Quote from: Shantel on January 03, 2013, 06:52:09 PM
You're welcome to your opinions but I think it's really peculiar for anyone aspiring to come out as a woman to be put off by another woman in a T-shirt showing just a little cleavage.

Um, have you met my super-religious mother? 

Gah, back to homework! Curse my weak attention span!

If that's bad how would one handle going to the beach these days? 

Oh my gosh, tell me about it! I sometimes think that girls are at the beach in lingerie, when they're actually there in bikinis. 

.

Are you saying that lesbians shouldn't be allowed to use public restrooms? I'd think they find "the shadow of a boob" to be exciting, just as men do (and by accusation, many MTF's).

Nothing particularly sexual in showing a bit of cleavage..it's not like she had tassles or pasties on, and nothing else. Shantel's avatar was entirely within "normal" parameters, imho.

Quote from: peky on January 03, 2013, 07:02:45 PM
I do not agree dahrling, the boys just want to see boobs, face is secondary

Women have faces?   

Shantel, I love reading your posts. It's fitting that you illustrate them with a very female view of you. Thanks for helping make Susan's an interesting and enlightening place.

Quote from: Shantel on January 03, 2013, 04:26:40 PMI was at Alderwood Mall yesterday and saw a woman in a black burka with just a slit for her eyes. I went holy sh*t! What's that?

She was probably wearing a jilbab (cloak) and a hijab (scarf) (burqa is sort of but not exactly another word for it, but I don't think it's as commonly used by Muslims), a likely show of faith for her being Muslim. The Qur'an stresses (but does not enforce) modesty. In Muslim culture, it's common for women to dress that way (depending on their sect of faith; Sunni and Wahhabi Muslims stress this more than Shia Islam does, to my understanding).

The range that women choose to do this with (or are told to by their husbands, again depending on the type of Muslim -- in Shia Islam, for example, women have much more power in a marriage than men do) is up to them. Most American women who decide to express modesty for Allah choose to only wear a hijab, often without the veiled face and also not always covering all of their hair. My guess is that the woman was a Sunni Muslim, as Wahhabi are rare outside of Saudi Arabia.

Long story short: it's an Islamic tradition.

P.S. I'm not a Muslim, but I've learned a bit about Islam.

Shantel, you look fabulous, please keep your avatar! (I've seen a lot more skin showing on women walking through the grocery, I don't see how anyone would have a problem with your pic!)

I can see why it might take a few people off guard, but, I don't think the avatar is meant to titillate (pun completely intended ). If you went out in public you'd see some women sporting a similar look, so as I see it, your body your business.

Well I enjoyed all the comments by those with a real view of life here on that planet as well as those who live in a different place in space, it's ok though everyone is welcome to their own opinion as we know what the saying says about opinions. Think we'll change the avatar just so it won't be such a big distraction and go with the all seeing eye of Shan and move on to some other subjects more interesting. Thanks everyone, appreciate your input!

Quote from: Shantel on January 04, 2013, 09:35:00 AM
Well I enjoyed all the comments by those with a real view of life here on that planet as well as those who live in a different place in space, it's ok though everyone is welcome to their own opinion as we know what the saying says about opinions. Think we'll change the avatar just so it won't be such a big distraction and go with the all seeing eye of Shan and move on to some other subjects more interesting. Thanks everyone, appreciate your input!

or not to elicit any undue ENVY 

ok

now since every had a go at this, let me chime in,

With that said, I do want to clear what some people are saying or have been labeled as intuitive:

1. No I am not a neo conservative religious person. I think anyone who knows me know I am very progressive in any religion or anti religion belief. It's odd that I have conservatives telling me I am going to hell for being liberal but then here I can be assumed as a conservative.

2. It doesn't matter to me if she decided to keep her avatar up. It didn't break any rules whatsoever. Shantel is an awesome person and I stated it. I just gave an opinion that I was uncomfortable seeing a pair of breasts everytime I read her posts. Me being uncomfortable is not the same thing as me saying she is disgusting, wrong, or illicit. I gave an opinion. I just don't appreciate my opinion being reposted on the public forums. I do give her credit that she didn't call my name out.

3. I don't know. Imagine if someone had an avatar of a close up of a man's crotch in tight shorts. I don't think it's an over stretch of the imagination to understand some people may be uncomfortable with the idea.

4. Fatadmin hit the nail on the head. It was like I was talking to breasts and not the person. A full character with cleavage doesn't bother at all so it's not because they are breasts. It was just a big close up of breasts and it felt like I was talking to breasts.

5. In my opinion there's a difference between a girl in the mall with a low cut shirt vs an avatar of just breasts. The analogy would have been more accurate if the girl in the mall only consisted of breasts and nothing more.

6. It had nothing to do with jealously or envy

7. This was me posting as Annah before I was a Moderator. If this happened 48 hours in the future I would have left it alone unless others mentioned it. As a Moderator, I know it isn't breaking any rules and I knew that prior I was a Moderator. Just voicing a non threatening point privately between two people.

8. As I said, I only stated my opinion. It was not a conservative, religious bashing device or making someone to remove an avatar. She can leave it up...I just needed to voice my opinion....in private.

She is certainly able to leave her avatar up. I was just giving my friendly two cents on the matter when I PMed her. Sorry if it came across a different way

You could always compromise Shantel and use something like this:

Quote from: Annah on January 04, 2013, 11:02:35 PM
4. Fatadmin hit the nail on the head. It was like I was talking to breasts and not the person. A full character with cleavage doesn't bother at all so it's not because they are breasts. It was just a big close up of breasts and it felt like I was talking to breasts.

5. In my opinion there's a difference between a girl in the mall with a low cut shirt vs an avatar of just breasts. The analogy would have been more accurate if the girl in the mall only consisted of breasts and nothing more.

Oh well thanks for that image....   

Quote from: muuu on January 03, 2013, 08:19:00 PM
If I had fabulous hipbones and were proud of them... I'd probably want to share them~

I think breasts is one of those things that are a very obvious change, and people get excited to see progress. So I think it's perfectly reasonable that people are overly happy and giddy when it comes to breasts.

Showing off one's breasts is a reasonable result of being happy with one's HRT progress in that regard. Breasts really are good markers for HRT changes, and if I had fabulous boobs, I'd show them off a bit too.

Honestly, being on the Internet for even a little while shows you more boobs than most people from previous generations would see in a lifetime. Same goes for watching television. It's really not the era to be sensitive about people displaying cleavage anymore - in this time period, it is the viewer's duty to "cover their eyes" (use programs to block images, or etc.).

Quote from: Annah on January 04, 2013, 11:02:35 PM
ok

now since every had a go at this, let me chime in,

With that said, I do want to clear what some people are saying or have been labeled as intuitive:

1. No I am not a neo conservative religious person. I think anyone who knows me know I am very progressive in any religion or anti religion belief. It's odd that I have conservatives telling me I am going to hell for being liberal but then here I can be assumed as a conservative.

2. It doesn't matter to me if she decided to keep her avatar up. It didn't break any rules whatsoever. Shantel is an awesome person and I stated it. I just gave an opinion that I was uncomfortable seeing a pair of breasts everytime I read her posts. Me being uncomfortable is not the same thing as me saying she is disgusting, wrong, or illicit. I gave an opinion. I just don't appreciate my opinion being reposted on the public forums. I do give her credit that she didn't call my name out.

3. I don't know. Imagine if someone had an avatar of a close up of a man's crotch in tight shorts. I don't think it's an over stretch of the imagination to understand some people may be uncomfortable with the idea.

4. Fatadmin hit the nail on the head. It was like I was talking to breasts and not the person. A full character with cleavage doesn't bother at all so it's not because they are breasts. It was just a big close up of breasts and it felt like I was talking to breasts.

5. In my opinion there's a difference between a girl in the mall with a low cut shirt vs an avatar of just breasts. The analogy would have been more accurate if the girl in the mall only consisted of breasts and nothing more.

6. It had nothing to do with jealously or envy

7. This was me posting as Annah before I was a Moderator. If this happened 48 hours in the future I would have left it alone unless others mentioned it. As a Moderator, I know it isn't breaking any rules and I knew that prior I was a Moderator. Just voicing a non threatening point privately between two people.

8. As I said, I only stated my opinion. It was not a conservative, religious bashing device or making someone to remove an avatar. She can leave it up...I just needed to voice my opinion....in private.

She is certainly able to leave her avatar up. I was just giving my friendly two cents on the matter when I PMed her. Sorry if it came across a different way

I did not see any attributions by the OP in her initial or subsequent posting, or by anybody else post thereafter.


Am I missing something?

Quote from: Shantel on January 03, 2013, 04:01:55 PM
Got the following pm...

Yes, and I have also gotten some unusual private messages that made me feel uncomfortable.  I did not like them and did not answer them.  I usually turn off private messaging on boards like this.  Perhaps that is a good alternate strategy here.

Quote from: peky on January 05, 2013, 03:48:14 PM

I did not see any attributions by the OP in her initial or subsequent posting, or by anybody else post thereafter.


Am I missing something?

each number was a response to a specific reply written throughout the thread prior to my post.

Quote from: Fat Admin on January 03, 2013, 06:33:56 PM...yes we do moderate avatars that are too racy.

Good.

Nice.

Fine.

Excellent.

Very nice.

But WHO moderates the moderators, may I ask?  Specifically, that racy Kramden hotness avatar that YOU use!