Modern Military (1914+) banned from Klickywelt?

[Timotheos]

http://www.klickywelt.de/info---modernes-militaer-t26511.html#314668

My translation is a bit shaky, but it looks like Klickywelt's administrator has banned modern military from the forum.

 

My German is poor, so I get only a tantalizing glimpse of the feuding, flame wars, bannings, locked threads, and otherwise mayhem on that forum.

On the other hand, their customizations are top tier. 

Maybe geniuses just fight more................................. 
-Tim

[LHAAP]

Hello Timotheos,

You have understood it quite well.

The forum has this rule because Geobra (PLAYMOBIL) has it as an official rule. Furthermore they also write that if Geobra change their own views on the topic, then they'll change it too.

[Richard]

Hello, Timmy and Lars ...   

Zirndorf has always been a bit sensitive about Playmobil being shown as a modern war toy.

Interestingly, Garden Wargaming has pretty much drawn the same line between "historical" and "modern," which seems to be somewhere around the time just before World War I. Yet, every year GW hosts Sylvia's wonderful Christmas story which takes place during World War II.

Several years ago an excellent customizer sent several photos of imaginary Playmobil sets depicting German soldiers from World War II to Garden Wargaming. The photos were placed in the GW Gallery. Within a few weeks GW received an email from Geobra politely asking for the photos to be removed. Of course GW immediately complied with Zirndorf's request to which Geobra replied with a very nice thank you.

So ... it seems that there's a fine line that's been drawn between "historical" and "modern" ...

I'm sure that if either Jimbo or I paint the new Playmobil flying boat as a World War II US Navy seaplane, that no one will say anything. Just as several customizers painted the little Playmobil biplane as von Richthofen's World War I aeroplane, no one said anything.

As I said, "It seems that there's a fine line ... "

All the best,
Richard

[cachalote]

a fine line it is.... 

lego had has a different approach though, if you look at the work of polish artist zbigniew libera (i am not including a link because the images of his work can be considered by some people as sensitive).

this is not an easy problem:
- w.w.1 is still considered as the last of the "romantic" wars, personified in the red baron, and no problem "playing" with it seems to arise.
- w.w.2, on the contrary, is still an "open wound" in many countries, and it is not considered a "nice" theme to play with, if you are 4 years old.

... but they were indeeed, both of them, wars - with many casualties and a lot of destruction. 

[LHAAP]

lego had has a different approach though, if you look at the work of polish artist zbigniew libera

It's right that the sets were made and that LEGO gave the bricks to the artist, but they didn't know what types of artwork he was going to make. In addition, the artist included a text "sponsored by LEGO" on the controversial boxes, but LEGO still claim they didn't endorse his work at all.

It certainly is a sensitive subject all this about war. I, for myself, think it's a good thing that PLAYMOBIL are so clear about what they want, and what they don't want.

[Richard]

As you may already know, Cachalote ...
(And, Lars seems to already know!) ...

Lego was not very happy with what that Polish "artist" did with their product. Product that they actually gave him to do something other than what he did!

Although Lego was unhappy and felt that their product had been compromised, the Jewish community seemed to be pleased to put the "work" on display.

So, what offends some may seem to be looked at as something else by others!

Regardless, let's end this discussion on a happy note.

If we are to have uniforms, flags and bands ... let's use them only for holiday parades and celebrations!

All the best,
Richard

please see attachment

[Timotheos]

This is interesting. 

The censorship seems extreme, but I sympathize with their intention.  And I guess if you want to stay friends with Geobra... do they ever cut people off?

A: "What do you mean everything I ordered is sold out?"
B: "Sorry.  All gone.  Good bye."

Believe it or not, if you travel around the American south, you can still find guys bitter about our civil war.  It's like amazing at first.  You're driving around.  You start seeing Dixie flags.  OK.  Then you get chaufferred around by your business contact, a local fellow who likes to talk.  And talk.  And talk.

Him: "We could have won the war."
You: "But, 'we' did win the war, didn't we?"
Him: <Dead silence>

-Tim

[Richard]

Hello, Timmy ... 

This is interesting. 

What makes it "interesting," Timmy ... 

The censorship seems extreme ...

Extreme ...

What about Garden Wargaming's self imposed censorship which is almost identical to that of Playmobil  ...

There are no posted "guidelines" on the GW-PC forum. it is just "understood" that you don't post anything that's "distasteful" or that might be "hurtful" to anyone or any group of individuals. In other words, "act responsibly!"

Here at Playmofriends, most of us (most of the time) "act responsibly!" Occasionally, some of us act a bit "immature" and "mischievous" ...

In other words, we sometimes get bored and try to elicit responses from others ...

All the best,
Richard

[Rasputin]

Sounds like you are looking for some form of Political Correctness . I could find you many people who will be insulted with a picture of a nude human body, or find offense in the fact that playmobil used chines people as prisoners in many sets, or that they had a monk drinking a questionable substance. If you attempt to live your life never offending anybody i suggest you lock your self in your closet and cut out your tong. These are wars that have great historical relevance and they did happen and no matter how hard people try to ignore them they need to be understood . Sheltering our youth from these events is hiding many educational experiences  that we all could learn from. Do i think Playmobil should start a line of modern warefare, No but if somebody decides to do it i see no reason to censor it in any way .

[Timotheos]

What makes it "interesting," Timmy ... 

Extreme ...

To the extent that PM intercedes in a matter that is unlikely to have a business impact on it (private collectors customizing WWII scenes that wouldn't otherwise offend the average person).

On the other hand, the publishers of the game Tomb Raider seek legal recourse against people who publish modified code or edited screenshots that depict Lara Croft nude (ie. associating the game with pornography).

So, I guess to the extent that Playmobil is Geobra's intellectual property, it may have a legal right to censor how consumers portray the toy.

I guess I could find out by starting a website dedicated to my Playmobil Vichy French Navy and see if I get sued...