Surely on many occasions you have found yourself on the internet with the acronym NSFW and you have wondered what its meaning is. This tag appears on images and sound clips as a warning. In this post we are going to tell you what it is exactly.
NSFW is an English acronym for the expression Not Safe/Suitable for Work, in other words, “not safe/appropriate for the job”. It is used in forums, blogs, social networks and web pages to warn the public that the content they are going to access is not suitable for viewing on our workstation computer. Mainly because it can be pornographic, violent or simply offensive content.
It doesn't take much imagination to put yourself in a situation where this can be applied. The NSFW label can save us from awkward situations in an office where more people work.
Over time, the NSFW concept has evolved by establishing some differentiating categories. Thus, at present we can find these labels derived from the main one:
- PNSFW, (Possibly Not Safe/Suitable For Work), “possibly not safe/appropriate for the job”, which leaves a little more room for subjectivity.
- LSFW (Less Safe/Suitable For Work), «less safe/appropriate for work», referring to less impressive or less intense content.
NSFW: meaning and differences from NSFL
NSFW meaning and how to differentiate it from NSFL
The truth is that since it began to be used on the Internet until today, the original meaning of the acronym NSFW has changed considerably. Now it no longer refers to the most extreme content, but simply to what we could describe as inappropriate.
For example, the NSFW label can be used in the case of adult content, due to its sexual content or verbal violence. On the other hand, if we are talking about pornographic content or gore, the label to resort to is another: nsfl (Not Suitable for Life). This would be one step above NSFW.
Some sites already offer their users the option to block NSFW content. In some cases, that content is pixelated or blurry. You will need to click on it to view it, once you have read the warning.
On the Internet there are countless pages that contain particularly shocking material (morbid or repulsive, depending on one's taste) and that display the NSFL warning. It is very important to know these labels so that children and minors, and also the especially impressionable peoplePlease stay away from these websites. And also to avoid risks, since unfortunately it is quite common for these pages to also contain virus y malware.
How to use the NSFW label
NSFW meaning of these acronyms so common on the Internet
Whether you regularly use social networks or if we are the managers or owner of a website, it is extremely important to know what is the correct use of the NSFW label. The objective is to warn users that the content they are going to find may not be suitable for them.
But even knowing this, doubts are inevitable. Where are the limits? What are the contents that must be classified as NSFW and what is not? There are no sacred rules, no magic tricks. The most sensible thing is to ask yourself a series of questions:
- Would it be okay for a child to view this content?
- Could anyone feel uncomfortable viewing it?
- Could someone lose their job for viewing this content at their workstation or office?
If we have doubts regarding these questions, the most prudent thing to do is to warn the public by writing the acronym NSFW in the title. We could say, saving the distances, that this has the same validity as a disclaimer, leaving it to the discretion of the person who accesses our site to decide whether to click or not.
Set NSFW filters and other solutions
A tool to filter NSFW content automatically: imagga
When we handle large amounts of content, the most practical thing is to create a nsfw filter to work automatically. To carry out this task there are online resources as interesting as picture. These content moderation sites are usually paid for, but if you run a busy forum or website (and don't have a moderation team), these tools are worth their weight in gold.
There are other less comfortable and somewhat more laborious options, although equally valid. And free, which is also important.
One is link the NSFW tag to images. It is a manual job, which requires time and dedication. Instead of embedding an image in a blog post or Facebook post etc, the warning is placed before clicking. Another possibility is to add a option (a button or a order of flags) so that it is the users themselves who notify us that there is inappropriate content on our site. A collaboration that will be appreciated.