Not a real doctor. Definitely a real Geoduck.

So, the way that fandoms work on ArchiveOfOurOwn is that if there are multiple different continuities of a particular fandom, each of those continuities is given a separate fandom tag. Which is useful for fandoms where there are significant differences between continuities. This is particularly useful in American comics, where the various incarnations of Batman can be wildly different from each other. For instance, someone looking for a fanfic about the gritty dystopian 1980s Frank Miller Batman might not be too keen about a fic based on the 1960s Adam West TV Batman. They are tonally very different creatures.

In the fandom I've posted in most, Fruits Basket, there are three tags: Fruits Basket (manga), Fruits Basket (2019 anime), and Fruits Basket (2001 anime). Now the thing about Fruits Basket is that, relatively speaking, the two anime adaptations don't really diverge much at all from the original manga. And in my 20+ years in the fandom, I've never heard anyone complain ever about a fanfic being based on the anime--whereas they were looking for one based on the manga.

But there are the three fandom tags. And because there are three fandom tags, it is literally impossible to do a search of all Fruits Basket stories on Ao3 without doing multiple search. "Or" searches are not a thing, it's "And" only. At time of writing, there are 4035 Fruits Basket stories: I figured that out by searching all "Fruits Basket (manga)", then searching all "Fruits Basket (2019 Anime)" but excluding "Fruits Basket (Manga)", then finally searching "Fruits Basket (2001 Anime)" but excluding both of the other tags. Using the main manga tag would bring back over 90% of the stories, but it would exclude 263 stories that lacked it.

Additionally, it makes the "exclude crossovers" practically useless: if I exclude crossovers on Fruits Basket manga, it excludes all of the Anime-tagged stories, even if they weren't crossed over with any non-FB fandoms.

So, if I try to improve the odds of people looking for FB stories to find mine by using all three tags, anyone who excludes crossovers (as I frequently do myself) will never find it.

By having three fandom tags, Ao3 has fixed a non-existent problem, but caused many others in its stead. I'd almost be tempted to run for the OTW board on a platform of tag reform--though in comparison to other things that the OTW does, tags being crappy is extremely small potatoes.

I'm never going to create any of them... Mostly because they're half-baked at best. But: anyone is welcome to use/adapt any of these ideas (a credit and telling me where it's posted would be nice).

Concept: an isekai story where, after getting hit by the inevitable truck, the protagonist gets turned into a truck. He gets to return to his old life as soon as he isekais 7 other people. But he was sent to a world with excellent traffic safety, so it won't be easy.

Concept: an asexual incubus who makes people lust for garlic bread.

Concept: a fanfiction podcast titled "The Shipping Forecast."

Concept: a retelling of Don Quixote, but where the title character is a chuunibyou high school student.

I am saddened to see that the great Ewa Podleś has passed away. She was one of the great contraltos of all time, combining richness of tone with those stong low notes, along with the dexterity to handle the Italian bel canto repertory with seeming ease. She was born to play the great trousers roles of Rossini.

I was privileged to see and hear her perform live in Seattle on a number of occasions (I would not be shocked if she'd performed in Seattle more often than any other American city). She was always magnificent.

Peter Schickele, one of the greatest musical comedians of our time has passed away, age 88.

Through his alter ego of "Professor Peter Schickele", he rediscovered the music of J.S. Bach's last and least child, otherwise erased by history, PDQ Bach (1807-1742?)