NSFW
Encyclopedia
Not suitable/safe for work (NSFW), not work-suitable/safe (NWS), or not school-suitable (NSS) is Internet slang
or shorthand
. Typically, the NSFW tag is used in e-mail
, videos, and on interactive discussion areas (such as Internet forum
s, blog
s, or community websites) to mark URL
s or hyperlink
s which contain material such as pornography
or profanity
, which the viewer may not want to be seen accessing in a public or formal setting such as at work.
NSFW has particular relevance for individuals making personal use of the Internet
at workplaces or schools which have policies prohibiting (even inadvertent) access to sexually explicit content. Companies and schools frequently adopt such policies because they regard the presence of sexually explicit content as a misuse of company property (or education resources) and, potentially, a violation of sexual harassment
policy.
Determining a site to be NSFW is invariably subjective
. The less frequently used warnings PNSFW (Probably/Possibly Not Safe for Work), LSFW (Less Safe for Work), TSFW (Technically Safe for Work), and PNFO (Probably Not for the Office) are sometimes used to indicate content possibly considered salacious (lustful) by certain censors, such as images of underwear or swimwear models, or a news story about sexual issues that does not contain explicit images. NSFW is also sometimes used to refer to any media that produces sound, such as a game or video file; the implication being that the noises may alert others in the vicinity that the user is taking a break
with entertainment materials instead of working.
NSFW can be used flippantly under the same circumstances, to mean "Now Show Friends and Workmates".
The opposite, SFW (safe for work) is sometimes used when the context or the URL itself would otherwise indicate that something is NSFW; for example:
might link to a picture of a cat
(SFW) rather than female genitalia
(NSFW).
Certain Internet security systems may block content unsuitable for children in schools.
founder Drew Curtis
filed an application to trademark
the phrase, but registration was denied.
Internet slang
Internet slang is a type of slang that Internet users have popularized, and in many cases, have coined. Such terms often originate with the purpose of saving keystrokes. Many people use the same abbreviations in texting and instant messaging, and social networking websites...
or shorthand
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
. Typically, the NSFW tag is used in e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
, videos, and on interactive discussion areas (such as Internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
s, blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s, or community websites) to mark URL
Uniform Resource Locator
In computing, a uniform resource locator or universal resource locator is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to an Internet resource....
s or hyperlink
Hyperlink
In computing, a hyperlink is a reference to data that the reader can directly follow, or that is followed automatically. A hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific element within a document. Hypertext is text with hyperlinks...
s which contain material such as pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
or profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, which the viewer may not want to be seen accessing in a public or formal setting such as at work.
NSFW has particular relevance for individuals making personal use of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
at workplaces or schools which have policies prohibiting (even inadvertent) access to sexually explicit content. Companies and schools frequently adopt such policies because they regard the presence of sexually explicit content as a misuse of company property (or education resources) and, potentially, a violation of sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
policy.
Determining a site to be NSFW is invariably subjective
Subject (philosophy)
In philosophy, a subject is a being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness or a relationship with another entity . A subject is an observer and an object is a thing observed...
. The less frequently used warnings PNSFW (Probably/Possibly Not Safe for Work), LSFW (Less Safe for Work), TSFW (Technically Safe for Work), and PNFO (Probably Not for the Office) are sometimes used to indicate content possibly considered salacious (lustful) by certain censors, such as images of underwear or swimwear models, or a news story about sexual issues that does not contain explicit images. NSFW is also sometimes used to refer to any media that produces sound, such as a game or video file; the implication being that the noises may alert others in the vicinity that the user is taking a break
Break (work)
A break at work is a period of time during a shift in which an employee is allowed to take time off from his/her job. There are different types of breaks, and depending on the length and the employer's policies, the break may or may not be paid....
with entertainment materials instead of working.
NSFW can be used flippantly under the same circumstances, to mean "Now Show Friends and Workmates".
The opposite, SFW (safe for work) is sometimes used when the context or the URL itself would otherwise indicate that something is NSFW; for example:
http://www.example.com/pussy.jpg (SFW) (SFW)
might link to a picture of a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
(SFW) rather than female genitalia
Vulva
The vulva consists of the external genital organs of the female mammal. This article deals with the vulva of the human being, although the structures are similar for other mammals....
(NSFW).
Certain Internet security systems may block content unsuitable for children in schools.
Trademarking
On November 28, 2007, Fark.comFark.com
Fark is a community website created by Drew Curtis that allows members to comment on a daily batch of news articles and other items from various websites. As of June 2009, the site boasts approximately four million unique visitors per month, which puts it among the top 100 English language websites...
founder Drew Curtis
Drew Curtis
Drew Curtis is the founder and an administrator of Fark.com, an Internet link dump site. He is also the author of It's Not News, It's FARK: How Mass Media Tries to Pass off Crap as News in May 2007.-Bio:...
filed an application to trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
the phrase, but registration was denied.