Ao3/OTW/WTF

[yuuago]

I was putting together a short list of links for a friend re: the recent conversations about Ao3's structural problems, but it was getting a little long for a PM on the service we were using, so I copied it over here. Most of you on the FList have already seen these, I think.



General info

Recap/summary of what has happened in the past... two weeks, as of yesterday (May 31):

https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/597086.html?thread=3656906846#cmt3656906846

Synonymous has also summaries of the main points + copypastes from important developments (General/ongoing):

https://synonymous.dreamwidth.org/

Other info:

If you haven't read chestnut_pod's essay (May 20), I recommend doing so - it's partly what caused a lot of the issues to come to the surface. Basically it discusses issues with how racism in particular and harassment in general are handled on Ao3 and how structural issues in the OTW make it harder to implement useful ways to deal with it. The comments lead to the other topics - the abuse of volunteers and negligence re: best practices for protecting volunteers.

https://chestnut-pod.dreamwidth.org/141175.html

Discussion on what to do about this:

Synecdochic (co-owner/founder of Dreamwidth) recommends that Ao3/OTW volunteers quit, because the structural problems can't be fixed. (May 30)

https://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/796944.html

Another suggestion is to send letters to the Board of OTW that Legal should be dissolved and/or the Board should resign. (May 31)

https://muccamukk.dreamwidth.org/1581750.html

Others are suggesting bringing the subject up at public OTW board meetings, asking how they will deal with the current issues. (May 30)

https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/596934.html?thread=3656282310#cmt3656282310

Additional discussion re: upcoming OTW election (several positions are open) and whether it would be possible to run on a platform of reform. (May 31)

https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/596934.html?thread=3656473798#cmt3656473798

I think that's the main issues covered. I might have missed some things under "what to do next", but I think I managed to catch the main suggestions. Part of the problem is that a lot of the issues are solvable, but can't (apparently) be solved under the current Board and Legal teams. By the look of it.

I've also seen a lot of discussion about where to go in terms of other archives (short answer: there isn't any good 1:1 equivalent to Ao3 right now), and some people want to make their own, but that seems to be spitballing; I'm unsure whether any of those projects will get off the ground.