Mozilla Add-ons Community Blog
Categories: policy themes

Personas Review Queue, Mature Content, and more

8 responses

Since the launch of Firefox 3.6 we’ve seen an enormous spike the number of personas submitted a day. Sometimes we get over 3,000 submissions! While we’re excited that so many people want to customize their Firefox, it has increased the amount of time personas spend in the review queue, sometimes up to a week.

Review Queue Changes

We’ve heard your complaints about waiting so long and we’re making some changes in the next few weeks to help the situation. Our plan is to allow users to see and use personas they’ve uploaded immediately even if they are still in the review queue. The personas won’t be shown publicly until they have been reviewed. If they are rejected they will still be available to the designer that created them.

Mature Content Complaints

Our general guideline for content on getpersonas.com is similar to what one would find on network television in the US. While explicit nudity and other suggestive content is prohibited by our editorial guidelines, we understand that there are still personas which may not be appropriate for all users.

We’re currently planning for allowing content to be marked as ‘adult’ or ‘mature’ (wording tbd) by reviewers. This content will not show up on the homepage or featured in any way. Users can change a setting in their account that allows this content to be shown. We believe this system will allow the freedom for users to create personas of their choice while allowing others to choose the types of personas they wish to see.

Flagging

Along with reviewers marking content as ‘adult’, we plan on adding a flagging feature where users can flag personas for a second review. This will reduce the amount of complaints we receive via email and in our discussion and support forums.

Daily Users Count

Next week we’ll be updating how we track the daily users count for personas to a more accurate system. Daily user counts will change dramatically, but will be more accurate, so don’t worry if you see your counts change.

New Designs!

We can’t have this whole post be boring now can we? Here are a few designs for personas on addons.mozilla.org that we’ll see in the coming months:

Front Page

Front Page

Category Page

Category Page

Persona Detail

Persona Detail

Review Queue

Review Queue

8 comments on “Personas Review Queue, Mature Content, and more”

  1. Jack wrote on

    Oh please also apply the editorial guidelines…

    “This content will not show up on the homepage or featured in any way. Users can change a setting in their account that allows this content to be shown.”

    …to religion and politics because…

    “we understand that there are still personas which may not be appropriate for all users.”

    Since when censorship became appropriate?

    “We believe this system will allow the freedom for users to create personas of their choice while allowing others to choose the types of personas they wish to see.

    Yes, nothing says FREEDOM more than discrimination and hypocrisy for taboos sake.

    “Our general guideline for content on getpersonas.com is similar to what one would find on network television in the US.”

    Yes, we in other countries have to deal with your very curious definition of FREEDOM with the bleeps right and left in such vulgar programs as cooking shows, yes, cooking shows.

    With real themes there was never this problem, you were safe.

    But, Personas, they are propagandistic in nature.

    Why is that countries that never got through dictatorship are so forcefully against freedom of expression: New Zealand, Australia, USA, Great Britain?

    I would like this kind of arbitrary discrimination be applied equally to religion (offensive) and politics (inappropriate). Thank you.

  2. Jack wrote on

    I forgot. It should apply also to commercial propaganda: films, tv shows, books, musicians, games; it’s the most vulgar of all propagandas.

    What is your position on “mature”/”adult” content containing other species: bees having sex, naked primates, cells splitting…? Would it be allowed?

    What about “naked” plants and their sexual organs?

  3. Ken Saunders wrote on

    U.S. television networks show very suggestive content, brutal violence in great detail, and sometimes, even nudity. For the record, I don’t mean cable networks.

    Wouldn’t it be best for Mozilla to provide details and examples of what type(s) of content is acceptable and not acceptable? This way, Mozilla’s policy isn’t ambiguous and a play it by ear (or eye) thing so that a reviewer doesn’t have to request a second review, the designer knows right off the bat what they can upload, and users who may be offended by some content can review the solid guidelines and understand exactly where Mozilla stands on the issue(s).

    I think what would really help a lot of us out and head off potential issues of all kinds (size, content, etc) is if the upload page provided more info on guidelines aside from just ticking the check boxes. Just list a few of the most common reasons for rejection.

    Does your Persona meet the Guidelines?

    To avoid having your Persona rejected, please be sure that it meets Mozilla’s guidelines for permitted content.
    Does not contain Nudity
    Main image is aligned to the top right
    Does not contain imagery of hate, violence, or racism
    Is not a duplicate (one that you’ve already submitted)
    Read the full Guidelines
    Perhaps make them all links that open a pop-up with details.

    I don’t like rejecting Personas because that means the designer will have to wait longer to get their Persona live, and, because it will mean a second review which is non-productive when the Persona could have followed the guidelines in the first place.

    It would also be nice to ask if they’ve chosen the best/proper category for their Persona. It takes a lot more time to re-categorize Personas than just review them, plus it means the user will have to wait longer for someone to review the particular category that their Persona was moved to.

    I’m psyched about the move to AMO especially for AMO’s tagging and collections features. I am concerned about the sites speed though.

  4. 24601 wrote on

    @Jack: How is it censorship for Mozilla to give me the opportunity, the FREEDOM to decide for myself whether or not to view potentially offensive materials?

  5. Kevin wrote on

    Another news update: as of about 9:30 mountain time on April 10th, 2010, the review queue is EMPTY! The entire personas review crew has worked really hard this weekend, getting the number down from 10,000 earlier this week to the current 0. So submit your personas now – we’re ready for them!

  6. Chexsystems wrote on

    I just love mozilla add on!Looking forward for future personas!

  7. Nureet Cohen wrote on

    Mozilla always amazes me with new add on’s and great browsing experience. Thank you developers.

    Nureet

  8. Jake Dean wrote on

    Is there any way to make the counting of Personas optional? It would be nice if someone could get a Persona without making it a public vote. Do you track us when we change Personas? For example, does the count lower if I were to remove a Persona and then increase for my new one? If so, they are definitely not for me! In fact, I will never get one with the current counting of active users. I’m not an Electric Sheep, nor a number, and I will not be counted like that!!!! At least the census is only every ten years, and total download numbers don’t track which, if any, theme we have on.