We understand that the announcement that meta will be a welcomed part of the AO3 has disappointed some, particularly in terms of how the decision was made. While there was no general post made announcing this internal process, the OTW was receiving feedback from users through various means. This included the cases of meta reported to our Abuse Committee, questions about it through our Support and Communications Committees, the occasional public comment, and the increasing visibility of non-fiction material appearing on the archive.
Going forward though, we can expect user input to direct us in determining how meta should be defined, what concerns users have with its continued existence on the AO3, and how we can serve groups that support its availability, as well as those who don't want it to impact their use of the archive for other types of content. For example, any changes to our content policy have to undergo a public review period where feedback will be gathered for further modifications.
We recognize that users may see this decision as one which will impact their use of the AO3, possibly increasing or decreasing it, and the same will likely occur as we become able to better support non-text formats. However, we see this development as part of the AO3's natural growth in its userbase, and its relevance to many as a source of fanwork preservation and access. Some of it is coming sooner than we're prepared for because of user demand, and we must find the best way we can to accommodate it and its users. That will certainly mean helping users find what they want and filter out what they don't.
Comment on OTW Board Approves Meta Hosting on the AO3
admin-claudia (Guest) Mon 18 Feb 2013 12:52AM UTC
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