I wanted to bring up an ongoing issue regarding the user “smilinglexipedia.”
They continue to use the “Reader Insert” tag while clearly ignoring the purpose of that tag. Reader inserts are meant to allow readers to imagine themselves in the story, regardless of their appearance, ethnicity, gender (when applicable), or other personal characteristics.
When a work assigns specific physical traits, backgrounds, or identities that exclude many readers, it defeats the purpose of a reader insert.
This is especially frustrating considering how difficult it already is for many readers to find inclusive reader-insert content, particularly in fandoms based on medieval European settings where diversity is often already limited. Many readers actively search for “Reader Insert” expecting a neutral protagonist they can project themselves onto, only to find works that don’t actually provide that experience.
Beyond that, the “Reader Insert” tag is frequently being used incorrectly. It seems to be applied simply because the main character is referred to as “you,” even when the reader is given a defined appearance, ethnicity, history, or other characteristics that make them an original character rather than a true reader insert. This makes the tag much less useful for the people who rely on it to find inclusive content.
I also have a separate question regarding blocking users on AO3. I have blocked this user, but their works still appear in search results and tag pages. Is there currently any way to completely hide a blocked user’s works from view? If not, are there any plans to implement this in the future? It would make the blocking feature much more effective and improve the browsing experience.