i think there's something to be said about the decrease in comments being left on fics in tandem with the "contentization". i remember when fics used to be seen as something you wrote and posted because you wanted to explore the characters/world/universe, and wanted to share it with others who might find it as interesting as you do. posting fics meant comments, which meant connection with your audience, with the people in the community. yes, even back then, you'd get the "more pls" comments, but that was still a sign of community, even if it did feel demand-y. "i like what you wrote so much that i'd like more, i want more of you in my community" is, essentially, how that felt. hate comments hurt because not only did someone hate something you wrote, but it also felt like "you do not belong in my community, i dont want you here." comments allowed conversation, connection, to others within a fandom/community, and they still do, but they have been left less and less over the years, because it's slowly become something you consume, not something you interact with. i used one the analogy that people are now treating ao3 and fics like goodreads--read it, bookmarked it, liked it, moved on. looking at the stats for my fics, occasionally, makes me mournful. a fic will have 100 bookmarks, most private, and have maybe... 10 comments. and then you're just left wondering: did they like the fic? did they think it was okay? is this something they really enjoyed, or did they find it mediocre? do they reread this, or was this a fun one and done? and you'll never know, because to them, its just like another book on the shelf at the bookstore. there's no engagement with the creator, no thanks for taking the time to write something at all (for free!) because its expected at this point. you will write and you will post and you will get kudos and private bookmarks and you will like it.
ellievsbear
origamiaround
stormborns
snowghoul
tangentwithtanner
