“but AO3 *wants* writers on their platform, writers are providing a service for them, that’s how they get content.”
no, they are PROVIDING you a platform. for your content. as a service to you.
please, please, please learn how the internet works.
the companies that WANT you on the platform are the companies that are SELLING YOU TO ADVERTISERS.
*Facebook* wants you on their platform. *Tumblr* wants you on their platform. *FF.net* wants you on their platform. You are Facebook’s product. Facebook is not a service to you. It is an incentive for you to give them eyes and data to sell. And the second your eyes and data stop being profitable they will toss you under the bus.
That’s why fans made AO3. So we had a space that was ours, that wasn’t profiting off of us, so we wouldn’t get sold out.
Today we announced some big updates to our Community Guidelines and what kind of content is permitted on Tumblr. Adult content will no longer be allowed here. While we do not judge anyone for their desire to post, engage with, or view this stuff, it is time for us to change our relationship with it.
We expect you may have some questions on how this will affect you, and we’re here to make sure those questions get answered.
When does the new policy take effect?
Our new Community Guidelines will go into effect on December 17, 2018.
Newly uploaded content flagged as adult will no longer be allowed on Tumblr. We’ll also begin flagging and removing existing adult content with the ultimate goal of removing as much of it as we can.
What is considered adult content?
Adult content primarily includes photos, videos, or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples, and any content—including photos, videos, GIFs and illustrations—that depicts sex acts.
What is still permitted?
Examples of exceptions that are still permitted are exposed female-presenting nipples in connection with breastfeeding, birth or after-birth moments, and health-related situations, such as post-mastectomy or gender confirmation surgery. Written content such as erotica, nudity related to political or newsworthy speech, and nudity found in art, such as sculptures and illustrations, are also stuff that can be freely posted on Tumblr.
What about Safe Mode?
Our new policy negates the need for Safe Mode so this feature will no longer exist. These new policies are the same regardless of your age. Read more here.
My content was flagged, but I don’t think it should be. What should I do?
If you feel that we have categorized your post incorrectly, you can appeal this decision with the form that was sent to you via email or use the button on the post in question. Please note that this process is only possible to complete on the web or with Tumblr app version 12.2 or higher.
Read more about how to review your content and appeal here.
What goes into classifying content as adult?
This work requires a mix of machine-learning classification and human moderation by our Trust & Safety team—the group of individuals who help moderate Tumblr. We’ve been expanding the team to handle the increased workload, and we will continue to expand as needed.
Computers are better than humans at scaling process—and we need them for that—but they’re not as good at making nuanced, contextual decisions. This is an evolving process for all of us, and we’re committed to getting this right. That’s why when you appeal a post we’ve marked as adult, it gets sent to a real, live human who will look it over with their real, live human eye(s).
Will I see any adult content on Tumblr after December 17, 2018?
Due to the technical challenges that come with moderation at scale you may continue to see some adult content. This is true for all types of content that might be in violation of our guidelines. At any given moment, millions of people are posting to Tumblr. To review everything and to get it right is complex, but we’re committed to continuously improving.
As always, if you see a post with adult content that you don’t want to see, you can report it directly to our Trust & Safety team. Learn about how to report content here.
What will happen to my adult content already on Tumblr?
Starting today, we will begin sending out email notices to members of the Tumblr community whose content has been flagged as adult. This email will provide a link to the post(s) in question and a form to appeal our decision if you think we have made a mistake. Starting on December 17, 2018, any post(s) that have been flagged will be reverted to a private setting viewable only by you. If you want to learn more about how to see those posts, please visit our Help Center.
You can also download the contents of your blog(s) before these policy changes take effect. Find out how here.
What if my blog (not to be confused with posts) was marked as “explicit” before December 17, 2018?
Blogs that have been either self-flagged or flagged by us as “explicit” per our old policy and before December 17, 2018 will still be overlaid with a content filter when viewing these blogs directly. While some of the content on these blogs may now be in violation of our policies and will be actioned accordingly, the blog owners may choose to post content that is within our policies in the future, so we’d like to provide that option. Users under 18 will still not be allowed to click through to see the content of these blogs. The avatars and headers for these blogs will also be reverted to the default settings.
You can check and see if your blog is marked as explicit per our old policy in your visibility settings. If you think your blog has been erroneously marked as explicit, please send an appeal here.
Will I get kicked off of Tumblr if I’ve uploaded adult content in the past?
We’re removing content, not people. However, those who repeatedly and deliberately post new content that violates our updated guidelines may have their account deactivated per our Terms of Service. If you feel you’ve been incorrectly suspended, you can appeal here.
What if I reblogged adult content?
The original poster of the content will be notified of its removal, and it will no longer be on your blog.
What if I have more “What if” questions?
We got you. You can review our updated Community Guidelines right over here. If you still haven’t found an answer to your question, you can ask our support team.
❤ Tumblr
Written content such as erotica, nudity related to political or newsworthy speech, and nudity found in art, such as sculptures and illustrations, are also stuff that can be freely posted on Tumblr.
The best part of being a fanfiction writer is when you make friends with other fanfiction writers, who show you things they’re secretly working on before AO3 gets to read them. And you’re so excitedly happy for them and their beautiful secret project that it actually hurts a little.
I’ve always loved collecting books. I’ve got enough books that my friends make jokes about using stacks of books as furniture – not true, but close enough. But there is one type of book that I’ve never been able to get my hands on: fanfiction and other independently written, underground work. Especially work with queer themes and/or erotica.
It’s frustrating that fanfiction isn’t generally publishable or sellable. It’s a shame that creators could spend months or years laboring over a phenomenal piece of work and never see a dime for it, never see it in print. So I finally hit on an idea, an attempt to thank the authors of these wonderful underground works, without wandering into legality issues. I decided to learn how to make books. These books are not for sale and are gifts to the authors.
So I have been working on this for a couple of months and here are the first results. These are the very first books I have bound.
Step 1. Making bookbinding tools. I realized very quickly that I needed a sewing frame and a book press. If I were to order these things I would have spent anywhere from $150 – $500. Luckily my family likes to make things. So I enlisted my dad to help me make some simple tools. cost: $30 in materials and an afternoon.
Step 2. Typesetting. Microsoft Word lets you print in “booklet” form, which allows you to create signatures from folded 8.5×11" paper. Each book takes a half to a full day to format.
Step 3. Printing. I am lucky enough to have a robust color laser printer at my disposal. Lightweight 20lb bond / 75gsm copy paper is what I used. This isn’t ideal for books, but it’s inexpensive, easy to procure, and doesn’t choke the laster printer. Perhaps in the future I can do an edition on super thin Bible paper, if I can find a printer that will print on it.
Step 4. Folding, Punching. Perhaps the most tedious part: Every sheet of paper must be folded individually. Then you assemble the signatures and use an awl to punch holes for sewing. Flyboys was 888 pages, which means 222 sheets of paper to fold.
Step 5. Sewing the text block. Now it’s time for tool #1, the sewing frame. This worked exactly as designed, holding the linen tapes steady while I sewed around them. A brick in a rag serves as a weight to hold the text block down while sewing.
Step 5. Gluing. Once the text block is sewn, I glue the end papers to both sides. Then it goes into tool #2, the press, with the spine edge poking out. I glue the signatures together, then apply the headbands and mull as further reinforcement. I leave the book in the press overnight.
Step 6. Making the Case. The case or cover. I’m making half-bound cases, which means there is fabric on the spine, but the boards are covered in decorative paper.
For Flyboys, I went with a “Hux’s hair and verdigris” theme of green cloth, copper printed paper and copper endpapers.
For Bad Things, I wanted murderous blood spatters. I ended up with black cloth, black and red marbled paper and red metallic endpapers.
Step 7. Assembly. The most nerve-wracking step. This is where you glue the block to the case. One shot deal. If you do it crooked, the book is crooked forever. YIKES! After you glue it, you put it in the press overnight again.
Step 8. Ex Libris. I have a few old ex libris labels with Aubrey Beardsley art, I think that’s an appropriate choice to pair with the queer and sexy, so I am adding them inside the front endpapers in the traditional spot. An ex libris label is a traditional way to signify who the book belongs to.
Step 9. Make author squeal with glee. My favorite step.
Again, these books are NOT FOR SALE.
Gods, it’s been an age since I did any bookbinding. It’s SO good to see somebody writing about doing a good job of it.
There’s a great book which I originally got from the library. I bought a copy by the time I returned it and left something extra for the next person who’d borrow it. I’d applied the techniques to a single signature booklet of instructions, of my own devising, for making a sewing frame.
Bind MY fics, friend!
Saving this for when I retire and can afford to bind the WOF books this way.
If your fic is 1000 words long, you can’t tag it slow burn. It’s not slow burn. That is a matchstick. And this is my personal bias here but if those motherfuckers you’re writing experience significant forward momentum in their relationship in under 5k words, then that is just a regular old burn. Slow burn should be borderline intolerable and a mistake to start reading at 2 in the morning.
If the fic doesn’t have multiple scenes where two people almost kiss but then don’t because of a contrived interruption that they are both grateful for and angry about, until the desperate reader is forced every other paragraph to mutter, “this is fucking ridiculous, this is bullshit, I’m so fucking mad, please update sooooooooooon,” then it isn’t a slow burn. It is a romance and that is a lovely thing but. Slow burns should feel like being set on fire unto your death but the tinder is people not kissing and the spark is people who don’t admit they love each other and the whole thing is. You know. Slow.
CORRECT
I once read a slow burn where the main pairing didn’t even speak to each other ontil 80k words in
This is the funniest fucking thing I’ve ever read and the only true slow burn fic
You know what I don’t get? When fanfic authors apologize for long chapters. It’s like? You gave me bonus content, for free, and you’re sorry about it? Bruh. I have already named my firstborn after you. Dude.
You know what else I don’t get? When they apologize for short updates. It’s like: look at these new words I gave you! Sorry I didn’t give you even more free words. Bro, that’s at least two words that I did not have yesterday. For free. Dude. Thank you.
And another thing: when people drop out of nowhere with a surprise update and then apologize for it taking a while. Like, dude, I wasn’t expecting anything, and you gave me words. I thought this fic was abandoned, but wait: there’s more. You just popped in and reminded me that this is a Good Fic that I should probably reread. You made my goshdarn day.
Basically fanfic writers are under no obligation to publish anything so when they do update it’s always a net positive because the story is longer now, and I have something to read, so thank you so much to everyone who writes fic at whatever pace or quantity they want.
Explain to me how I can BOTH agree wholeheartedly with this a a reader…
Becoming re-obsessed with fandoms/ships/character is the best feeling in the world, it feels like coming home, you’re like oh yeah this is why i loved you so much
Zynn's Exodus 