Blogger Deleting Gay Blogs?

So lately there's been a whole load of talk on the net about google and blogspot deleting gay blogs.  Some of them have been well known bareback bloggers, others have been not so well known, but gay regardless.

It's really got the bareback blogger community rattled, and the forums, facebook and twitter have all been full of talk of what people are doing to protect their work.   So much talk, that another blog has been doing the rounds called Google Blogger Closes Gay Blogs. 

Anyway, it got me thinking, as it did everyone who is a regular blogger as to where I should take my blog.  I am looking, as per my previous post, at the possibility of taking it over to Best Male Diaries.  Someone who rawTOP has suggested to a few of us bloggers.  I'm waiting for my registration to come through from there.  However, this evening I decided to do some more digging on what exactly bloggers Terms of Service were with regards to adult material on blogs.

This is what i discovered.

"As outlined in the Blogger Content Policy, adult content is permitted on Blogger; however, when adult content is flagged by users, we may show users a content warning page before they view flagged material to prevent people who don't want to see this material from stumbling on it accidentally. We feel that this is the best solution in order to maintain a safe online experience for users of all ages and to be a platform for the personal expression and creativity that has come to characterize Blogger and its users.

To report adult material not currently placed behind a content warning page, please flag the blog as objectionable using the flag button on the blog's Navbar. We will review the blog and take action as necessary. If you are unable to flag the blog, please click here to fill out an abuse report.

As outlined in the Blogger Content Policy, adult material used for the primary purpose of commercial gain is not allowed on Blog"

Source:  Blogger Help

So on the face of it, it suggests that provided you declare your blog as being containing adult content, and put it behind a mature content filter (as mine is), and that it is not overly commercial (ie not riddled with adverts), AND that your material is genuine and original, not stolen from other people you are OK any are NOT in breach of their ToS.

But I wanted further clarification, and decided to scour through the actual ToS to see what it had in there.  I came up with this which confirmed my summisation above.

"Adult Content: We do allow adult content on Blogger, including images or videos that contain nudity or sexual activity. However, please mark your blog as 'adult' in your Blogger settings. Otherwise, we may put it behind a 'mature content' interstitial.

There are some exceptions to our adult content policy:

• Do not use Blogger as a way to make money on adult content. For example, don't create blogs where a significant percentage of the content is ads or links to commercial porn sites.
• No incest or bestiality content: We do not allow image, video or text content that depicts or encourages incest or bestiality."

Source:  Blogger Content Policy

So there it is... from blogger itself.  

Provided you are posting genuine, original content of your own making and your blog isn't filled with adverts, commercial banners etc, then you are ok... 

I would be interested to learn from any of the bloggers who had their blogs deleted, to see if any of them were in full compliance of the Content Policy, but still had their work taken offline... I suspect, that nearly all of them broke the policy and paid the price - however, feedback always appreciated.

Josh