may contain warnings
Oh look, warnings debate. It makes my head hurt, and I thought I had nothing more to say, but it's summer, and summer means reruns, and also, I do have something to say, which is:
Don't assume other people's default settings are the same as yours.
That way lies frustration, and a starring role on f_w if you're unlucky. If you're reading someone's livejournal and they post fiction without any warnings, it could be because there's nothing in the story that you would need to be warned for. Or it could be because there's nothing in the story that the writer thinks you need to be warned for, which isn't the same thing. Or it could be because the writer doesn't believe in warnings. Same goes for someone's web site. Unless there's a clear statement on the site or stories, one way or another, you don't know why there are no warnings listed.
So the smart thing to do? That's up to you. Don't read. Email the writer and ask. Get a friend to check. Read a little and bail. It's your choice, just as it's the writer's choice not to use warnings, presumably with the knowledge that this could mean fewer readers.
If you're reading on an archive, check what the warning policy is. If you're reading on a livejournal community, check what the warning policy is. It may not be what you think; many people use a warning template even when they post to a community that doesn't require warnings. That doesn't mean that all stories posted to that community without warnings are necessarily "safe" for everyone to read. And it doesn't mean you can complain that omg you didn't use warnings I am scarred for life, not if the writer/s followed the community rules. (But if people post without appropriate warnings to an archive or community that requires them? Then you can totally complain.)
Everything isn't made to suit everyone. If some writers want to present their stories a certain way, then... they can do that. They may lose readers; I think it's safe to say that they will lose readers, both readers who do want a certain content and can't find it, and readers who don't want to risk it. But that's their choice to make, just as it's your choice whether to read or not. They can't demand that you read their stuff anyway; they can't make you do anything you don't want to. And you can't demand that they warn anyway, if they post in a space that doesn't require warnings. If they post in a space that doesn't require warnings, they're in the right place, for them, and you're in the wrong place, for you. If you don't want to read stories without warnings, then don't read stories without warnings.
And? If you don't want to read stories with warnings, don't read stories with warnings. Don't read stories from archives and communities that require warnings, etc. See above and reverse it. Just think of all the extra free time you'll suddenly have.
Of course you can lobby for people or communities or archives to change their stance -- to use warnings, if that's what you want, or to not use warnings, if that's what you'd rather (not) see. You can start and participate in all kinds of discussions about which warnings you think are important and which ones you think are stupid. (Polite is generally a good way to go, there. Especially with the lobbying.) Just remember that thing about the default settings. If someone's default setting doesn't make sense to you, that probably means yours doesn't make sense to them, either. Sadly, the blinding logic of your argument may not work.
I was going to talk about concrit, too, but.... *watches Lucy flee* I'm not sure I have the energy for it. It's very hot today. But still, I'm curious: do you get concrit? Where? What does it look like? Does it make you happy? Can you get it in a color that matches your lj layout?
Don't assume other people's default settings are the same as yours.
That way lies frustration, and a starring role on f_w if you're unlucky. If you're reading someone's livejournal and they post fiction without any warnings, it could be because there's nothing in the story that you would need to be warned for. Or it could be because there's nothing in the story that the writer thinks you need to be warned for, which isn't the same thing. Or it could be because the writer doesn't believe in warnings. Same goes for someone's web site. Unless there's a clear statement on the site or stories, one way or another, you don't know why there are no warnings listed.
So the smart thing to do? That's up to you. Don't read. Email the writer and ask. Get a friend to check. Read a little and bail. It's your choice, just as it's the writer's choice not to use warnings, presumably with the knowledge that this could mean fewer readers.
If you're reading on an archive, check what the warning policy is. If you're reading on a livejournal community, check what the warning policy is. It may not be what you think; many people use a warning template even when they post to a community that doesn't require warnings. That doesn't mean that all stories posted to that community without warnings are necessarily "safe" for everyone to read. And it doesn't mean you can complain that omg you didn't use warnings I am scarred for life, not if the writer/s followed the community rules. (But if people post without appropriate warnings to an archive or community that requires them? Then you can totally complain.)
Everything isn't made to suit everyone. If some writers want to present their stories a certain way, then... they can do that. They may lose readers; I think it's safe to say that they will lose readers, both readers who do want a certain content and can't find it, and readers who don't want to risk it. But that's their choice to make, just as it's your choice whether to read or not. They can't demand that you read their stuff anyway; they can't make you do anything you don't want to. And you can't demand that they warn anyway, if they post in a space that doesn't require warnings. If they post in a space that doesn't require warnings, they're in the right place, for them, and you're in the wrong place, for you. If you don't want to read stories without warnings, then don't read stories without warnings.
And? If you don't want to read stories with warnings, don't read stories with warnings. Don't read stories from archives and communities that require warnings, etc. See above and reverse it. Just think of all the extra free time you'll suddenly have.
Of course you can lobby for people or communities or archives to change their stance -- to use warnings, if that's what you want, or to not use warnings, if that's what you'd rather (not) see. You can start and participate in all kinds of discussions about which warnings you think are important and which ones you think are stupid. (Polite is generally a good way to go, there. Especially with the lobbying.) Just remember that thing about the default settings. If someone's default setting doesn't make sense to you, that probably means yours doesn't make sense to them, either. Sadly, the blinding logic of your argument may not work.
I was going to talk about concrit, too, but.... *watches Lucy flee* I'm not sure I have the energy for it. It's very hot today. But still, I'm curious: do you get concrit? Where? What does it look like? Does it make you happy? Can you get it in a color that matches your lj layout?