So tribe.net dealt itself a killing blow
yesterday. Following their stated
decision that there's some content
they just don't want on what was
their promising but underdeveloped
Friendster/Craigslist/message-
board fusion system, they've taken
an extraordinarily broad view of
2257, the American law about
depicting minors in actual sexual
acts that compels content producers
to hold extensive personal data on
performers and models. Using a
combination of company moderation
and community informants, any
image smelling of sex will be
suppressed or removed from public
site. Since Tribe's main users are
Burners (from Burning Man) and
omnisexual Bay Area polyfuckers,
with a small but active enclave of
sex workers in the middle somewhere,
Tribe would appear to be cutting
their own throats. Or polishing the
place up for sale.

Their policy statements are
amorphous enough to have a
chilling effect. Tribe users' front
pages allow you to display entries
from your favourite blogs, part of
their last smart move, to make
Tribe your homepage on the web.
But if I call in content from Sexerati
or AVN, I appear to be in
contravention of their phrase
"sexually active conduct". Even
though I didn't make the entries,
and don't live in the States, Tribe
consider me a producer, and subject
to their frankly quite barking take
on 2257. Also, you now can't get
a Tribe account unless you're over
18. Work that one out.