NationStates Jolt Archive

The standard for both forums and game is the US movie rating "PG-13". Mild swearing may be tolerated, mild sexuality may be hinted, but explicit or excessive versions of either or both may result in proportional mod response.

When did that sneak in under my radar? Presumably some time after this thread:

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=340512

And why is an American film rating being used to police a forum owned by an Australian and hosted in the United Kingdom?

A few months ago, as I recall.

Not really sure on the answer to your second question. I don't see it as a particularly important disjunct, though.

A few months ago, as I recall.

Not really sure on the answer to your second question. I don't see it as a particularly important disjunct, though.

HR, I actually don't remember a time when it wasn't around. It's definitely been around longer than a few months.

And why is an American film rating being used to police a forum owned by an Australian and hosted in the United Kingdom?

Some rules-lawyer demanded a standard, or a list of forbidden words (I pointed 'em to georgecarlin.com). Based on Max and [violet]'s standards in the Moderator Instruction Manual, we finally settled on a standard that the (majority) North American mods and a probable majority of players understood fairly clearly. It has nothing to do with US/UK/AU legality and everything to do with site rules enforcement.

PG-13 doesn't preclude the occasional 4-letter word in most contexts, and we surely don't enforce it that way. It doesn't preclude most innuendo, fun wordplay, or relatively graphic descriptions. It does draw the line at 4-letter words in a sexual context, i.e. Strong Adult Content, which some people wanted license to post. "It's just a roleplay of a graphic BDSM session, so it doesn't count, right?" Wrong.

Does that help?

It's a bit like the old Hollywood 1930s convention of amorous couples having to always keep one foot on the ground. Promotes creative writing. (Yeah, I know, not the intent, but fun nonetheless.)

Some rules-lawyer demanded a standard, or a list of forbidden words (I pointed 'em to georgecarlin.com). Based on Max and [violet]'s standards in the Moderator Instruction Manual, we finally settled on a standard that the (majority) North American mods and a probable majority of players understood fairly clearly. It has nothing to do with US/UK/AU legality and everything to do with site rules enforcement.

Thanks.

I guess my second question there did seem like I was dragging US/UK/AU legality, as you put it, into the matter. Rather it just struck me as a strange locally-based standard to have settled upon.

Hey-ho. Off to find out what the devil PG-13 means now, I guess.

Hey-ho. Off to find out what the devil PG-13 means now, I guess.

The short answer is 'all sorts of things.' And no, before anyone tries it, we will not accept full nudity on the basis that Titanic was a PG-13.

Please translate "PG-13" to whatever your local rating of "We recommend it to anyone over around 13 years old. However, parents should definitely check it out before they show it to their kids."

However, due to the fact that the largest part of our user-base is American, please understand that our guide-line of PG-13 does include a stronger shying away from sex than other nation's ratings might.

Hey-ho. Off to find out what the devil PG-13 means now, I guess.
There used to be a sticky on it in here after Fass and I had an argument about whether something broke the PG-13 rule; with a bit of back and forth banter, it eventually transpired that both of us were guessing as to what it actually meant. It's gone now, but I think it was just text from Wiki, so I'd suggest looking there.

It's linked (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=482181) in the Moderation Guide Thingie.

Hmmm... The Australian M rating would probably be the PG-13 equivalent

Linkage (PDF File) (www.oflc.gov.au/resource.html?resource=62&filename=62.pdf)

However, due to the fact that the largest part of our user-base is American, please understand that our guide-line of PG-13 does include a stronger shying away from sex than other nation's ratings might.

Americans, sex frightens and confuses us.

HR, I actually don't remember a time when it wasn't around. It's definitely been around longer than a few months.

Meh. The whole PG-13 thing is fairly recent for me. And the thread that was stickied to explain it is only four months old. So even if the sticky was created several months after the PG-13 thing was made a rule, it was probably less than a year old by several months.

We had basically that standard before, just not explicitly stated as such, if that's what you mean.

Ardchoilleans;11701016']It's a bit like the old Hollywood 1930s convention of amorous couples having to always keep one foot on the ground. Promotes creative writing. (Yeah, I know, not the intent, but fun nonetheless.)

Darn [0] you! Now I'm imagining some interesting things that can be done with one foot on the ground! :D

[0] edited word for PG13 ;)

Darn [0] you!

[0] edited word for PG13 ;)

In the interests of NS's relatively new child-friendly policy I advocate that we take a lead from the redubbed version of Alex Cox's Repo Man, and let the forums echo to the sound of posters saying to another 'Flip you, melonfarmer'/'No, flip you, motherflipper'.

In the interests of NS's relatively new child-friendly policy I advocate that we take a lead from the redubbed version of Alex Cox's Repo Man, and let the forums echo to the sound of posters saying to another 'Flip you, melonfarmer'/'No, flip you, motherflipper'.

We had basically that standard before, just not explicitly stated as such, if that's what you mean.

It's not a new policy. It's been around since I became a mod.

It's not a new policy. It's been around since I became a mod.

Good, I'm not crazy. Or, at least, this isn't evidence of it.

Pretty much always been an unwritten rule, and was the standard I applied back in the Dark Ages when I was a Forum Mod.