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Can the porn picture be removed so people who want to keep their jobs can read it? Really, most of us keep-up with HN from work and would violate work-place pol

by 16s 14y ago

Can the porn picture be removed so people who want to keep their jobs can read it? Really, most of us keep-up with HN from work and would violate work-place policy by reading this article due to the choice of picture.

Xylakant 14y ago
Actually, I'm a bit curious (and even though it's off topic) and since I'm from europe I'd love this to get a peek into american workplace ethics: Why is this NSFW? The picture does not show nude girls, actually the level of nudity is about what I can get to see in a public pool or on the street on a hot day. The picture certainly is suggestive and hints at something more. The article does not link to a porn site, load images from a porn site or even discuss a porn site. Is the hint that porn sites (or this specific porn site) exists sufficient for the NSFW marker? I'm asking since this is certainly not considered NSFW for anyone I know - I can see "worse" in respectable TV documentaries which air in the regular evening programme. And I guess there's little chance of minors being around here either.
- chmike 14y ago
  It is NSFW because it is a screen capture of a porn web site. Not because of nudity. Some US employee avoid anything that could be used against them.
  - Xylakant 14y ago
    So the screencap of a (rather boring part of a) porn site is actually enough? I remember a blog a while back that discussed how porn sites push account selling to the max with full-page-unredacted screengrabs. It was an interesting example, but I can't imagine that anybody would be punished for that here. Some people might look twice at the screen to confirm that it's not actual porn, but otherwise I wouldn't expect any consequences. So where's the border drawn here? Would the screencap in this case be fine if the girls were painted over? Or would that still be NSFW? (I'm aware that that's a fine line that can't be answered with a definite "here's the line and don't cross it")
    - chmike 14y ago
      I don't think it is a question of forbidden or crossed line. It is a question of self brand (reputation) that may be ternished. In some situation when they have to pick employee A or B for a bonus, a promotion or to be fired, and there is no clear difference between the two, the choice will rely on subjective and detail differences like beeing once caught with a porn page on its screen. Some employees could jump on such opportunities to smear their competitors. Thus, since it was not required to use such type of screen capture to illustrate the problem, and it is not the usual type of content we read here, it make sense it was initially flagged and frown upon. Though I don't think fair to say the author is lacking judgment. To me it is the result of a culture difference. None good, none bad.
      - Xylakant 14y ago
        Ok, thank you for your insight. No offense intended, but I still think it's narrow minded if people (or rather their peers) think along those lines, but alas, that's probably a culture thing. I think that a (work) culture that punishes reading this article looses out on some valuable insights. As a completely unrelated side note: I think that picture was an excellent choice. It's a graphic example that pretty much everyone can relate to. I'm not embarrassed by having that picture on my screen but I'd be embarrassed if my email address could be verified to belong to a registered porn site account [1]. It gets the authors point across so much better than showing an MSDN account. [1] It doesn't. Don't bother looking ;)
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
- mootothemax 14y ago
  I'm also from Europe, and find it shows a poor sense of judgement, mostly because the image is not necessary to prove the points being made. The other problem I have is, as you say, the image is suggestive. Imagine someone at your office glancing at your monitor whilst walking past. Would they bat an eyelid? I can't think of many workplaces outside of the porn industry where your professionalism wouldn't be called into question, however briefly.
  - Xylakant 14y ago
    Actually, yes. I'd be absolutely unconcerned to have the picture on my screen since it's obviously a screen cap in some article. In some work places I worked I'd be more concerned about coworkers/clients seing me reading a blog on paid time instead of coding than about that screencap.
    - mootothemax 14y ago
      Actually, yes. I'd be absolutely unconcerned to have the picture on my screen since it's obviously a screen cap in some article. Wow, that's interesting and surprising; where are you based, and what types of companies have you been working for? I'm definitely haven't worked in lots of cultures, but have worked in offices in the UK, Poland, Belgium and Germany, for major companies and for small, and in each one of them, Questions Would Be Asked were I to have that image on my screen, and in most cases - but admittedly not all - my professionalism would be called into question. In some work places I worked I'd be more concerned about coworkers/clients seing me reading a blog on paid time instead of coding than about that screencap. Hehe, well that's a very different argument, and one that you and I agree on :)
      - Xylakant 14y ago
        I'm currently berlin based, but worked all around germany from bavaria in munich, stuttgart, karlsruhe and cologne. I worked for all kinds of companies that revolve around web stuff, been the tech lead of a top 25 ranked web-development shop and had anything from tiny via government jobs to enterprise-class customers. However, I didn't do short-term jobs with changing coworkers, so I guess it's a bit about how well you know your coworkers and how much trust you have in them. It might draw a tongue-in-cheek kind of remark, but not a serious question of my professional abilities. I'm more curious about the fact that people could obviously be afraid that this might be a firing offense - and I can't think of a single place where this could be possibly used to construct a case.
- 16s 14y ago
  Why is this NSFW? Did you not see the word Porn in large, bold white letters against a black background with three young women just underneath it showing ample cleavage in suggestive poses? There's a time and place for that, work is not one of them. And reading blogs (that are work related) is fine and even encouraged, but visiting sites with graphics like that is not.
  - Xylakant 14y ago
    I'm actually totally unimpressed by that picture. To me the word and even the logo are known. You probably can't get around on the internet without ever seeing it. Yes, I know what porn is and yes, I know it exists on the internet. And yes, we do agree that work is absolutely not a place to actually watch porn if you have a shred of decency left. However, seeing this screenshot on a screen of a coworker would not trigger the "oh, he's watching porn" reflex for me [1]. That seems to be different for a lot of people which kinda makes me curious of "why is that so and what's the trigger." So I gather from your response that it's mainly the logo since it's well recognizable (a good brand logo :) [1] For me the "it's interesting and educating" trumps "there's naked women in suggestive poses" any time.
- freshhawk 14y ago
  I'm from Canada and this wouldn't be considered NSFW even at an old workplace where my boss was an evangelical christian and very conservative. But I am close enough to the US to see why people are nervous. Even acknowledging the existence of porn seems to be enough to make some Americans nervous. I'm surprised at the number of people here making that many complaints about a PG-13 image, I honestly came here thinking I would see more people making fun of the NSFW warning for being completely reactionary.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
ColinWright 14y ago
Have you considered contacting the blog owner, rather than posting here?
- jtheory 14y ago
  I posted a comment on the blog, asking politely for a SFW version so that I can share it with co-workers. Though: when a post from a personal blog makes it to the front page on HN, the author usually finds out fairly quickly, and will read the feedback here.

by 16s 14y ago

Xylakant 14y ago

Actually, I'm a bit curious (and even though it's off topic) and since I'm from europe I'd love this to get a peek into american workplace ethics: Why is this NSFW? The picture does not show nude girls, actually the level of nudity is about what I can get to see in a public pool or on the street on a hot day. The picture certainly is suggestive and hints at something more. The article does not link to a porn site, load images from a porn site or even discuss a porn site. Is the hint that porn sites (or this specific porn site) exists sufficient for the NSFW marker? I'm asking since this is certainly not considered NSFW for anyone I know - I can see "worse" in respectable TV documentaries which air in the regular evening programme. And I guess there's little chance of minors being around here either.

chmike 14y ago
It is NSFW because it is a screen capture of a porn web site. Not because of nudity. Some US employee avoid anything that could be used against them.
- Xylakant 14y ago
  So the screencap of a (rather boring part of a) porn site is actually enough? I remember a blog a while back that discussed how porn sites push account selling to the max with full-page-unredacted screengrabs. It was an interesting example, but I can't imagine that anybody would be punished for that here. Some people might look twice at the screen to confirm that it's not actual porn, but otherwise I wouldn't expect any consequences. So where's the border drawn here? Would the screencap in this case be fine if the girls were painted over? Or would that still be NSFW? (I'm aware that that's a fine line that can't be answered with a definite "here's the line and don't cross it")
  - chmike 14y ago
    I don't think it is a question of forbidden or crossed line. It is a question of self brand (reputation) that may be ternished. In some situation when they have to pick employee A or B for a bonus, a promotion or to be fired, and there is no clear difference between the two, the choice will rely on subjective and detail differences like beeing once caught with a porn page on its screen. Some employees could jump on such opportunities to smear their competitors. Thus, since it was not required to use such type of screen capture to illustrate the problem, and it is not the usual type of content we read here, it make sense it was initially flagged and frown upon. Though I don't think fair to say the author is lacking judgment. To me it is the result of a culture difference. None good, none bad.
    - Xylakant 14y ago
      Ok, thank you for your insight. No offense intended, but I still think it's narrow minded if people (or rather their peers) think along those lines, but alas, that's probably a culture thing. I think that a (work) culture that punishes reading this article looses out on some valuable insights. As a completely unrelated side note: I think that picture was an excellent choice. It's a graphic example that pretty much everyone can relate to. I'm not embarrassed by having that picture on my screen but I'd be embarrassed if my email address could be verified to belong to a registered porn site account [1]. It gets the authors point across so much better than showing an MSDN account. [1] It doesn't. Don't bother looking ;)
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
mootothemax 14y ago
I'm also from Europe, and find it shows a poor sense of judgement, mostly because the image is not necessary to prove the points being made. The other problem I have is, as you say, the image is suggestive. Imagine someone at your office glancing at your monitor whilst walking past. Would they bat an eyelid? I can't think of many workplaces outside of the porn industry where your professionalism wouldn't be called into question, however briefly.
- Xylakant 14y ago
  Actually, yes. I'd be absolutely unconcerned to have the picture on my screen since it's obviously a screen cap in some article. In some work places I worked I'd be more concerned about coworkers/clients seing me reading a blog on paid time instead of coding than about that screencap.
  - mootothemax 14y ago
    Actually, yes. I'd be absolutely unconcerned to have the picture on my screen since it's obviously a screen cap in some article. Wow, that's interesting and surprising; where are you based, and what types of companies have you been working for? I'm definitely haven't worked in lots of cultures, but have worked in offices in the UK, Poland, Belgium and Germany, for major companies and for small, and in each one of them, Questions Would Be Asked were I to have that image on my screen, and in most cases - but admittedly not all - my professionalism would be called into question. In some work places I worked I'd be more concerned about coworkers/clients seing me reading a blog on paid time instead of coding than about that screencap. Hehe, well that's a very different argument, and one that you and I agree on :)
    - Xylakant 14y ago
      I'm currently berlin based, but worked all around germany from bavaria in munich, stuttgart, karlsruhe and cologne. I worked for all kinds of companies that revolve around web stuff, been the tech lead of a top 25 ranked web-development shop and had anything from tiny via government jobs to enterprise-class customers. However, I didn't do short-term jobs with changing coworkers, so I guess it's a bit about how well you know your coworkers and how much trust you have in them. It might draw a tongue-in-cheek kind of remark, but not a serious question of my professional abilities. I'm more curious about the fact that people could obviously be afraid that this might be a firing offense - and I can't think of a single place where this could be possibly used to construct a case.
16s 14y ago
Why is this NSFW? Did you not see the word Porn in large, bold white letters against a black background with three young women just underneath it showing ample cleavage in suggestive poses? There's a time and place for that, work is not one of them. And reading blogs (that are work related) is fine and even encouraged, but visiting sites with graphics like that is not.
- Xylakant 14y ago
  I'm actually totally unimpressed by that picture. To me the word and even the logo are known. You probably can't get around on the internet without ever seeing it. Yes, I know what porn is and yes, I know it exists on the internet. And yes, we do agree that work is absolutely not a place to actually watch porn if you have a shred of decency left. However, seeing this screenshot on a screen of a coworker would not trigger the "oh, he's watching porn" reflex for me [1]. That seems to be different for a lot of people which kinda makes me curious of "why is that so and what's the trigger." So I gather from your response that it's mainly the logo since it's well recognizable (a good brand logo :) [1] For me the "it's interesting and educating" trumps "there's naked women in suggestive poses" any time.
freshhawk 14y ago
I'm from Canada and this wouldn't be considered NSFW even at an old workplace where my boss was an evangelical christian and very conservative. But I am close enough to the US to see why people are nervous. Even acknowledging the existence of porn seems to be enough to make some Americans nervous. I'm surprised at the number of people here making that many complaints about a PG-13 image, I honestly came here thinking I would see more people making fun of the NSFW warning for being completely reactionary.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

ColinWright 14y ago

Have you considered contacting the blog owner, rather than posting here?

jtheory 14y ago
I posted a comment on the blog, asking politely for a SFW version so that I can share it with co-workers. Though: when a post from a personal blog makes it to the front page on HN, the author usually finds out fairly quickly, and will read the feedback here.