The internet is full of photos and blogs and posts and tweets, of naked people, naturists and protestors, art events, naked hiking tours, etc. It always surprises me how many of these are cross-posted from “somewhere else”. The *original* photographer or participant is not so often to be seen. Many of these are of course photos of cute naked young girls. How many of those do you see on your average naked hikes…?
It’s not just about posting other people’s material. In many cases, people will refuse to participate in letting others know of their involvement altogether. Like several people who tried to submit material for a book on Naked Hiking I wrote and published. Several people sent in material with the express concern that their “real name not be used”. I could cry. (their private material were not used).
If we are to demonstrate to people, mainstream society, that being “naked is ok”, then surely we have to stand up and be counted.
Now, I do understand that in certain circumstances, for instance in todays’ witch-hunting atmosphere of terror, school teachers in particular might feel some concern of how their parents will react, but this is only really making the situation worse. It always seems as though people are concerned about what others “might think”. T
he only way to change this is to be open.
This is how the gay community behaved up until 50 years ago, when they started to “come out”, and look at that community now! Naturists and nudists and naked people all around the world, need to have a little more gumption. Don’t be afraid to post a naked photo on the internet, with your real name attached. Show people how unashamed of your activities you really are. You are, UNashamed, right?
And, to forestall the inevitable hysteria, I do NOT mean that everyone MUST do this. I’m just suggesting that if a few more people used their own images, their own stories, their own names, then we would begin to see more respect from mainstream culture. It’s easy for the like of Top-Gear and Page-3 to snicker at the nudists who hide behind their fences, because they know none of them are ever going to complain for fear of being “identified”.
Just think how nice it would be to be able to talk to your work colleagues, your neighbours, about your holidays and your W/E activities, instead of being terrified they might one day find out. Remember this: once the image is in the public domain, nobody can threaten to expose you. Pre-empt the attempt, post first. The ground will not swallow you up, I promise.
By all means cross-post links to this blog, comment on it, share the message far and wide! However, consider with your own next blog, maybe use your real name. Here’s mine: Richard Foley
Hi, i'm new on Naktiv, so my question is maybe Stupid…
How have you put a photo in the initial post ?
I have only capacity to write text … in my blogs …
Thank you for help.
You can post text and images directly in your feed. Or you can create a blog post which also use both images and text but gives more facility for member interaction. Try it and see!
Richard et al …. Anyone who goes to my blog site knows my name as Robert G. Longpré. a few years ago, that was the name used here. Circumstances changed and I returned here as Skyclad Robert. I have photo-poetry books in both paper and ebook editions which feature nude images of both myself and my wife. All of our children have copies of the books as do many of our neighbours and friends.
As for whose photos are they? Photos taken by me are copyrighted by myself – Flickr account, FB accounts, Twitter, etc. – I make a point of obtaining permission when possible when using a photo on my blog site(s).
As for who sees my photos, and what do they see when looking at them, I don't particularly much care. That said, I do block obvious porn accounts that try linking to my Twitter and Flickr accounts. I have had more than one person tell me that some of my images find their way into "daddy" sites for the gay community. I don't follow up on these reports though I do make it harder for them to get my photos. Why block them? I don't want my identity to be linked to porn. It's as simple as that. Anyone who reads any of my books or my blog sites knows that I am not about dic pics.
I agree with Happy Bare about keeping identities in separate boxes – we all have many personae that we use in our interactions with the world . I respect Happy's choices.
What I don't agree with is the need, in this community called the Naktiv site, to have faceless images of genitals. Rather than post such images, it would be better to refrain from posting images at all that are genital focused. Stick to generic shots of the backside. I do understand that once images are uploaded to cyberspace, there can be an uncomfortable vulnerability should the images find their way through cyberspace. If you're worried about an image, don't take it and post it, don't save it in some "cloud" platform. The world ins't necessarily kind to naturists/nudists/naked people.
I am also strongly opposed to those 'genitalia' profile pictures! Why on earth post anything that is just a vagina or a penis! That to me shouts "PORNOGRAPHY" and it would seem a sure fire avalanche of insults & degradation aimed at naturism, would happen if those images were seen in general public. Please can we stay with full body natural photo's please, without clothing obviously! Any true naturist who is able to use editing skills can 'mask' faces if that is really essential.
I think you mean 'representative'
@HB If you "nest" your replies, it is much easier to see to which comment you are replying to.
Like this.
OK thanks
Well, I just did a quick image search for naturists and they seem to be pretty reprehensive of real naturists. Lots of kids though which seems okay but worries me a little.
There was a time not that very long ago that it was necessary to conceal your sexuality if you wanted to do business. If you wanted to be regarded as a "normal" member of society it was also necessary to conceal your sexuality. Isn't it amazing how times have changed?
If you consider nudity abnormal, something to conceal and be done in private, it will forever be tainted with a stigma.
Very early on I had a mindset that I would be quite embarrassed if certain colleagues or professional associates found out that I actively participated in nude recreation. Upon reflection I now realise that at that time I valued their view of the world over my own. That's a sorry place to be.
This is a wide spread problem. Whenever you put other people's views ahead of your own, you're devaluing yourself, and elevating others above you. Moreover, you're accepting that their world view is more valid than your own. Give that some careful thought. Is that really the case?
Is nudity acceptable behavior or not?
Most people appear to think that "other people's thoughts" have more validity than their own. Weird, when you think about it.
Great comments Shane, I absolutely agree that we should be very truthful about ourselves and share our nudism choices with the wider world. Those in jobs involving children or vulnerable people do have to 'consider' the effect of being truthful on their employment, but that is possibly a topic to discuss in confidence with a senior supervisor or your employer directly. If more people actually understood "Naturism" then there should be less fear of it where impressionable people are. (Or their over keen protectors!)
I have been away for a while and really should participate more not least because I feel comfortable using my own name here as well as placing my photos in a profile that is public and indexed on google. People searching on my name alone are unlikely to find me naked. But if they have found out from elsewhere about my photography, for example, or saw my wnbr photo on facebook, and have insatiable curiosity about where this all goes then searching on 'scott hortop nude' will throw up any number of results including my the Naktiv site profile, none of which should be embarrassing to me or the person searching.
I have a very unusual name so am easy to find. Those with more common names should be able to use them with confidence. Only people who know about your naturist activities are ever likely to be able to search and find you. In most circumstances there is no harm in that.
Easy to find is one thing, but we all still have a choice. Hence the privacy settings here: http://www.naktiv.net/permissions/
For those who want them 😉
Even more reason for being oneself here!
I wish the vagina "focused" photos without faces (that the "Boy's club" allow here even though "their" rules do not allow it,) were ALL put on "FRIENDS ONLY" privacy! If they were set to: "friends only," those Vagina shots would "attract" less of the "porn, Swinger, Fake profile, & sex addicts" here on the Naktiv site, than they have already allowed. And all those Male moderators, please go ahead & post your own "Wife or girl friends" Vagina shots & tell them how brave they are(n) NOT!
Well stated, Scott. I have the same attitude about my naturist lifestyle. Those that know me know I'm a naturist. Those that want to find out about me via Google or other search engine will get hundreds of hits on all the articles I've written when I wrote for the local newspaper. Even my coworkers and managers at that newspaper knew that I was a naturists and also model nude for art classes, but didn't see to care.
As for a very unusual name, I think if anyone was looking to find pictures of nude people, googling my name should give them a head start.
And I had assumed that "Nudi" was a pseudonym! 🙂 Forgive me for that – all down to their prevalence and my lack of familiarity with Italian surnames. Congratulations on being an authentic Nudi!
Googled 'Scott Hortop nude' and you pretty much control the organic listings. Terrific photos by the way.
@HB That's no skill on my part. Just a comment on the lack of other Scott Hortops on the planet!!! And thanks re the photos 🙂
i agree with richard. that why i left truenaturists. so many fals profiles. how can you say, i am a naturist, but i am afraid somebody will find out. it want help either to place somebodies photo as your own. on my hikes i do photos or do photo sessions for the hiker, but never do publish them without consent of the person in the photo,which i seldem get.if you afraid somebody sees you, don,t put photos on the internet. with or without protection. you always get the picture collector on any website.
Of course, openness and honesty are the best policy, and I like and appreciate posting only your own photos. Copyright is important, and so is privacy. I make my living online and not all my viewers and customers would be keen with my proclivity for being naked, and that's OK, each to his own. My content is real as are my photos and as are my thoughts. My moniker 'Happy Bare' accurately describes me.
Each to his own is very important. It's still all about freedom of choice, but what I'm saying is that if everyone was free to be open about their naked activities, (as they are about being gay NOW), then you wouldn't be concerned about whether your viewers and customers "might not be so keen". It's none of their business, what you do in your private life, in any case.
But it is their business where they shop. Part of the shopping experience is confidence and if they do not have confidence in my website they will not shop. In any case I do not feel the need to force my nudity on to them. Imagine walking in to a shop in Munich and finding the clerk naked. Now you or I may be pleased at such a thing, some would not. All the things in our lives do not have to common knowledge to everyone. My nudity is my business and I want to share it with those who appreciate it and understand it.