Profiles on the AO3

[sophinisba]

Every once in a while I'll say to one of my friends, "Gah, I wish people would fill out their user profiles on the AO3!" and my friend, despite being a regular user and fan of the AO3, will say something like, "Huh, I guess I should do that sometime" or "There are profiles on the AO3?" This is totally understandable. Nobody really talks about them and they are not very prominent. They aren't linked in the sidebar or from a person's Works page (the one I look at most often). The URL is http://archiveofourown.org/users/USERNAME/profile, and there is a link from a user's main page. I had some trouble with HTML when I set up my account there in 2009 and didn't actually go back and fix it until today, after I'd been complaining about it on Twitter. So, you know, I understand about it not being at the top of everyone's to-do list.

But I would really like it if more people would put a little information there, especially links! The three things I would love to see people put in their profiles are
-Where else they are on the web (like LJ/IJ/DW)
-How to contact them privately
-How they feel about uses of their work (specifically relevant to my current interests: PODFIC).

It's true that, even though most people don't fill out their profiles, I can usually find their LJ or Dreamwidth by googling - that's what I did today. Then again, some people use names like "Sarah" and "Becky" on the AO3, or just other random names that are not the name of their journal, so that doesn't always work. There are no PMs on the AO3 and if they don't tell me how to contact them the only thing I can do is leave a comment on their fic.

And listen, you guys, at this point I really enjoy making podfics and I'm not freaking out all the time about People on the Internet Hearing My Voice, but you know what's still hard? Asking authors for permission. You know what makes it harder? Asking strangers for permission when I don't know anything about them (other than that they wrote this awesome fic for Yuletide) because I can't see their journals. When I'm going to ask an author I don't know about making a podfic, I usually like to ask by email or private message (in case they feel awkward about saying no), but I can't do that if I don't have their information. The most disappointing thing for me is to get to the end of a great fic and see a bunch of comments with no replies from the author, and to know that the only way I have to contact them is to leave one more comment that they probably won't answer. I understand that people have lots of different reasons for not answering comments and that's not really what I'm talking about here. Maybe, also, some people do not want podfics made of their fics, or do not want to have their names searchable in the Audiofic archive or whatever. That's all fine!

But I'm saying, some kind of statement would be nice. It could be "I don't always have time to answer comments but I love to hear from readers" or "If you'd like to write a remix of my fic or make art or a podfic, please contact me to discuss it first" or "These are my stories and I prefer that you not make other fanworks of them." The kind of statement I would be happiest to see is one like what kaizoku has on his LJ/DW profile: "You do not need to ask my permission to remix, podfic, translate, create art for or create secondary fanwork of any fanwork I have posted. You should include a link back to my work, and feel free to share the link to your work with me - I'd love to see it."

(And while I'm attempting to boss fandom around, I would also like it if more people put a statement about transformative works in their journal profiles, stickyposts, and/or masterlists, and if people who have journals on different services like LJ/DW/IJ would link those accounts on their profile pages. Links!)

Comments

[yue_ix]

I didn't even know there was a profile page on AO3 before seeing it in your poll, and didn't realize that it'd be the perfect place to leave such a fanworks statement but it makes a lot of sense. Thank you! I'll go edit now. ^__^

(And thank you for mentioning several types of transformation one could want to do with something on AO3!)

[sophinisba]

I really think most people don't realize it's there and most people never look at a profile page, so in that sense it's not the ideal place, but it is something!

I still have to remind myself sometimes not to talk about fandom like it's just fic and fic writers, but I am getting better! ♥

[eruthros]

You make a good point! I shall do that forthwith.

[stepps]

May I link to this in ? Or alternatively, would you? You have a great point, and I'd love for it to be shared with other AO3 users/enthusiasts.

Oh, here via a a link on my droll, btw.

[facetofcathy]

I wish the profile was more prominently linked so people did know it was there. I too am frequently googling for the LJ or DW of users when I want to rec something and provide links.

Did you know about the ao3some comm? This post might catch more eyes there.

[sophinisba]

You know, I considered posting directly to ao3some this afternoon but I got shy and figured posting here would be easier. I'll put in a link though.

I do wish the profile were linked from the left sidebar, and also that it had a form field to fill out your website and/or journal. The old Yuletide site had that and it was nice for looking authors up after the reveal.

[such_heights]

Edited some info in, thanks for bringing it up! I didn't really realise I had a profile over there.

[sophinisba]

Yay! It's not the easiest thing to see, but if more people start using it it could be really helpful!

[vickyblueeyez]

I made a post asking about redistributing deleted fan fic (http://vickyblueeyez.livejournal.com/77423.html). With that idea in mind, on my fic journal, I now have a disclaimer saying that if any of my fic accounts gets deleted, readers have my permission to redistribute my fic with credit.

[sophinisba]

I can't really see doing that for myself - I have almost all my fic posted in at least three places, so if something of mine ends up disappearing from the web it'll be because I took it down, and I can't anticipate my reasons for that now. Still, it is something to consider and a useful thing to put on profiles. A lot of people leave theirs blank even on LJ or Dreamwidth or just put up some quote or joke, and I don't get that.

[elf]

A few weeks ago, I saw notices about a remix fest that I didn't think I could directly participate in, but wouldn't mind my fic being used. Not that I think anyone had any direct interest in using my fic; the majority of my writing is in one fandom (Harry Potter) that didn't look like it had a strong following in the remix fest. And I've seen notes about podfic here & there, and wouldn't mind my fic being podded, but again, have no idea if anyone has an interest. And I love filk; have posted several filksongs and will eventually post several more. (I'm a bit blurry on the scope of filk that AO3 covers; much filk doesn't have a "fandom" exactly. Not sure whether meta-filk qualifies. Or is it automatically a fanwork of the original song? Gah.)

Anyway. Decided that I'm up for my fic being used by other people, in pretty much any way I could imagine, so I changed my profile, and added:

I grant blanket permission for the works here to be used transformatively, interpreted broadly: remixed, sequeled, translated (although I'd really like to be notified about this), podficced, fic'd, filked, artified, vidded (is that even possible?) or otherwise used as a base for other fannish works, as long as no money is involved. If there's money involved, contact me. I'm not going to fret over podfic-for-charity or fanart being sold, if any of my works managed to inspire that; I'd mostly just like to know.

[sophinisba]

Yeah, I've had a statement about transformative works on my journal profiles and masterlist for a while and nobody's actually taken me up on doing a podfic or a spontaneous remix, but I think it's good to have that kind of statement out there, so it can stop seeming presumptuous and just be the kind of thing everybody does.

BTW, if the remix in question was remix_goes_wild, they're encouraging people to comment with permission on the sign up post even if they're not planning on writing for the challenge. :)

[zulu]

Hee, I said to myself, "That's a really good idea, I'd better do that!" and then when I went to visit my profile...I'd already done it. Good for me, I guess! :D

[sophinisba]

Ah ha I actually find that happens a lot with me and "I should make a post about..." posts - it turns out I've already made them and I'm just repeating myself.

[melannen]

I realized after you commented me the other day that the statement in my AO3 profile possibly wasn't entirely clea, so I have updated it. :D

And I agree - I really wish more people linked their AO3 accounts to their journals or wherever they're most active; a few times I've had to resort to googling an e-mail to find them, and I thought that had ended with the mailing list era. I hope AO3 eventually gets both an specific profile slot for "blog" or "website" and built-in options for granting permission for derivatives; I know they've been mentioned.

[sophinisba]

Actually, I wasn't very nervous asking you because I already knew your DW so I figured you would be cool with it. It is sometimes more nerve-wracking though when you can't find someone anywhere else. I agree that built-in fields for journal/website links and omg tickboxes for derivatives would be awesome.

[tommygirl]

I never even thought about it from that point of view, so thank you for this post.

[sophinisba]

:D

[sholio]

Thank you so much for posting this! (Here via metafandom, anyway.) :) Actually, hahahaha, I feel a bit dense now because, while I knew about the profile page, I had never thought of using it in the way that you suggest! I even remember wishing that there was a place to enter my LJ/website, but the idea of putting it in the profile box never ever occurred to me. *headdesk* Thank you for the heads-up and the little nudge; I shall go do that immediately!

[sophinisba]

Oh man, I've been scared of getting metafandomed for like five years, so it's a relief to have my first mention there result in a lot of comments saying "Good idea." :D

I tried to put in links to my journal right away when I set up my account but I didn't put the quotes around the url (or I did something else wrong idek) so they didn't show up, and I had this profile with missing words in it, and no statement about transformative works. But I fixed it yesterday before I made this post!

[brewsternorth]

Here via ao3some. Wow, I really need to get off my tush and do something with my AO3 account, and this is a good start.

[sophinisba]

There are still things I'm putting off doing with my AO3 account, even though I'm there all the time. Sometimes it feels a bit overwhelming.

[happydork]

I've just edited mine. Thanks for the prod!

[sophinisba]

:D

[resonant]

I've got a blanket permission statement in my LJ and DW profiles, but it had never occurred to me to put one in my AO3 profile. I went and did that just now. Great idea!

[kickair8p]

Done, thanks: http://archiveofourown.org/users/KickAir8P/profile

~

[sophinisba]

Yay!

[saba1789]

Interesting post. Totally edited my profile on AO3 :) . Thanks!

[redsnake05]

I certainly didn't know that the AO3 profiles were operational, so thank you for this. I have a blanket statement about remixing (at least, I think I do) in my profile here, but it can't hurt to have one there too, right?

[hostilecrayon]

I will do so! <3

I'd be honored if people were creating things based on my work! <333

[raindropfloss.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking about doing my profile yesterday, and will definitely include the information you say is important. :)

[heresluck]

Here via metafandom -- these are great suggestions! I'll be modifying my various profiles accordingly (with some adaptations, since I'm a vidder rather than a writer).

[anarchicq]

Done and done.
It never occured to me before to share my thoughts about things but given this post and the current "Lost and found for fanfic" thing I thought it would be wise.

AO3 Profile!

[azurelunatic]

Edited mine as well! http://archiveofourown.org/users/azurelunatic/profile

I put up many of the other places I am on my Dreamwidth profile, but didn't include a statement there (yet), because it's Much More Complicated here, since I use this for many more things besides fanworks, and generally I trust my readers who regularly interact with me to Do The Right Thing Like I Meant It, but I wouldn't want to describe what I'd want carelessly and risk misunderstandings. So that's one for some thought.

I have been crafting an Artist's Statement of a sort for use from Twitter, but that's different yet as well.

[amaresu]

I was recently playing around with Google Analytics for my Dth and LJ and was somewhat surprised to see that people had come from my AO3 profile to my journals. It was really the first time I realized that people do actually read those. I keep a rather simple profile myself, a basic statement that people are free to use my fic for their transformative works and some links to where I can be found on the internet. I just don't normally think about it.

Now that I am I think there's an interesting contrast between profiles on AO3 and on FF.N. Most people who use AO3 don't use it as their primary internet home, whereas a lot of people on FF.N seem to use that as their base of operations. FF.N profiles tend to contain a ton of information, everything from how the WiP is going to the latest in the authors life. I don't know what I'm getting at, just seemed like an interesting contrast.

Here from metafandom

[yourlibrarian]

That'll be a great use of the profile page. I remember back around Strikethrough there were efforts afoot to create a kind of directory so people could be reached if their LJ accounts were deleted. And while the archive is still in beta and not everyone can quickly open an account, that would certainly be a great use for profiles on the site, even if users didn't use the account to post creative works.

[afullmargin]

Huh, I'd never really thought of that. I mean, I've sort of filled out my profile (I believe there's even a link to my LJ) but pretty much assumed nobody would read it. Hah. :) Will update with more pertinent info.

Very awesome & thoughtful.

[goodbyebird]

Thanks for the reminder. I finally got around to it!