➡️ Content warnings on fiction are a courtesy.
➡️ Not every medium of fiction and storytelling has or is expected to have content warnings or extensive tagging.
➡️ Print novels do not traditionally warn for content in any way.
➡️ Until AO3 came along, fanfiction did not traditionally warn for content in any significant way.
➡️ An author is only obligated to warn for content to the degree mandated by the format they publish their fiction on.
➡️ Content warnings beyond the minimum are a courtesy, not an obligation.
➡️ 'Creator chose not to warn' is a valid tag that authors are allowed to use on AO3. It means there could be anything in there and you have accepted the risk. 'May contain peanuts!'
➡️ Writers are allowed to use 'Creator chose not to warn' for any reason, including to maintain surprise and avoid spoilers.
➡️ 'Creator chose not to warn' is not the same thing as 'no archive warnings apply'.
➡️ It is your responsibility to protect yourself and close a book, or hit the back button if you find something in fiction that you're reading that upsets you.
➡️ You are responsible for protecting yourself from fiction that causes you discomfort.
Not an excuse not to tag your shit on ao3 it's there for a reason btw
actually the post is exactly saying that there is no responsibility to tag in a thorough fashion on ao3 (though any tagging that IS included MUST be accurate).
That is literally how ao3 works, tag your fics correctly so it can be appropriately sorted by people who don't want to or want to see it. Not doing so means showing someone content they didn't consent to. Saying that it is the individual's responsibility to protect themselves from media that makes them uncomfortable on ao3 while not using the system that's supposed to allow them to do that is fucking stupid. It's not that hard to have a little consideration for other people.
no. someone who clicks through "chose not to warn" IS consenting to read what's within. they're choosing the risk, and that's ok.
Reading comprehension is in shambles what 😭😭😭
