Thank you for writing to MSN Groups Technical Support.
This is Dolores and I will be assisting you today.
Regarding your inquiry about MSN Adult Groups, there have been speculations about our plans for MSN Adult and Mature-rated Groups. We hope that the responses to the frequently asked questions below will answer your concerns:
Will MSN Adult Rated Groups be Shut Down?
MSN will no longer host adult contents, but it does not mean you cannot continue to enjoy Adult Groups. We will provide the tools for you to move your Group to a new service that contains new and improved features. Details on how to take advantage of the new service will be made available soon. Please check your Groups email address and the Whats New section for updates.
Why are you shutting Adult Groups down?
MSN services are used by a broad audience with over 420 million unique users visiting MSN each month worldwide. In an effort to ensure that content is appropriate for all viewers, we decided to make these changes to MSN Groups.
Hosting and developing communities for adult content is not an area of expertise for MSN.
What if my Group contains no porn?
The new service will allow users to choose from two options. A site for adult rated content (including sexually explicit material) and a site for mature-rated content (no sexually explicit material). You get to decide which one is appropriate for your Group and your needs. MSN Adult Groups today mixes both, but the new service will allow you to choose the category that best fits your needs.
Does this apply to Mature-Rated or any other Groups?
Only adult rated Groups will be affected. If your Group is rated Mature it will not change.
Is this the first step in shutting down the rest of Groups?
At this time, we are transitioning Adult Groups but there are no other changes to MSN Groups. Today there are multiple places to share information with groups of people on MSN including MSN Spaces and MSN Groups. We are committed to continue providing a place for our customers to connect with each other in group settings.
Who will provide the new service?
To ensure the Adult Group communities needs are met, we will be working with a third-party service who specializes in hosting and developing communities for adults, whether that means sexually explicit material or simply adults wanting to be an environment free from minors.
We will be providing details of the new service provider soon.
Will I have to pay for this service?
No. The core service will be provided at no additional cost and will offer additional features not currently available in Groups. For example, unlike the storage limits on Groups, the new service will place no restrictions on storage for photos or even videos.
So what is this rumor I have heard about credit cards?
You will continue to see the MSN Adult Groups that you are a member of if they have been moved to the new service. You will not need to verify your age with a credit card to access the content you already have access to. However, to ensure that minors are not able to access inappropriate content, you will be asked to verify your age using a credit card if you wish to see content in some NEW adult-content types, but there is certainly no obligation for you to do this.
Will I have to rebuild my Group from scratch?
Not at all. We have been working hard to build an easy way for you to move your content with one-click conversion to the new service and maintain your content and membership.
Will my Group be moved without my permission?
Absolutely not. We will ask you for your permission to move any content to the new service and will not move anything unless you or your Group Manager tell us it is OK.
What do I need to do?
For now, continue to enjoy MSN Groups. We will notify our users through e-mail and the Whats New Section in the near future. The new service offers a much richer experience for our Adult Groups users at no additional cost and more choice in the classification of your Group. We will make it easy for you to ensure you do not have to start your Group from scratch. We will keep you updated.
If you have other concerns, please feel free to write us back.
Thank you for using MSN Groups.
Sincerely,
Dolores
MSN Groups Technical Support
Soooo, according to msn tech support, it looks like 'mature' groups won't be moved... I guess we'll just have to wait and see though