Content Policy Discussion

For starters, when flagging a work, please provide detailed reasons in the box that comes up upon flagging. Any flag issued without such arguments will be removed and a notice posted on the discussion page in question. Abusing the system can result in flagging/forum privileges being restricted or removed altogether.

Also, keep in mind that there are works that we don't want flagged without a really good reason as they are not likely in violation of policy:

• Is a film rated below "R" for U.S. distribution.
• Is a show that can be aired on prime time television.
• Is a video game that is rated below "M" by the ESRB.
• Is a written work that is sold in major bookstores without an "adult" or "mature" label.
• Is an anime/manga/etc. that is approved for U.S. import as a non-adult work.
• Is read/shown/taught in high school or below.
• Is in another format and meets equivalent criteria.

What we're looking for:

• Pure porn, or porn with an Excuse Plot only,
• Anything that has explicit underage sex,
• Implied sex of preteens or younger, and
• Fanservice intended to cater to pedophiles (lolicon and shotacon fanservice can count).

A couple of guidelines so the procedure can move smoothly:

• Do not list whole indexes or works just because they are on a certain index or have lolicon, H-Game or shotacon on their trope list.
• Do not list works you know nothing about without at least reading the trope page.
• Do not list works that you know are G-rated but you find creepy.

First off, as mentioned above we request a reason either in the threads or in the work's discussion page preferably before flagging.

1. If it's paedophile-pandering approximately how old are the characters involved? What happens? Is it graphic? Is it merely implied?
2. List what objectionable content there is, and how much of the work consists of that.
3. If it's entirely sex, say so. People have different ideas of what porn is. We all have the same idea of what a work being entirely sex scenes is.
4. If you're not sure about a work, say so, or ask someone who does know that work. But don't make blanket accusations. Post here: "I don't know about this work, but the page says X".
5. Google and Wikipedia are your friends^note Be careful when researching manga demographics on English Wikipedia, as it has been proven inaccurate on more than one occasion. Do a little digging on works you aren't sure about.

Also, in the case of H Games, there is this questioning to fill up:

• When are the sex scenes located?
  • Are they spread out over the game?
  • How much gameplay is there between sex scenes?
  • Are they only at the endings?
    • How hard do you have to work to get an ending?
    • Are they in every ending? Every good ending?
• Are the sex scenes optional via a choice in the menu?
• Would the story make sense without them with minimal or no rewriting?
• Are the scenes made up of stills, or are they animated?
• How explicit are the sex scenes?

Each work is discussed in a dedicated thread and decisions based on a thread consensus, with the following rules:

• This isn't a headcount. Your opinion is only considered if it explains in at least some detail how you came to the conclusion that the work is/isn't porn/paedopandering.
• When a moderator determines that the discussion has yielded a consensus, they can enact its conclusion/ask a moderator to enact the conclusion.
• The discussion is only about whether the work qualifies as porn or as paedopandering. We don't assess anything else in this process.

These rules are not enforced here; they are up to this thread.

Q: Why is this happening?
A: Concerning the porn, it tends to attract creepy edits that have brought us into issues with the adservers while not significantly contributing to our core purpose - tropology. Concerning paedophilia-pandering, such works are just plain creepy to have pages about.

Q: What can I do to help clean the site?
A: You can flag content as unsuitable using the flag tool, which is located in the Tools menu to the right of each article, keeping the criteria in mind. Also, you can help enforce No Lewdness, No Prudishness across the wiki, possibly though cleaning pages listed in this Long Term Projects thread.

Q. This episodic work isn't finished yet. Shouldn't we wait for the ending before discussing it?
A. No. If released instalments may violate the content policy, we want to take action as soon as that's established — we don't need to wait for the ending. We can always revisit a decision to cut or keep once the work is over, but that point might still be years or decades away.

Q: This work is not actually/primarily pornographic. Why was it cut?
A: This could be for a number of different reasons. If the work was deemed to be paedopandering, for example, it will be cut whether or not it's actually sexually explicit. Being pro-paedophilia or pandering to paedophiles is bad enough, even if the work is nominally anti-paedophilia. Of course, it's possible that there was a mistake and then you should appeal it - please check the reasons first, however.

Q: This work is being/has been cut, but it is not a violation of the Content Policy. How do I make an appeal?
A: Flag the work page using the button in the sidebar and state your reasons for restoration.

Q: This work is pretty much pure porn, but it's really good porn. Can an exception be made?
A: Nope, sorry. If it's mainly porn, it goes.

Q: Why would you cut this? In [culture x], it is totally acceptable.
A: The vast majority of our readers come from the Americas or Western Europe, so we will be adhering to what could broadly be termed "Western" standards. This means we will not be permitting works which sexualize 12 year olds, and nor will we be demanding that every picture of a woman on the site must wear a burqa.

Q: How can you possibly claim to know authorial intent? (Roland Barthes is my co-pilot.)
A: It is not important what the authorial intent was, only the outcome.

Q: Wikipedia have articles on all kinds of awful stuff. Why can't we do the same?
A: Wikipedia is a strictly academic site. They have to cite sources and a "no censorship rule". They also do not aim to be Family Friendly, and are not reliant upon third party ads for funding. Conversely, one of our stated aims is to celebrate fiction, and our generally light, non-negative tone is a reflection of this, which has led to much more gushing about inappropiate content.

Q: So should I take every article here as an endorsement of whatever it describes?
A: No, of course not. We have pages on Greedy Jew, Adolf Hitler and Mein Kampf after all. However, if we choose to focus our attention on schoolgirls' thighs or porn, it does reflect very poorly on us. Fan Fic Recommendations are a slightly different issue. If a work is recommended there, this should be taken as an endorsement by the troper who wrote it.

Q: Are we allowed to make forum threads about works processed by the Content Violation Discussions forum?
A: If it was voted "clean and keep", a forum thread is relatively safe as long as it is restricted to talking about the clean parts. Anything with a stronger judgement is discouraged on the forums.

Q: Where can I find decisions regarding a work?
A: They are linked from the discussion page. Sometimes the old list of content reviews or the thread list in this forum can help as well.

Q: I still have some questions/concerns.
A: We will be happy to answer them. There is a thread for this.

Warning: This documents the usage of the terms during the policy discussions, and might not accurately reflect the outside meanings of these terms:

• Guro: Violence played for titillation. (contrast Gorn)
• 5P or P5: The panel that administered the policy prior to the review system being overhauled in 2022. See 5P.
• P(a)edoshit: Older term for "P(a)edopandering", deprecated for being inflammatory.
• Porn: A work mostly concerned with sexual arousal. Having NSFW or explicit scenes doesn't automatically make a work porn — it's when showcasing explicit scenes is the entire point of the work.

For issues not covered here, further explanation exist on these pages:

• The Second Google Incident
• No Lewdness, No Prudishness

Also, questions about the policy can be asked here. They will be added to this thread's FAQ section once answered.