Fun_People Archive
11 Dec
AOL Vulgarity Guidelines

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 14:15:17 -0800
From: Peter Langston <psl>
To: Fun_People
Subject: AOL Vulgarity Guidelines

[What idiots!  They really tried to make a list of all the dirty words...
and then they put many perfectly clean words on it -- out of frustration?
-psl]

Forwarded-by: bostic@bsdi.com (Keith Bostic)
Forwarded-by: Wendell Craig Baker <wbaker@splat.baker.com>

http://www.cloud9.net/~jegelhof/aol/aol-cens/tos/secret_tos.html
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AOL's "Vulgarity Guidelines"

This is an internal AOL memo indicating what, specifically, "bad words" are.
Most of these words are sexual slang, but some others - most notably those
relating to homosexuality - are also deleted. Note also the policies,
footnotes, and rating systems in this document.

It is impossible to contend that this document isn't a censorship system.

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VULGARITY GUIDELINES

This section contains examples of vulgar, conditionally vulgar, and
acceptable phrases and subjects. Synonyms of these are usually unacceptable.
Gender should not be taken into account; if "men on men" is not allowed,
neither is "women on men". Asterisks and other symbols cannot be used to
"mask" a violation if any letters of the vulgarity are still present. "F---
you" is vulgar, but "my *** hurts" is okay.

Staff should use judgement in warning members who ask if certain things are
vulgar. If the member appears genuine, the staffer should answer the
question via IM or E-Mail, or refer the member to Keyword: TOS if they feel
uncomfortable answering; they should also suggest that the member restrict
future questions to E-Mail or IMs. If the member begins to use the
"question" format to spout vulgarity, the member should be given a friendly
reminder to keep such things to private communication. If the member
continues, a warning is in order.

If a phrase comes up that is not listed here, use your judgement to decide
whether to warn the member, and send E-Mail to your online supervisor to
obtain an official decision.

   * 69 - rooms (sexual)
   * adultery - OK
   * anti-AOL - (6)
   * anti-Guide/Staff - (6)
   * ass - (5)
   * bare skin - OK
   * bears - OK
   * bearskin - OK
   * bi - OK
   * bitch - (2)
   * blow (job) - vulgar
   * bondage - vulgar
   * bound to tease - (Rooms)
   * boys - rooms
   * clit - vulgar
   * cock - vulgar
   * come - (3)
   * cornhole - vulgar
   * couples - OK
   * cross dressing - rooms
   * cum - (3)
   * cunnilingus - vulgar
   * cunt - vulgar
   * damn - OK
   * defecation - vulgar
   * dick - vulgar
   * do me - rooms
   * dom - rooms
   * domination - rooms
   * douche - vulgar
   * dykes - (11)
   * erotic - rooms
   * fags - vulgar
   * fart -
   * fascism - (7)
   * fellatio - vulgar
   * feltch - vulgar
   * fetishes - rooms
   * flirt - OK
   * fuck - vulgar
   * gay - OK
   * gay bears - OK
   * gay couples - OK
   * gay lovers - rooms
   * gay teens - rooms
   * gay young adults - OK
   * gay youth - rooms
   * gay videos - OK
   * genitalia - vulgar
   * gif - (4)
   * girls - rooms
   * graphics - OK
   * graphic exchange - (4)
   * hell - OK
   * horny - vulgar
   * hot - (8)
   * hot men/women - OK
   * hot tub - OK
   * hot videos - rooms
   * insults - rooms
   * KKK - (7)
   * kinky - rooms
   * lambda - OK
   * leather - rooms (sexual)
   * lesbian - OK
   * let's go private - OK
   * lingerie - rooms
   * looking for - OK
   * lust - rooms
   * masturbation - vulgar
   * men for men - OK
   * men on men - rooms
   * men to men - OK
   * men - OK
   * Nazi - (7)
   * nigger - vulgar
   * nudity - (9)
   * oral - rooms (sexual)
   * panties - rooms
   * penis - vulgar
   * pervert - rooms
   * piss - (5)
   * private rooms - OK
   * pussy - vulgar
   * queers - (11)
   * racial issues - (7)
   * sadomasochism - vulgar
   * sapphos - OK
   * semen - vulgar
   * sex - (10)
   * sexual devices - vulgar
   * shaved - rooms
   * shower - rooms (sexual)
   * shit - vulgar
   * slave - rooms
   * slut - vulgar
   * spanking - rooms
   * stud - OK
   * sub - rooms
   * submissive - vulgar
   * swingers - OK
   * suck - (5)
   * teen shower - rooms
   * teens - rooms
   * teens wanted - rooms
   * tit - vulgar
   * transsexual - vulgar
   * transvestite - vulgar
   * ts - rooms
   * tv - OK
   * twat - vulgar
   * underwear - rooms
   * urination - vulgar
   * vagina - vulgar
   * video - rooms (sexual)
   * virgins - OK
   * wanted - OK
   * wet - (8)
   * whips & chains - vulgar
   * who like - OK
   * who love - OK
   * who want - rooms (1)
   * women for women - OK
   * women on women - rooms
   * women to women - OK
   * women - OK
   * youth - rooms

Key:

VULGAR: Unconditionally vulgar.

ROOMS: Vulgar in room names or screen names.

ROOMS (SEXUAL): Vulgar in room names or screen names if possibly sexual.
These words are only allowed in screen names or room names if other phrases
clearly make them not sexual. For instance, a member may not create a room
"Oral," but "Oral Roberts" is permitted. " Slaves here" is not allowed, but
"Free the slaves" is. "Jimmy69" would be fine, but "Ilike69" would have to
be deleted.

OK: Acceptable. These words do not, in and of themselves, constitute
vulgarity or sexual connotations.

1 * who want *: If referring to people, this is not allowed in room names.
For instance, "Men who want women" is vulgar, while " Men who want a car" is
not.

2. Bitch: Vulgar if an insultable person, place, or thing is being called a
bitch. "Life's a bitch" is fine, "My mom is a bitch" is vulgar.

3. Come/cum: Vulgar if used in a possibly sexual manner. "Cum over here" is
fine, "I come when I think if you" isn't.

4. GIF/Graphic Exchange: While not vulgar, this is not allowed in room names
due to the probability of illegal GIFs being exchanged.

5. Suck/Ass/Fart/Piss: Vulgar if used in a possibly or probably
sexual/vulgar manner ("suck me", "kiss my ass", "I just farted"), or if an
insultable person, place, or thing is said to be this. "The Redskins suck"
is fine, "Life sucks" is fine, "Jimmy sucks" is not fine. "Nirvana Kicks
ass" is OK, "Jenny is an ass" is not. "Rich is an old fart" is OK, "You
should hear my brother Fart" is not. "I'm pissed off" is OK, "Piss on you"
is not. Exception: A member may say that AOL, or any manifestation such as
the Hosts/Forum Staff, sucks.

6. Anti-AOL: We do not want to appear to censor members who speak out
against us. Anti-AOL comments, or comments protesting manifestations of AOL
such as Hosts, should not warrant a warning. However, comments which insult
or harass individual Guides or AOL employees should warrent a warning.

7. Racial Issues: Racial slurs are not allowed. Rooms promoting racism (KKK
Unite) are not allowed, but discussion of racial issues (KKK Discussion)
are.

8. Hot, wet: These are borderline words. Use your judgement, and consider it
vulgar if they're talking about "hot" as in sex, or "wet" as in feminine
moisture. Hot men/women/cars/videos/etc. are fine, as "hot" could be
referring to "good looking" or some other non-sexual thing.

9. Nudity: Discussion of nudity is fine; nude room names are a judgement
call.

10. Sex: This is a judgement call. "Sexy" is fine, as an adjective. The word
should never appear in room names or screen names as a noun (ILikeSex). In
other situations, use the context to determine whether the member was
committing a TOS violation. For instance, "Hey babe, anyone here wanna have
sex" would be a violation. "I didn't let my child see the movie because of
the sex in it" would not be a violation.

11. Dykes/Queers: This is OK if a member is refering to themselves. If it is
used "against" someone then it is warnable. However, this word requires
judgement.

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© 1995 Peter Langston