Trains in Anime (and other random opinions)

Heartfixer 💜️

To start, we can reference this section of the TOS FAQ.

To report something on AO3, you need an email address and a link to the page you’re reporting. Then you fill out the Policy Questions and Abuse Reports form, which appears in the footer on every page of the website. You do not need an account to fill out the form.

The form asks you for both a description of the content you’re reporting and a shorter summary line. The Policy and Abuse team uses the summary lines to sort reports as they come in, so using clear, relevant keywords matters. You might say “Placeholder,” “Spam comment,” or “Harassment,” depending on what you’re seeing. The form also asks you to select a language. This is the language the Policy and Abuse team will use when they update you on their ticket. They currently have the capabilities to respond in thirty-three languages.

Once a page has been reported, duplicate reports will not be logged. That’s how AO3 safeguards both their authors and their volunteers from the burden of handling mass reporting campaigns. See what happens when I try to file a second report on a placeholder work I know has a report already pending.

The above system demonstrates why report brigading is unlikely to be a problem, but how does AO3 handle reports themselves? Luckily, the FAQ above has a detailed answer for that.

Because the Policy and Abuse team is small and made up of volunteers, they prioritize urgent matters. Anecdotally, my reports of placeholder works often take a few weeks or months to resolve, but on the rare occasion that I’ve needed to report something serious like doxxing, the matter has always been settled within the hour. This is another reason why it’s important to give your reports clear titles. If it’s urgent, no one wants it to slip through the cracks.

If your work has been reported, AO3 will only contact you if they find you in violation of the terms of service. This section talks about what that would look like. You’re never going to lose access to things without warning. If your work is ever deleted for violating the TOS, AO3 will email you a copy of it along with an explanation of why it was taken down.

Here is what the FAQ has to say about reported content that does not violate the TOS: “If we receive a report about something that isn't a violation, we will let the reporter know and close the report. If someone attempts to abuse our reporting system, such as by intentionally submitting baseless complaints, we may consider that harassment and take appropriate action.”

I may act normal but the thought of Ladybug being the Guardian haunts me.

I think a lot of people misunderstand why enemies to lovers is so popular. It’s quickly become one of the most pervasive tropes in many novels. Is it the banter, the tension? That’s definitely part of it. But if that were true, then friends-to-lovers and literally any romance with good dialogue and characterization would scratch the same itch. For some, it does, but for many…enemies-to-lovers just hits different. 

My theory is that it isn’t actually about love, not really. I think it fulfils a fantasy that no other trope can provide: the fantasy of being seen as an equal. 

Think about what specifically makes someone an enemy in fiction. It’s not just someone the MC dislikes, it’s someone who can affect them in tangible ways, maybe even have the power to ruin them, challenge their worldview, expose their weaknesses, etc. The relationship begins with conflict because the characters are fundamentally opposed in some way. It doesn’t matter why, but they’re fighting. There is a struggle for dominance. 

I would argue that the most impactful enemies-to-lovers moments are never the romantic moments, they’re the scenes where power shifts. They BOTH lose: they’re forced into a position that would have horrified them at the beginning of the story. They end up needing (or wanting) each other. 

That’s why I think people are often disappointed when a supposed enemies-to-lovers story turns out to be a milquetoast attempt where they’re just kinda mean to each other for a few pages, and then immediately start making out. Where’s the risk, the actual threat? If the characters aren’t capable of genuinely affecting one another, then the relationship isn’t actually transforming in a satisfying way. The appeal is in the fact that they have power over each other, because the eventual trust they build requires real surrender.

Because here’s the thing about enemies; they pay attention, and usually more attention than anyone else. They notice weaknesses because they’re actively looking for them, they notice strengths because they need to account for them. They notice habits, blind spots, ambitions, fears. 

They study the MC with a level of scrutiny that borders (and later crosses) intimate, but unlike friends (or supporting characters in the MC’s corner) they’re not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, they don’t overlook flaws out of affection. Which is exactly what makes the eventual romance so satisfying. It feels earned. 

It’s easy to imagine being loved by someone who sees the best version of you, but it’s an entirely different thing to be loved by someone who has seen you at your worst. That’s why this dynamic often feels more convincing than romances where the characters are immediately into each other.

I imagine there are many who go through life feeling misunderstood, or worse, that the people who love them only love the polished, perfect version they present to the world, almost like impostor syndrome. But what if there was someone who couldn’t be fooled by this carefully constructed image? 

When someone more powerful chooses someone, maybe the fantasy is protection. When it’s someone less powerful, the fantasy might be admiration. But if there’s someone intelligent and observant enough to see the MC as an equal, the fantasy there is the most intense and honest validation. 

Alya saying Adrien deserves to know the truth when she first found out about the secret in season 6

Alya standing up for Adrien and advocating for him to get therapy in Wreckless Driver

Because how are you preaching about not harassing ao3 authors for their fanfics or in general, but in the same breath make fun of wattpad authors??

“They are going to report the fanfics!!” Buddy, the fanfics are going to be fine as long as they don’t violate the sites rules… the reports are not gonna do anything…

Also, if you’re worried about them not making good fanfics, you’re part of the problem!! Fanfics are for fun, they are not meant to be good literature… if you want good literature, pick up an actual book!!

“But they are going to start posting 500 word fanfics…” follow your own damn rule… don’t like, don’t read. MOVE ON!!

ao3 doesn't have an app because for it to have an app, appstore will have to approve it first. and if, hypothetically, ao3 needs appstore to approve it, it will also have to abide by appstore's pro-censorship stance and start banning dark and taboo fics, which is against its own core principle of being completely against censorship.

ao3 doesn't need an app. it works more than fine without an app. the reason ao3 can allow dark and taboo fics, the reason it can allow the most disgusting and shockingly vile fics, and be completely against censorship is because it doesn't need appstore's approval. it stands on its own as a non-profit organization with functioning site and a team of lawyers protecting its platform, its users, and every single fanwork on its platform.

everybody say thank you ao3

This has nothing to do with content or writing ability and everything to do with Tumblr, which is just an objectively terrible site for this purpose:

There is no proper way to sign up for story updates other than following everything a user does or begging them to tag you in the update.

The comment system only recently became usable

There is no standard metadata format; you can’t e.g. filter by word count

Finding specific fanfics is difficult due to inconsistent tagging

There is no real bookmark system

If you use the mobile app you can’t open stories in a new tab

now genderbend them

(sorry for the quality difference between these drawings, i drew lady Rev months ago and only just drew fem Evie)