imported>Belbury: Adding local short description: "Communication code used by gay and bisexual men", overriding Wikidata description "LGBT bear classification system used on on-line means of communication"

2025-04-24T21:03:49Z

Adding local short description: "Communication code used by gay and bisexual men", overriding Wikidata description "LGBT bear classification system used on on-line means of communication"

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{{Short description|Communication code used by gay and bisexual men}}
The '''Natural Bears Classification System''' ('''NBCS'''), also called the '''bear code''', is a set of [[symbol]]s using letters, numbers and other characters commonly found on modern, [[Western world|Western]] [[computer keyboard]]s, and used for the [[self-identification]] of "[[Bear (gay culture)|bears]]" in the sense of a mature [[gay]] or [[bisexuality|bisexual]] man with [[facial hair|facial]] or substantial body hair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/bitwise/2014/08/online_gay_culture_and_soc_motss_how_a_usenet_group_anticipated_how_we_use.2.html|title=The First Gay Space on the Internet|date=20 August 2014 |publisher=[[Slate.com]]}}</ref> These codes are used in [[email]], [[Usenet]], and [[Internet forum]] postings to identify the physical type and preferences of the poster.

==History==
A posting to the {{tt|alt.sex.motss}} [[Usenet]] newsgroup in 1991 re-produced the NBCS version 1.9,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://groups.google.com/group/alt.sex.motss/msg/ccfe4f413626e92a?dmode=source | title=NBCS - V1.9 The Natural Bears Classification System (Usenet posting by "HASH BROWNS") | author=Donahue, Bob and Jeff Stoner | date=1991-04-26}}</ref> though the document originated before that date (1989), according to its author. This classification scheme was created by Bob Donahue and Jeff Stoner, and was based on the way in which [[Stellar classification|star and galaxy classification systems]] used characteristics of an object to derive a classifying identifier.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://resourcesforbears.com/NBCS | title=The Natural Bears Classification System | author=Donahue, Bob and Jeff Stoner | date=1989-11-23 | access-date=2007-03-01 | archive-date=2016-08-02 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802172410/http://www.resourcesforbears.com/NBCS/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> This classification scheme has an almost identical [[syntax|syntactic structure]] to the [[Geek Code]], which was introduced in 1993, though the meanings of the symbols are different.

==Format==
The format of the NBCS is a sequence of space-separated descriptions that each take the form, "XMme" where X is a letter indicating some trait; M is an optional magnitude indicated by either a number or a sequence of <code>+</code> or <code>-</code> characters (the former are used for rankings that have a broad, but discrete range while the latter is used for more comparative measurements); m is an optional modifier such as "v" which indicates variability of the trait; and e is any extra (such as a parenthesized magnitude that indicates a range from the magnitude outside the parentheses to the magnitude inside).

The format includes physical traits such as "B" for beard density/length, "f" for body hair (or "fur"), "t" for height (or "tallness"), and "w" for weight. It also includes personality traits such as "d" for "the [[Domination and submission (BDSM)|daddy factor]]" and sexual preferences such as "k" for "the [[Kink (sexual)|kinky]] factor".

==Example==
An example bear code is:

{{block indent|{{tt|1=B4 s- m g++ w d+c t+ f+ k+ r e+(+?)}}}}

The translation (in no particular order) is:
{{block indent|Reasonably thick beard, cub tendencies, definite Daddy, (endowment) gets attention, above average fur, loves groping/pawing/touching, (Kinkiness) loves most things, (Muscle) some definition/Blue collar, spends some time outdoors, (sex) plays under special circumstances, tall, bear with a tummy}}

==See also==
*[[Bear (gay culture)]]
*[[Bear flag (LGBT movement)]]
*[[Geek code]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Internet self-classification codes|Natural Bears Classification System, The]]
[[Category:Bear (gay culture)|Natural Bears Classification System]]
[[Category:Year of introduction missing]]

Natural Bears Classification System - Revision history

imported>Belbury: Adding local short description: "Communication code used by gay and bisexual men", overriding Wikidata description "LGBT bear classification system used on on-line means of communication"