NationStates Jolt Archive

Sorry if this topic has been beaten to death years before, but I only joined a couple months ago.

I know Nazi swastikas are off limits. What about a swastika with a big ol' red X through it?

What about burning flags (potentially offensive) or upside-down flags (distress signal in real life, at least with the Stars and Stripes) or product images and advertisements? Are images related to political candidates, such as campaign posters acceptable?

In advance, thanks for any clarification.

Have you been through this post (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=9445233&postcount=8)?

The bit that's most relevant to your question is this: To make that point again: we don't ban particular patterns of colored pixels, we ban any content that is malicious in nature. The mods' job is to judge which is which, according to guidelines like this.

So I'd say the idea of a swastika with a big red "forbidden"-type X through it sounds okay, but I'd have to know the details -- motto, name and so on -- to be certain.

Putting the flags of RL nations upside down or burning them sounds dodgy; can you suggest a context in which it wouldn't be malicious?

Product images and advertisements -- probably not malicious, but remember that Max is a poor struggling author (cue violins) who doesn't want to be hit with copyright infringement suits.

Campaign posters, same again: malicious = no go. I would think a pro-Candidate X flag would be an invitation to any anti-Candidate X raiders, but that's how the game goes.

(There may be some previous ruling on this that I don't know; thinking about it, I can't remember seeing any recognisable current major RL politicians on flags.)

In general, if you're uncertain enough about a flag to have to ask the mods, you probably have good reason for your uncertainty.

Remember that this is not a flat ruling -- not "this will always be OK, that never can be" -- because each case has to be looked at in context.

So, the burning flags may be considered malicious, but the upside-down flag would probably be free speech?

I'm asking because there are enough people out looking for something to be offended by that I wanted to make sure I understood the rules before I let my slightly bizarre sense of humor cause trouble.

Uh, let's straighten out one little misconception first: free speech doesn't live here. What we have is free speech within a number of constraints, including the PG-13 guidelines on General.

I'm leery about the upside-down flag, too. An upside-down RL nation flag will undoubtedly be read as a "$$real nation$$ is in distress" message, which probably will be seen as malicious by some of that nation's posters.

The only advice I can give you is: think benign.