, yet protecting the sensibilities of another unthinkable?

That’s the slippery slope we are on now and refusing to talk about it won’t make things better.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by JWren
u

All sane people understand when decisions are made for financial reasons. It's a pity this wasn't made abundantly clear rather than reintroduced behind the shield of 11 new categories. That's how it felt to me.
Also, it's good to read in a subsequent comment, that you don't condone in "real life." It sadly occurs in life, that's why it's illegal in vast swathes of our planet. Erotica is one thing, illegal perversion is quite different.



we had originally decided to post the new categories without the inclusion of being discussed. the decision to reinstate was Nikki's and it was a last minute addition. i wasn't even aware of it happening until it did, so that should tell you something. it wasn't planned that way, it was mostly a matter of timing. and it's not like it was snuck in - an announcement was made.

yes, sadly, that is true. it does occur in real life and it is illegal, and for good reason. that said, it's a cornerstone of erotic story sites - we could discuss the morality and ethics of this forever, but the bottom line is, we wanted to keep lush a viable site and this became, as Nikki puts it, a "necessary evil".

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Milik_the_Red


You make a valid point here. The reasons for banning or allowing the return of the once banned genre would be the same for allowing or banning forced sex. It too is very popular on sites where it’s allowed. Personally, I dislike censorship and so I am not offended by either type as long as it IS only a FANTASY. So, why is offending the living hell out of one group okay, yet protecting the sensibilities of another unthinkable?

That’s the slippery slope we are on now and refusing to talk about it won’t make things better.


for the record, , non-consent, and forced sex will never be allowed on this site. you have my word on that. and, as you can see, in this regard, the inclusion of the category, IS a topic for discussion.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Unknown User
Quote by sprite
'

there was, actually, an annoucement. and, as for as forum posts, it's still not acceptable - only in stories, which are easily blocked.

to address people's concerns. that same standard that applies to other stories applies here. we only accept well written stories. consent is still necessary, the age rule still applies.

bottom line, tho, is i know the stats. the decision really came down to this - either Lush restated this particular category or it eventually we closed the doors. we lost a lot of traffic, which means ads and revenue. that paid member system helped, but the percentage of paid members vs un-paid and non-members is a huge gap. the servers cost, the contests cost, etc etc. personally, i prefer taking on stories over losing what i consider to be the internets best erotica site.


Good to know, Sprite. Well said.
Guest
Lurker
Quote by sprite
the stories on here are consensual.


Whatever arbitrary rules you put in place are irrelevant. Even if you choose to ignore the moral arguments, the fact is that is illegal. I’m not surprised to see members leaving over this issue, and not only because of the subject itself, but because of the inept way it’s been reintroduced.

There was no consultation with members to see if those of us already here wanted such a category. Instead, you’ve chosen to pander to a crowd that mostly aren’t here anymore, and may never be again. We have been treated with disdain, and as I’ve said elsewhere, that is almost as annoying as the reintroduction itself.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Varrick


Whatever arbitrary rules you put in place are irrelevant. Even if you choose to ignore the moral arguments, the fact is that is illegal. I’m not surprised to see members leaving over this issue, and not only because of the subject itself, but because of the inept way it’s been reintroduced.

There was no consultation with members to see if those of us already here wanted such a category. Instead, you’ve chosen to pander to a crowd that mostly aren’t here anymore, and may never be again. We have been treated with disdain, and as I’ve said elsewhere, that is almost as annoying as the reintroduction itself.


yes, exactly. a crowd that is no longer here. that's the point to this. and i'm not sure how you've been treated with disdain. we're doing our best to answer questions and to be transparent. here. how would you prefer i handle it? i'm always happy to make adjustments, as long as they're sensible.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Milik_the_Red
Internet Philosopher
Quote by sprite


for the record, , non-consent, and forced sex will never be allowed on this site. you have my word on that.


Oh, I’m well aware of that fact. I just find that to be a hypocritical attitude.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Milik_the_Red


Oh, I’m well aware of that fact. I just find that to be a hypocritical attitude.


*shrugs* i'm more interested in keeping a site, which has some standards (most other erotica sites allow non-consent among other things), healthy. if that makes me a hypocrite... i've been called much worse, and i'm not planning on losing sleep over it. smile

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Milik_the_Red
Internet Philosopher
Quote by sprite


*shrugs* i'm more interested in keeping a site, which has some standards (most other erotica sites allow non-consent among other things), healthy. if that makes me a hypocrite... i've been called much worse, and i'm not planning on losing sleep over it. smile


Nor am I. I do find the idea of it somehow being more morally acceptable to dip your toe in one cesspool rather than another to be laughably self-deluding. But that is the conundrum of any aspect of censorship, isn’t it?
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Milik_the_Red


Nor am I. I do find the idea of it somehow being more morally acceptable to dip your toe in one cesspool rather than another to be laughably self-deluding. But that is the conundrum of any aspect of censorship, isn’t it?


we would all love to live in a black and white world where there was right and wrong and no degrees in between. i like to think that we have worked hard to create a site that is more than just erotica. it's become a community with very real friendships, and even relationships, forged. we've managed to pair dirty stories with threads that support women's issues and mental health and that actually takes a stance on things like non-consent and harassment. no, we don't have a perfect record, but we do try, and i like to think that makes us stand out a little. personally, i'd rather dip my toe in the cesspool a bit rather than start posting at a site that doesn't give a shit - and if lush stops existing, that, or not publishing stories at all, would be my only choice.

it is becoming uncomfortably close to sink or swim, and i prefer to swim, even if the water is a bit smellier than i'd prefer. trust me, i'm not deluding myself, i'm simply making the best choice i can from the options provided, as should everyone else. if people have an issue with it, then they need to decide if the negatives outweigh the positives and, if they do, they need to decide where to go from there. no one's making anyone stay here if they feel it no longer is comfortable. that said, this is exactly why people have the option of blocking story categories.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Guest
Lurker
Quote by sprite


yes, exactly. a crowd that is no longer here. that's the point to this. and i'm not sure how you've been treated with disdain. we're doing our best to answer questions and to be transparent. here. how would you prefer i handle it? i'm always happy to make adjustments, as long as they're sensible.


You’re obviously ignoring the part where I said they may never be here again. In the meantime, you’ve managed to piss off some of your current members to the point that they are leaving. I’m not sure how that fosters a sense of community or drives traffic to the site.

Not sure how we’ve been treated with disdain? I guess I’ll just repeat the part where I said that current members weren’t consulted to see if those of us already here wanted the reintroduction of such a divisive category. It just happened. And here are Nicola’s words from the announcement thread:

“No discussions about this decision will be entertained. Please do not create forum posts or contact any moderators or I about it.”

Until this thread blew up, that post made it very clear to us plebs that there was no want to answer any questions on the subject.

I think disdain sums all that up rather well.
Simplicity
Just me
Quote by sprite


yes - we just tested it out - if you have stories blocked and someone you're following writes one, you will NOT get a notification. smile


Seems I asked this to be done some time ago. So does this mean ALL categories that are blocked we will not get notified or just ?
Click below to see
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Varrick


You’re obviously ignoring the part where I said they may never be here again. In the meantime, you’ve managed to piss off some of your current members to the point that they are leaving. I’m not sure how that fosters a sense of community or drives traffic to the site.

Not sure how we’ve been treated with disdain? I guess I’ll just repeat the part where I said that current members weren’t consulted to see if those of us already here wanted the reintroduction of such a divisive category. It just happened. And here are Nicola’s words from the announcement thread:

“No discussions about this decision will be entertained. Please do not create forum posts or contact any moderators or I about it.”

Until this thread blew up, that post made it very clear to us plebs that there was no want to answer any questions on the subject.

I think disdain sums all that up rather well.



you're right, they may not, but we may end up getting a new influx of people. or they could. i really don't know. it's a grand experiment. and yeah, we have managed to piss off people who may, or may not, leave. it happens. people stay and go all the time for various reasons. we were kind of hoping that people would understand the reasoning behind this decision after tempers cool down in like a year or two - lol.

nope, current members were not consulted. it's Nicola's site. in this case, she made an executive decision. often, there will be a discussion. she was very aware of the flak we were going to take on this one, but the decision was made - discussion on the matter would have been insincere at best nor would it have changed a thing.

and i like to think that anyone who knows me just a little would be aware that i would be happy to answer questions and/or concerns, as best i could, either in private or here, as i am attempting to do now.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Simplicity


Seems I asked this to be done some time ago. So does this mean ALL categories that are blocked we will not get notified or just ?


if you have a category blocked, you should not be getting a notification when a story is published in that category - IF you are/do, please contact us and we'll do our best to fix the issue.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
Milik_the_Red
Internet Philosopher
Quote by sprite


we would all love to live in a black and white world where there was right and wrong and no degrees in between. i like to think that we have worked hard to create a site that is more than just erotica. it's become a community with very real friendships, and even relationships, forged. we've managed to pair dirty stories with threads that support women's issues and mental health and that actually takes a stance on things like non-consent and harassment. no, we don't have a perfect record, but we do try, and i like to think that makes us stand out a little. personally, i'd rather dip my toe in the cesspool a bit rather than start posting at a site that doesn't give a shit - and if lush stops existing, that, or not publishing stories at all, would be my only choice.

it is becoming uncomfortably close to sink or swim, and i prefer to swim, even if the water is a bit smellier than i'd prefer. trust me, i'm not deluding myself, i'm simply making the best choice i can from the options provided, as should everyone else. if people have an issue with it, then they need to decide if the negatives outweigh the positives and, if they do, they need to decide where to go from there. no one's making anyone stay here if they feel it no longer is comfortable. that said, this is exactly why people have the option of blocking story categories.


It still all comes down to choice, and remember, I am actually in support of the change. I understand your points of supporting woman’s issues. I was here, working behind the scenes with you for years in the fight. Also, I was the one who first purposed the LGBTQ forum, something I was grilled unmercifully for right here on Lush. I consider this to be my greatest contribution to the site. So yes, I totally understand that Lush is more than a simple erotic literature site.

As a mod, I put aside my inherent libertarian bent. I was part of a group that had to look out for the site and put it above my own views and I did. Okay, now I’m just a member and I won’t sell my views short anymore. So I say now, even though I agree in adding the new genre, that trying to say we are protecting women’s issue while allowing is farcical. Most victims of are female after all, we are fooling ourselves if we try to find any moral high ground. We are dancing with the devil here and choosing only one song to dance to is no less a sin.
Simplicity
Just me
Sorry I feel it is very sad we have to sink to this level to keep the doors open as you say. So by sinking to this level ,what is making Lush any better than the rest of the raunchy sites? I chose this site because of its standards, but what I am seeing now ,makes me wonder...

You say you have to do this to keep the sight going. Suggestion, why not make everyone that is interested in writing and submitting a story have a paid membership? That would certainly help.
Click below to see
Simplicity
Just me
Quote by sprite


if you have a category blocked, you should not be getting a notification when a story is published in that category - IF you are/do, please contact us and we'll do our best to fix the issue.


Thank you, I will
Click below to see
Verbal
Gravelly-Voiced Fucker
Quote by Varrick


Not sure how we’ve been treated with disdain? I guess I’ll just repeat the part where I said that current members weren’t consulted to see if those of us already here wanted the reintroduction of such a divisive category. It just happened. And here are Nicola’s words from the announcement thread:

“No discussions about this decision will be entertained. Please do not create forum posts or contact any moderators or I about it.”



That line kinda pissed me off too, but discussion of the subject is being entertained, right here (as well in BBs and emails and blog posts all day). I am made uncomfortable by the change, too. And I am not particularly moved by the "we've gotta make money" argument. But this is a community, and one that caters to sexual fantasies, sometimes disturbing ones, and there was an equal outcry against censorship by this same community when the category was first removed.

It was a noble attempt, it didn't work out.
Magical_felix
Wild at Heart
Quote by Milik_the_Red

So I say now, even though I agree in adding the new genre, that trying to say we are protecting women’s issue while allowing is farcical.


I don't think Lush is on the frontline of protecting women's issues.. I mean a few forum posts about feminism and venting about past traumas (inappropriate for a sex story site but I won't get into that) can hardly be considered protecting women's issues. It's a sex story site. One of the most popular categories (as repugnant as it is) is . Obviously it's a genre that works in written form so people can imagine whatever as they read. It's a genre that doesn't work the same in porn movies like say big butt bouncing vids or something. Lush not having stories is like a bar not serving beer.
Guest
Lurker
Quote by sprite
and i like to think that anyone who knows me just a little would be aware that i would be happy to answer questions and/or concerns, as best i could, either in private or here, as i am attempting to do now.


If it had been said in Nicola’s initial post that those in charge would be happy to address our concerns, then maybe this shitstorm would be a little less intense. Instead, we were basically told that the powers that be don’t give a shit how we feel. As I said, it’s been handled ineptly from the get-go.

I thank you for trying to address the matter now, but it never should have come to this in the first place.
Magical_felix
Wild at Heart
Quote by Varrick

current members weren’t consulted to see if those of us already here wanted the reintroduction of such a divisive category.



How are they supposed to do that? Create a poll in the forum that will get 20 votes by the same dopes that post in the forum everyday? Send a Massive PM to the whole membership and then read every reply? lol
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
Quote by Milik_the_Red


It still all comes down to choice, and remember, I am actually in support of the change. I understand your points of supporting woman’s issues. I was here, working behind the scenes with you for years in the fight. Also, I was the one who first purposed the LGBTQ forum, something I was grilled unmercifully for right here on Lush. I consider this to be my greatest contribution to the site. So yes, I totally understand that Lush is more than a simple erotic literature site.

As a mod, I put aside my inherent libertarian bent. I was part of a group that had to look out for the site and put it above my own views and I did. Okay, now I’m just a member and I won’t sell my views short anymore. So I say now, even though I agree in adding the new genre, that trying to say we are protecting women’s issue while allowing is farcical. Most victims of are female after all, we are fooling ourselves if we try to find any moral high ground. We are dancing with the devil here and choosing only one song to dance to is no less a sin.


oh, no, i totally got that, Mr Red. i'm simply doing my best to illuminate, to the best of my abilities, my thoughts on the subject. some of the story mods are less than thrilled, as well, and as always, the option for them to simply not mod stories is there.

and yes, lgbtq friendly, as well, thanks to you, which is something else we can be proud of. as i said, it's an imperfect world and i'm not attempting to position myself on high moral ground - i'm simply pointing out the fact that if lush weren't here, and people wanted to publish stories, the other choices are far worse, imo. honestly, i'd be fine with never needing to resurrect the category, but the key word there is "need". sometime you gotta make the tough, and unpopular, choices.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.