30 replies to this topic

[Drew]

As Wetpixel grows, our readers may try to access from the workplace from various parts of the world. With the differing standards of corporate and governmental web access policies, we need to protect our readers from accidently accessing certain threads which may contain material which contravenes their surfing policy at work. As such, we hope that members posting what could be construed as objectionable material to please put a warning label " NWS:" or "NSFW:" in the title before the title itself so readers will know what the content may contain and choose whether to open it.
Obviously, the question most asked will be "What is objectionable?" Unfortunately, we have no idea what every standard is so we have to play it safe. Nudity and anything sexual warrant warning. We trust our member's judgement in deciding what deems warning or not. While we are not into censoring on this forum, we do reserve the right to remove objectionable material or add a warning label on the title for expediency purposes. The good thing is it doesn't happen often at all, which makes it difficult for the staff as it can take us by surprise. Wetpixel thanks you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

[PRC]

Is this a spoof ?

If not how do you intend to police a thread that starts 'work safe' and degenerates down the line into some kind of 'NWS' status?. Or do you intend the title to be modified by all?

Seems to me the only 'safe' method is to pull the RJ45 out the back of the PC shortly before engaging the browser.

Political correctness ?

Paul C

[Drew]

Is this a spoof ?

No, this is just a request for the people who surf from work. It's a reality that work places have web policies and we want to keep Wetpixel worksafe. It hardly ever happens but we'd like to be on the safe side.

If not how do you intend to police a thread that starts 'work safe' and degenerates down the line into some kind of 'NWS' status?. Or do you intend the title to be modified by all?

All posts cannot be modified by the OP after 24 hrs. That's why you have moderators.

Seems to me the only 'safe' method is to pull the RJ45 out the back of the PC shortly before engaging the browser.

Obviously, but some people surf from work.

Political correctness ?

It's protecting Wetpixel from getting blacklisted by certain servers and our readers from getting into trouble. It's a simple request. All staff are volunteer and we may miss things from time to time.

[rtrski]

I for one, thank our new Safe for Work overlords.

Seriously though, you can get in trouble for as little as a risque avatar someone else uses on a chatboard. Which means I have avatars blocked on other sites I occasionally visit at work (a la Scubaboard) but so far, haven't had to here.

A couple threads with a couple of divers in SE Asia come to mind for picture attachments as well - fortunately it was pretty easy to figure out from the title to avoid that one.

[ralphy]

Nudity and anything sexual warrant warning

On here?!

Never seen anything remotely approaching any of the above on Wetpixel.

(You should see some of the motorbike forums I visit though )

R

[loftus]

Nudity and anything sexual warrant warning, as does extreme gore or illegal activities.

Do our honorable moderator MV and his friend Simon's cross-dressing activities qualify? Where does Dean B's innuendo fit in all this? Only joking.
Thanks; good thing is I am the boss, so anything goes at my place.

[TheRealDrew]

Do our honorable moderator MV and his friend Simon's cross-dressing activities qualify? Where does Dean B's innuendo fit in all this? Only joking.
Thanks; good thing is I am the boss, so anything goes at my place.

I was thinking the same thing myself. But it is not a bad idea overall, some places can get pretty sticky with emails and web use with the monitoring of those things. Fortunately WP has never really had anything that I think would get anyone in trouble (other than reaching into the pocket to grab the credit card )

[MikeVeitch]

I am boss

[rbailey]

Here in the UAE where I live everything goes through a national proxy server which screens all sites.

They have strict regualtions on nudity and gambling, while it doesn't normall cause a problem things like flikr are also banned.

Please be carefully don't want to loose a great site like wetpixel.

[underwatercolours]

I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1.

Your title reads "NWS = Not Work Safe, Posting requirements to maintain a work safe forum" yet the only guideline you provide is that we put should include a NWS in front of a post that WE think might be offensive at somebody else's workplace. How the hell (oops, can I say that?) are we supposed to know what's going to offend someone else's employer? Pictures of nudibranchs mating? Safe or not? This is a forum about underwater photography, not Paris Hilton's sex video. Perhaps you should give us some examples of what is or is not "safe". Sorry, but I don't know what the differing standards of corporate and governmental web access policies are.

If it hardly ever happens, why don't you just take care of it when it does, rather than passing the decision onto us. Maybe you can add a "report this" link for all the posts and let anyone who is offended make the call.

Honestly, do you really think that NWS is a deterrent or is this going to give those people who are supposed to be working anyway even more incentive to click and hone in on the juicy topic. I really don't know. Has it worked on other forum websites?

Maybe I've become naive having been out of the corporate world for so many years, but this to me sounds ludicrous. When I did work in the corporate world, I would not expect that my boss would be too happy about me surfing around any website, NWS or otherwise, when I was on their dime.

I sure am glad that I'm self-employed!

[dhaas]

You're friggin' kidding right?

Ditto what Bonnie says after my work required me to have multiple Belgian beers with a travel / gear client tonight

Maybe folks need to work at work and play during playtime (?????)

YMMV

dhaas

P.S. - Most companies my friends work at would fire them if they knew how much people are being paid to surf the web versus produce!

Edited by dhaas, 14 January 2009 - 09:27 PM.

[Drew]

As Rbailey says, there are places where even nudity is prohibited, and there are quite a few threads with underwater shots of nude models. Like it or not, these prohibitions exist.
Furthermore, it's not a rule but a request so there's no need for someone to tell us there's an NWS post somewhere (and there is a "!REPORT" button to click on every post box). I'm sure that people are thinking before posting regardless, or is that too preposterous to imagine?
Fortunately, unlike Google, we don't have to keep track of or control how, when and where readers surf. We just make sure the content is here for them.
Most importantly, if it doesn't affect you at all, then why worry about it?

[PRC]

Oh man, I must live a very sheltered life.

In my admittedly sad world employees take personal responsibility for their actions, though we did have one unfortunate case where a director suggested that a certain customer was 'barking mad and needed help' - unfortunately he cc'd the customer in on the said email.

Have to admit we all found it very funny.

Back to the subject (before I am bounced by the overseers for being 'off topic') I can not really think of any past posts that I would consider offensive maybe Drew would care to supply a few links or guidelines? (suitably labelled of course).

Please don't place a gagging order on Dean - that would be just plain wrong!

Paul C

[Scuba_SI]

This thread has NWS in the title...


So, can i post links to underwater midget porn because i heard that DeanB had moved into internet tv, due to his diminutive size he's quite the star...

[loftus]

quite a few threads with underwater shots of nude models. Like it or not, these prohibitions exist.

OK; guess I was guilty here once, I think about a year or so ago, posted a pic with a little bare breast and yasemtough sorted me out by pm and I took it off, of course. Hope I never offended anybody.
Since then I've posted some that are covered, but nude underneath (aren't we all). I guess in some places even posting pictures that imply I'm in the same pool as a model would be frowned upon.
Anyway, say no more, fishies etc only for me from here on.

Edited by loftus, 15 January 2009 - 04:01 AM.

[PRC]

Anyway, say no more, fishies etc only for me from here on.

Sad old day - seems the 'self censorship' angle may be more extreme than any overt censorship.

I for one hope that you will at least post links to the pool shots as I found them to be among the most memorable shots of 2008.


Paul C

[Drew]

Let's be clear in that we ARE NOT prohibiting nudity in underwater shots, we merely ask you to label it "NWS:" to maintain work safe boundaries for some of our readers. Work safe is not about offending anyone, it's about protecting readers from getting into trouble at work or getting WP blacklisted. The staff did not have a well defined policy on nudity before and we apologize for the confusion in how we dealt with it. Now we have a standardized for such posts in instituting "NWS:" for posts. Use "NWS:" labels if you want to post underwater shots with nudity. It allows everyone who can to view your work without any pitfalls. There is no censorship.
This is also an announcement for those who have these restrictions to understand what NWS means so there is no confusion (which obviously there seems to be a lot of) when they choose which topic to read while at work.

[loftus]

He, he, now there's a way to get your post read, just label it NWS. (The other Drew will label his NSW.)

Edited by loftus, 15 January 2009 - 06:01 AM.

[TheRealDrew]

He, he, now there's a way to get your post read, just label it NWS. (The other Drew will label his NSW.)

[Alex_Mustard]

I am going to Manado (north west Sulawesi) in February. What abbreviation can I use for my galleries?

Alex