All The Tropes:Strong Language Usage Rules: Difference between revisions
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#REDIRECT [[Family Friendly]] |
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[[All The Tropes:Strong Language Usage Rules/Laconic|Laconic version]] |
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This page is part of the [[ATT:Style Guide|Style Guide]], which is not quite policy, but simply recommendations for what makes the best wiki page. |
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"We ask you to respect our need to keep the wiki family friendly. We don't really need lewd pictures or tons of cuss words to have the fun we're having. Anyway, clever is always funnier than obscene. Shocking stuff just gets old." |
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The rule was once "Keep it sort of PG-13." That meant that "ass" and "wanker" were probably fine, "fuck" and "cunt" not (especially in multiple). Nowadays, since AdSense, our most lucrative advertiser, has rules about adult content, it's closer to "Keep it PG-13 if at all possible." |
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With Google monitoring to make sure that pages are in compliance, it's important not to add swear words to an article where its not really necessary. Think for a moment, and if you can say it without swearing, then do it. Pages that are moderated must go behind a "wall," which means that those pages don't display Google advertising and make less money for TV Tropes. For example, if your article is about a children's film or a network sitcom, then the word "fuck" really doesn't need to be anywhere on it, so don't put it there. Something like ''[[The Departed]]'' would be a good example of something where profanity might be considered an integral part of the article. If the show itself makes regular use of profanity, then the page is likely going to be behind the wall anyway. If there's something from the show that has profanity that you want to quote, go ahead. When it comes to adding general examples, there's probably little need for you to be using profanity yourself, if it isn't in relation to the content of the media, especially on a page that's otherwise clean. |
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Keep it sorta PG-13. |
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If you're an American you know what that means; if you're not, the gist of it is: "ass", "arse", and "wanker" are probably fine, "fuck" and "cunt" are typically not (especially in multiple), "shit" could probably go either way. |
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Racist and sexist terms should usually be avoided, as they stand a good chance of ruining someone else's [[ATT:FUN|fun]]. Of course, they're always allowed in the context of troping [[ATT:LITCRIT|how they are used within a work]]. |
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Yes, it's true that this site isn't just about documenting entertainment, it's also about ''providing'' it. You're allowed and expected to be funny, but there are plenty of ways to be funny. If your imagination is failing you to the extent that you need to curse, you should just back off for a while and let your brain come back on line. We'd actually be a better source of humor with one cuss word per ''hundred'' pages. |
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| ⚫ | Don't butcher a quote just to [[Bowdlerise|take out a dirty word or two]]. Whether you really need the quote from the movie ''[[Narc]]'' with [[Cluster F-Bomb|9 uses of the word "fuck" out of a total of 11 words]] is a matter left up to the discussion page of that article about kittens you put it on. |
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Don't [[This Trope Is Bleep|c-ns-r]] w* rds w* th d!sh!s, $ste#r&sk, %r @ny th^ng m()r() ¿¶⇔‡ø√ℵ¤. Face it, you're not fooling anyone, and it's just annoying. Unless it's funny, of course, which it can be, rarely. If you're quoting a print source or "[[This Trope Is Bleep|bleeped]]" show that had the dashes in it originally, whatever, but you may want to make that clear. Don't just {{spoiler|spoiler font}} a swear word. It's even more annoying, and doesn't actually change the content level. If a particular swear word is actually a spoiler, we'll see it when we believe it. Swears should be on the page or they shouldn't; having them there but neutered doesn't work either way, because no matter how you slice it, they're still swear words. |
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[[Rule of Funny|Funny is allowed]]. Let's be fair, you would have gone to [[Wikipedia]] if you wanted something serious. This site isn't just about documenting entertainment, it's also about providing it; so if your article uses "fuck" 71 times, "cunt" 41 times, "faggot" 14 times, and "nigger" 452 times and it makes it funny, go nuts. [[Refuge in Vulgarity|It usually doesn't]], but try telling [[Encyclopedia Dramatica]] that. |
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| ⚫ | Don't be a [[Bluenose Bowdlerizer]]. Serial Bowdlerizers will get themselves banned |
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Don't [[T-Word Euphemism|c-ns-r w*rds w*th d!sh!s, $ste#r&sk, %r @ny th^ng m()r() ¿¶⇔‡ø√ℵ¤]]. Face it, you're not fooling anyone, and it's just annoying. Unless it's funny, of course, which it can be, rarely. If you're quoting a print source that had the dashes in it originally, whatever. But you may want to make that clear [''sic'']. |
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Remember... even the language used on the [[Cluster F Bomb|most obscene page]] of this wiki probably compares favorably to fifteen minutes in any Junior High Lunchroom. [[MST3K Mantra]], people. But we are trying to keep the general pages family friendly, so try to respect that. Additionally, keep in mind that these rules are about language, not politeness. Cussing out other ''[[TROPER|Tropers]]'' will get you thwacked, regardless of anything in relation to what you add to pages or which pages you add it to. |
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Don't just {{spoiler|spoiler out}} a swear word. It's even more annoying. If a particular swear word is actually a spoiler, we'll see it when we believe it. In fact, don't censor swear words at all. They should be on the page or they shouldn't; having them there but neutered doesn't work either way. |
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That's {{smallcaps|our policy}}. You agreed to the terms of service, so please stick with them. |
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| ⚫ | Don't be a [[Bluenose Bowdlerizer]]. Serial Bowdlerizers will get themselves banned (see [[All The Tropes:Policy for Wiki Staff]]). If you're a younger Troper stuck behind some sort of [[Censorware|net nanny software]], be careful: there are cases where it's really messed up articles by replacing bad words. You can still be banned for this even if you didn't do it on purpose; we have to ban the net nanny software to protect the wiki from it, but you get caught in the fallout. |
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Remember... even the language used on the most obscene page of this wiki probably compares favorably to fifteen minutes in any Junior High Lunchroom. [[MST3K Mantra]], people. |
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That's The Rules, the hard and fast Rules and nothing but the Rules. If you [[Hypocritical Humor|fuck]] up on any of the rules we'll hunt you down and probably not do anything [[All The Tropes:How We Do Bans Around Here|(unless you make a habit of it)]] -- [[Pirates of the Caribbean|it's more of a guideline, really]]. |
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[[Category:Style Guide]] |
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[[Category:Wiki Policy]] |
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[[Category:Wiki FAQs]] |
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Revision as of 17:02, 27 May 2022
This page is part of the Style Guide, which is not quite policy, but simply recommendations for what makes the best wiki page.
What sort of language is appropriate in an article? Can you swear to your heart's content? Or should there be a level of decorum on this wiki? We have recognized these problems and come up with a set of unambiguous, hard, and long rules to help you with these questions.
The Rules
Keep it sorta PG-13.
If you're an American you know what that means; if you're not, the gist of it is: "ass", "arse", and "wanker" are probably fine, "fuck" and "cunt" are typically not (especially in multiple), "shit" could probably go either way.
Racist and sexist terms should usually be avoided, as they stand a good chance of ruining someone else's fun. Of course, they're always allowed in the context of troping how they are used within a work.
Don't butcher a quote just to take out a dirty word or two. Whether you really need the quote from the movie Narc with 9 uses of the word "fuck" out of a total of 11 words is a matter left up to the discussion page of that article about kittens you put it on.
Funny is allowed. Let's be fair, you would have gone to Wikipedia if you wanted something serious. This site isn't just about documenting entertainment, it's also about providing it; so if your article uses "fuck" 71 times, "cunt" 41 times, "faggot" 14 times, and "nigger" 452 times and it makes it funny, go nuts. It usually doesn't, but try telling Encyclopedia Dramatica that.
Don't c-ns-r w*rds w*th d!sh!s, $ste#r&sk, %r @ny th^ng m()r() ¿¶⇔‡ø√ℵ¤. Face it, you're not fooling anyone, and it's just annoying. Unless it's funny, of course, which it can be, rarely. If you're quoting a print source that had the dashes in it originally, whatever. But you may want to make that clear [sic].
Don't just spoiler out a swear word. It's even more annoying. If a particular swear word is actually a spoiler, we'll see it when we believe it. In fact, don't censor swear words at all. They should be on the page or they shouldn't; having them there but neutered doesn't work either way.
Don't be a Bluenose Bowdlerizer. Serial Bowdlerizers will get themselves banned (see All The Tropes:Policy for Wiki Staff). If you're a younger Troper stuck behind some sort of net nanny software, be careful: there are cases where it's really messed up articles by replacing bad words. You can still be banned for this even if you didn't do it on purpose; we have to ban the net nanny software to protect the wiki from it, but you get caught in the fallout.
Remember... even the language used on the most obscene page of this wiki probably compares favorably to fifteen minutes in any Junior High Lunchroom. MST3K Mantra, people.
That's The Rules, the hard and fast Rules and nothing but the Rules. If you fuck up on any of the rules we'll hunt you down and probably not do anything (unless you make a habit of it) -- it's more of a guideline, really.