I feel the need for a poll...

If I've got the settings correct, this poll should be completely anonymous. Not even I can see how you voted. Be honest?

Poll #21640 What Would You Do? Or Want To Do?

This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 31

Someone leaves you a comment on a fic on AO3 asking you to add a specific tag. You feel you've tagged appropriately including rating, Choose Not To Warn, and pairing. What do you do?

Apologize and add the tag.
2 (6.7%)

Add the tag.
4 (13.3%)

Note that adding the tag should get more hits and add the tag.
8 (26.7%)

"Choose Not To Warn"
11 (36.7%)

Delete the comment and go about your day.
5 (16.7%)

Oh, but they've left the comment anonymously as "The Tag Police." What do you do?

Add the tag.
2 (6.5%)

"Fuck the police."
10 (32.3%)

"Choose Not To Warn"
6 (19.4%)

Delete the comment and go about your day.
7 (22.6%)

Note that adding the tag should indeed get you more hits...
6 (19.4%)

Yeah but this is a completely anonymous poll. What do you WANT to do?

Add the tag.
2 (6.7%)

"Fuck the police."
20 (66.7%)

"Choose Not To Warn"
16 (53.3%)

Delete the comment...
12 (40.0%)

Note that adding the tag...
3 (10.0%)

Reply as "The Comprehension Police"
9 (30.0%)

Write a bunch more similar fic and post it sans that tag.
12 (40.0%)

Most or all of the above.
5 (16.7%)

Something else?
5 (16.7%)

Tickey Boxes.
17 (56.7%)

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Posted by

taichara

The best of all worlds is a nice hearty selection of fuck you responses, sent with a mighty middle finger, and then delete both comment and your response.

If the fucker used a valid email, they'll see your response, and in the meantime you aren't giving them a platform for their bullshit on your fic.

Also post more fic.

Posted by

kalloway

A good option! I mean, I leave the funny ones, like the one sliding in to let me know that Marth and Lucina are related in case I'd somehow missed that... but the literal policing can just fuck off.

And posting more fic. ~~I see I need an icon?~~

Posted by

taichara

Pretty much, yup. Double for when what they want ~tagged~ is already clearly fucking marked anyway.

Also yup. ~~one of these icons or a new one?~~

Posted by

kalloway

That's sort of the kicker, innit? And it's semi-canonical at that.

~~of the characters in question, if I can round something up~ or at least Lachesis looking stabby~~

Posted by

taichara

Yeeeeep ~ So semi-canonical the creators will not ever let it drop.

~~Oosawa's right over there, me son ~~~~

Posted by

tehexile

It depends how sensible the tag idea they're proposing.

Posted by

kalloway

Fair. I feel that the way its presented is also important though.

Posted by

rionaleonhart

It'd probably depend on the tag!

The example that comes to mind: if I write about a sixteen-year-old in a sexual situation, I'll tag the fic with 'chose not to warn' because sixteen is the age of consent in my country, so it would feel weird to tag it as underage. If someone asked me to add the 'underage' tag, I think I'd explain my reasoning, but I might put in an additional tag to make the situation clearer - e.g. 'nb sexual content' (if the pairing tag makes it clear that a sixteen-year-old is involved) or 'takes place when [character X] is sixteen'.

Posted by

kalloway

I think that's the kind of note I'd put in at the bottom of the summary, as compared to in the tags. But for anything like that with 'anime teenagers' or whatever, I used CNTW instead of Underage because most of the time they're treated as adults by the canon.

Posted by

chacusha

Is the tag something I think is appropriate to the story? If so, I'd probably thank the person for suggesting the tag and add it (I wouldn't apologize). (The anonymity + "Tag Police" moniker is weird and makes me wonder what their intentions are, but I would probably shrug it off as someone being socially awkward. If their comment came off as downright rude, I would comment on that -- give them feedback e.g. "Just so you know, it's a bit rude to do..." or "Just so you know, authors might be more receptive to this kind of feedback if you did... in the future")

If the tag is something I think is inappropriate to the story, I would say I'm not going to add it and the reason why. Or maybe just delete the comment without reply if it seemed like the person wasn't looking for a conversation and wouldn't be interested in my reasoning.

Edited on 2019-03-22 01:30 pm (UTC)

Posted by

kalloway

For the exact situation that prompted this, it was very obvious the person was policing that fandom section for anything they could complain about; my example is actually a more polite version.

Posted by

glinda

I would like to...reply in an equally passive agressive tone, that if they'd just asked you'd have happily have added the tag (as noted it should in fact get you more hits...) but because they've decided to play silly buggers you will merely refer them to the 'choose not to warn' and wish them good day....

Posted by

kalloway

That is basically how I feel and how I respond to less-pointed bits of stupid when they show up in my inbox.

Posted by

redsixwing

If the tag makes sense, add the tag.

Depending on how snotty the comment was, consider thanking the Tag Police for helping me better advertise my fic.

F the Police.

Posted by

kalloway

*sporfles*

For the actual work that inspired the poll, it was a tag I'd considered but then decided against, because I felt the other tags were enough. It wouldn't hurt anything to add it, and indeed possibly be good advertising, except now I'm just annoyed and feeling petty.

Posted by

redsixwing

Eh, that's fair. Reading some of the other comments here, what you saw would've annoyed me, too.

...which means I might be inclined just to dial the sappy-sweet why THANK you for the POLITE SUGGESTION you sure are HELPFUL getting more EYES ON MY FIC just..way up.

Posted by

redsixwing

For extra points, don't add the tag anyway.

Posted by

kalloway

Oh trust me. Anything I write for that pairing isn't getting the tag, ever. EVER.

Posted by

redsixwing

where is my like button

Posted by

razielim

The way I see it, once I hit that "Chose Not To Warn" warning, all bets are off and anon can go take a hike. If I'd used any other archive warning, and ESPECIALLY "No Archive Warnings Apply" THEN I might be on the hook for people requesting particular tags, regardless of the requester's tone.

That said, I also hate people being emotionally manipulative, so if they're being gross with their stupid account name, I'd probably tear them a new one for that as a separate issue, even if I politely add the tag without a fight. As far as I'm concerned, passive aggressiveness develops in people who are scared of real confrontation, having thus far been able to successfully bully people AND avoid fights. Nothing like a healthy dose of REAL aggression to cure them of that.
//only HALF serious, but also maniacally laughing

Posted by

kalloway

I completely agree with that first paragraph. Which is why I'm glad CNTW is there and a viable option.

And yeah, there are better ways of asking, especially for a tag on a work specifically using CNTW.

Posted by

justbolts

I'd probably just add the tag, unless it was for something fanon based or a questionable reading of canon (ie "these characters call each other 'brother', please tag for incest").

If the comment was snooty or passive aggressive about it, I'd probably delete it and leave my own comment saying "I've added [tag] by request".

Posted by

malurette

I'd say it depends on what tag they want to see added, but in the end... "Choose Not To Warn" is a warning for potentially everything so there it is.

Posted by

justbolts

Good point! There is a level of either being deliberately obtuse or not doing one's due diligence when asking for a tag on a "Choose Not to Warn" fic.

It'd still depend on the tag itself for me, though. Mainly because tags don't just cover 'warnings', but also categories of fic.

Posted by

zaliachimera

You've already tagged it as 'Chose not to warn'. Anything after that is their own fault and you have no obligation to do anything. Especially with a name like 'The Tag Police' they sound like passive-aggressive antis and screw them

Posted by

dylan_mx

This ^

Posted by

lebateleur

Ditto. As someone who prefers to know very little about a story before I dive in, even in situations where there's a high likelihood the plot will contain elements I personally find very challenging, I would hate for mandatory tagging to become the norm despite the existence of 'Chose not to warn.'

Posted by

kalloway

This is basically how I feel, and that if I click on something marked Chose Not to Warn, then I might bump into an element I dislike and that is what the back button is for.

Posted by

kalloway

Pretty much. I figure a rating, CNTW, and pairing/characters is enough for someone to make an informed decision on and yeah, definitely someone just policing the section who needs a better hobby.

Posted by

torachan

All my fic is choose not to warn, regardless of content, and has very little in the way of additional tags. I'm never going to add a suggested tag because I am just not into tagging. It's not even just fic. I only use basic tags on my journal, and I never use hashtags on instagram or twitter. That sort of categorization is just not how I do things and it makes it stressful to try and think of what tags would be applicable.

I probably wouldn't delete the comment, though, because I don't usually bother deleting comments on my fic, even if they are annoying.

Posted by

kalloway

I am not much of an additional tagger, with few exceptions (things notably pre/post-canon, drabbles, and for a couple fandoms with high body counts, 'everybody lives'), and I'm glad other people are too. Tag walls tend to spoil the story more than promote it, to me. I don't need or want every beat broken down like that.

I generally don't delete, unless it's actual harassment (which I've gotten, and even then I'll leave til Abuse has seen it). I've left up some truly stupid howlers, though.

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