Ratings System Explained

[valyssia]

I’ve finally taken a moment to introduce my ratings system to both LiveJournal and DreamWidth. The concept is simple. It takes a slightly modified con system adopted from a video game and applies it to the standard method of rating fiction.

I like it because once my readers are savvy to my methods, they can just glance at the icon and know what to expect. Though, even without commiting the code to memory, the system can still be useful because each image has an associated popup that presents the information.

---

Ratings System

---

Green

	MPAA	FRRS
	G	FRC	(All Ages) Care Bear Land.

There may be a romantic gesture. Two characters may hold hands. There might be a kiss on the cheek. Death might be mentioned in passing. The most violent thing you can expect is a pat on the shoulder. The most objectionable thing any character might say is ‘shucky darns.’

Yellow

	MPAA	FRRS
	PG-13	FRT	(Teen) About like your average primetime television program in terms of content.

There could be a kiss shared by two consenting adults. Sex might be suggested. Death might be discussed. A character might even die, but it will never be described. There could be a fight, but violence levels will be extremely subdued. Expletive use will remain Willow friendly. In other words, you might find the occasional, rare ‘dammit,’ but you’re more likely to see ‘darn tootin’.

Red

	MPAA	FRRS
	R	FRM	(Ages 16 and Under Please Seek Parental Permission) More adult themes and language are present, but nothing overt.

Death may happen and it could get bloody. Sex might happen, but it won’t be explicit. The Carlin Seven will probably be liberally applied. Any fight scenes may result in some bloodshed.

Purple

	MPAA	FRRS
	NC-17	FRAO	(Ages 17 and Up) Explicit descriptions of sexual behavior and violence.

This is where the naughty stuff occurs. The major difference between me and the majority of my ilk is that I may rate a story this way just because I find the violence to be gratuitous.

Black

	MPAA	FRRS
	None	FRAO (GV)	(Ages 21 and Up) The gloves come off.

I reserve this rating for stories that involve rape or rape trauma, sexual abuse, molestation, torture…anything that'll get a nation tossed out of the Geneva Conventions or a person prison time and their name listed in the Sex Offender's Database. Typically I’m inclined to discuss the effects of such things. I either create a severally broken version of a canon character, or I embellish a character that started off with behavioral issues.

Comments

[frogfarm]

As always, this appeals to the archivist geek in me far more than the writer, who when faced with the inevitable numerous grey areas that defy categorization throws up her hands and says tempus fuggit.

I like your post a comment text. Suck on this. Blood of the innocent?

(Half the reason I am posting this is because LJ is down again. Damn Russian spambots, go join Anonymous and LULZSEC and start DDOS'ing government and corporate targets. Fuck off and leave us fanficcers be, kthxbye.)

(Has anyone ever figured out WHY all these DDOS attacks? Seems like shooting a baby in the face -- the only people who bother are the ones too lame to go after someone like Citibank or the No Such Agency. But it must have something to do with the huge Russian community on LJ and the Russian ownership of the company since it got sold. (I may be fuzzy on that last part.))

(I wish I had used my nested parens on something fannish rather than that crap)

[shakensilence.livejournal.com]

I didn't know there was anything higher than FRAO and I usually use the MPAA ratings so... my bad.

I guess I should have done more research into ratings before I rated Violazioni. Oops... too late now.

[valyssia]

No, sweetie, this is just me being a weirdo. I don't usually write out long form warnings. As I recall your story has some of those. I only bother if there's something about the piece that's particularly dark and ugly.