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Not safe for work

Internet slang term

Internet slang term

Note

the Internet slang

Not safe for work (NSFW), also called not suitable for work, is Internet slang or shorthand used to mark links to content, videos, or website pages the viewer may not wish to be seen viewing in a public, formal, or controlled environment. The marked content may contain graphic violence, pornography, profanity, nudity, slurs, or other potentially disturbing subject matter. Environments that may be problematic include workplaces, schools, and family settings. NSFW has particular relevance for people trying to make personal use of the Internet at workplaces or schools that have policies prohibiting access to sexual and graphic subject matter. Conversely, safe for work (SFW) is used for links that do not contain such material, especially where the title might otherwise lead people to think that the content is NSFW.

The similar expression not safe for life (NSFL) is also used, referring to content which is so nauseating or disturbing that it might be emotionally scarring to view. Links marked NSFL may contain murder, gore, or certain fetish pornography.

Some platforms, such as Reddit, Twitter, Patreon, or DeviantArt have long offered users the option to designate their content as NSFW, in order to warn others of its explicit nature before they access it, as well as to algorithmically separate it from SFW content.

History

It has been speculated that the term evolved from an earlier form originating on message boards, not for British school kids (NFBSK), which appears online as early as the year 2000. "NSFW" itself has been used in online communities since the early 2000s, with a definition being posted to Urban Dictionary in 2003. In 2009, it was suggested that a future version of HTML could include "NSFW" as a standardized tag for adult material on websites that could be automatically hidden depending on user settings.

By 2011, the term was common enough to be added to Oxford Dictionaries Online, with Merriam-Webster adding the abbreviation to its dictionary in 2015. The Oxford English Dictionary added the term in 2016, citing earliest evidence of usage from 2002.

References

References

  1. (2019). "NSFW: Sex, Humor, and Risk in Social Media". [[The MIT Press]].
  2. Brown, Jessica. (2017-08-09). "A Brief History of 'NSFW'".
  3. "The Meaning of NSFW and How to Use It". Lifewire.
  4. (2017-12-29). "NSFW Meaning. What does NSFW mean?". MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog.
  5. "How Not To Get Caught Looking at NSFW Content on the Job".
  6. [https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/sfw.htm What is SFW (Safe for Work)] from Computer Hope
  7. (2021-01-19). "Check out this Reddit thread dedicated to the hottest sex stories".
  8. (February 14, 2024). "How to watch NSFW/NSFL content safely and discreetly". [[Mindanao Times]].
  9. (June 17, 2016). "116 Teen Text Terms Decoded for Confused Parents".
  10. Martinez, Fidel. (June 1, 2021). "The shock and aww of Reddit's 50/50". [[The Daily Dot]].
  11. "Reddit Basics".
  12. "Reddiquette".
  13. Zeldman, L. Jeffrey. (2009-06-08). "NSFW tag in HTML 5".
  14. (2011-06-03). "'NSFW,' 'ZOMG,' and 'Twittersphere' added to dictionary".
  15. Steinmetz, Katy. (2015-05-26). "Merriam-Webster Defines 'Jeggings,' 'NSFW' and 'Meme'".
  16. (2015-05-26). ""Emoji," "Photobomb," "WTF" and More Hip Internet Phrases Officially Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary".
  17. Oxford English Dictionary. (2023). "NSFW (adj.)".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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