(New Mature filter update) What is this?!?! 😤😤😤

[kmlangleyauthor]

That’s a good question.

I think it could be really helpful to have the contest warning show up as a banner for those that have the mature warning turned off.

[littlelilylee5683]

Yeah. As of right now, it's a tiny red box with an M. So to add an actual category requires a big change. Would be nice to know where that shows up.

[crowstories]

It sounds like you might have mature content warning turned off. If it's on, you'll have to click through a warning screen on every. single. episode. marked mature.

Edit: okay sorry, now I see the context of what you're responding to... yeah it would be nice to have a subtle content warning for those of us with the mature warning off, but still might not want certain kinds of content.

[littlelilylee5683]

Oh, I know it does that on the app... I guess maybe I never noticed it on the desktop? Or it defaulted to off. Lol.

And yeah, I think mature content warning and trigger warnings are different things... Or they were, and current readers who already have the warnings off might not realize their trigger warnings have moved?

[crowstories]

Yeah, web version does it too.

Totally agree on the trigger warnings.

[kmlangleyauthor]

Haha yes! That’s what I was talking about having a tiny banner for content warnings would be really nice! And having it built into the mature tag system seems like a really easy and logical solution to it instead of leaving it up to the author to remember to write an appropriate trigger warning.

[vothnthorvaldson]

So I thought about it a little bit.
I had this idea that the app was 13+ because that was what was (sort of) logical seeing the restrictions. But ok, it is actually 17+.

So, if I understand well, one has to be 13 to have an account on the website, but is not supposed to read the mature series/ pages before they are older (17?). Ok I understand that.
So at 13 one can read the not mature pages, including all the very questionable content but with no applicable warnings. That's ok, because it's not Tapas' job to police that. But then why warning non sexual nudity? It's senseless (or even very, very questionable in certain cases for eg. nudity in other cultures. The idea of doing that is sending shivers through my spine. And it seems to go against the other messages of Tapas. I do understand Tapas has no influence on a censorship issue like that, but it's shocking nonetheless).

But then the next, more Tapas-related issue. So if I understood well (tell me if I'm wrong), tapas website is both 13+ and 17+ or something similar (if mature warning). But the app has more restrictions than the website. So it cannot be 17+. It must be 15ish+

There is a 17+ website and a 17+ app which are different enough to absolutely need more explanations.
It can't be just 'the app is 17+' and that's all.
Unless I missed something!?

[littlelilylee5683]

My question is what counts as nudity. If I just say someone is nude without describing any parts, is that mature? For example, I'm writing a fantasy series where there are demon races who can transform between animal and human form. Obviously, they can't keep their clothes when this happens. Also, the main character gets into battles and may have her clothes burned away by fire. Making her nude. It holds no significance in the novel and in the world I’ve created, people wouldn't be running to hide their children from it. I never describe her naked body, just note that for realistic reasons, she is naked. There's nothing sexual about it.

[joannekwan]

what counts as nudity

Visual nudity. Like an actual image of bare female nipples and below the waist. So this pertains to covers, thumbnails, and the content in comics, or if you insert an image into your novel.
The app stores, and therefore Tapas, don't care if nudity is written out in words.

[littlelilylee5683]

Gotcha. Thanks! I still agree with the distinction between sexual and non-sexual nudity (almost like we're saying nudity has to be inherently sexual), but that answers my question. I also understand this may not be a Tapas rule but an app thing, so I'm staying out of that discussion.

[Freemints30]

cus Apple has dumb biases and society as a whole.

Take down on thing and not the other. Even when labeled 17+. It is dumb

[alexlcuri07]

Ah, see that's why I suggested separating physical content into two different categories: gore vs violence. I see physical violence as having a very different connotation than physical content that is just bloody. But again, this is just a personal suggestion, I don't work with Tapas. The final decision would be their call. Though I think we're saying the same thing in two different ways.

[vothnthorvaldson]

Yes. And I understand Tapas has to work with that. It does not mean we should accept every one of the inconsistencies, though.

[Freemints30]

Yeah, I get it. Im just as frustrated. Im more just sad about it than accepting, BS inconsistencies led to more Bs inconsistencies.

[carloswebcomic]

Really?
Mental health is an adult topic?
For real?
So, when I was a child and went to see a psychiatrist, I shouldn't have listened to her because she was talking about a mature subject?

Is this an Apple thing again?
Are they the ones dictating what topics are adult?

[GumshoeComix]

Mental health issues is an adult topic now?

also the fact that they see sexual violence as just sex and nudity is REALLY FUCKING insulting holy shit.
It needs its own separate option. there's a lot of people that are going to need a content warning for that kind of subject matter and it shouldnt be grouped with either violence or nudity.

[SleepingPoppy]

Really?Mental health is an adult topic?

Mental health issues is an adult topic now?

As I understand it, the rules about what is or is not mature haven't changed. So no, mental health hasn't suddenly become an adult topic. I believe it's more like if something you considered mature happened, and included mental health in a way that might be triggering or relevant, you are now able to communicate that to readers when they see the mature filter come up. The ToS hasn't changed, tho.

[GumshoeComix]

That makes a bit more sense, but still "mental health issues" is a bit vague and would probably lead to people abusing the mature filter cause they wouldn't know if its mature or not.

[mbindhammer]

There are some medical depictions in my comic, for example, breast augmentation/reduction. Does that fall under nudity? Or rhinoplasty. Is that gore?

[darthmongoose]

There are some medical depictions in my comic, for example, breast augmentation/reduction. Does that fall under nudity? Or rhinoplasty. Is that gore?

Judging from earlier posts in the thread, bare breasts with, to use the hilarious Tumblr term, "female-presenting nipples" would be considered nudity, even in a non-sexual context like this. To be fair to Tapas, this probably isn't their fault, it's almost certainly due to Apple's requirements. (Though, as people have stated, lumping nudity with sex and especially sexual violence is... not good, I'm glad to see Tapas are open to changing this after community feedback).

If you're showing scenes of surgery then yes, I'd personally recommend a gore warning, as a person who often can't look at a TV screen during surgery scenes in shows and movies I know I'd appreciate a warning to prepare myself to see somebody's innards and blood, whether they get cut open with a sword, torn open by zombies OR neatly opened up with a scalpel.