Capstone Post: That OTW Thing

edit 9/19/25: hey, so, given the fact that all my work is on AO3, and also the fact that this was published like...over a decade ago, this is not where i currently stand on AO3 and even the OTW in general. i'm a big believer in the idea of transformative works and the importance of them (and us creators) being able to exist in peace without the threat of legal action hanging over our heads more than it already always is.

the fannish landscape is very different now than it was then, in many ways, and my relationship with fandom and fan works even more so. i think, especially in today's world, it's kind of...wild to think that you can seriously "control" or dictate how fans can and should interact with your work, and that part of releasing that work into the world is coming to terms with the fact that once it's out there, it's out there. you have to let go of the idea that you can still really control the narrative around it, especially in regards to how people react and respond to it. you can try and influence it, but it's not solely in your hands any more. that's one of the points of publicly releasing something to begin with—you want others to experience it.

i suppose there's a conversation about respecting a creator's wishes, which is mostly what i was on about back in the early 2010s when i was taking the stance i took then. but also...if you don't really like fanfiction/fan art/whatever of your work, just let people know you don't want to interact with that content and move on. trying to actively keep people from even creating that stuff in the first place feels like a fool's errand, even putting aside what it says about how you view and respect your fans.

i'm leaving this post public for a variety of reasons, but i did want to make that clear for anyone who might be paging back through this journal's archive. this is a reflection of my views when it was originally written and posted, not now.

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If anyone remembers that big OTW thing that happened a few months back, I've been thinking about it. I'm not exactly happy with what I was trying to say or how I said it, and so I'm doing this wrap-up post, because I'm tired of thinking about the myriad ways I screwed up while trying to make my points and respond to other points.

TL;DR breakdown:

1. I know the OTW isn't out to get anyone.

2. I didn't completely do my research and, as a result, said stuff that was completely wrong about the OTW--namely, that they're trying to speak for everyone. I was incorrect, and I made a mistake by not being 100% sure of the things I was saying.

3. I don't have it out for the OTW or people that support them/share their beliefs. At all.

4. My big issue with the OTW is mostly that if I get a take down notice, I want to listen to it. They don't. Hence, why I don't want my work up on AO3.

5. I don't expect other people to react to take down notices the same way.

6. I wish I hadn't started talking about legal arguments and all that stuff, because I know jackall about it and it probably just made my ultimate point--see #4--a lot muddier. You can't take back stuff on the internet, but wow, if you could, I'd probably nuke most of that stuff off the face of the earth and come back with something that was more consistent.

The detailed post is below the cut.

( 1. I know the OTW is not out to get anyone. )