Content Guidance
We believe that participation in social media should be a rewarding activity, one that brings joy and connection. As such, while there are topics and content that are worthy of discussion, we hope our members are mindful of those who do not want their social media feed to be divisive, inflammatory, or upsetting.
The service provides a headline feature that can be used to title a post. This functionality is known as a “Content Notice” or “Content Warning” or “Content Wrapper” or “CW”. This places the content of a post behind a headline, and requires an affirmative click from members to view its contents. It is similar to describing a section of a Web site or a topic of a discussion board, but each member can create whichever topics they choose. It is not a signal that the content is undesirable, merely that there is a good chance a reasonable portion of the membership does not want to see the full content. It can also be used as a spoiler warning, or for hiding the punchline of a joke.
If your post meets one of the following criteria, consider using a spoiler warning. In all cases the following is merely guidance, not a rule.
| Topic | Common CW Headlines |
|---|---|
| Politics | ukpol, walpol, tory, uspol, trump |
| Nudity | lewd, nude, nudity |
| Mental Health and Health Issues | mh, ph, alc, drugs, addiction, suicide |
| Common Phobias | spiders, heights, snakes, blood |
| Disturbing Content | gore, death, violence, war |
| Offensive Language | swears, nsfw |
| Direct Eye Contact | ec, eye contact |
Politics
Civil discourse is welcome, but politics and politicking are a divisive issue for many. Politicking (activities performed to acquire or retain the power of politics), aggressively seeking someone’s vote or agreement, derogatory content about elected politicians, elections and electioneering, or party political messaging should include a CW. Please note, lived experience does not fall under this guidance.
Nudity
Tŵt is for use by adults only, however, nudity should be posted with a CW. If staff suspects concerns with non-consensual sharing of nudity, images may be marked sensitive or be removed.
Mental Health and Health Issues
Many people around the world suffer from all manner of health and mental health issues and may suffer harm being exposed to sensitive content.
Common Phobias
Just because you are not afraid of spiders does not mean no-one else is.
Disturbing Content
If there is a valid reason to share content that could reasonably be expected to disturb some, use a CW. Content that glorifies violence will be removed.
Offensive Language
There are plenty of good reasons and thoughtful or entertaining ways to use offensive or profane language. When using obscene profanity a CW is appropriate. Not everyone shares the same perception of what words are offensive. Any discriminatory, harrassing, disrespectful, or insulting language will be removed regardless of it’s perceived offensiveness or use of CW.
Direct Eye Contact
This can be a disconcertingly personal invasion of a very impersonal, asymmetrical activity. Additionally, roughly one percent of the population, and therefore one percent of our membership, has an autism spectrum condition, and can find direct eye contact extremely uncomfortable.
General CW / Headline Guidance
Some Web sites have named sections. Think of your headline as describing the section for the site that this post belongs in. In no way is CW intended to discourage posting of a particular topic, it is merely a helpful way for the millions of viewers to decide what content they wish to engage with.
Not including CW text will not be grounds for suspension, but please note that many of your community members will not boost or share sensitive content that is not described, limiting your content’s reach on the network. Content and accounts that do not meet our Community Code of Conduct will not be boosted, shared, or recommended by staff.
Journalism
Journalism is a vital profession and activity, and we hope our members can find and discuss news that is important to them. However, news sources that spam the feed, hew toward inflammatory or shocking headlines, or generally exist purely to drive content consumption will be limited (able to be followed but not publicly visible in the public feeds unless followed) or, in egregious cases, suspended. Certain local news sources have communicated with Tŵt and are welcome in the Local feed. To avoid these providers please use the Block function. To apply to become an approved news source please see https://blogs.toot.wales/toot/news-publishing-policy
Imagery and Alternative Text
When posting images or photographs, it is customary and respectful to add a description of the image. Many members are blind or suffer from sight issues. Alternative text is shown when images are not loaded; will be read aloud by screen reading software; and can be helpful for understanding the intent of a shared image. This is especially important when the image is a picture of text. Additionally, text can be translated into other languages, an image cannot.
See https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/ for guidance on using images online. See also https://supercooldesign.co.uk/blog/how-to-write-good-alt-text for guidance on writing useful descriptive text.
In general, describe the image as if you were talking on the telephone. Keep it simple, say what you see.
Not including alternative text will not be grounds for removal, but please note that many of your community members will not boost or share images that are not described, limiting your image’s reach on the network. Images and media that are not described will not be boosted, shared, or recommended by staff.