#use the back button

[winterrose1998]

Dear anon,

Please just use the back button next time if you don't like a fic. I don't need you telling me I write like a 10 year old, that's just not helpful.

Sincerely,

Rose

[sweet-sammy-kisses]

Why do people go out of their way just to read a fic about a premise they don't like just to leave hateful comments?

Don't like? Don't read it is that simple.

[on-a-lucky-tide]

Hey, it's the anon who wrote the ask about coercion. Thanks for taking the time and thought to answer! It wasn't about the ao3 censorship debate, but I can see how you'd make the connection. What I really wonder is whether, without calling for removal, it's productive to tell an author "you shouldn't have written this in a way that frames sexual coercion as good, here's why"? And the other half is whether ao3 comments section is the best place/way to make that criticism, because I'm not sure.

This one is a little easier, Anon. The answer is no. This will be my last word on the subject because I’m a witcher blog, not a discourse blog (despite some people’s best bloody efforts, I swear). 

It’s never acceptable (or productive) to tell an author what they should and shouldn’t write. That is censorship. I believe the term that is often thrown around is the “purity police”. 

The back button exists for a reason, the author didn’t ask for constructive criticism and fanfiction isn’t an invitation for a moral lecture. Ever. Particularly since your reading of the story is subjective; my reading of it was very different. 

It also assumes that fully grown adults will lack the critical thinking to separate real life from fiction, and that worries me more than a bit of fictional drunken sex.

By all means, ask for an additional tag. May I recommend ‘dubious consent’ and ‘drunk sex’ (both canonical)? But trying to give a stranger on the internet a moral lecture - particularly over something based on fictional characters that relies very heavily on your own moral perspective and interpretation - is not a good call.

[lynneshobbydomain]

Just to let you know how I deal with people about this, because I’m seeing a lot on my dash and I feel like I need to say something.

If you come onto my blog and you don’t mind the tags, that is on you. If you go to my AO3 and you don’t mind the tags. That is on you. Don’t come to me and try to censor me or my writing. Don’t come to someone else who I adore and love, and tell them to stop writing. Don’t do that.

When we write things that are uncomfortable, or write things that aren’t all that “pure” and “good”, we’re not writing for *you*. Most of us are self-indulgent and we just want to explore a new kink or a new aspect. Just because it gets dark and it gets weird doesn’t mean you get to hurt someone over it. 

If it its tagged, if it’s right there in the fucking tags, it is your responsibility to turn tail and walk out. if you walk into an M rated story, you best to brace yourself. If you walk into a E rated story, you best to brace yourself. Look at the tags or the archive warnings that they give. We’re actually being super nice in doing the tagging for you. We don’t have to fucking tag anything if we don’t want to unless it’s asked of us in the community guidelines. Don’t walk into someone’s home, and trash their decorations because it’s not your fucking choice. 

Don’t leave a comment being abusive and telling us to die.

Don’t leave a comment telling us we’re terrible people because we’re exploring x-y-z.

If it’s fictional and it’s fanfiction, then it’s fine. There was already a ruling on it, I’m not arguing. 

This isn’t discourse this is fucking fact.

You do this, I will report you and block you. I don’t answer. I don’t play around. 

I’m against any and all forms of censorship.

I’m against the cancel-culture.

I’m against whatever the fuck you guys think you’re doing trying to be white knights and hurting people when in fact they aren’t doing anything to you. They never attacked you. They never hurt you. You just read something and got upset and decided to cry about it.

I want content creators to flourish. I want dark and gritty media because sometimes fluff and good times aren’t the type of story I want to read today. 

Meanwhile, may I suggest you guys go into your library and actually read some banned books? Maybe, just maybe, you’ll expand your horizons. 

It’s a dream right? 

Don’t get me started on the poor minors that have to deal with your abuse...