11.07.2007
Offensive Runes?
Word has been spreading like wildfire through Heathen/Asatru Internet communities that the MySpace social networking site is now considering the display of runic symbols to be offensive and against the company's terms of service.
"So this image is offensive, according to myspace. So its ok to have pornographic images and default pics of guys holding guns and masks? Please feel free to use this image in protest of these ridiculous regulations and REPOST so all can see this!!! Keep messaging myspace also; to show them we are still fighting the religion option..."
Old English Futhorc runes.
From what I have been able to figure out, the outcry started when a MySpace petition profile (now switched to a closed/private profile) to expand the religious labels for Pagan MySpacers beyond "Wiccan" or "Other" had its profile image removed by administrators due to its "offensive" nature. Since then there have been claims that other Heathen/Asatru profiles also had their runic symbols taken down.
"Recent whispers through out the Myspace Asatruar community, as of today, have several pictures removed from peoples profile where upon Runic symbols are present. Apparently it is now against the TOS here to use Runes to decorate the pages. I do rather suspect that this is due to those that use our symbols for hate agendas. With that said perhaps Myspace TOS staff need to educated themselves instead of pilfering intolerance based on ignorance!"
It is unclear at this point if this was a move solely on the part of MySpace administrators, or a response to individual user complaints (any MySpace user can report "offensive" content with the click of a button). The petition site has put its offending image back up (though, as I mentioned before, the page is now listed as "private"), and it remains to be seen if this was an isolated incident or if MySpace is now conflating the use of runes by some racist groups with the more benign uses by the larger Asatru/Heathen community. We will have to wait and see what develops in the near future.
Comments:
As for myself there has not been any trouble with the runes depicted on my page to date. They are not a part of the little icon picture though. Wouldn't it be amusing if many Asatruar/Heathens/Odinist/Anybody else up for the cause would plaster that Futhark cube as their main icon picture and see what happened? We could access what is really going on here. As is known we are always having to explain and teach the same point over and over again, a most worthy cause no doubt, but never ending nonetheless, that the runic symbols do not mean hate.
National Geographic has a new program on the Occult and the Third Reich out. At least I believe it to be new as we frequent this channel quite often around here and have never seen this partiuclar coverage before. It was without doubt interesting but, what alarmed me was that I kept seeing the Futhark flash in vertical banners down the sides of the screen and how the Reich used some of them with no full explanation that the Runes themselves do not mean hate! Oh yes, of course, the theme was trotted out quickly in a flash so fast one could miss it if not educated to hear it!
We did see the good DR Flower's in a clip briefly though! We were like, "Look! Edred's on Nat Geo!" With the one down fall that the programming did not allow for him to have enough time! We would have LOVED to see him be able to do a longer commentary, or at the least more than one brief one. Seeing Thorsson on the program at all though tells us perhaps we stand a chance. Someone will hear us and we can reclaim our holy symbols and redeem their appearance in the eyes of the masses! Irregardless if they care or not, irregardless if they have a clue to the runes, not the point. Point being restoring dignity to our ancestors and our lost heritage! Though it is equally true that forces like Othila, left unchecked, in fact do seem to breed what we see come out of a few of the minds of the Third Reich. I do believe the sigil of Othila is still illegal in parts of Germany to this day. At least as of four years ago this was truth. Perhaps it has changed, highly doubtful though.
The Odhal must be kept in check!
M Odinsdatter
http://tribeofthetru.blogspot.com/
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As for myself there has not been any trouble with the runes depicted on my page to date. They are not a part of the little icon picture though. Wouldn't it be amusing if many Asatruar/Heathens/Odinist/Anybody else up for the cause would plaster that Futhark cube as their main icon picture and see what happened? We could access what is really going on here. As is known we are always having to explain and teach the same point over and over again, a most worthy cause no doubt, but never ending nonetheless, that the runic symbols do not mean hate.
National Geographic has a new program on the Occult and the Third Reich out. At least I believe it to be new as we frequent this channel quite often around here and have never seen this partiuclar coverage before. It was without doubt interesting but, what alarmed me was that I kept seeing the Futhark flash in vertical banners down the sides of the screen and how the Reich used some of them with no full explanation that the Runes themselves do not mean hate! Oh yes, of course, the theme was trotted out quickly in a flash so fast one could miss it if not educated to hear it!
We did see the good DR Flower's in a clip briefly though! We were like, "Look! Edred's on Nat Geo!" With the one down fall that the programming did not allow for him to have enough time! We would have LOVED to see him be able to do a longer commentary, or at the least more than one brief one. Seeing Thorsson on the program at all though tells us perhaps we stand a chance. Someone will hear us and we can reclaim our holy symbols and redeem their appearance in the eyes of the masses! Irregardless if they care or not, irregardless if they have a clue to the runes, not the point. Point being restoring dignity to our ancestors and our lost heritage! Though it is equally true that forces like Othila, left unchecked, in fact do seem to breed what we see come out of a few of the minds of the Third Reich. I do believe the sigil of Othila is still illegal in parts of Germany to this day. At least as of four years ago this was truth. Perhaps it has changed, highly doubtful though.
The Odhal must be kept in check!
M Odinsdatter
http://tribeofthetru.blogspot.com/
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