Elementary Writing

The introduction of Internet to the global population has revolutionized the way of consuming and gaining access to the virtually unlimited variety of contents. While there is a lot of healthy and useful information on the Internet, there are some materials which may be potentially harmful to young people.

Online community consists of not only children, but readers/viewers with varying ages, backgrounds and preferences. Therefore, relevant sectors such as the Internet service providers and content providers, have a huge responsibility in carrying out appropriate Content Rating Systems , to protect the rights on adequate information for all users equally.

Background

Do you see the book ?

However, Many different rating systems exist. For example,  TV Ratings and Advisories, Star Ratings, and various rating systems used in various countries. Some rating systems are more specific than others are. While many finds existing rating systems useful, some readers find many of them to be quite vague. The kind of content-summarizing information that one reader would find useful might be considered less useful by another.  Unfortunately, these readers often have little or no ability to change or influence either existing rating systems or ratings that are associated with specified writings.

In this respect, it is very important that Content providers choose a transparent and most standardized way of labeling their site content and associating it with adequate Content Rating Guides and filters to allow or disallow access to particular items.  It also implies an objective information declared in the label and the subjective preferences of the users concerned.

What is CRS and how it works

One of those literature questions without adequate literature response.

Ratings are designed to give readers some summarized understanding of the content that they are about to read. At the same time it provides new liberty to writers to express themselves without taking a responsibility of the scope of their audience. By applying an adequate CRS filter, readers and writers may enjoy the appropriate content, and be spared of any related inconveniences.

Quality Content Rating System (CRS) implementation should accomplish three major goals:

• To protect children on the Internet
• To protect freedom of expression on the Internet
• To set up a hotline to handle complaints about obscene and indecent articles on the internet

The reasons for a rating being associated with a particular writing might not be readily apparent from the rating itself, since there may be any of a number of reasons for it like for example:

• The nature of the language used
• Graphic violence being presented in the text or associated illustrations
• Certain types of “explicit sexual content” being described

Internet is interactive tool, with a lot of content provided by users through online forms and upload procedures. Internet sites that provides interactive services bears huge responsibility of adequate content moderation. If moderators think that an item is inappropriately rated as defined by the established guidelines, they should adjust the rating accordingly. Also, documented procedures should be applied whenever CRS restrictions are being breached, with exact set of measures toward a non obeying users.

On other hand, CRS must not be a tool for censoring or influencing the public view on regularly provided content.

Make Literature Online Content Rating Guide

Bright example of good CRS implementation is Make Literature Online collaborative writing community .

Make Literature Online Content Rating System (CRS) is our own, unique system for rating online content which aims to provide a simple and conceivable rating management. It is used to rate the content of each item found on our website. Make Literature Online does not normally censor or restrict content posted to the site. However,  authors must choose a rating for an item’s content in order for it to show up on Make Literature Online public listings and we do require that content posted to our site be rated properly according to our proprietary guidelines. Our ratings are:

• Content Safe
• Adult Supervised
• Adults Only
• Extreme Content
• Private Content

Content Safe – suitable for everyone of any age. There are absolutely no references to sex (other than gender), drugs (legal/illegal), alcohol, violence, cursing (of any kind), derogatory names or any combination thereof. These titles are displayed for members who have their account preferences set to 13+ and below.

Adult Supervised – should not be viewed by minors alone, but accompanied by adult supervision (parent, guardian, teacher, etc.). The item may contain some content that is not appropriate for readers of less than 18 years of age and is recommended to be read by an adult first to be sure it is appropriate for the minor. The item may contain very mild slang curse words (dang, darn, etc.) or mild derogatory words (idiot, jerk, etc.). Horror and violence may exist at an extremely mild level, but does not exceed moderate levels. There are absolutely no references to sex (other than gender), drugs (illegal), alcohol, graphic violence, harsh or sexually derived cursing, harsh derogatory names, or any combination thereof.

Adults Only – intended for readers 18 years of age and older and may be inappropriate for any minor under the age of 18. This item may contain references to sex, drugs, alcohol, violence, harsh or sexually derived cursing, derogatory names or combination thereof.

Extreme Content – intended for those readers 18 years of age and older who are not offended by extremely material that may contain extreme or obsessive levels of sex, drugs, violence, harsh or sexually derived cursing, derogatory names or combination thereof.

Private Content – If an Author does not wish for an item to appear on our public listing, this will keep the item out of it, but will still display it from within the Author’s portfolio (unless he or she sets it to private). Authors may wish to use this option for drafts, works in progress or for any other personal reason.

Rating Hints

• When rating the content, if an item is on the borderline and you are undecided between two ratings, choose the higher one. Always lean to the higher rating when you are in doubt.
• If something is so borderline that you just cannot decide if it should be rated higher, then chances are, it should indeed be rated higher.
• If participating in collaborative writing project, be aware of the original storyline content rating, and try to stick with it as in opposite, the whole project may be adjusted to your contents rating if it is higher then the original one.
• Images on Make Literature Online must also be subjected  to our CRS guidelines. Please be aware and use discretion when using your images in signatures, in emails and writing posts.

If the Make Literature Online or Moderators feel that an item is inappropriately rated as defined by our guidelines, we will adjust the rating as we see fit. This only changes the rating and will not censor it from public view. We will not argue with an Author over his or her rating.