Conent ratings for AMVs

Aki Ameko · Post by **Aki Ameko** » Sat May 21, 2005 1:57 am

I just downloaded an AMV with content that I did not want to see. I suggest that when a user makes an AMV entry that there also be a place to rate the content of an AMV, and possibly specify what kind of content, whether it be nudity, violence, language, etc. Possibly on a G, PG, PG-13, R system or the org could come up with their own system. Now don't tell me I shouldn't have downloaded it if I knew the anime had that kind of content, because I didn't. I downloaded it because I was looking for a certain anime (the video had more than one anime) and the discription sounded promising. I'm not asking for tar and feathers, I just don't like perversion and nudity.

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Sat May 21, 2005 3:02 am

We discussed possible ratings in the past, but it didn't get beyond the brainstorming stage.

I'd say promoting (or forcing) warnings for "violence/nudity/language" would work better. In other sites you can set your 'viewing' to block anything with a "hentai" warning. If we had similar warnings, a user can block anything with the warnings he wishes to avoid. [You could even put "yaoi" in there and spare lots of fanboys from getting their eyes burned.]

That said, we have rules against extreme violence and sexual nudity in local videos. You should be able to watch local videos without finding extreme violence or sexual nudity. If you *do* find them, you can report them - if they're actually extreme (according to the mods and Phade), the videos will be removed.

Aki Ameko · Post by **Aki Ameko** » Sat May 21, 2005 3:33 pm

Oh, I like that idea much better. I believe Quizzilla has that method...

What would you consider extreme, in a video?

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Sat May 21, 2005 4:16 pm

The problem I see with warnings is that everyone's standards are different. What I consider to be violent might not be the same as what you consider violent. What I consider to be explicit language may not be the same as what you consider explicit language. Additionally, such warnings might "legitimize" the placement of inappropriate content on the local servers.
Person: "Yes, my video has blood and guts, I put the warning on it, so whats the problem?"
Org: "Well, videos with extreme violence aren't allowed on the local servers."
Person: "Then why is there a place where I can say that my video is volent?"
Org: "Well, thats for videos that might be pretty violent, but still not violent enough to not be allowed on the servers."
Person: "I'm confused."

Or how about this one?
Org: "You don't have your warning label tagged properly. Your video contains explicit lyrics."
Person: "What does that mean? I don't speak english well."

Left to individual members to mark the content of their videos, I think it will just make things very complicated, and in the end the ratings won't mean much anyhow. For such ratings to work, every video would have to be viewed by a sort of ratings board who would hold all videos to a strict set of rules. That's certainly not going to happen.

YouTube · Post by **derobert** » Sat May 21, 2005 4:25 pm

Extreme: Cut someone's head off with a rusty knife, spewing blood everywhere.

Not extreme: Slapping someone

Extreme and not extreme are easy. For everything inbetween, there's handwaving. Or, paraphrasing the famous definition of pornography, "phade knows it when he sees it"

trythil · Post by **trythil** » Sat May 21, 2005 4:41 pm

derobert wrote:Extreme: Cut someone's head off with a rusty knife, spewing blood everywhere.

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Sat May 21, 2005 6:35 pm

Zarxrax wrote:The problem I see with warnings is that everyone's standards are different. What I consider to be violent might not be the same as what you consider violent. What I consider to be explicit language may not be the same as what you consider explicit language.

True, but I don't see that as a problem in this scenario. If even a few people add a "slight nudity" warning to their video, that's a couple videos the prudes can avoid downloading - 20% fewer videos for them to complain about after inadvertently downloading. Sure, they'll still complain about the 80% that don't put a warning, but if a few creators can avoid getting those complaints - and a few viewers can avoid having to complain - you gain something. You lose nothing from putting a voluntary warning in the video description (except the chance to have the video watched by someone who will likely be offended).

I'd be adverse to forced ratings for the same reason I don't want anyone telling me what is or is not romantic, or sentimental, or dramatic, or fun. If my video has content likely to offend people, I put an informal warning in the vid description. Giving me the option to make that formal - and easily 'blocked' by easily offended viewers - helps avoid offence and hurts nothing. Those who *intend* to offend people, or scar the kiddies, or horrify the prudes - they can abstain from putting a warning in place. Free choice.

I'm asking for an option to be used by those who choose to use it. Anyone who'd tell you "You should have put a nudity warning" will tell you that whether we have a formal warning system or not. You can go on ignoring them just like you do now.

Additionally, such warnings might "legitimize" the placement of inappropriate content on the local servers.

All the better to delete unwanted entries. Someone puts up a 'violence' warning? Great. Those viewers who download with the hope of playing vigilante have a target categry to work with. Those creators who don't know explicit from strong would be putting up their vids whether we had the warning or not. This just makes it easier to catch them and remove the entries.

As for non-English speakers...this isn't anything we don't already deal with. If a foreigner puts up a non-anime vid because he can't read the rules, we delete it and (maybe, if we have the time) find someone who speaks his language to translate the rules for him. This suggestion doesn't add to that problem any more than it fixes that problem. That problem exists so long as we allow non-English speakers to use the site.

For such ratings to work, every video would have to be viewed by a sort of ratings board who would hold all videos to a strict set of rules. That's certainly not going to happen.

I guess it depends on what you see as the 'goal' of the suggestion. I don't want to make it so no video can have the "f" word without putting up a "language" warning. That's not the point. I want the option to put up a language warning if I want one. For that warning to work, it just needs to be there for creators to choose - and there for viewers to block. You shut up a group of complaining viewers, and the rest of the site goes on business as usual.

The real question...are there enough people complaining to make a warning/blocking option? Probably not. We'd have to poll creators and see how many complaints are received, and how many would have liked to avoid those complaints by putting up a voluntary warning.

Half the time there wouldn't be any need if viewers would just read the vid descriptions before they download. If the video says it's an angsty action video, you can pretty much count on there being violence. >.<

Freako · Post by **Freako** » Sun May 22, 2005 6:59 pm

i vote to adopt the ESRB rating system

http://www.esrb.com/

Aki Ameko · Post by **Aki Ameko** » Sat May 28, 2005 5:51 pm

As for the 'I should have known by the discription' thing, the maker said that he did this video because he liked tomboys, but that didn't say that he was going to show the tomboys nude. Does this mean I simply don't know enough about the male mind, or that he's just a pervert?

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Sat May 28, 2005 6:11 pm

Kaisune wrote:As for the 'I should have known by the discription' thing, the maker said that he did this video because he liked tomboys, but that didn't say that he was going to show the tomboys nude. Does this mean I simply don't know enough about the male mind, or that he's just a pervert?

Probably neither - it depends on the anime and the song most of the time. ^_^; If it was sexual nudity, he's breaking the rules - drop a link in the mods box, his vid doesn't belong on local.

If it was something like sailormoon transformations, you can usually guess when that'll show up by the anime - almost all the magical girl anime have obligatory naked scenes. Then there's the anime where the entire point is to show as much naked skin as possible without it being hentai - the Sorcerer Hunters ova is like this, as well as Labyrinth of Flames, and a thousand other fanservicy anime I won't watch. If a girl is stripping and bouncing in the anime - but she's not touching herself and no one else is touching her nude skin - it's not considered sexual nudity.

Your best bet (if that stuff offends you) is to stear clear of fanservicy shoujo vids made by drooling fanboys. I can usually tell by the song, anime, and the tone of the creator - if he sounds like he's getting off on the footage, it's probably nude bouncing breasts.