Many workers look at many websites while at work. “NSFW” (“Not Safe For Work” or “Not Suitable For Work”) is a warning that material will be on the screen that might not be appropriate if viewed in a workplace—especially if a supervisor is near.
“Maybe I should add a Not Safe for Work/School tag” was cited in print in April 2002. “NOT SAFE FOR WORK” was in the title of a message board post in November 2002. “NSFW (not safe for work)” has been cited in print since at least April 2003. “NSFW (not suitable for work!)” has been cited in print since at least May 2004.
Wikipedia: Not safe for work
Not suitable/safe for work (NSFW) is Internet slang or shorthand. Typically, the NSFW tag is used in e-mail, videos, and on interactive discussion areas (such as Internet forums, blogs, or community websites) to mark URLs or hyperlinks which contain material such as nudity, pornography or profanity, which the viewer may not want to be seen accessing in a public or formal setting such as at work.
(...)
On November 28, 2007, Fark.com founder Drew Curtis filed an application to trademark the phrase, but registration was denied.
Age of Wonders
revalos
posted 04-04-02 00:09 AM EDT (US)
Aww heck…I feel like saving y’all a few clicks in order to see Karissa… Heh…maybe I should add a Not Safe for Work/School tag.
Straight Dope Message Board
Ned calls the Gay & Lesbian channel (NOT SAFE FOR WORK)
scott evil
11-12-2002, 03:05 PM
I’m gay, and I found this (http://bressler.org/bits/nedgaylesbochannel.wma) funny. :D
Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community
Grondar
04-22-2003, 07:51 AM
Why is viewing NSFW material at work an issue?
I have been wondering this for quite some time, especially given the fact that I don’t have a job that allows me to access the Internet while working.
Why exactly is viewing a NSFW (not safe for work) site an issue at work?
Forumosa.com
The ABC (cup-size) song. NSFW
by Huang Guang Chen » 30 May 2004, 10:33
I see, all too late of course, NSFW (not suitable for work!).
The Lord of Nothings
posted January 17, 2005 01:06 AM
Vice has the House of the Rock in its new issue… it looks scary. you might be able to find the pics at http://www.viceland.com (er… Not Safe For Work) If you’re in some sort of large city, you can find it at fine indie record stores
gmzoe: wrote out full words of NSFW
The Register (UK)
Holocaust denier faces German court
Internet material provokes raft of charges
By Lester Haines, 8th November 2005
German Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel - whose website (extreme political views and NSFW) pretty well claims outright that the Nazi extermination of the Jews didn’t happen - is on trial in Germany on charges relating to 14 pieces of printed and internet written material which use “pseudo-scientific methods to try and rewrite the accepted history of the Nazi Holocaust”.
The Register (UK)
Mortal Kombat viral ad glorified violence, says ASA
Blood on the carpet indeed
By OUT-LAW.COM, 22nd December 2005
(...)
Representatives of the ttr2.co.uk site told the ASA that they had considered the ad to be humorous, and had marked the clip as SNSFW – Slightly Not Safe For Work.
Google News Archive
5 December 2006, St. Petersburg (FL) Times, “Millions Can’t Resist A Peek,” pg. 4E, col. 6:
We’re appalled, but we still e-mail the Web links to our friends, “NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK” in the subject line.
New York (NY) Times
Music
In the Year of the Smut Paradox, G Ratings Make Inroads on G-String Leanings
By KELEFA SANNEH
Published: December 21, 2006
Now that 2006 is just about over, maybe we all need a nice hot bath. Or a cold shower. The former boy-bander Justin Timberlake brought “SexyBack,” while the formerly earnest Nelly Furtado was reborn as a “promiscuous girl.” Akon crooned “I Wanna Love You,” which sounds innocent until you hear the album version. And on Web sites everywhere, the words Britney and Spears have recently been accompanied by the letters N, S, F and W. (As in: not safe for work, unless you work for Larry Flynt.)
Wired
Fark ‘NSFW’ Trademark Bid All in Good Snark?
By Jenna Wortham Email 12.10.07
Fark.com’s move to trademark the widely used internet warning label “NSFW” has many in the blogosphere asking WTF?
Drew Curtis, founder of the off-kilter social news site, filed an application several days ago with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to claim ownership of the acronym, which is standard netspeak for “not safe for work.” The filing drew a heaping helping of disbelief, some legal skepticism and a few howls of derision as word filtered out online.
OCLC WorldCat record
Not safe for work? teaching and researching the sexually explicit.
Author: Attwood, F.; Hunter, I. Q.
Publisher: Sage
Edition/Format: Article : EnglishView all editions and formats
Publication: Attwood, F. and Hunter, I.Q. (2009) Not safe for work? teaching and researching the sexually explicit. Sexualities, 12 (5), pp. 547-557.
OCLC WorldCat record
The Monster Book of NSFW Jokes : the Most Hilarious, Outrageous and Raunchy Humor from Funny.com.
Author: Editors of Funny com
Publisher: New York : Ulysses Press, 2011.
Edition/Format: eBook : Document : English
Summary: Hilariously Funny Off-Color Jokes That Are Absolutely NOT SAFE FOR WORK. Funny.com brings you the most raunchy, inappropriate and politically incorrect jokes to share with your coworkers when the boss isn’t around. From blondes and brunettes to politicians and proctologists, this collection of twisted jokes has something to offend everyone. So if you e-mail one to a friend, don’t forget to label it NSFW. How do you break the nose of a blonde?. You place a dildo under a glass table. What’s a blonde’s favorite nursery rhyme?. Humpme Dumpme. What do attorneys use for birth control?. Their persona.