Help:Content Warnings
Blaseball contains large amounts of content that can pose challenges for some readers. Content warnings are an invaluable tool in making this content accessible to these readers. That said, the content warnings described on this page should not be seen as a license to include these topics freely; contributors should still be mindful of why these topics are involved in an article and what details are worth including. Shock value is rarely satisfying or meaningful.
Wiki-Wide Content Warnings
In general, content on this wiki can be expected to include discussions of death, including the death of explicitly or implicitly marginalized characters; personal injury; violence; body horror; mind control; mentions of alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana; and mentions of food. These labels are explained further below, and content under these labels does not need to be explicitly marked or hidden using the Content Warning template.
Death, Death of Explicitly or Implicitly Marginalized Characters
Players of Blaseball are regularly incinerated, and popular interpretations of such events typically involve that player dying. Additionally, many interpretations of players hosted on the wiki are–explicitly or implicitly–queer, members of racial minorities, or otherwise marginalized. As such, it is expected that characters, including marginalized characters, will die, and these events will be recorded and presented on this wiki.
Personal Injury
Given the nature of Blaseball, injury narratives can sometimes be exaggerated to absurd degrees. While extended graphic descriptions of injuries are considered against the wiki's style, their inclusion within a narrative is accepted.
Violence
While graphic descriptions of violence are not permitted on the wiki, the inclusion of violence is inevitable in some cases, and may be incorporated into interpretive narratives without a content warning.
Body Horror
Body horror generally describes events or individuals that twist the expectations of a body in unnatural ways. Examples of body horror include (but are not limited to) transformations, soul swaps, unusual numbers of limbs, non-consensual and/or grotesque limb replacements, and human-animal chimeras.
Mind Control
For the purposes of this wiki, "mind control" includes forceful subjugation, brainwashing, memory loss, memory manipulation, and indoctrination. This is considered expected content due to the Modifications and method of formation of THE SHELLED ONE'S PODS.
Alcohol, Tobacco, & Marijuana Mentions
Naming the listed drugs (using formal or informal names), referring to their use, or briefly (at most 1 sentence) describing their use are considered "mentions" for the purposes of this content warning. Please note that any (recreationally illegal within the US) drugs not listed here (e.g. hallucinogens) are outright not allowed on this wiki. While we recognize that this contributes to the stigmatization of such drugs & their users, and in some cases may be based on racist and inaccurate research, we have chosen to align our content policies largely with those of the main Blaseball Discord for community consistency.
Food Mentions
Naming, referring to, or briefly (at most 1 sentence) describing food is considered a "mention" for the purposes of this content warning.
Content Requiring a Warning
Additionally, content discussing death of children or animals; murder & attempted murder; suicide; alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana use; illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana; extended descriptions of food; and mental illness, mental health crises, and the effects of trauma is allowed on this wiki within the confines of a Content Warning template. These labels are described further below.
Death of Children or Animals
Some common interpretations of Blaseball players are children or animals. Should they be incinerated, we wish to respect the particular sensitivity some readers may have towards narratives involving their death (recognizing that their death is not a necessary part of any narrative hosted on this wiki), and require contributors to appropriately mark such content with a content warning.
Murder & Attempted Murder
Within the confines of this wiki, "(attempted) murder" refers to acts of violence that (would, if successful) cause death and are initiated with intent by conscious actors. In this sense, incinerations performed by rogue umpires are typically not viewed as murder, because rogue umpires are often characterized as forces of nature. Similarly, redirected incinerations of rogue umpires due to outstanding circumstances are typically not viewed as murder, as the redirecting force is not initiating the incineration. Specific cases of these example narratives may require a "murder" or "attempted murder" content warning, depending on the characterization of the actors involved.
Suicide
Within the confines of this wiki, "suicide" refers to the deliberate pursuit of one's own death for its own sake, whether successful or not. Self-sacrifice narratives, where a person deliberately intervenes in a situation to protect another and dies as a result, are typically not considered suicide, though specific cases may require a "suicide" content warning should themes of suicidality be added to the narrative.
Alcohol, Tobacco, or Marijuana Use
This content warning covers extended (>1 sentence) descriptions of the recreational use of the listed drugs within what may be considered "healthy" quantities. Please note that narratives involving the abuse of these drugs are not covered by this content warning, and are outright not allowed on this wiki. While we recognize that this contributes to the stigmatization of individuals dealing with substance abuse, we have chosen to align our content policies largely with those of the main Blaseball Discord for community consistency.
Illegal Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, or Marijuana
This content warning covers any mention or extended description of the recreational use of the listed drugs by individuals who or in situations where use of those drugs is illegal. Examples include underage drinking, smoking marijuana in areas that have not legalized it, or smoking in a no-smoking zone. Please be precise with the actual label for these content warnings in the template — rather than labeling the content with "illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana," label it with "smoking in a hospital," "underage drinking," or a similarly clear label about what the content is.
Food
This content warning covers extended (>1 sentence) descriptions of food, regardless of kind, quality, quantity, or state of consumption.
Mental Illness, Mental Health Crises, and the Effects of Trauma
This content warning is difficult to pin down, and relies heavily on contributor judgment. The goal with applying this content warning is not to stigmatize the presence of the listed situations, but rather to avoid exacerbating any reader's ongoing mental health situations. With that in mind, this content warning should not be applied simply because a mental illness is mentioned. Please remember that extended, highly granular descriptions of the listed situations are against wiki style. Additionally, the wiki team fully recognizes that the definitions of these labels are highly contested. As such, contributors who apply this content warning should do so in part because they clearly want to label the content as associated with these descriptors. We recommend listing symptoms within the content warning, e.g. "hallucinations, panic attack" instead of "schizophrenia." Should a reader or contributor find content that they believe should have this content warning but doesn't (or shouldn't have this content warning but does), we encourage them to report the content to moderators for further evaluation.
Adding a Content Warning Banner
Content warning banners must be placed on any content involving the topics of the previous section. To place a content warning on a page, start by adding a Template:CWStart underneath the section header where the marked content appears. Be sure to add the actual warnings to the template with the 'cw' argument. At the end of the content, add a Template:CWEnd. This results in a warning banner listing the content warnings with an attached button that, when clicked, reveals the associated content. When pressed again, the content can be hidden once more. Note that this banner should not be used to hide content that is typically permitted, e.g. "excessively long" or "outdated" lore. Contact a moderator if you would like to add a content warning for an unlisted topic.
Example Content Warning
This wiki entry contains the following: example, inane text.
This content may be harmful for some audiences, so it has been hidden by default. For more information, please visit our Style Guide. Show/Hide
This is an example of how a Content Warning banner should be used. Immediately below the section header is {{CWStart|cw=example, inane text}}. After this paragraph is {{CWEnd}}. As a result, this text can be shown or hidden with the press of a button.
This text is below the {{CWEnd}}, and is thus not hidden by the content warning.
Part I: Wiki Content
Part II: Wiki Contributions
Part III: Style
