Turning off comments on your works

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2020-08-09 16:55:34 UTC

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In the next few days, we will be adding a new option that allows work creators to turn off comments. The option will be available on the forms for posting or editing individual works as well as the form for updating multiple works at once, and we've done some minor rearranging of the forms to accommodate the new option.

What turning off comments does

Turning off comments will replace the comment form at the end of your work with a notice that says, "Sorry, this work doesn't allow comments."

If your work already has comments, all existing comments will remain accessible to you and anyone who can access your work. You will still be able to delete any unwanted comments or mark guest comments as spam.

Users who have left logged-in comments on your work will also still be able to delete their comments.

How to turn off comments on individual works

In the "Privacy" section of the posting and editing forms for individual works, you will find a set of options called "Who can comment on this work." It will have three options:

Registered users and guests can comment
Only registered users can comment (this is equivalent to the old "Disable anonymous commenting" option)
No one can comment

By default, it is set to "Registered users and guests can comment." To prevent anyone from commenting on your work, choose "No one can comment" and save your changes.

How to turn off comments on multiple works

If you'd like to change the comment settings for more than one work at a time, you can use the Edit Multiple Works page. (Please refer to "How do I edit multiple works at the same time?" for information on accessing this page and selecting works to edit.)

Once you've chosen the works you want to edit, locate the "Settings" section of the form. There will a set of options called "Who can comment on these works," and it will have four choices:

Keep current comment settings
Registered users and guests can comment
Only registered users can comment (this is equivalent to the old "Disable anonymous comments" option)
No one can comment

By default, it is set to "Keep current comment settings." To prevent anyone from commenting on the works you are editing, choose "No one can comment" and save your changes.

Other options for controlling comments on your works

Please check out our Comments and Kudos FAQ for more information on controlling comments on your works, including:

Update 15 August 06:22 UTC: These changes are now live!

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JKFic Tue 11 Aug 2020 01:47AM UTC

I never saw the particular Transformers fic, so I'm just wondering why anyone would bother writing a fic bashing Black Lives Matter that it set in a franchise about giant robots fighting each other. The franchise has been around for 36 years and has been very successful with the basic premise of "giant robots fighting each other," why mess with something like that?
I welcome any comments, even negative ones, since I hardly get any comments. (Most of what comes up in my inbox is people responding to the feedback I left on their stories.)
The effects of attempting censorship could range from futile to disastrous. "Futile" would look something like this:
img src="https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/922/gkkRPz.jpg" border="0"
I haven't seen many racist fics or much harassment. I guess I haven't been looking in the right (wrong?) places.

Last Edited Tue 11 Aug 2020 01:48AM UTC

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1. Anon2 (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 07:17PM UTC
  
  The Transformers franchise has evolved into a jumbled mess of "Decepticons are dangerous rebels who should never oppose caste and oppressive systems" / "Decepticons are tyrants in the making, seeking to subjugate all enemies with ruthless torture, but it's okay when the Autobots do it".
  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the franchise a lot, I don't waste time deconstructing canons I don't care about. And I don't know about this particular fic, but it doesn't surprise me in the least that it's Transformers with this particular hot take. As they say about leadership, s__t flows downhill and Hasbro has been doing this funhouse mirror morality game for a while now.
  
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2. 1. JKFic Sat 15 Aug 2020 03:19AM UTC
    
    Admittedly, I stopped following it back in the 1980s, so I wouldn't know about the "jumbled mess" you described.
    
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  2. 1. Anon2 (Guest) Sat 15 Aug 2020 11:57AM UTC
      
      Sounds legit.
      The prison warden of a ship full of Decepticons (in the Robots in Disguise series, which was 2015 or so) addresses the main antagonist with "oh, I'm well aware of your reputation. Jailed for instigating rebellion." Bumblebee is a former teenage soldier cum police officer, there are 'Decepticon Hunters', instruments used on board prison ships that become a variety of weapons... Cybertron's become a dystopia where people are legally not allowed to leave the planet without special dispensation, which is always a bad sign.
      It's pretty subtle, but gives out a vibe that fans seem to pick up on. So any fans writing post 80s-Transformers fanfic have to either work consciously to depict Autobot and Decepticon groups as having valid concerns and a nuanced civil disagreement, or they just ape the franchise and assume the Autobots are always decent when their behavior is very authoritarian.
      
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3. thewonderofpandora Mon 17 Aug 2020 04:58AM UTC
  
  Im 100% sure these people actively seek out stories that will offend them. I have never seen a single ""racist"" fiction and ive browsed here for years. And if I did i wouldnt cry about it, id just not read it like i do with every other story i dont like.
  Theyre annoying, eternal victim trolls. Guessing they saw a harry potter fanfiction where blaise was actual italian and had a mental breakdown or something.
  
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4. 1. JKFic Mon 17 Aug 2020 09:31PM UTC
    
    Your comment inspired me to look up Blaise Zabini to understand it. (I read the first book for a Young Adults Literature course when I was working toward my Master's Degree in Library and Information Sciences, but I didn't remember much about it, and I've never read any of the other books.) So, thank you.
    
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Seeking_Chaos Tue 11 Aug 2020 02:07AM UTC

As great as it would be to have a nice and easy solution to stop racism, there is no amount of code you can write to stop someone from being racist. What can be done is stopping people from spreading their hate. Controlling comments is just one step.

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taemincroptop (Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson) Tue 11 Aug 2020 02:33AM UTC

This is great, but I'm currently not getting any comments from readers. I'm getting comments but getting nothing in my inbox. Is there a way to fix this? Is this due to an issue with the update for comment removal?

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1. NovaWasTaken1 Tue 11 Aug 2020 01:52PM UTC
  
  It might be an issue with the update, but to me it sounds more like you accidentally hit a setting in your preferences. Go to your account page, go to Preferences, and scroll down to Comments-- there are a few settings there that you might've checked on accident.
  If none of those explain your experience, you can also ask support for help by clicking Technical Support and Feedback at the bottom of any page!
  
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Ellirion Tue 11 Aug 2020 11:32AM UTC

Weeeeee \o/ This is great news!

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JackieSBlake7 Tue 11 Aug 2020 12:52PM UTC

A distinction has to be made between 'stories dealing with "controversial" topics X, Y and Z in the particular context of a given fandom' - which most of us would find acceptable in theory even if we do not care to read them' and those which promote or glorify those topics.
There should be a 'review and revise' after a few weeks of operation. One possibility - adapting from a slightly different usage on a particular wiki - allow 'turning off comments for a period of [24 hours]' to allow for heated discussions to cool down/thwarting persons who enjoy making hostile comments/third parties (including AO3 administrators) to investigate etc.

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Account Deleted Tue 11 Aug 2020 02:29PM UTC

Wicked! I don't have any preference but I'm happy that this'll make it easier for people who don't want comments. Thanks for your hard work. :)

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Anonymous (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 03:07PM UTC

If people want examples of fics that have been deemed by others to be racist, here you go.
The link serves as proof, at least for me, of why bookmark notes should be private and why authors should have the option to disable comments. I'm not saying that I agree with what the author has written... rather, I have the option to ignore fiction that I'm not interested in, thanks to filters and the Back button. I'm an adult, so I don't expect others to police the archive for me.

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1. JustALilHime Tue 11 Aug 2020 03:55PM UTC
  
  That's exactly the kind of thing I'm scared of with public bookmarks. Call-outs (sometimes undeserved simply because they can't hit the back button), unsolicited critics (that in the end are just mean comments), paragraphs full of spoilers of the fics (I've seen readers copy & paste entire paragraphs and others making notes of what happened past chapter 10) and now with the comment disabling feature, the chance that haters will just turn to bookmarks to leave their hate there—I really wish bookmark notes were private or that the authors could choose whether they allow public bookmarks in their fics or not (the latter would be preferable in all honesty.
  
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2. 1. Account Deleted Wed 12 Aug 2020 07:49PM UTC
    
    I'm glad someone pointed this out because we're discussing it now on AO3's subreddit thread. I personally hate the bookmark feature. I have a skin that disables it, but I'd like a feature where as an author, we can publicly shut off the bookmarks on the work in general. I've had people privately tell me that certain users publicly made bookmarks of my work and wrote nasty things on them and attached the notes to it. Of course, I could never see it since I had that private skin on, but the fact that EVERYONE else can bothers me.
    I hope something is done about this, because I don't like how people use the bookmark and subbing feature to still attack.
    
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3. AkaiMirage Tue 11 Aug 2020 03:55PM UTC
  
  True. In some cases, I gather it's correct information provided, but it's also easy to use the bookmark notes to libel, and how to know which is which? Now that's difficult.
  
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4. withersake Tue 11 Aug 2020 05:07PM UTC
  
  Just want to point that no one noticed or realised that this bookmark existed until I pointed it out to others in reply to them. So it is possible to ignore it with, as you said, the back button and it can be ignored if you're not interested in it. I honestly only remembered the bookmark because when I saw the discussion for whether the fic existed or not, the bookmark popped into my mind because when I first saw it and its contents, I went, 'Oh okay that's a lot to take in, Shaggy.' aloud in public and embarrassed myself.
  ANYWAYS...
  I also want to address the topic of public bookmarks: I like them. I really, really, really like them. Public bookmarks and them having notes the person can write their thoughts of feelings on the fic are very useful to me. It's how I find a lot of my favourite works in other fandoms and its tags when I want to explore around but I'm turned off by sorting it by kudos with how it's a mess these days, no matter how many filters and exceptions and includes I put in it. I also like seeing who bookmarked my works, what they tagged it with, and so on.
  Getting rid of them, period, or making them private would be a step back in my opinion. It'll also make the coding in the site a nightmare since I think - emphasise on think, here! - remember a few minor things had to be done to address something in the bookmarks. It caused all bookmarks seemingly disappeared and it upset a lot of users (authors and readers alike) because they liked the feature too.
  So to reiterate in this super rambly comment of mine: The feature of public bookmarks could be beefed up (like put a word count limit, maybe don't allow raw links in other sites?) but, again, I would rather not lose it, please. Especially over this situation you're bringing up because, honestly, the bookmark is the only thing that proves the fic existed. (Which, you have to admit, is very tacky and tasteless in its tackling of the subject matter and with how nasty of the comments in the comment section got. I feel like that's punishing the users, somehow.)
  
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5. 1. Anonymous (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 05:44PM UTC
    
    I wasn't suggesting to make bookmarks private, but to make the notes private. This does prevent readers from using the feature to make recommendations, but it also eliminates an avenue of harassment. I don't think any author should be harassed, regardless of what they write, because the distinction between fiction and reality is important. The real world, and its issues that affect marginalized groups, takes precedence over tacky, fictional words on a screen. This particular author was still within AO3's guidelines for acceptable content.
    Time will tell whether the comment disabling feature leads to greater harassment via bookmark notes. I believe it will, given the extent that some people go to make others miserable. Before anyone says to just report these harassment incidents as they happen, the turnaround time for abuse reports is awful due to limited volunteers, and making a new account to bypass a banned account is easy. So the key should be prevention.
    
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  2. 1. Anonymous (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 05:55PM UTC
      
      For clarity, readers would still have the option to make recommendations by clicking the Rec box, but they'd be prevented from publicly elaborating via the bookmark notes.
      
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    2. withersake Tue 11 Aug 2020 06:16PM UTC
      
      For the bookmarks and notes, I feel like this is a case of agreeing to disagree on the matter. I love the feature a lot for its ability to spread a lot of joy and love to both a fandom and to a writer and to help spread awareness of a work you might not have tried if not for the glowing praise of someone's bookmark. I also acknowledge that there is potential abuse for it, like all things on the internet, since the risk is always there for features that allow users control and use of words.
      I honestly think the issue that lies at the heart of this discussion is what you mentioned at the very end of your comment: Prevention. There needs to be a balance of it because AO3 seems(?) to be stuck in a situation right now: Giving too much freedom will lead to harassment and worse, as discussed in the post with the comment options needing to be beefed up more and more privacy/safety options needing to be implemented. Exerting much control will have the fanbase feeling stymied and held back like the idea of features being taken away that people have come to love and use for good intentions. I hope a balance is found and it's found soon. The userbase shouldn't feel unwelcome or unsafe in a site whose mission statement is supposed to be welcoming everyone in over a shared love of a media and to find a community with others.
      And this seems random to add but: I definitely am looking forward to the long-discussed blocking/muting function and hope it extends to Anonymous Creators and not just users. I feel like that would help a lot. More so if it means removing your content from being seen by the blocked person, like how other sites do it. That could be a boon for a lot of lingering issues and a possible step in the right direction.
      Wheezes it's 3 AM where I am, more or less, so sorry if this is rambling and long. Let me know if you want me to clarify something or such. I am getting crossed-eyed at this point while waiting for some downloads to finish.
      
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    3. 1. Also Anonymous (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 05:26AM UTC
        
        "The userbase shouldn't feel unwelcome or unsafe in a site whose mission statement is supposed to be welcoming everyone in over a shared love of a media and to find a community with others."
        Unfortunately that's where were at right now. Many of us feel unwelcome and unsafe because of people that are more and more often abusing the ability to leave notes like the one above in bookmarks. Turning off that feature would limit people's interactions, it's true, but I think for now that's the best option in this scenario.
        
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      2. withersake Wed 12 Aug 2020 05:37AM UTC
        
        Please refer to my first paragraph in the comment you're replying to in regards to the idea of bookmarks being taken away instead of being given more options or limitations to curtail possible harassment scenarios. I feel like we'll be talking in circles at this point because it's clear we're both set in our point-of-views for this matter.
        And also refer to my comment before the one you're replying to in regards to the bookmark itself. I already covered that topic too.
        
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  3. JustALilHime Wed 12 Aug 2020 12:41PM UTC
    
    That's why I'd rather it be an author's choice. Like the disabling comments feature, not every one will want/use it. The author could just go there a "disable public bookmarks for this story" or not. But it's still their choice. Because no matter what, the author will be the most harmed by mean bookmarks and will surely be the first to see them. Readers can still bookmark, it'll just be private. And I'm gonna be honest, nothing pisses me off more than seeing a public bookmark listing key points of story, especially long fics, and I've seen it in every single long I've written/read. Some even copy & paste specific passages without saying which chapter and don't add any further comment. Spoilering the works for other just because. It's just downright annoying and disrespectful with the author.
    
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  4. 1. Account Deleted Wed 12 Aug 2020 07:51PM UTC
      
      "nothing pisses me off more than seeing a public bookmark listing key points of story, especially long fics, and I've seen it in every single long I've written/read. Some even copy & paste specific passages without saying which chapter and don't add any further comment. Spoilering the works for other just because. It's just downright annoying and disrespectful with the author."
      This, plus the fact that my readers for some weird reason rapidly remove bookmarks, then add them again with foul things written in them publicly, and then remove the bookmark again to piss me off. I'm getting tired of people doing that EVERY time I post a chapter. If I can, I'd like to have the option to turn it off and not display it publicly.
      
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    2. i_dwell_in_darkness Sat 15 Aug 2020 12:09AM UTC
      
      I understand why an author would want to avoid spoilery public notes. But, from the POV of someone who uses bookmark notes extensively, they don't necessarily come from a place of malicious intent.
      I'll sometimes copy/paste my favorite lines from a fic in the bookmark notes since unlike the full work text, they're searchable. I have so many fics that I love so much that I know some lines by heart, but I'll often forget exactly which fic a line was from. I also often write on similar themes/subjects as my favorite fics; so when I'm writing, I'll consult my bookmarks, both for inspiration and to make sure I'm not unintentionally plagiarizing one of my favorite lines.
      Likewise, I love tags, so I'll often tag the hell out of my bookmarks to help me keep track of them better. I do try to add the tag Tags Contain Spoilers when they're particularly revealing.
      I could still do all that with private bookmarks. However, I've found so many amazing fics by browsing the public bookmarks of my favorite author's, users who left kudos/comments on my favorite fics, etc., that I'd hate to have missed out on.
      Still, I recognize that just like comments, bookmarks can be a medium for abuse. So, as long that private functionality is maintained, I can definitely support the option for authors to disable public bookmarks.
      
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    3. 1. Zahri Mon 17 Aug 2020 03:04AM UTC
        
        I too copy out quotes and plot points into my bookmarks so that I can track down WHICH FIC I’m thinking of when I really want to go reread something.
        And I also prefer that it’s public, rather than private (though I could still cope with private) because there is nothing better than finding another person’s carefully curated bookmarks with notes as to WHY they like them, and their tastes are similar to your own.
        
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  5. tabaqui Wed 12 Aug 2020 02:54PM UTC
    
    I get what you're saying. That Transformer bookmark note is just...bonkers. I pretty much never read the notes, mostly because the notes I make on my own bookmarked fic are usually along the lines of 'squee squee squee this is awesome omg!!!!!!' Page after page of that.....
    I just realized that those are probably not remotely helpful or interesting, heh.
    But - to go in depth into the fic in the bookmark notes is never something I thought to do.
    
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6. Griselda_Gimpel Wed 12 Aug 2020 03:07PM UTC
  
  Yeah, freedom to post doesn't mean freedom from criticism. And, like, that bookmark note is pretty innocuous. It's well documented and informative. There wasn't a pile on, suicide baiting, or ad hominem attacks.
  
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7. emma (Guest) Thu 13 Aug 2020 12:36AM UTC
  
  I'm of the opposite opinion. A reader should be able to bookmark something with their thoughts on the work. It is a good tool for the community; while browsing a user's page, the notes on their bookmarks can help the reader make a more informed decision about what to read. I realize that this can be achieved offsite, but having it built in is a strong feature for ao3. For a casual user, it's less work both to view and maintain.
  If a reader feels a topic was poorly handled in a work, they should be able to say that in their notes. If a reader wants to note that MCD *is* in a fic, and have it serve as a warning to other readers, they should be able to do that. Let readers help other readers make more informed decisions. Let them judge for themselves if they want to give weight to the notes or not. The system allows writers the freedom to take a fairly hands-off approach to tagging if they choose to. Instead of trying to force the writer to submit or force ao3 staff to regulate morals, let the readers help each other.
  I do think revealing an Anon author is a problem, as are bookmarks that target an author. But I would rather see reports for these notes dealt with better.
  
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8. 1. JustALilHime Thu 13 Aug 2020 01:15AM UTC
    
    I can only partially agree with that. Bookmarks are great when used right, as in, to share your own thoughts on the fic. The thing is, when you can't draw the line between a genuine comment, an unsolicited "concrit" and downright hate, and users use them for all those things, then there's a problem, especially because a big part of them goes unnoticed and therefore unpunished. This is what we're complaining about, the bad use of bookmarks aimed to do nothing but upset the author. And, frankly, an author who doesn't want comments has the right to not want them in anyform, including bookmarks—therefore the suggestion to give authors the choice to allow bookmarks in their own stories be public or not regardless of reader's settings. Also, some authors don't want their works to be analyzed or spoilt or whatever to non-readers either, which is what most of the reviews you talk about consist of. And if the "warnings" are the most important for you, that's what tags, warnings and summaries are for; as long as a work is properly tagged, there's no need to rely on bookmarks.
    Authors can be harrassed through bookmarks as much as they can be through comments. It's only right to place the choice on their hands so that they, too, can have the best experience with this site as possible. Koroshimasu's comment up there is a great example of this. Just give us a choice, even if we don't use it.
    And another thing to consider: most authors do it for a hobby. This is fiction. Freefiction.They're not working to become professional writers. They don't owe anyone a "serious" writing, nor a handling any topic "right". But it is on the reader to take care of themselves and doing their best to avoid triggers and such, as well as finding what fits their tastes better. That's what the archives are for, after all: sharing and finding works, collaborating without difamation and censure. It's a shame that's not what's happening nowadays.
    
    Last Edited Thu 13 Aug 2020 01:17AM UTC
    
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  2. 1. emma (Guest) Thu 13 Aug 2020 06:20AM UTC
      
      All great points.
      I agree that an author who disable comments on the fic may not want comments at all - because they do not want them to appear on the fic or because of harassment or any other reason. Comments are difficult to avoid. They appear in your inbox, and even if you ignore visiting your fics to check them, you have to see them if you want to reply to a comment you may have left on another fic. Some readers may also have expectations of acknowledgement that you may not be able to provide if you are not accepting/checking comments. This can cause unintended strain on reader-author relationships. Bookmark notes are different. An author must actively seek them out, and they cannot be replied to directly. Trying to control these enters into a bit of trying to control what readers are allowed to think. That oversteps some boundaries, imo.
      Bookmarks are also different in where they are displayed. When searching for works, you can click on the number to see public bookmarks. You can search and filter for them specifically (including a designation to find ones with notes). And they are part of a user's homepage/dashboard. That last part is particularly important, since it's less about the author and more about the reader. If you are using bookmarks as a personal rec page with comments for other readers in mind, having it censored is a problem. And in the same way that readers can abuse bookmarks, it could turn into authors covering up a reader's voice, even when it's not directed at the author.
      But the notes are still a problem when used to harm, as you said. And lightening the load on support staff would be ideal. I'm not sure how the block feature would be implemented (blocked user would be unable to bookmark? their bookmarks would be auto-private?), but I wonder if blocking someone would make all of their bookmarks & notes private, both on your own fics and any fics you come across that they saved. This still would not solve an issue of publicly trolling notes (and may make it worse if the user can no longer see if they are being attacked). Alternatively, I could see an author having the power to hide notes on bookmarks when the bookmarks are accessed from the fic page. The notes would still show up on the reader's homepage, and possibly when searching specifically for bookmarks. Again, the same problem of personal attacks still being accessible from somewhere, and it might make readers jump through more hoops (if they just want to check for notes after finding the fic through conventional means). Letting an author disable public notes entirely might be the best solution (in terms of benefits and power balance). I do hope authors wouldn't feel the need to use it, but it is necessary (or just preferred) in some cases.
      Also, some authors don't want their works to be analyzed or spoilt or whatever to non-readers either, which is what most of the reviews you talk about consist of. And if the "warnings" are the most important for you, that's what tags, warnings and summaries are for; as long as a work is properly tagged, there's no need to rely on bookmarks.
      An author only has so much control over a reader. If a reader wants to analyze or spoil the fic, they can do that, it's just a matter of where. And while I think more community efforts outside of ao3 (perhaps on Dreamwidth) will be overall helpful, I do have concerns of pushing away readers too much. The interaction could move entirely back there, and while it would deal with harassment, it would also result in less feedback for an author.
      A work can qualify as being tagged properly with the bare minimum. But some readers will still come to rely on other means, besides what the author provides. The author can write a fic with an explicit noncon scene somewhere in the middle, and use Chose Not To Warn. That's tagged properly. A reader sensitive to that content can avoid reading it entirely, and select a No Archive Warnings Apply one, or one where there are other warnings, but noncon is specifically not one of them. This approach works fine most of the time. But if your fandom is 99% Chose Not to Warn and offers little detail on what's included, your options become small and you may look for other alternatives. Such as asking the author directly, or having someone screen the fic for you, or: checking the bookmarks to see what other readers thought. Same with wanting to know if the content is handled sensitively. It's not really the author's place to stop a reader from seeking more information. Informed decisions only work when there is information to pull from, and not all authors offer this freely or to a degree the reader is comfortable with (nor do I think they should be forced to).
      But warnings are a bit clunky in bookmarks; they're not easy to sift through. Perhaps a new feature of User/Audience Suggested Tags would do better, where readers could select warnings from a list. It might show a number of how many readers suggested what tag, or a percentage/scale of selection rates. Notes functionality likely wouldn't be included. And it would probably be tucked behind a link, or have an icon users could hover over for easy browsing. Out of all the things users could leave in bookmarks, optional warnings would be my priority to preserve.
      
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    2. 1. JustALilHime Thu 13 Aug 2020 01:54PM UTC
        
        That's exactly what I'm saying all this time: to add an option for the author. Just as the "disable comments from all users", there could be a "disable public bookmarks for this story". Not everyone will use it, obviously. I myself always look forward to bookmarks in my one-shots; things are different for long stories, tho, for I'm tired of seeing spoilers that I definitely do not want to be the first in-site contact of a reader with my story. There are some that copy & pastes entire paragraphs (which I assume are to mark where they stopped) but still comes across as spoilery and a disrespect to the author and should be private. It won't change things at large, just give a choice for those who don't want it. Like myself, and many others who had to go to the abuse team to take down said bookmarks. That's all there's to it: a way to preserve authors in the same way you so much want to preserve readers. And even as you say, people keep being jerks elsewhere, I'd much rather it be away from where my eyes can see than as something that will be shown inside the story.
        And, honestly, I don't think collaborative tags would work. Some fandoms are full of antis, and they could easily dogpile "problematic" authors with said feature, especially if they end up being the majority. It just won't end well.
        
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      2. A (Guest) Thu 13 Aug 2020 03:09PM UTC
        
        Giving an author the choice to completely disable public bookmarks on their works would dismiss the fact that bookmarks are meant as a tool for readers.
        Something that might work better would be giving an author the choice to stop displaying bookmarks from the work blurb, both for themselves, and for others.
        That said, if a reader makes a choice to go into a work's bookmarks for whatever reason, they are tacitly agreeing to seeing whatever these bookmarks might contain (additional warnings, spoilers, concrit, etc.), or even actively seeking these things out, and I don't think it's an author's place to decide whether this should be allowed or not.
        You might not want a reader's first contact with your work to be a spoiler, but that might well be what the reader themself wants. Allow them their agency to make their own choices.
        
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        emma (Guest) Thu 13 Aug 2020 05:18PM UTC
        
        I am still not sold.
        I'm tired of seeing spoilers that I definitely do not want to be the first in-site contact of a reader with my story.
        Again, this is trying to control how readers think. Readers must search out bookmarks and bookmark notes, specifically. It's their choice to do so, and they should not be prevented from using a tool that helps them decide what fics to read. Plenty of comments contain spoilers, and readers choose to read those first because it's more important for them to do so. Some readers skim the last chapter first. "I want to surprise readers" can easily turn into "I want to trigger readers." And some authors have a habit of marking fics 'complete' when they are in fact discontinued. It is within their rights to do so, but this is deceiving readers (even if that's not their intent). Silencing bookmarks because they contain valuable information the author has opted not to include is the same. It's not protecting authors: it's deceiving readers.
        There is a certain level of "if you post it on the internet, people will have an opinion." And readers need to be able to express theirs. In the way that authors should not be policed on what content they post, readers should not be policed in their opinions on their own space (their bookmark notes). This is a direct parallel between readers and writers. Offensive content should not be banned. "Mean" and "spoiler" bookmarks should not be silenced. Readers can opt not to read a fic if it might upset them. If a writer is sensitive to comments on a work, they can opt not to check the bookmarks. There are certain features of a site you agree to when using it. Bookmark notes that you cannot remove should probably stay one of them. My main concerns are things like doxxing, but streamlining the report system with valid reasons to submit one could help that. This applies to both rule-breaking bookmarks and rule-breaking works.
        On a side note: if writers are given some form of hiding bookmark notes, it should only be the notes and not the bookmarks themselves. Bookmarks must be public to rec it. This helps readers find works and find other readers with similar tastes. It's not the author's place to decide how readers use their bookmarks. That would be like removing "sort by kudos" because you don't think readers should be able to find fics that way. It's up to the reader.
        And, honestly, I don't think collaborative tags would work. Some fandoms are full of antis, and they could easily dogpile "problematic" authors with said feature, especially if they end up being the majority. It just won't end well.
        I think there's potential. Again, it's something for the reader to seek out if they so choose to. Many don't care about content warnings, but it's still available for those that do. An anti may send a mob to flag it as "offensive," yes. BNFs can send a wave of readers to a fic to kudos it, even if it's a mess to read. The audience can decide how much weight the mass's opinions hold for them personally.
        
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  3. Anon2 (Guest) Fri 14 Aug 2020 11:05AM UTC
    
    The more abuse writers get, the more will stop writing, and most people who spend their time on abuse don't create content. The AO3 agenda should always shield creators first.
    
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brokenhighways Tue 11 Aug 2020 06:02PM UTC

I'm black and while most of the questionable fic I've encountered has been elsewhere, I'm completely disgusted by the commenter who suggested POCs offended by racist fics can simply back-click if they don't like it. That's horrible and it's not how it works.
I do think a lot of people here are unhappy about their utopia being disrupted by real life issues, but even if it's 'only' fanfiction, that's not how racism works. If you don't care, that's fine, but to speak about censorship or freedom of speech - while claiming those with issues should just get over it and go and create something else - is extremely hypocritical.

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1. Not a whiner (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 06:26PM UTC
  
  I'm a victim of childhood abuse who has no desire to read rape content with minors. What do I do? If it's tagged, I filter it out. If I do stumble upon it bc the author chose not to warn, I click the back button. It's certainly possible to back click from nasty content on the ***internet***.
  Racism, homophobia, etc...that's how anything works here. People should focus energy on abuse suffered by real victims, not fictional characters ffs. Oh no, a writer made T'Challa look like a nasty asshole in their fictional world. Like seriously?
  
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2. 1. brokenhighways Tue 11 Aug 2020 06:57PM UTC
    
    I'm not saying one can't back click - they can, but the point was once you've seen the racism, the mental and emotional impact is not erased by clicking out of it. It sticks with you, can ruin your day, your week - whatever. It doesn't go away because the reader clicked a button.
    I think this is a complex issue - perhaps too complex for AO3 and fandom. The characters might be fictional, but the people writing them are real. That makes it a real people issue. I'm not going to go back and forth, I only use AO3 to post and read a few stories. I don't participate in fandom because of situations like this.
    I just think it's interesting the general consensus here isn't, 'all racism is bad and unacceptable!'. What enjoyment could anyone possibly get from it unless they don't see anything wrong with it?
    
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  2. 1. Not a whiner (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 08:00PM UTC
      
      This goes into the territory of "people who write underage fics are pedophiles" and "people who write black characters as OOC are racists." It's not a healthy way of thinking bc in fiction, writers can explore things that they don't like in real life. Are there racist writers out there? Yes without a doubt, just like pedophile writers and every other kind of writer, but generalizing is bad.
      When people start wanting to disrupt this "utopia" by complaining about certain content, they also disrupt the writers who post that content with good intentions, like exploring different themes or their personal trauma in fictional form. If you penalize one group, the people with bad intentions, then you also penalize the other group.
      It sounds to me like there are people who just don't agree with Ao3's core mission of being an archive that welcomes almost everything, as long as the fic is transformative. That mission won't change so really, there's no point complaining. To them, I say find a different website that has stricter policies. Though I encourage writers to tag their fics accurately if there's sensitive content, it makes it easier to avoid.
      
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    2. 1. brokenhighways Tue 11 Aug 2020 08:20PM UTC
        
        That's not what I said, so I'm going to chose not to respond to the first half of your comment.
        The basic point is that the 'core mission' was for people to post their work without censorship. However, not wanting to receive criticism and removing all avenues to receive it surely goes against the whole lack of censorship thing? Or is that only for writers?
        In terms of the racism, why should people find another site? That's such a gross stance to take, IMO. If this is the only site where people can find their fandoms and content, they should basically go away? Got it.
        
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      2. Lapse (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 08:37PM UTC
        
        However, not wanting to receive criticism and removing all avenues to receive it surely goes against the whole lack of censorship thing?
        Yes, I too find it very upsetting that we will be hindered in our efforts to bully and harass people who post "problematic" content. We're being silenced, I say. SILENCED!
        
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        brokenhighways Tue 11 Aug 2020 09:04PM UTC
        
        First of all, there is no 'we'. Sarcasm or not, speak for yourself.
        I'm not upset by anything. I don't have an issue with people turning off comments if they're being harassed or silence.
        My issue is the way people are brushing off racism in this comments section.
        People upset by racism should go away and find another platform.
        People upset by comments can choose to get rid of them all together and live their best lives.
        Noted.
        
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        Not a whiner (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 08:48PM UTC
        
        "The characters might be fictional, but the people writing them are real. That makes it a real people issue."
        If you can't see the connection between what you said and what I said, then my only answer is 🤦.
        They should go away if they don't agree with a site's Terms of Service, because that TOS doesn't allow harassment of content creators, regardless of how offensive that content is. Instead of back clicking, readers often frame their criticism as criticism when it's actually harassment and intolerance <-- something they ironically accuse the writers of.
        
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        brokenhighways Tue 11 Aug 2020 09:11PM UTC
        
        I was talking about racism, you brought up a whole bunch of other things I have no interest in discussing.
        There's a comment moderation system, authors can delete comments. Now they can remove them all together. People will be assholes no matter what. They will find a way to say what they need to say. My issue is not to do with comments, but racism and I see you're more interested in the former, so I'm out.
        
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        NA (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 06:18AM UTC
        
        The basic point is that the 'core mission' was for people to post their work without censorship. However, not wanting to receive criticism and removing all avenues to receive it surely goes against the whole lack of censorship thing? Or is that only for writers?
        Yes, it is only for writers. It's not general all-free-speech space; it's explicitly a place for people to post their Transformative Works without censorship (with a few very minor exceptions such as targeted harassment). Comments usually aren't transformative. If a comment is transformative, then they can get posted as their own work instead (and be subject to those rare limitations, such as... targeted harassment).
        
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  3. Elf (Elf_Herself) Wed 12 Aug 2020 06:13PM UTC
    
    One of the problems here, is that racism and homophobia and several other kinds of discrimination, aren't required to have a tag at all. There's no way to filter them out. In many cases, the authors would be happy to note "this fic may be offensive or downright harmful for some readers, so they should avoid it," but doesn't quite know how to mark that. In other cases, the author is oblivious or even hostile and entirely willing to trigger anyone they think has the wrong ideas about how the world works.
    How much of the archive would you read, if rape or underage fic were only tagged about 5% of the time? And when they did show up, half the time someone insisted that's not what's going on? (It's not rape because they're married. It's not underage in my country. It's not rape because it's legal where they are. It's not underage because she's an elf/ dragon/ light spirit who's 200 years old. And so on.)
    We need better labeling and filtering options. It's not about how people treat fictional characters; it's about helping readers avoid the works that are harmful to them. But building those features isn't easy, both because of coding issues, and because fandom as a whole doesn't have a clear consensus on how to identify that kind of content.
    We're mostly in agreement on what "underage sex" and "rape" are. (Mostly. There are more edge cases than you might think. But most authors acknowledge it's an issue, and try to tag accurately.) We're not mostly in agreement on what "racist content" is. And it's not even "the racists don't agree that X should be tagged." There's issues like: do you tag all period pieces set in WWII with "racist content?"
    
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  4. 1. Shane (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 07:54PM UTC
      
      I'm sorry, but that's nonsense. Authors who want to tag for racism can (and do so) right now and it absolutely can be filtered out, like any other tag.
      
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    2. 1. Elf (Elf_Herself) Wed 12 Aug 2020 08:36PM UTC
        
        Currently, the racism tag is not connected to the period-typical racism tag, so that's at least two tags they'd have to filter out. Racist language isn't connected to either of those. Neither is slavery, nor should it be, because a lot of "slavery" in fic is fantasy slavery - werewolves as slaves, Harry Potter as a slave after losing the wizarding war, etc. (There are reasons these aren't connected; some have to do with server issues, some relate to database structure, and some have to do with complexities that are hard to get into in a comment exchange.)
        That's a lot of tags to have to filter out, and I've almost certainly missed some. And right now, those are all optional tags.
        For the authors: there's no guidance about what kinds of racial interactions should be tagged "racism" or "period-typical racism." Should a 100,000 word time-travel fic get tagged for period racism for a single "use the other fountain, boy" encounter? Does it matter if it's a sympathetic encounter, with someone warning the time-traveler how not to accidentally break the law? Does a fic that includes rap lyrics with a slur need to be tagged for racist language? Does it need to be tagged for racism? How about racism not related to blackness - where are the lines drawn for K-Pop fandoms?
        You may think the answers are obvious. They're not obvious for everyone, especially when people have different cultural and educational backgrounds. If you've got a set of guidelines for How To Identify Racism In Fiction, in a way that can be applied to individual works in any fandom, a whole lot of people would love to see it.
        
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      2. Shane (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 08:44PM UTC
        
        If you've got a set of guidelines for How To Identify Racism In Fiction
        Yes, I'm sure that wouldn't be a shit show at all.
        Tagging is largely to the author's discretion and, quite frankly, that's one of the archive's selling points. I'd love to know how people who keep whining about the lack of more mandatory warnings deal with FF.net
        
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        Anon2 (Guest) Fri 14 Aug 2020 11:06AM UTC
        
        I appreciate your input here extremely. It's succinct.
        
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paintpuddles Tue 11 Aug 2020 06:19PM UTC

Wow, this comment section is even more of a shitshow than I thought it would be
Glad to see we’re all uniting in these uncertain times :,) I knew I could have faith in humanity!

:))))))))))))))))

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1. brokenhighways Tue 11 Aug 2020 06:58PM UTC
  
  It's honestly ridiculous and I regretted clicking on the comments button immediately after. Imma stick to my Dashboard in future, lol.
  
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2. (Previous comment deleted.)
3. 1. black and fed up (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 07:49PM UTC
    
    Hi, that was me that got dogpiled by anons. One was by someone who mixed me up with another person, but the other anon did say something to the effect of, "you're probably not even Black, just mad you can't harass Black writers anymore". That was sickening for me to read, just because I said I didn't want this particular feature to be the be-all-end-all of OTW's response to fandom harassment. I have a right to speak on my experiences in fandom as a Black writer and as a woman. People can disagree with my distaste at this feature if they wish, but you can do it without questioning my race or come for me in super insulting ways.
    
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  2. 1. AkaiMirage Tue 11 Aug 2020 08:25PM UTC
      
      Haven't seen that comment you're referring to (was prolly deleted before I started reading the comments), but that's disgusting.
      Have once gotten my nationality questioned on youtube rather rudely as well, and if I took offense at that (which I definitely did) I can only imagine what seeing that comment must've been like for you.
      Very sorry that happened to you. :<
      
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  3. brokenhighways Tue 11 Aug 2020 09:27PM UTC
    
    I'm usually only in my corner of AO3, but I don't want to be someone who sits by and says nothing. This is the second comments thread with the SAME rhetoric I've seen and each time I'm scratching my head like, 'are these people for real?'
    Guess I got my answer today.
    The way people piled on 'black and fed up' was nothing short of shameful.
    
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  4. 1. Account Deleted Wed 12 Aug 2020 11:09PM UTC
      
      Unfortunately :x
      Agree with that.
      
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  5. Anon2 (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 07:29PM UTC
    
    "And people in here really going "I sympathise with a racist that got called out."
    With respect, I will clarify my above comment.
    I sympathize with the TF fandom, stuck with fans who are racist because the canon encourages it, and also stuck with self-acknowledged white people who use SJW buzzwords as means of winning ship wars.
    I won't elaborate on my oppressed credentials, but I have had specific negative interactions with the Transformers fandom in the past, and therefore feels really icky in this particular rock/hard place. But I promise you I know what it feels like to have this fandom write disrespectful, oppressive fanfic about something I have personal experience with.
    
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  6. 1. Account Deleted Wed 12 Aug 2020 11:07PM UTC
      
      I don't want to ask for your credentials (because I honestly do find that kind of eeeh - it's actually why I refrain from writing about my physical disabilities because I'm pretty sure I'd get life experience grilled and because some people are of the opinion wanting to cure your physical disability is automatically ableism).
      Thank you for the clarification! Yeah, I honestly do think that specific fic needed a racism tag, and don't mind the logging/documenting. (I will note I'm on the side of "have a way to report racist stuff so it can be tagged thusly" personally.) Definitely sucks to have that type of thing going on in your fandom (one of my fandoms is kind of similar, not as much about racism but also about other stuff). And yeah, with my own experience - though I can't attest to racism myself - I definitely feel like sometimes people just want the "I look good" points, though I personally feel like in the specific documented case it was warranted. I would rather have tags so I know to avoid a fic if I want and other people can do as they will with that information.
      
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    2. 1. Account Deleted Wed 12 Aug 2020 11:27PM UTC
        
        https://mobile.twitter.com/buttonthemdown/status/1285882120305610752
        https://mobile.twitter.com/SamiraNadkarni/status/1276388008875319296
        https://mobile.twitter.com/freetofic/status/1271639027251392513
        Few Twitter threads that I hope add some context for why I think a "Racism" archive warning would be nice to have.
        (I'll try to dig up some tumblr posts re: racism later, though feel free to poke me if you also want something else/think I forgot.)
        
        Last Edited Wed 12 Aug 2020 11:29PM UTC
        
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      2. Anon2 (Guest) Fri 14 Aug 2020 11:17AM UTC
        
        Well-meaning people who strive for a just world can fall into the trap of assuming everyone who disagrees with them is an enemy. I did it myself for years, and I regret the time I spent arguing with people for social justice reasons. I'm sorry that people would assume your method of working out your own marginalization would cause others to criticize you, and I'll be more careful myself in future not to broadbrush how people approach a disability.
        It ultimately comes down to whether or not you do think harassment is ever justified. If you want to tell someone your thoughts on their fic, that's different from telling them they're a racist, or a transphobe, and bombarding them to take down a fic you disagree with ideologically.
        I wish I had advice for how to handle this better, but I haven't changed many minds. I can only work on my own, and my friends help me improve, too. But even if we part still disagreeing, I want you to know I appreciate the opportunity to discuss it and better explain my stance.
        
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      3. (Previous comment deleted.)
        
        Anon2 (Guest) Fri 14 Aug 2020 05:33PM UTC
        
        Unfortunately what I think you want, deep down, is for people to stop being racist and to stop writing racist fanfic (not just the kind that explores racist themes). I'm being sincere when I say I wish we could find a way to do that, but so far all I've found that actually works is writing my own stuff and hoping readers like it more than the problematic s__t.
        I think your breakdown of both approaches' flaws is pretty fair.
        I did actually leave Ao3 with mass deletion of my fics before because I was being harassed and staff didn't "seem to care" enough. I know they're volunteers, but when you are writing pretty vulnerable stuff you feel like your ass is out there in the wind with no block button or recourse against people who are devoted to messing with you. I got pretty anxious to check my inbox before I quit, and I only came back because it felt even worse to have been chased out by assholes.
        TLDR I really hate the proliferation of bulls__t fanfic that exists, and I'm just one person but I can't see a better course of action than just creating non-s__t stuff and bolstering the few other people I find who do the same.
        
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        (Previous comment deleted.)
        
        Anon2 (Guest) Sat 15 Aug 2020 12:08PM UTC
        
        "I would honestly love a tag muting system so I don't have to keep putting filters, and/or a way to persist search filters.)"
        Absolutely agreed. I use the AO3rdr add-on, it isn't perfect, but it does allow me to filter out certain tags I don't want to see. Before I used it, I just didn't bother going in certain fandoms because the overwhelming amount of, say, Bill/Dipper fic just depressed me.
        And it's not being written with a political agenda, or even to explore the nuances of grooming and abuse or anything meaningful, from what I can see. I think media attempts to teach people to think very unhealthily about interactions, and to desire interactions that are bad for people, both in fantasy and also in reality. They don't set out to write evil, or to be evil, they just don't recognize the value of better.
        
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        (Previous comment deleted.)
        
        Anon2 (Guest) Sat 15 Aug 2020 04:01PM UTC
        
        It sounds to me like you might be asexual? Which is also cool. I have no objection to whatever cishets or fujoshi or lesbians get up to writing-wise (and I suspect the PoC problems could be similar to the F/F problems - underrepresentation and underdevelopment in canon lead to underrepresentation in fanfic as well). I don't know anything about Star Wars beyond the names though, so I'll have to trust your judgment on that.
        Bill/Dipper is a twelve year old boy/immortal demon, and the Gravity Falls tag is basically nothing but that shit. Nuking it from orbit is tempting but wouldn't solve why people think that's attractive; we have a deeply rooted social malady based on "romance = extremely unhealthy power dynamics", whether it's dude/dude, or dude/lady, or dude/lady/lady...
        
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ArcadiosV Tue 11 Aug 2020 06:24PM UTC

I'd love an option to block specific people either completely, or from certain works.
I'm so tired of the overly complicated way to report flamers only to be told that nothing can be done.

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1. AkaiMirage Tue 11 Aug 2020 06:31PM UTC
  
  +1
  
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2. FreddieDimmick Tue 11 Aug 2020 07:11PM UTC
  
  It's in the works, at least. The OTW's Board of directors talk about it here: https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/16207
  I think you might be able to follow along with the coding for blocking and muting users on the OTW github, as you could with disabling comments such as this: https://github.com/otwcode/otwarchive/pull/3852
  
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black and fed up (Guest) Tue 11 Aug 2020 07:54PM UTC

So after a couple days of thinking and talking it over with Twitter and Discord friends, I've come to a conclusion that turning off comments can help in some cases especially for BIPOC writers. However, if this winds up being the only change they are able to make without starting a large uproar over censorship, then it's not good enough. Bookmarks and hyperlinks can be used by bad actors to send waves of hate to Black writers. Shutting down communication about possible archive warnings because the water is murky and it's making some people uncomfortable (including people who are admittedly NOT BIPOC) is not a good enough excuse. It's been a decade since actual change in the archive warnings. The warning for Underage is murky because authors will use it sometimes for 17 year olds, or even up to the age of 19 depending on the country the person is writing from. There is a warning for MCD, which imo warrants a tag at best. But we're the bad people for asking for a racism/slavery warning? I don't buy it.

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1. Elf (Elf_Herself) Wed 12 Aug 2020 06:22PM UTC
  
  This is not the only change planned; it's just one that was fairly easy to implement quickly, and had been discussed for some time as a potential feature. Nobody thinks this is going to fix the problems of racism on the archive - it's just one more tool in the kit, and they're working to figure out how other ones would work and how to implement them.
  
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2. cthchewy Fri 14 Aug 2020 04:37PM UTC
  
  Well said. I agree it wouldn't be that big of a deal to add a racism/slavery archive warning even if the definition is murky, because like you said the other archive warnings can be murky too, and authors can always choose not to warn.
  I would use the warning, but then... I already tag my fics with racism/slavery when I think it applies. It's usually fantasy racism, and it's never portrayed as good... and that's a point of concern. I think the only authors who would use the warning are those who already portray these topics critically. There needs to be a better way to enforce proper use of archive warnings before that can be effective.
  
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3. 1. Account Deleted Fri 14 Aug 2020 10:37PM UTC
    
    Agreed. The reason I think a racism archive warning could help, even for now, is that it provides a way to report the lack of that tag to Abuse. Not a perfect solution, since not everyone will tag it and there's Abuse's whims, but IMO that's where your last sentence comes in - better enforcement needed.
    
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aayesha Tue 11 Aug 2020 10:36PM UTC

Thank you so much for finally adding this much needed feature to address the bullying that frequently occurs in comments to the point of driving content providers out of fandoms entirely.

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Starshower Tue 11 Aug 2020 10:52PM UTC

I swear this was already a thing

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1. checkerspot Tue 11 Aug 2020 11:57PM UTC
  
  Buddy, this archive was founded by those old fandom moms after LiveJournal deleted a lot of communities containing underage Harry Potter fic. Being a place to host 100k tentacle toddler porn is literally why the archive exists. If you don't like it- and I understand why people might not! this is not the archive for you. I fully and non-sarcastically encourage people uncomfortable with the Ao3's policies to create their own archives that cater to their own priorities. Having more archives can only be a good thing for fandom. But coming here and saying "leave teenagers alone" is ridiculous, because the Ao3 was noooooooot ever intended to be a space aimed at teenagers.
  
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2. nami (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 12:51AM UTC
  
  this site was founded, coded, and funded entirely by "old fandom moms" (women in their 20s lmao) who wanted a safe fandom space where conservative advertisers couldn't decide what kind of content was and wasn't allowed. to this day AO3 is being run, maintained, and funded by working adult women, because teenagers would rather spend their money at starbucks and spend their time being misogynistic on twitter to women over the age of 20. teenagers are the ones invading our adult spaces. this space was not made for you. ffnet is more suitable for minors since they purge nsfw content. please see yourself out.
  
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3. 1. WolfKomoki Wed 12 Aug 2020 01:11AM UTC
    
    Exactly. I wrote fic in a world without the OTW and it was hell on Earth.
    Writers were sued and taken to court.
    Live journal communities were deleted.
    Fics were deleted without warning.
    Websites were taken down.
    
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  2. grommile Thu 13 Aug 2020 03:04PM UTC
    
    FFN is not "more suitable for minors".
    It just pretends to be.
    In practice, there's plenty of material on FFN that most people who believe in notions of "inappropriate for minors" would regard as inappropriate for minors.
    
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4. Anne (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 07:01AM UTC
  
  No one needs to read 100k words of toddler tentacle porn.
  Speak for yourself.
  You don't want to read it, don't click on it.
  
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5. DarchangelSkye Wed 12 Aug 2020 07:29AM UTC
  
  If you honestly believe there's CP and bigoted material on this site, why are you still using it?
  
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6. Actual library worker in a major US city (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 09:22AM UTC
  
  Censorship of bigoted works does NOT exist in any library I've ever worked in. Anyone can check out Mein Kampf, no questions asked. (No one does these days unless they're teen edgelords or it's for an undergrad essay, it's boring and outdated and terribly written.) The Turner Diaries is much bigger among MAGA scum who are excited for race war.
  
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7. flowersofchernos Wed 12 Aug 2020 09:58AM UTC
  
  for your own sake, seriously, just use ff.net or wattpad or something. waterfall is an antishipper's haven. like, really, go somewhere else. you dont go to hanime.tv and watch the tentacle porn, so why do you log into ao3 knowing you may come across content which disturbs you? if this isn't a safe website for you to access, you can possibly even use parental controls to your benefit and block it on your computer/phone/etc. so you aren't tempted.
  
  Last Edited Wed 12 Aug 2020 09:59AM UTC
  
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8. nofuckstogive (Guest) Wed 12 Aug 2020 01:57PM UTC
  
  "leave teenagers alone" ??
  You think this site - hell, you think FANDOM ITSELF - was founded and built by teenagers? 🤣 And they simply jumped ship when they turned 20, leaving the reins in *checks smudged handwriting* teenagers' hands? 🤣🤣🤣
  Get your ageist, misogynistic ass somewhere else if you want to have a mouth full of hate for the VERY WOMEN who created the shit you're indulging in.
  You're clearly not educated enough to use the site. Not educated enough to use the filters, the tools the site provides you to avoid content, to hit the back button or simply change your fucking diapers apparently, because you chose smear shit all over the table you're eating at.
  Congrats, hun.
  
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9. urami Thu 13 Aug 2020 02:51AM UTC
  
  My dude, who do you think programmed the damn website? Fifteen-year-olds?
  If you believe that, can I interest you in some nice oceanfront property in Nebraska?
  
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10. A (Guest) Thu 13 Aug 2020 03:25PM UTC
  
  How can you morally excuse using this site if you wholeheartedly believe it hosts and embraces child porn?
  
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11. 1. Dude... (Guest) Thu 13 Aug 2020 04:10PM UTC
    
    I would never read a fanfic where child is in any sexual situation because eeew! But I can tell the difference between reality and fiction. Suprise, suprise in stories no child is hurt. Because it is NOT REAL. However the world is full of bad and very real things. So... if you want to help go help there.
    
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DeathByStorm Wed 12 Aug 2020 12:06AM UTC

Just stopping by to thank all of the volunteers at AO3 for working so hard to make this happen. Y'all are fantastic.

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kazukuniiii Wed 12 Aug 2020 03:11AM UTC

A good option for the people who don’t want to see any negative comments. I, on the other hand, don’t want to stop seeing positive comments just because I don’t want to see bad ones. I would like for a blocking mechanism to be implemented. Instead of not allowing any comments, it would be better if writers could block specific people from commenting or reading their stories. Reinstating the “Disable anonymous comments” option would be great too. Just an idea.

Last Edited Wed 12 Aug 2020 03:28AM UTC

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1. Lagerstatte Wed 12 Aug 2020 04:22AM UTC
  
  They're not taking it away, just renaming it to 'only registered users can comment'.
  
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kainess Wed 12 Aug 2020 03:12AM UTC

This should definitely help a lot of people. thanks for the hard work!!

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FightItMiau Wed 12 Aug 2020 05:21AM UTC

Thank you very much for this feature! I'm pretty sure it will help a lot of writers out there to stop receiving harrassment or/and unwanted feedback.
I also think the news comment section could use some of that feature as well, since some people rather use it as a flame war section than for providing useful feedback, imo lol.

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mimilop Wed 12 Aug 2020 05:58AM UTC

this is a great feature to add!!

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FirestormCabbit Wed 12 Aug 2020 06:31AM UTC

I probably won't ever use it but for people being harassed it's a good thing. I have been harassed on another writing site to the point they harassed me thru my email long after I stopped writing on that site. Not fun.
However I grew a thick skin cuz it be the internet yo and peeps be horrible. I can over look mean comments most are kinda childish when you look at it. I just move on my day cuz I grew up with 'Sticks and Stones may brake my bones but Words can never hurt me.' In short I don't give words power.
When it comes to thing I don't like to read I just put it in the exclude box and try to find a interesting fix. For exsample i I find any story with trans people in it to be boaring so like I said before I put it in the exclude box and move on. Kinda wish there was a more permanent exclude list for all fandom searches instead of a temp one and having to re apply the tags.

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