Jon

Hey Mastodon, what's the latest take on content warnings?

When I first joined there seemed to be a lot more. In fact, when I posted my introductory post, I mentioned that I was a psychotherapist and I got some push back from folks about not putting a mental health content warning on it!

So...where are we with CW's? I have found blocking certain hashtags better for myself, but wanted to check and see what others are doing.

Thoughts?

#CW #ContentWarning

Mar 20 at 2:57pmWeb
Show threadMelissaMar 20
@jkirkendall
Lots of different choices...I try to CW food and USPol and not post horrific stuff, since it's rarely unique. My filters work pretty well.
I like it when people use CWs for mental health, PTSD...I'll often bookmark and come back to read it later, when I'm feeling able to say something kind.
Show threadJonMar 20

@mtechman Thanks for your really thoughtful response! Over the past few years I've noticed that I've moved towards filtering hashtags and find that on my end that works just fine, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything!

Currently I'm cw-ing hard or challenging news, and I've found that adding a cw about my current health (lupus stuff) feels right, too - helps me navigate that line of sharing info that friends on here might want to know, without it being a sort of 'poor me' post!

Show threadCassandrichMar 20
@jkirkendall It depends on who your circles are and what their needs are. Mastodon is not one community but a shared medium in which many communities with different needs can coexist. The only thing that's not appropriate is trying to tell a stranger who's speaking to their circles and not to you what they should or shouldn't cw.
Show threadJonMar 20
@dalias I really love your response - thank you! So helpful to remember that Mastodon is made up of all kinds of communities.
Show threadPeggy KernMar 20
@jkirkendall I have seen people put content warnings on just about everything, from books to food. I have never actually put a content warning on a post, because I figure people can skip it if it bothers them. As far as reading posts with content warnings, I have my app set so that I hear the content warning, but the post still shows for me.
Show threadJonMar 20
@kernsac Thanks for your response! I've had so many thoughtful people respond, and it does seem that in general, most folks will definitely add a CW to shocking or distressing news posts, but seem to be moving toward using hashtags and hashtag filters, rather than relying on CWs.
Show threadPeggy KernMar 20
@jkirkendall I must admit I got a chuckle out of someone being upset that you didn't put a content warning when you said you worked as a "psychotherapist". I wondered if they misinterpreted your post and thought you were saying you were a "psycho therapist", and maybe they thought there should be a content warning if you were describing your supposed medical condition. <lol>
Show threadElizenery🔻Mar 20
@jkirkendall I have the same experience. CW's seem much less common today than a few years ago. I use filters for sanity and look at my timeline without boosts. I do appreciate the politeness of CW's though.
Show threadDonald Ham Mar 20

@jkirkendall
I prefer to filter hashtags or keywords instead, because it is under MY control. It doesn't put me in the position of being a Mastodon HOA, badgering others to behave the way I want them to.

That's neither my right nor my responsibility.

Show thread🔥 Mireille Sillander 🔥Mar 20

@jkirkendall I try to put one on US politics (and food if I can remember) as those are the ones people get bombarded with he most and I'm sure they get plenty of exposure to both outside of Masto. The CW can help with a bit of currating while not losing people you like talking to.

Not sure if I've used other ones here since I tend to post pretty harmless. Sometimes I swear, but not in English :D

Show threadWillow (she/her)Mar 20

@Mimesatwork @jkirkendall Something to consider with food under a CW is there are ALSO a group of ppl (myself included and I know of many others) who are harmed and triggered by food being "hidden".

It's intersecting needs, and I get there are ppl who do need it hidden. But ppl who are harmed by hiding food ALSO matter.

That's why I love tagging culture. Each person then has their own responsibility and control to reduce harm in their life.

Putting food under a CW is not a neutral choice.

Show threadChris 🏳️‍🌈🧵🧝🏼Mar 20

@jkirkendall In my book, CWs are for explicitly sexy stuff, violence, and gore. Triggers like food, politics, and foss get tagged so as to let folks curate their own experiences with filters.

It's surely my age showing, but I don't go in for warning/tagging things like eye contact or discussions of mental health that *don't* involve violence of any sort.

Show threadWillow (she/her)Mar 20
@elfkin @jkirkendall I'm also in this camp. I'd much rather consistently use hashtags and let folks make their own choices for care. Masto offers great hashtag filters!
Show threadChris 🏳️‍🌈🧵🧝🏼Mar 20
@MsHearthWitch @jkirkendall It just feels like the most adult/responsible way to go about things.
Show threadWillow (she/her)Mar 20
@elfkin @jkirkendall I totally agree.
Show threadJonMar 20

@MsHearthWitch @elfkin This, or slight variations, have been what I've heard back from most everyone.

Seems to me back maybe 4 years ago there was a fair amount of policing around CW's, and everyone who responded to my post noted that each person's timeline is their own responsibility.

Refreshing!

Show threadCrystalMar 20
@elfkin Someone who thinks little of eye contact, clearly, is someone who thinks little to none about autistic community members. Some among us prefer a moment to prepare for sights which remind us of previous memories. I accuse you of being a normal person. I don't ordinarily use the newspeak word, ableist. I guess I am now beginning to understand what that word can mean.
Edited:
It looks harsh as I re-read this. Sorry, not meant as harsh. I think more about the feelings of others as I encounter the content warnings in their many categories. I guess eye contact isn't my trigger, but its warning reminds me to concentrate extra hard to notice the important aspects of the picture when I do look.
Show thread💥meta physical deflationist💥Mar 20

@MossyQuartz @elfkin i really really want to respect folks needs and boundaries but do find "what if this was meat space" to be a good way to evaluate limits

if possible i would want people to provide physical barriers to gore to protect the general public as fast as possible or prefer strangers go out of view for naughty fun activities

but there is not way to avoid eye contact in public meat spaces. this sucks for people including me sometimes but i dont think means the world would be better if we all had to do some extra action to look at each other directly

cwing means everyone gets the unhide action, tag blocking makes it personalizable but not findable, can we do a hide like a cw on a tag and get a win-win?

Show threadCrystalMar 20
@glassresistor your viewpoint seems fair enough that I will learn more about the practice of using tags. Please understand my delay, it is because there were no such things as tags when first I tried social media and when I tried using it here, the instructions related to hash tags was describing them as something people from places like Twitter might be familiar with and also could use here. So, I was initially on one dial-up-modem BBS site and now years later I am here. Alright, I'll learn about tags.
Show thread💥meta physical deflationist💥Mar 20

@MossyQuartz oh totally i and i might have been unclear but i dont think there is a good solution yet.

blocking tags means never seeing it
cwing tags means everyone has the unhide

it would be great to have a hybrid where cw is tagged and user selects if tag hides or not

Show threadWillow (she/her)Mar 20

@glassresistor @MossyQuartz I am fairly certain that feature is available.

When you set up a masto filter for a hashtag you have the ability to decide if it just nukes all mention from your timeline, or appears with a CW just for you.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what you're asking for, using hashtags allows users to decide for themselves whether the posts appear in their personal timeline with a CW or not at all. To me that seems the most reasonable option!

Show thread💥meta physical deflationist💥Mar 20
@MsHearthWitch @MossyQuartz i probably just havent found the option
Show threadLisa 🦔Mar 20
@MsHearthWitch exactly right. Using a hashtag filter, you can decide whether you want the filter to completely keep anything with that tag out of your feed, or if you just want it hidden behind a consent warning. Screenshot to show the setting options: @glassresistor @MossyQuartz
Show threadLisa 🦔Mar 20

@MsHearthWitch caveat: this screenshot is by using my web browser to go to my settings and adding the filter. This way a filter works regardless of which app or browser I use to log in.

If I set up a filter using an APP, each one has their own menu/settings and those don’t automatically update back since they’re only within that app. @glassresistor @MossyQuartz

Show threadSindarina, Edge Case DetectiveMar 20

@jkirkendall I see other people have already said what I would have, so I'll just add that expecting you to put a content warning on your vocation was unreasonable to begin with.

Personally, I only put content warnings on stuff that I know is a trigger for a lot of people, such as sexual assault, domestic violence and abuse, and so forth, and then try to be as descriptive as possible without being graphic.

Something like 'SA' may ring a bell when you've been here for a while, but is useless for anyone who is not familiar with the jargon, for example.

And yes, I always add any widely used hashtags for the topic, never 'break' words by putting weird characters in them, because that fucks with people's filters, and I have a pinned post with the hashtags people can expect from me.

Beyond that it's really the reader's responsibility, as only they know what works best for them.