Need clarification on what constitutes violence

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   Anti-Matterposted 9 years ago

   Hello,
   
   I've recently been a bit concerned about the "No Violence" part of HubPages & Googles TOS. I have a few short stories on HP which all contain some mild FICTIONAL violence and I also have a few articles on a FPS (First-person shooter). Do these violate the "No Violence" rules? I'm a bit unclear because it's fictional, so if anyone could shed some light on this for me I'd appreciate it. If they are considered violent I would have no issue with removing them to comply with the rules. Thanks!

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      Norah Caseyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Anti-Matter,
      
      Under Google AdSense's Program Policies, subsection Content Guidelines, "Violent Content" is listed. Obviously, this is vague. Each person has a different threshold for what is or is not primarily violent content. I would consider stubbing my toe earlier this evening a heinous act of violence committed by my sofa, while some people (read: my brothers) think getting into fist-fights while sober is family fun for all ages.
      
      We unfortunately don't really know where the bar is for AdSense. I know that for HubPages, we do not allow graphic descriptions of torture, mutilation, rape, or any content that promotes the harm or murder of any person or group. Also, any content that promotes the use or sale of knives or guns is also a violation. I'm not sure which hub you are specifically worried about, but I read "The Hero" and it seemed perfectly acceptable. Again, I can't comment on whether it meets AdSense advertiser's guidelines. I know this is a fairly unsatisfactory answer. Very rarely do we encounter a situation where content has been flagged by Google that has met our guidelines. If you have a specific question on their policies, it may be best to take your question directly to Google AdSense.

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      1. 68

         weaponologyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         What about ones that deal with the history of weapons?

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            Norah Caseyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            That is tricky, but if it is in a historical context I believe it is okay. When I refer to the promotion of knives/guns, I'm specifically referring to hubs written about weapons with the intention of increasing circulation of that weapon. Collecting weaponry sales leads, promoting websites that sell weapons, etc are against TOS.
            
            If you were selling or seeking consumers for a site promoting antique knives/guns, that would probably be a violation. If it was a non-functional weapon, I suppose that would be a debatable issue. In general, I would be very careful what links you chose for your references. Some weapon suppliers have great information, but linking to them would be a violation of Google AdSense policy. If you ever have any doubts on a hub, don't hesitate to contact us.

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               weaponologyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               My hubs consist of information such as historical facts and figures, and how it works, that sort of thing. I only use Amazon and Ebay capsules. I have no outbound links, so no chance of linking to a site of ill-repute. If I ever do link it will only be to one of my own hubs if there's an overlap or a mention of a similar or contemporary weapon.
               
               If I keep within those bounds will I be safe do you think?

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               1. 69

                  Norah Caseyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  Well, I would suggest keeping an eye on what those capsules autofill with. We have gotten notices for accounts for advertising very, very offending content. A particular example comes to mind on a hub that was about diaper rashes where the Amazon autofilled with a book of a very "adult" nature. It really is tricky, but just make sure the Amazon and Ebay capsules are not actually selling weapons and you should be okay.

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                     weaponologyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     I'm selecting specific Amazon products. I only have a handful of hubs with Ebay capsules but I'll be sure to keep an eye on the Ebay results. Thanks for your valuable feedback.

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      2. 61

         Anti-Matterposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you for your answer, I appreciate it. It's cleared it up pretty well for me.
         
         If Google considers content violent/in violation of other content rules will there be a warning to remove it or do they ban you from Adsense immediately? Or is this another thing that no one is really sure of..?

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            Norah Caseyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            They will email you with a warning and a link to what they take issue with specifically. They are very good about that. I'm 99.9% sure they give you three days to take down the offending material, but you may want to check Google's policies for verification on that.

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               Anti-Matterposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               That's very comforting to know I'll get a warning. Thank you very much for your help! My questions have been answered.

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   Whitney05posted 9 years ago

   A lot of the Google TOS terms are vague. It stinks. Ha.
   
   Weaponology, I think that the amazon and ebay capsule links are considered outbound links. What do you mean by having outbound links can cause ill-repute from the sites you are linking to? Just in regards to linking to sites that could possible be considered against Google TOS, which can cause problems with being able to post ads and have an upstanding account?

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      weaponologyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Norah said to that "Some weapon suppliers have great information, but linking to them would be a violation of Google AdSense policy." I'm saying that I'm not linking to other sites. Technically I am, by using Amazon and Ebay capsules, but they are capsules, so I'm limited to what Amazon and Ebay have to offer, and I'm not linking to a third party affiliate. And I'm saying that because I don't link to other sites, there's no chance that I can link to a site of ill-repute, not that it will cause ill-repute.

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