the passing down of fandom history

[memorizingthedigitsofpi]

I've got a tiktok account where I post videos about how to use AO3. It helps people who are new to the site learn how to navigate and search/filter etc. and I also get to teach people who've been around for a while some new tricks they might not otherwise know. 

Yesterday, I someone asked about the Citrus Scale, so I posted about that. Which lead to posting about the FFN purges of 2002 and 2012. Which led to posting a brief and incomplete timeline of fandom purges. 

And somewhere in there, someone left a comment that said, "Wow. I hope AO3 never purges adult content."

And that's when I realized that so many people who are either new to fandom or new to AO3 have no idea how it came to exist or why it is the way it is. 

So I guess I'll add that to my list of things to make videos about? 

Brainstorm time: what do you wish your fellow fans knew about? What are cool tags or tropes or traditions or history that you think would be interesting to share? 

Comments

[mistressofmuses]

Man, it always kind of strikes me as *wild* that so many people have no idea where AO3 came from, and why we have it.

Fandom history is such an interesting thing, but I have a hard time ever remembering all the interesting bits until someone asks a question or mentions something that jogs the thoughts.

I admit to still being fond of a lot of older fandom slang. Plot bunnies, the citrus scale, YKINMKATO ("kink tomato")...
Some of the big fandom dramas of yesteryear are interesting to look back on, though I think a lot of that has been well-documented, and isn't necessarily "educational", lol.

[ermingarden]

Agreed on some of the slang (is plot bunnies not a thing anymore?!), though I'm glad we're past the days of putting "Yaoi! Don't like, don't read!!!" in fic summaries like it's FFN in 2012.

[mistressofmuses]

Maybe I'm mistaken on plot bunnies being "outdated", ha. Someone else asked the same the other day. I feel like I haven't seen anyone use the term in a long time, but maybe it's just me!

But yes, I am SO glad not to have to write or read "YAOI. BOYS KISSING. DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ. NO FLAMES!!!" on disclaimers anymore hahaha