Question to those leaving the AO3: Your plans for future exchanges, fests, etc?

[brightknightie]

I will be voting in the upcoming OTW election. I've never voted in one of these before. I've almost always been eligible, because I've almost always been lucky enough to be able to donate each year (marked in memory of Abby, tv_elf). But I was a poor fannish citizen and trusted blithely that people who know much more about it than I do would keep it running well for all our good. I would never neglect my vote for government that way; I should have behaved better for fandom.

That said, I am not at this time considering abandoning use of the AO3, though of course I've observed that some of you are doing so. If you feel it's something I should consider for myself, that I would do it if I better understood the situation, please do help me understand better. I'm overwhelmed by it all after having paid no attention in years past. I really hope that people better informed and equipped than me will be able to ensure efficient, sustainable operations in line with all our values.

That said, I am wondering:
Those of you who are ceasing to use the AO3, I presume that you will still post about your own new works here on DW, so that I can still learn of them that way. What are your plans for future exchanges, fests, ficathons, etc.? Are you planning to participate only if they run elsewhere than the AO3? If you run any yourself, are you planning to run them here on DW as we used to run them on LJ and DW before the AO3? Are you planning to run them in decentralized ways, where everyone posts wherever she likes best and you have a central link list?

Thanks!

Addendum, 6:58pm: If this is news to you, celli recommends this post by umadoshi and kalloway recommends synonymous.

Comments

[pj1228]

Did I miss something? I'm afraid I have no clue what this is about. Is there something amiss with the AO3 archive?

[kalloway]

Over the last couple of months, there have been multiple conversations occurring regarding the treatment of volunteers within the OTW, the parent organization of AO3, as well as other structural faults.

I'd recommend beginning with synonymous, which is a thorough documentation of multiple issues including ongoing racist abuse of volunteers, mishandling of CSEM/CSAM and volunteer abuse, and some other issues.

[pj1228]

Thank you for the update and link.

[kalloway]

(Sorry, busy week.)

You're welcome. I know it's kind of A Lot to find out about all at once. The archive itself is mostly fine - behind the scenes with the people is the mess.

[brightknightie]

I'm not an expert by any means, and I defer to kalloway's recommendation, above. The synonymous account is also recommended in a post that celli recommended today, this post here recommending links to useful summaries of the situation.

Yet, for what it's worth, I might briefly summarize my own understanding for you in this way:

A couple of years ago, the board of directors of the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), which is the non-profit organization that maintains the AO3, agreed to implement certain measures, including anti-discrimination measures, within a certain time period, and has not done so. Accusations of racism against volunteers, of mishandling materials that could be connected to harming children, and of other problems, have continued to arise and, I'm told, are well documented.

Because I donate money to support the archive through the OTW, I am eligible to vote for the board of directors.

Some people are so fed up with the poor behavior of the current and past OTW board members that they are ceasing to use the AO3 and advocating for a return to individual, fandom-specific archives, though of course modern ones where people can put up and take down their own stories at will, not the old kind that put you at the mercy of an archivist who may not honor your request to take things down.

[pj1228]

Thank you for the explanations and links.