thinking about that post of people assuming ao3 has an algorithm and also about how bonkers persistent the view is that ao3 is social media lite. like with startling regularity I get comments saying something along the lines of "it's probably weird to comment on a fic this old--" no it isn't!!!! this is an archive I am literally just assuming you searched for a selection of specific tags or sorted by kudos or looked back on my pseud or any other number of completely normal ways to use an archive site ?? kill the tiktok ghost in your brain and comment on old stuff it's NOT weird
EVERY SINGLE DAY there are MILLIONS of characters in their late 20s who get falsely accused of being father figures to teenagers when in reality the description of "weird older cousin" or "step-sibling that moved out before you were born" is 1000000x more apt
Far worse, in my opinion, than the famous “he wouldn’t fucking say that” is “he WOULD fucking say that, as part of his facade, but you seem to think he would mean it genuinely”
It's not cringe anymore (it SHOULDN'T be cringe anymore), just do it. You're doing something you enjoy, who cares what anybody else says! So spread the words my fellow internet brethren.
"youve already written that trope" yesss. i like it a lots. i will be writing it again. 1000 stories of the same trope over and over again for ten million years
No "show results", if you're not a fanfic writer just be patient.
I saw a post about an anon saying it was embarrasing to have an ao3 account in your 30s (it's absolutely not), so I want to do a poll and see what the age range actually is.
Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. HOLY SHIT. it’s ended. that’s it. the end. oh my mother fucking gods. wow. that was one hell of a ride. i’m in a sort of anesthetic world rn where it hasn’t hit me that this is the end but at the same time im also crying while typing this because WOW i have so many emotions rn but one thing i can say for sure is that zep is fucking brilliant and they’re amazing for giving us such an emotional and beautiful story like i’m just wow. i think it’s hit me now. i’m ranting now. SIRUS AND REMUS MAKING OUT WHILE SIRIUS IS IN A DRESS OMG I LOVE THEM LMAO. AND THEN SIRIUS IMMEDIATELY DROPPING EVERYONE FOR REGULUS ONCE JAMES CALLS HIM OH MY BABIES THEYRE SO AHH 😭 ZEP IS SO REAL FOR GETTING ATTACHED TO BROTHERS LIKE THEY LITERALLY OWN MY HEART. AND THEN THEM SITTING THERE TALKING AND REGULUS FUCKING THANKS SIRIUS FOR VOLUNTEERING FOR HIM AND HOLY SHIT THAT WAS LIKE YES YOU GO BABES OH IM SO PROUD OF THEM. THEYRE BROTHERS. AND I REMEMBER WHEN REGULUS WAS ABOUT SIRIUS LIKE “His older brother. Always his older brother”. AND THIS TIME IT WAS SIRIUS SAYING IT ABOUT REG “His little brother. Always his little brother” AND OH BROTHERS 😭🫶. and then james. JAMES POTTER THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. HE LET THE HORCRUX HORNET GO AND VANITY AND OH HES GROWING JUST LIKE REG AND THEYRE DOING IT TOGETHER TOO AND THEN THE KIDS OMG THEIR KIDS!!! Malcom, Marcel, Florimel, and Aster!!! THEYRE SO SWEET I LOVE THEM 😭 AND THEY MADE A SNOWMAN AND REGULUS PUT THE HAT ON IT OH THE HAT!!!! and then Evan…yea that’s where i started crying literally wasn’t even sad to me it was just the fact that it was Evan… OH REGULUS IS GROWING AND EVAN IN HIS DREAMS ACTUALLY REPRESENTING REGULUS’ HOPE FOR THE FUTURE AND HIMSELF AND HIM CLIMBING AND HE DID IT AND HE WOKE UP AND HES JUST SO HAPPY AHHH THEY MEAN SO MUCH TO ME OMG IM GONNA HAVE TO READ THIS ALL OVER AGAIN ARENT I? IM LITERALLY NEVER GONNA LET THEM GO THIS FIC CHANGED MY LIFE AND IM ALWAYS GONNA COME BACK TO IT HOLY SHIT THIS IS JUST😭❤️
Ao3 is actually massively culturally important and very very good at being what it is. I’m so serious when I say that ao3 needs to be protected as the anti censorship, by fans for fans, nonprofit, volunteer run, expertly designed archival site that it is. You don’t have to read or like fanfiction to understand that on principle, ao3 is a site that should be defended.
Please, for the love of god, please don’t be this person. No matter how long it’s been since an update, no matter how many unfinished stories are sitting on their account, no matter what - do not be this person.
Not only is it insanely rude, but you also do more damage than you think be being such a self-entitled ass about something someone created for free and for fun. “This author” can see what you say.