This is my declaration of independence from a bad (non-)word, and my repudiation of compelled speech.
What if you work in a porn studio, a strip club, or a brothel? For that matter, what if you’re an academic researcher at the
Kinsey Institute? Sexually explicit materials are
SFW. But the term “NSFW” implies that you don’t have
a real job. “NSFW” binds you to the rules of working at JPMorgan Chase (a notoriously prudish company). “NSFW” delegitimates your work, ghettoizes your workplace, and degrades you as socially nonexistent.
I refuse to contribute to that prejudicial effect. To me, it is no different than avoiding racial slurs.
To put this in Bitcoin terms: The “NSFW” embedded assumption that sexual images are “unsafe for work” is analogous to language assuming that everyone uses only KYCed bank accounts and/or CEXes.
“NSFW” is a values-loaded dysphemism. It passes moral judgment on the content in question. A requirement that people use the term “NSFW” is a
dishonest equivalent of labelling nudity “Sinful”, and labelling porn “Mortally Sinful”. With these latter terms, the value-judgment is overt. “NSFW” sneaks in the same value-judgment by the backdoor—well, you can shove that value-judgment up
your “backdoor”!
Moreover, I have no fucking idea what “Not Safe For Work” is even supposed to mean—and on principle, this is another instance where
I refuse to learn, because it’s wrong to learn. In the entire course of my life, I myself have only ever held one job where I could’ve gotten in trouble for viewing sexually explicit materials at work. It was a part-time job when I was 18 years old, and I only had the job for three months before I was fired for—surfing
libertarian political websites on the clock! At the same time, a coworker was reprimanded, but not fired for surfing porn at work; he was a senior full-time employee, and I was expendable. The only lesson I learned is that thou shalt not scam the boss into paying you hourly wages to goof off surfing the Web; I think that’s a good lesson.
I’ve never used used Reddit or Twitter or any of those other idiot-sites, so I was thankfully never acculturated to their slang. Insofar as I can recall, the very first time I ever used the term “NSFW” was on the Bitcoin Forum in 2018. I used this term, because that’s
what the rules say. Well, I refuse ever to use it again!
I just spent
three hours searching the Web for any similar opinions. I didn’t find much. Are people so thoughtless about their use of language, or is my search engine censored?
⚠︎ Some of the below-linked sites may contain nudity and/or sexually explicit content.
Bacchus, 2003-10-02:
If it’s not safe for you to view ErosBlog where you work, it’s your work that’s not safe for ErosBlog. Just because some of my readers live in the United States and choose to work in environments where they are treated like horny fifth-graders and assumed to be unable to make responsible choices about viewing and displaying sexual material, there’s no reason to call the blog unsafe, especially when other readers and potential readers live or work in less repressive societies (or environments, such as their own office or home) where the blog is perfectly safe. Folks, if your work isn’t safe for ErosBlog, consider getting some different work! And if you can’t do that (and I know a lot of folks feel stuck in their lives) at least don’t assume that everyone else in the world is in the same boat. Modest proposal: Try saying “not safe for sex-hostile environments” or some such.
Susie Bright, 2007-03-08:
NSFW has no meaning in print—in paper journalism or publishing. It has no place in a newsroom or the bookstore. It only exists on the Internet—which is ironically notorious for its libertarianism. NSFW, whoever dreamed it up, is a
Bowdlerization of the Web, a Scarlet Letter. It exists because fearful people believe in it, like a bad fairy. It says more about the psychological fears and prejudices of the person using it, than it does about the content in question. Why do web authors put up with it?
Dan Savage, interview published 2017-08-02:
The acronym for “not safe for work,” NSFW, when I use it, I do NSFYW: “not safe for your work.” Fine for mine. I look at these websites constantly. I have to, it’s my job. It’s not safe for your place of employment most likely.
More and better links and citations would be appreciated. Perhaps in academia and not on the Web, someone out there must have written the
definitive takedown of “NSFW”!
Local rules:- No express or implied preaching of any religion I don’t believe.
- No sex-negativity, according to my own judgment.
- No low-value posts.
- Civil, intelligent discussion only. You can be a righteous cunt, but don’t be an asshole.
- I can bend, break, or change any of these rules if I want.
Poll
