antis hate AO3 because it's staunchly anti-censorship, yes, but they also hate AO3 because 1) they can't mass-report fanfiction they don't like, 2) the fanfiction they do report almost never gets taken down, 3) if they harass an author, it's very likely that they'll be reported and suspended, and 4) they seemingly don't understand how non-profits work.
"Why can't the freaks on AO3 just go and make a site for all the gross stuff and leave AO3 alone."
Because AO3 is that site. Because AO3 was that site long before you decided AO3 was better than the sites you bullied us off of before, and I can promise you if someone somehow comes up with a fanfic site you like better specifically for the 'gross stuff' you'll try to bully us off that too so you can benefit from it.
AO3's specific core purpose is to preserve fanfiction, yes, but it was also instigated as a host site for the fanfiction that kept getting yeeted off other platforms like Wattpad. Its designed to preserve all fanfiction, not just the fanfiction you, personally, think is 'allowed' to be written.
AO3 is the site for all the gross stuff the freaks make. We've been there just as long as you. We've been funding it just as long as you have. AO3 has specifically said you have a place here. The timeline was literally:
Wattpad/FF.net/LiveJournal purge fanfics > AO3 is born > The people who's fics got purged moved over to AO3 > AO3 gains popularity as the best functioning site > The people who pushed for the fics to be purged off Wattpad move to AO3 > The same people try to push for AO3 to purge fics.
AO3's source coding is open-access. You go make a polished, strict, rigid site where nothing 'icky' is allowed. You go make a site where you can control what is hosted. We already have our space.
please for the love of god stop claiming to be anti censorship and only caring about fics on ao3 there is plenty of censorship happening on a mass scale in the real world and you're more focused on 13 year olds being uncomfortable with noncon fanfiction what is wrong with you
saw a tiktok today complaining about podfics. the video itself was fine and more funny than anything, but the comments were brutal, and it genuinely made me want to cry. you're telling me there are people contributing to fandom & making it more accessible by recording their favorite fics, editing for hours, making covers for it, inserting music & background noises, and your only reaction to that is to be a whiny bitch in a tiktok comment section and comment things like:
"podfics are ASS"
"i hate podfics so much GET AWAY FROM ME"
"those belong on fucking youtube, not ao3"
"yeah well sadly only 1 in 100 podfics is good!"
"i see, i'm in the right fandoms bc there aren't podfics"
?????? i will never understand how people can carry so much negativity towards something so harmless & amazing. why is it impossible for some people to appreciate the work behind something & be happy for the people who can enjoy it, instead of calling a whole genre of fanwork trash just bc THEY don't like it??
the worst thing? some people in that comment section were like "oh, i was thinking about recording my fics, but after seeing this comment section? yeah i won't bother."
and that's just so, so sad. i'm not even that into podfics, not really my cup of tea, but i admire everyone who records fics in their freetime and i appreciate you guys so much. don't get discouraged from doing something you enjoy - that at least one other person will enjoy as well - just because some whiny teens on tiktok can't use the "exclude" button correctly <3
podfics are just as great a contribution to fandom as everything else and if people can't see that: their loss.
I need to address something serious and set a clear boundary.
I recently received a message through AO3 accusing me of transphobia due to the absence of trans characters in one specific work. For context: this piece is part of a requests-based collection. What I write in it is determined by what people ask for. I have not yet written a trans character there because I have not received a request or found a concept I feel I can handle with the care and responsibility it deserves.
The message did not stop at criticism.
The sender explicitly stated that they searched for and found my home address, and that they added my name, address, and a link to my work to a public list in order to pressure me into changing my writing. This message was sent to me directly via AO3.
That is not feedback. That is not advocacy. That is harassment and intimidation.
For my own safety and transparency, I have screenshots of the AO3 message as evidence of what was said.
I want to be very clear:
I care about inclusivity. I do not accept coercion, doxxing, or threats as a way to force creative decisions. Representation matters, but it must be written thoughtfully and voluntarily—not under fear or pressure.
I am always open to respectful requests and ideas, including those involving trans characters. I am not open to being threatened into compliance.
This is a firm boundary. Please respect it.
Currently I have reported it as spam and changed my fanfic to not allow guests to comment.
Because of of this event, I will not be accepting new requests for the time being. This is for my own safety and peace of mind.
Existing requests will not be abandoned — they will be completed eventually, just not on a fixed schedule. I appreciate your patience and understanding while I take the time I need.
(Edited) As of now I've been informed that this is a bot so please be aware.
some of you are unbelievable. ‘I wish good writing was a tag’ people are writing fanfiction FOR FREE and you have the audacity to say shit like this. fandom’s about supporting and paying respect to other people’s work. produce your own content if you’re so picky about it.
