Then there is the whole freedom of the press issue, where they can print whatever they want. If it wasn’t getting reactions like this, it wouldn’t be a good article, would it? The whole point is to get stories out there that people will find interesting and controversy just makes it more interesting. My whole point is that not everyone will agree on it, but you all still read the article and felt the need to comment, so in my eyes it was a good article.

My biggest problem with the article is that its portrayed as a student issue, yet most of the questions, research and interviews are not even about students, but about gays. Look at the interview with Michael Jones (a non student), he is listed as a member of the gay community and starts by describing the gay community, of which only a part are students (probably the same % of lincoln’s population that are students), that make videos.

Taking evidence of activity of gays in general, rather than students, and then asking the Director of Student Services if this brings a bad image onto the University, therefore gives the impression she was being asked wether gays were giving the University a bad image through their behaviour; even if this wasnt intended.

Point 3 above; it’s important to remember that none of the acts in the video are illegal, yet all those you listed are. The University should only be concerned with illegal or unsafe activities, which is clear in Judith’s comment. Therefore dramatising the article by asking if it puts out a negative image, does imply that their private lives are being paid too much attention by the University.

Point 1, normally people only make a big deal when celebrities do something illegal – drugs, assault, drink driving, public nudity, child neglect, etc – so see above.

Well, I have a number of things I’d like to bring to light here. I’ll try to keep them brief.

1) Do you also write into the newspapers and tabloids when Britney Spears is on the cover for something stupid? Or Milie Cyrus or all of the other tabloid junk? I would have to doubt it. And I would offer that your reason would be that they don’t affect you (and the University, right?)

2) Suppose this paper did several follow ups on the straight (it’s OK, gay, bi and straight folks are used to using “gay”, “bi”, and “straight” instead of homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual) porn that’s being made, and more importantly, being made available to anyone/everyone via the Internet. Would that make you feel better? No, I’m not trying to be catty. I am actually curious. Part of your arguement is that this article focused on a gay couple and now that’s brought negative attention to the gay community, is that right? So if several articles were to be published about all the other kinds of porn that might be going on there (or in the community without being at the University)… would that balance things out? I see this article as completely benign. I didn’t pick up any negative innuendos or positive ones for that matter.

3) You ask why the University should care what the students do with their free time. So if you push that theory to all the way through, growing pot, making crystal meth, and blackmailing professors – these aren’t the university’s concerns, right? And yeah, that’s negative, so what if I put it this way – helping out the Lighthouse for the Blind, spending time at the local soup kitchen to provide food and clothing, working at the local aids chapter or delivering food for meals on wheels…. those aren’t noteworthy either. I get the impression that the only reason you responded to this article is because it is something that you personally don’t like. I doubt you would have responded or maybe even read the article on these two guys if it was about them ‘adopting a highway’ or making pottery that happened to look like something made in ancient Rome. Sounds like the ‘porn’ or ‘gay’ thing is what caught your eye to me…. but then, that’s just what I see.

4) You mention an invasion of privacy. I can’t really go too far on that one because I don’t know that it really is. I mean, they have publicly posted a video of themselves having sex. An article on that video or their profile from the website doesn’t seem much like an invasion of privacy

5) The Director of Student Services, Judith, says that it’s not illegal and her actual concern is the practice of safe sex for all the students. She admits it’s not something they at the university endorse, but then, they can’t really say that on something so controversial, now, can they? I agree with her published comments here. I think this is very professional and very responsible. And she offered information on where students could go with concerns. If you’re a student there, this might be a good avenue for you to pursue, Lee.

So, all in all, I agree with one point you’ve made here. I believe The Linc should do at least one more story (I’d suggest 2 or even 3 over the next few weeks) on straight porn being made and made public in the same or similar fashion. And, I’ll be honest, I believe if that were to happen, there would be just as big of an uproar… although more positive from the students and more concerned from the faculty.

Chris made a good point when he said “I hardly think there is a need to write about this, seen as there are also countless heterosexual people on similar websites.” How come you didn’t write an article about heterosexual people making their own videos on XTube?

In addition, and as Adam has rightly pointed out, the article was not about Gay Xtube videos, and should not have been directly so negatively at the fact it was a gay couple. There are likely to be plenty of heterosexual Xtube videos from this campus and other universities that outnumber the gay Xtube ones looked at here. It is neither in the Uni’s interests, this or any other, as to what its students get up too in their free and very personal time, and in this case singling out their gay students’ personal activities online is out of line and an invasion of privacy.

Just because they posted it online, doesn’t give the Uni jurisdiction and it doesn’t impact them, or wouldn’t have, if it had not been made public. All it has done is given added additional criticism to the gay community for those who are not so fond, when in reality these activity’s could have been committed at any Uni, by any student gay or straight, and this article does nothing to highlight that.

:-) I stick by my assessment!

“When the University of Lincoln was asked whether it thinks that students who post online sextapes bring it into disrepute,” – The interview with the University was not about gays, it was about students.

Yet the interview with the public was with a gay, non student, about gays. Wether deliberate or not, mascerading this is a student issue to try and get more publicity on a gay issue seems to very poor journalism.

I maintain that the article is deliberately unbalanced (even if not meant in offence) and creates an image that the gay community partakes in activities commonly frowned upon by the straight community – hence asking if this would cause bad publicity for the University.

The video was made 8 months ago and only now has it been written about. Has The Linc been waiting in the wings until the gay community is under scrutiny before writing the story, in an attempt to amplify negativity towards the activities of the online gay community? I’d very much doubt it.

Anybody of any knowledge of the site knows that it is not a gay website and those curious enough to look into the site who don’t already know, will then see that it isn’t a gay only site.

If it did have facts about straight users I personally would have questioned the relevance of that information. Therefore the article, in my humble opinion was well written, to the point and I found all the information relevant.

As for people removing videos for moral reasons, fair enough. Everyone will have their reasons for posting as well as removing, but all the time they are available to view, the stars are putting themselves up for opinion. Whether the video is a gay video or a straight video is fundamental to the story. It was a gay video therefore the gay community will be interviewed and questioned. There would be little to no point in asking the straight community about the gay community, in very much the same way it would be fruitless to ask the gay community about the straight.

This isn’t a personal attack towards the gay community I’m sure but the story has obviously given some food for discussion and thought.

Whilst the article itself is not homophobic, it does emphasise the fact that these 2 are gay and focuses only on gay men making videos, which implies it is common only in the gay community.

With the current media attention on the online gay community with the Jade Goody vs Joe from Fitlads fiasco, an article such as this only goes to amplifiy negativity towards the gay communities online practices.

Had the article at least given facts about the numbers of straight users on the sight or spoken to, or about, even one straight person, then it would have been significantly improved.

They are I’m sure exhibitionists (why else would you post this for the world to view?) and whilst I’m not suggesting that is wrong or right, I feel that if they are in a situation of a university setting, they should have forethought into who may stumble across their ‘fun’ and then be ready for the consequences. If this is simply being exposed through a campus publication, so be it. It could have been done through many different portals like Facebook, Twitter, text message, email or word of mouth.

News is news regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender age etc. I’m sure the story would have been just as ‘exciting’ if the couple were straight. As tabloid like as the article is, it had the desired effect, you picked up the newspaper and you read it and that, my dear friend, is journalism not homophobia.

Xtube.com / Videos / Most viewed / I already said it’s number 7.

I think this article potrays the act of posting up these videos in a negative light, which I feel is unfair.

I dont see how these videos could possibly bring the University into disrepute, since the private (even when exposed) lives of its members do not reflect on the University’s standards of excellence.

If they did, I’m sure the prolific binge drinking and petty crime of students across the country would be a far more accurate reflection on student culture, than the sharing of interpersonal intimacy with other people accross the globe who appreciate it.

I have similar videos adding to over 2.5 million views myself, although they are no longer public. The posting of them was not sexual, but merely to share something with other people. Many people find they cannot readily share these experiences with their friends.

The freedom to display their love and affection towards their partners may be a luxury some gay couple’s do not have if not out and Xtube and similar sites give them an outlet of expression. This isnt to say the site is less popular with heterosexuals, which is clearly is not judging by the viewer numbers from the gay and straight charts.

Chris, I don’t agree. It’s amazing.