( No Title )
➡️ Content warnings on fiction are a courtesy.
➡️ Not every medium of fiction and storytelling has or is expected to have content warnings or extensive tagging.
➡️ Print novels do not traditionally warn for content in any way.
➡️ Until AO3 came along, fanfiction did not traditionally warn for content in any significant way.
➡️ An author is only obligated to warn for content to the degree mandated by the format they publish their fiction on.
➡️ Content warnings beyond the minimum are a courtesy, not an obligation.
➡️ ‘Creator chose not to warn’ is a valid tag that authors are allowed to use on AO3. It means there could be anything in there and you have accepted the risk. ‘May contain peanuts!’
➡️ Writers are allowed to use ‘Creator chose not to warn’ for any reason, including to maintain surprise and avoid spoilers.
➡️ ‘Creator chose not to warn’ is not the same thing as ‘no archive warnings apply’.
➡️ It is your responsibility to protect yourself and close a book, or hit the back button if you find something in fiction that you’re reading that upsets you.
➡️ You are responsible for protecting yourself from fiction that causes you discomfort.
Specifically, in the context of AO3, “chose not to warn” is “chose not to use ARCHIVE warnings” and it explicitly means “the author opted out of warning if there is or is not any of the Major Warning content (Underage (under 18 specifically, relevant to those places with higher/lower ages of consent), Graphic Depictions of Violence, Non-Con/Rape, and/or Major Character Death). It doesn’t mean “there could be any amount of upsetting content that isn’t covered by the Major Warnings”, it explicitly means “there may or may not be content from these 4 specific categories however the author has opted to leave which, if any, a mystery so enter at your own risk”
It’s basically the Major Warning version of “Not Rated”, which is opting outbof the rating system.
Discussion ¬