opt-in content filters

[firecat]

The more I think about it, the more I don't particularly care for opt-in content filters. So I removed my opt-in filter for poetry, which means anyone on my friends list can read my poetry postings (I haven't made any in a long time, though).

I don't really object to other people's having content filters, and I see why they might be necessary for work-unsafe postings. But when people on my friends list ask about opt-in content filters, I always respond to them by saying "please put me on all filters you're comfortable having me on."

And I sometimes feel an uncomfortable obligation to search out the opt-in content filter postings of all the folks on my friends list or else risk missing something I would enjoy reading (and possibly give someone the wrong idea because I happen to miss a day or two of their journal and miss their content-filter poll). However, I'm aware that this is my problem, not anyone else's.

Comments

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

I feel *exactly* the same way, and my stock answer is "I want to read anything you want me to see."

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Me three. I like content filters, but I think the person whose journal it is should decide who should see stuff.

-J

[kateo.livejournal.com]

I've started experimenting with them, as you know, and I don't think I much care for them either. At first I set them up because it seemed like all I ever talked about was running, and I thought I might be boring some people. But hey! It's my journal, I can bore whoever's dumb enough to read. :-)

It was also a half-thought-out attempt at setting up some topics that I might write about, like if I were keeping a real blog of a topical nature. Sort of like a running column on different areas of interest. But I've found that it isn't an effective way to get me writing about those things anyway.

So I think I'm going to do away with them.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

I kind of wondered what your opt-in filters were about! Especially since the topics didn't seem like anything that would upset anyone on your list.

If I worry that I'm going to annoy the people who have me friended by talking about the things I feel like talking about -- and I sometimes have, especially when my interests have changed -- then I will do something like give them a heads-up about what I'm going to be talking about and tell them I won't assume that they hate me if they stop reading my journal. I also include things that I'm pretty sure only appeal to a few people behind cut-tags. It seems to work for me. People do occasionally find me boring and unfriend me, but I'd rather they do that than wade through stuff they don't care about.

-J

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I have more or less the same approach, and nearly always respond with the same thing when I encounter calls for filter membership.

[geekchick]

I always respond to them by saying "please put me on all filters you're comfortable having me on."

That's my standard answer as well. I'm pretty sure that I've missed some opt-in stuff from folks on my friends list because I don't always have time to read every post and go back to make sure I've filled out all the polls.

I think the only filters I've asked people if they wanted to opt in to are the ones related to diet/weight loss; I know that there are people on my friends list who aren't interested in reading that sort of post and I'd rather give them the opportunity to easily skip it. Other than that, most of my filters are of the "individuals/people who are local/members of a mailing list" variety.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

If it helps to know this, I have only one content filter ("pervish"), and you're on it.

[firecat]

I was pretty sure I'd gotten onto your filter. Thanks for letting me know for sure.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

The only opt-in I have is that I label the basic area of discussion (Meme, Politics, Update, Allergoes, whatever). I also cut-tag almost everything. . I do have some friends-only posts, but you're on my friends list, so you get to see them.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

That is, the reader gets to decide from the label and the cut-tatg whether they want to bother reading.

Am I making sense yet?

[firecat]

Yep, makes perfect sense. Mostly how I do it, tho' I don't have names for topic areas.

Re: opt-in content filters

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

*nod*. i don't usually care enough to have content pre-filtered for me; i can easily avoid reading things i am not interested in (such as BDSM stuff which still squicks me a fair amount). and i might easily miss a content-filter poll since i go at times for days without reading anyone else if i become too preoccupied with other things, and then don't always catch up, even though i try. and that's becoming more of an issue now that i am reading a lot more people because i am trying to get to know my team members. (right, not anyone's problem but mine -- but i am glad you don't do content filters, so i am not gonna miss anything from you.)

[bobbylevi.livejournal.com]

I don't use opt-in filters on my journal... I occasionally filter something sensitive to a smaller more trusted group. I think it should be the decision of the journal owner to include people on a filter, and I would not make that decision until I'd got to know the new person.

[redbird]

I have one opt-out filter, for me talking about health stuff: I put people in if I want them to see it, but offer them the chance to be removed if they'd rather not. Other than that, I use cut tags, which I mostly use to spare everyone's friends page lists of "exercise, so much weight, so many reps."

[kightp.livejournal.com]

I use content filters (rarely) for one of two limited purposes:

* When I'm going to be making frequent long posts about something that I suspect would bore most of my friends, but be very interesting to a minority of them (my Theater Journal filter.) This is an opt-in filter
* When I want feedback/discussion from specific subsets of my friends, but not the world at large (polytalk/relationship filters, a local-friends-only filter). These are opt-out filters - I set them up with people I'd like to have read them, let them know about it and give them the chance to opt out if they'd prefer.

Otherwise, I figure people who've added me to their friends lists have already opted in to whatever I choose to blather about ...