I wish DU would stop

[KentuckyWoman]

I am humbly asking posters to not put a graphic description of Russian atrocities in the subject line and instead add a graphic content warning there instead.

We have some who have very ugly experiences. Some of DU has .... seen some things.

Please consider your subject lines for their sake.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. This is a good idea.

[Kittycatkat]

25. This is a graphic, ugly war. Any info about this war is graphic and ugly. Impossible to digest.

[OhNo-Really]

38. It's unkind to trigger people. I agree with the post.

[hlthe2b]

2. I understand, but as one who grew up with some of the worst of Vietnam on nightly tv...

there is something to be said about not sparing us from the worst that war (in general) and more specifically the unbridled dictatorial lust for power can present to the world.

But, I take your point. We all have to manage how much of this we take in daily--just to keep going the next day.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. People who have experienced similar atrocities in their own lives don't need to reminded about

how horrifying the world can be, and putting the very worst details in the OP with a content warning in the OP title is a good way to give them a chance to decide whether to learn more or simply go on in the knowledge that things are as bad as they themselves have experienced, without wallowing in the details.

[hlthe2b]

5. I don't need that admonishment. Subject warnings are appropriate.

But we can not let the RW propaganda initiative win. The public MUST know what is going on in all its horror. So should DU-- with appropriate warnings to those who may have special need to limit such exposure.

[dalton99a]

9. +1. "If you don't see it, it didn't happen" is what Putin wants

[Sogo]

22. Well said, WhiskeyGrinder....

[XanaDUer2]

3. Yes nt

[abqtommy]

6. +100 Well said. On the international news sites I visit all present a "graphic scenes"

warning on both their text and photos. I find that appropriate and welcome.

[BlackSkimmer]

7. K and r. nt

[Celerity]

8. fair points

[KatK]

10. Please! I don't want to see the "r" word in a subject line, for example ... n/t

[Croney]

12. Use of the r word anywhere in a post would cause an immediate alert.

[Make7]

16. Given the context of the OP, I think you might be referring to different words. ( n/t )

[Croney]

21. Oh. You're right.

[Make7]

15. You can hide threads based on keywords in the subject.

Here on DU, each member has a trash can:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=myaccount&sub=trash

The Auto-trash by Keyword feature allows you to enter words, or phrases, that will send threads to your trash can (hide it from your view) when it finds a match in thread titles.

It may not work on the Home Page, but should for the Latest Threads and Greatest Threads pages plus all forum/group pages.

It's not an ideal solution, but it might help.

[MustLoveBeagles]

11. This is reasonable

[BobTheSubgenius]

13. A good point.

[paleotn]

14. It is hard. I agree with you.

[YoshidaYui]

17. SERIOUSLY

The one thing i hate is watching a video and end up vomiting because of some scene, if there is a graphic warning please be sure to display it!!

[Farmer-Rick]

29. I understand your reaction

When you have been through hell you don't need to experience it again because of an unexpected video.

I have learned to identify my triggers. It has been hard to learn what will and won't get me feeling like that. But it has been useful. I didn't watch those videos on here. I knew I would have been sick.

[left-of-center2012]

18. I totally agree

We know things are bad.
I don't need to be confronted by it all the time.

[LuckyCharms]

19. I think this is a good suggestion.

I've viewed a fair amount of atrocities in video and written form on the internet, and I've tried not to shy away from disturbing news or video. I'm at least somewhat desensitized to the viewing of horrible acts. I try to keep everything I view positive (ie: music videos), but in most cases, I will open videos or articles that are horrifying, if they are something that is newsworthy and think it is something I should know about.

There was a thread title recently, and just reading the title destroyed me. It's still bothering me. There obviously was no ill intent by the poster of the OP, and the description was indeed newsworthy, but I couldn't even open the OP. I stepped away from the computer and went for a walk.

Some of the things that are happening in this war are so bad, that just a brief description of the situation affected me greatly, and I'm a person who is somewhat jaded.

So, I think your suggestion is excellent.

[hunter]

20. Some of those posters deserve alerts, others should be placed on ignore.

Too many of them *LIKE* to shock people.

[Sympthsical]

23. There's a line between information and pornography

And it's clear some of this war stuff is pornography for some.

Reminds me of people Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ came out. "You have to see the suffering to really understand it!"

I mean, do I? I have an imagination. It was just pornography and some people were getting way too much of a charge out of it.

I'm the kind of person who read the watch people die subreddt and make my coffin. So none of it bothers me. But the breathless promotion of graphic descriptions and imagery all in the name of "being informed" feels like an excuse just to participate in the content.

I already feel how I feel about the Ukraine war (it's really bad). Most people here do. I don't think, "Look, a dead baby!" is moving the needle anywhere.

Unless it's from quarters who desire a wider war. In which case, you'd be seeing a lot more dead babies.

[Sogo]

24. The odd thing is that one of those such posts is in the "Greatest" section right now....

How did that happen????

[Calculating]

26. On the contrary

I think everyone needs to see this shit, so they can't just hide from it and say it doesn't effect them. There are horrible things going on right now and we have the power to do more to stop them. Russia isn't going to stop trying to massacre a whole nation because it offends our sensibilities. People need to know what is happening, get mad, and demand more action. This is literally Hitler level stuff occuring, and hiding from it won't make it stop.

[Hekate]

40. How many here at DU do you think are likely to be in that category? Anyone?

[Martin68]

27. That's a fair request.

[Pacifist Patriot]

28. Thank you.

I saw a subject line today that literally made me vomit. And I always use the word literally correctly.

[bluescribbler]

30. Thank you!!!!

As a Vietnam vet, I totally agree with you. While I, fortunately, am not afflicted with PTSD, I recognize that is real, debilitating and that each sufferer has his or her own individual triggers, and we have no way of knowing what another sufferer's triggers may be.

[Rabrrrrrr]

32. I'm with you - common decency ought to show respect to others' feelings

about not even wanting to read what the "graphic subject matter" is. And seriously, once has explicitly said what the graphic content, what's the point of then putting 'warning' on it? The damage is already done.

Might as well have the subject line "Jim's mother just died, he doesn't know it yet, don't tell him. Warning to Jim: delicate subject matter inside"

[msfiddlestix]

33. I support your request..

and agree with your point, which should be clear to others.

I hope.

[Marthe48]

34. I've avoided watching graphic scenes since the 70's last examples listed

Our H.S. history teachers showed our classes newsreels of U.S. soldiers liberating Jewish people from death camps. I read several books from our uncensored h.s. library about the death camps.

Time magazine showed hanged bodies in a Middle Eastern country. I canceled the subscription and told them why. That was the last graphic picture I viewed.

I am aware of man's inhumanity to man. My mind fills in the blanks. Even if I scroll on by, I spend a lot of time horrified.

[Sherman A1]

35. It is pretty easy to use the Trash Word function

I have several on mine such as the word Cat and it makes life much more pleasant.

[llashram]

36. some don't need

the graphic descriptions and photos. Thank you for all who might have nightmares reinstated by these photos. Plenty of places for people who need to see the total truth about the Russian-Putin atrocities in Ukraine

[murielm99]

37. I felt that way about seeing

George Floyd's death over and over and over on TV. How many times did we have to see that cop kneeling on him? Often, the TV news warns us that there will be graphic content that may be disturbing. They stopped doing that with Floyd. I found that very disrespectful and disturbing.

[Hekate]

39. "Graphic descriptions of war crimes" should cover it. Thank you, Kentucky Woman.

Thank you thank you thank you.

[ecstatic]

41. I agree. Too much. Nt

[Evolve Dammit]

42. That sounds fine. Just remember that all Ukrainians are going through intense terror never seen

in their lifetimes (except the very old who remember the butchery) We, on the other hand, can parse news we can consume without being upset, overburdened or downright horrified. The function of real journalism is to bring actual footage to bear. It is a large part of what ended the Vietnam War after all. But yes, a warning seems appropriate as it is a horrible invasion and genocide and very difficult to process.