Meta on AO3: Get it while you can.

[hells_half_acre]

I just got an email from AO3 - because my meta was reported by an unhappy Sherlock fan, the AO3 team had to review it, and they seem to have decided that they want to be a fanfiction-only site and that I have to remove it. 

So, to anyone who hasn't downloaded my Study in Pink rewatch yet, and wants to. You have ~16 hours before I delete it. It is now deleted. 

At this point, I don't really care anymore. And the AO3 team are perfectly within their rights to run their site however they want. It's not like I'm paying them to host things for me.

I still don't think I'll join mediafire or anything like that. I just don't feel like it. Maybe I'm being persnickety, but for some reason I just don't like file-sharing sites. Anyway, I suppose if enough of you gang-up on me, I might eventually break down and upload pdfs somewhere. But, right now that feels unlikely.

AO3 kind of sucks for meta anyway, because so few people comment over there so there's no discussion afterward (which is one of my favourite parts of writing meta, since, you know, I already know my own thoughts, but I don't know other people's).

Unrelated:
TNP People - I have been crazy busy and I'm flying in an airplane all day today, so the chapter is going to be delayed by at least another week. In the meantime, tell me what you think I should change in the next draft to make the story/pacing/plot/characters suck less! 
 
UPDATE: Five minutes after I deleted the meta, I got an email from AO3 apologizing for telling me to delete the meta and saying that I could keep it up until they make a final decision on the status of meta as a fanwork and whether it should be allowed on the site. They also asked to please let them know if I had any thoughts to contribute to the discussion. Even though it's 3am here (and midnight Vancouver time) I wrote them back and gave them a few thoughts. The work has already been deleted, so I can't undo that - but it's nice to know that there's still a chance that I could one day post it again.

Comments

[majorshipper]

I think, for me, it's not so much meta or not meta, but different kinds of meta. Quick reaction meta, arc meta, character meta, relationship meta, etc. which would then give you a way to sort and organize meta of different kinds, y'know? In-depth vs. off the top of your head stuff. Some people go looking for just episode reactions and thoughts, and they could find theirs through that group. I sucks that there's all these places for fanfic and fanart, but so few forums for critical thought, y'know?

I hate that fanwork and non-fanwork are such broad categories. They get to decide what's a fanwork and which kinds of fanworks they'll allow...and for a group that touts openness and an interest in fans and their creations, it's just really disappointing to me. I'm very invested in things like OTW and Dreamwidth, things that open doors, so it's a big deal for me when I see either limiting their services and what can be posted.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's really a shame that meta doesn't have a good host anywhere out there. I agree with everything you just said.

Also, good idea with the different types of meta! Haha, I had never thought of that. *now I feel kind of ridiculously stupid*