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Americans are Not Obligated

              Americans are not Obligated

  Cultural restrictions are a recurring theme on the internet.

  This author is frequently told that “Americans are prudish, and have hang ups about nudity,” to which a reply is required, with an explanation as to what policy is, and how it works.

  Though, any attempt at a civil discussion regarding the myriad aspects of the concepts of policy, morality, ethics, and culturally accepted norms, is always sloughed off and shouted down as an example of American exceptionalism.

  Let this author be the ugly American who tells you how to behave.

  YouTube is an American owned company, created by Americans, using American technology. The proprietors of YouTube allow non-Americans to participate in the experience, as long as you follow the policies that you agreed to follow in the YouTube Terms of Service (TOS).

  The YouTube terms of service are based on American morality and ethics; the YouTube policies are NOT based on global ethics.

  Your cultural norms are not a consideration on YouTube, and your morality has no bearing on YouTube’s operation and codes of conduct.

  The YouTube terms of service clearly state that you are NOT allowed to show nudity on THEIR system. That is YouTube policy, and a term that YOU agreed to, and are expected to OBEY.

  While the YouTube policy is roughly based on American public communications law and American ethics, violations will not require your arrest unless you post criminal acts.

  Because YouTube policy is not law, it is subject to change and allows wiggle room for certain issues.

  Because YouTube does not review every single video that is posted to it’s network, it requires the vigilance of the YouTube community.

  Sometime in my early development as a child, my parents taught me that it was proper to wear pants in public. When I got out of bed, I put on some pants. When I went to school, I wore pants.

  When I applied for a job I wore pants. When I went to work, I wore pants. When I post videos on the internet, I wear pants.

  It never occurred to me that I was wrong for wearing pants, or for requiring others to do so.

  Probably because I follow policy, and I wear pants…or it might be that it is just natural; it feels right to wear pants when I am out in public, or making YouTube videos for the public.

  What you do in the privacy of your home is your business, but in public you are required to wear pants…and that’s not just policy, that’s the law.

  This author understands that the cultural norms in your country might not require you to wear pants, but that’s your problem, not mine.

  YouTube policy is based on American standards, and Americans are not required to accept your cultural norms.

  Likewise, soliciting prostitution on Twitter is a violation of the Twitter terms of service, and it is a federal crime.

  When you check the Terms Of Service agreement, you sign a contract to abide by network policy…based on American standards.

  There are other networks with age-restriction settings, which allow for the posting of nudity or adult issues, and their policies might be more accessible to users who wish to post nudity.

  But if you have checked the YouTube terms of service, than you have agreed to abide by their policy, based on American morality, in cooperation with American laws.

  If you have uploaded nude videos of yourself (to YouTube) to make a political point regarding freedom of speech issues, than you have only demonstrated your will to impose your moral belief system on others who abide by the rules.

  And the rules are determined by the prime demographic, the corporate sponsors, American consumerism, and American moral standards.

  American YouTube users are not required to look at your ugly naked bodies, simply because you don’t have enough sense to keep your clothes on.


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