And other fanworks, for that matter, but let’s talk about fic: When AO3 was proposed, it was in response to Strikethrough and other similar events. Livejournal deleted a lot of accounts without bothering to distinguish between actual pedophiles, survivor support groups, and 100% consensual fantasy fandom activities being done by adults with other adults (most of which involved RP accounts for 16-year-old Harry Potter characters anyway).
I helped write the first AO3 Terms of Service and set up the Abuse committee. AO3 was always intended to be welcoming to all kinds of fic, no matter how dirty, sick, socially unacceptable, bizarre, or out of fashion. During those initial TOS talks, we specifically discussed grotesque RPF snuff porn as the test case for something all of us on the committee found distasteful but would nonetheless defend because, by defending it, we created a space where all of our own favorite things were protected too.
Policing fic content is a slippery slope. Even if you only police the “worst” stuff, you create an environment where the more sensitive authors and no few of the ones “shipping to cope” are no longer comfortable posting at all. Attacking people for posting fic about rape/abuse/etc. is demanding that all survivors disclose. No amount of whining and backtracking will change this fact. It is a disgusting behavior that drives people from your fandoms and creates needless misery while adding nothing of value to the community.
If you want to kick certain kinds of content off of AO3, you do not belong on AO3 in the first place.
I mean…you have to start somewhere. Just get your name out there, recognize people, get recognized, and then interact more with the people you like?? I’ve been here two years now and this is what I did and do. It’s really not much more complicated than that.
It might help to realize that we’re all just giant nerds who like to talk about norse bros fucking and no one will think you’re being annoying when you try to put yourself out there! Like, yes, come yell with us!
Ok so I have more thoughts. This is actually something that maybe I’ve learned with age? And I’m saying you do this personally, anon, this just kind of general advice for a general “you”, but… You can’t simply…exist somewhere and expect to have people notice you or make friends. You can’t go to a party and sit against the wall looking lonely and not talking and expect to meet people. You can’t even just stand there in a group of people laughing and nodding. You have to make an effort! You have to say hi, and be friendly, and add your thoughts, and ask people about their thoughts…and if you ever want to see them again after that party you have to make it happen. And sure, maybe you might get turned down? But if you don’t try, the answer is always no. I know this is hard. It is! It’s really hard! It’s nerve wracking to put yourself out there like that! And to keep doing it! But the thing to realize is that most people are pretty friendly, and if you DO screw up your courage and put yourself out there, USUALLY good things happen.
Also, this is my personal invitation to anyone who’s ever wanted to talk to me and hasn’t…please do! I love making new friends! But I can’t be your friend unless I know who you are! ❤
my goal isn’t to make anyone think exactly the same way I do. i want you to think for yourself.
don’t swallow my posts wholesale w/out thinking. don’t swallow what fandom policers say wholesale w/out thinking. don’t parrot other people without thinking.
ask yourself if people are being honest before believing them
think about the words people use. ‘always’, ‘all’, ‘never’ and ‘nobody’ are absolutes; in reality, there’s almost always exceptions to the rule.
generalizations are not always trustworthy & can’t be applied to individuals. (that might be a generalization about generalizations.)
there are abusers who call themselves shippers. there are abusers who call themselves anti-pedophilia/incest/abuse. there are abusers who ship pairings you consider abusive and abusers who ship only the fluffy, safe pairings. abusers can use anything to abuse, so don’t believe people who say ‘my space is abuser-free.’ (it isn’t.)
it’s easy to get turned around and thrown off by people who argue dishonestly. if they can’t answer simple questions about their position, you should probably ask somebody else who knows more.
shaming and guilting are not arguments. people who try to shame or guilt you into agreeing with them are not treating you kindly. be cautious about listening to them.
talk to people you trust. get blog recs; read different arguments & come to your own conclusions. know where you stand and why you stand there. know that it’s not wrong to change your mind if new evidence persuades you.
and know that you never have to tell anyone what you conclude if you don’t want to. that’s your business. you don’t have anything to prove to me or anyone else.
I just want everyone to have confidence in their ability to think for themselves and do what’s best for themselves – and not just in fandom. in everything. and I think that learning how to draw your own conclusions is the best way to protect yourself from being used or abused by someone trying to force their ideals down your throat.
No offense i didnt spend my entire childhood being made fun of for my interests, fear judgement all the way through my teens and early adulthood, and learn to love what i love free of shame so I could be made to feel bad for enjoying something harmless because “the fandom ruined it/made it cringey”
if you’re going to urge people to think critically about the media they consume, you must accept that they might do that and come to a different conclusion to you.
the phrase ‘think critically…’ all too often comes with an unspoken assumption of ‘…and you’ll adopt my opinion, which is the right one’ which is both arrogant and contrary to the initial suggestion.
let people come to their own conclusions. you don’t have to adopt, support, or even like them but you should respect them.
(also stop assuming that people haven’t already ~thought critically~ about the media they consume before you deigned to show up. condescending intellectual elitism is not a good look.)
quick thought before bed but when it comes to wank in a book fandom of all places maybe yall can be a little gentler on people who aren’t native english speakers? i guess if your whole role in a fandom is to be a jerkoff to everyone maybe you don’t take the time to get to know everybody and maybe it doesn’t occur to you that between the language barrier or whatever whacky translation they’re reading maybe they perceived the text differently????? we don’t all have the same access or experiences.
just an idea.
be fucking nice!
What happened to “treat others as you would be treated”? Oh, when you can trample someone else for thought crimes, including holding a different interpretation than yours. Right.
I-want-my-IWTV 