Warnings need to be posted on stories.

[charisstoma]

I put warnings up where appropriate. (I don't write many stories and not well.)
I support warnings on stories.
I support the creation of a petition to have Live Journal make it a requirement that warnings be manditory on stories posted.
I support the use of that 'report this posting' option that is already in place on Live Journal for transgression of the rules.

Now if someone could guide me by pointing where to post to the Live Journal higher ups.

Comments

[aggybird.livejournal.com]

Whoooooa, you definitely can't tell me to post warnings on my stories. Warnings are a courtesy an author extends to his or her audience. Most fiction in a bookstore doesn't come with a warning because you accept that you're reading at your own risk.

But, uh, yeah. I'd quit posting if people forced mandatory warnings on me. As a reader, I understand how frustrating it can be when a story suddenly throws something at you that displeases you (character death, graphic sexual violence, etc.) but there's no rule saying an author has to delineate everything that might be questionable in their work, because where does it stop? Especially if warning for certain elements compromises the plot or otherwise spoils the story itself. So, yell at the author in the comments if you want, but don't tell them they have to do anything. They don't have to let you read their work.

My two cents.

[tygati.livejournal.com]

What aggybird said, but in addition to that, LJ would not just require warnings. It's not their style. They'd just blanket forbid stories completely, or ban the user in question. Much easier on their end.

Me, I appreciate warnings, but for the most part it doesn't take much to glance at an author's trends and know what you're getting into. If I start reading and something unpleasant comes up, I just stop reading. Simple as that.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Thank you. That's where I started on this, though I probably stated it ineptly.
I was in the act of posting to the 'Contact us- Feedback'. But it seems that the fanfic people believe that it will bring repression on their heads for the issue to be raised with the Lj admin. folk.

This is what I had hoped to post to the admins.:

There are Live Journal members whose reaction to some story content has become a medical issue, story content of for example; rape, suicide, main character death (Did I ever wish that there was something like that for my reading of Ray Bradbury's 'Martian Chronicles'), child abuse and such. A requirement that stories carry a warning for content would seem to be a valid and sensible need without infringing on creativity or 1st Amendment Rights.

I put warnings up where appropriate.
*But some do not*

I support warnings on stories.
*But some see a request for story warnings as criticism of their story. They do not see it as a useful tool to draw readers to what they've written or to protect those who will be adversely affected by their story's specific content. A general requirement of 'warning for content' would guide authors into posting in a community beneficial manner.*

I support the use of that 'report this posting' option that is already in place on Live Journal for transgression of the rules.
*That is what that button is for, to protect the members of Live Journal.*

Now I'm doubtful if I should post it.

[tygati.livejournal.com]

Don't. That's just asking for trouble. LiveJournal has a track record, and it's not a positive one. If they could get away with it, they would most likely just get rid of all fandom journals entirely.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Okay. I respect your points. The post isn't going to the admins.

I get so frustrated when they go into ranting when all it seems like is ranting and not fixing the problem. They didn't like the reader be self responsible.

[aggybird.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it would help if authors were self-aware enough not to be complete douchenozzles about their fic. I try to warn for what I think is appropriate because I put myself in the reader's shoes, and I know people have certain squicks, but I know I'm not always going to warn for everything people wish I'd warn for.

We had similar issues surrounding this when we were setting up crackenterprise's posting guidelines because we didn't want people to get pissy if we recced something that offended their sensibilities. The decision boiled down to: read at your own risk, pay attention to the author's headers. But also that we weren't going to rec anything that didn't do an adequate job of providing heading info. So, y'know, it does pay for authors to warn to some degree, and I definitely wish every author would think about it more. I just can't require 'em to do it.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

I love the icon you posted here.

The poster would like to say though that they didn't say that officially and in no way did they mean to connotate that Pon Farr is any kind of a valid justification for any illegal activity.

[youraugustine.livejournal.com]

that displeases you

Note that the issue is not displeasure but genuine post-traumatic triggers. I have three. I avoid reading anything in about eight fandoms because people fail to warn for them. Tripping over them doesn't displease me. It makes me sick, gives me a panic attack and otherwise thrashes my day entirely.

I actually quite agree about forcing warnings - I, too, would stop posting, simply because I feel it is IMPOSSIBLE to come up with a sane, standardised metric for that. But the kerfluffle in and of itself is about something more than "I didn't like that story."

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your response.

The persons you are responding to here post warnings, as do I. You are preaching to the choir.

I can understand why posting warnings are important. You and others with similar experiences have a real need for them. Hopefully others will start posting warnings if they don't do so now. The inconsiderate authors will probably not change though.

I decided to not follow through on the posting to the Lj admin. requesting manditory warning notices on stories. Many people I respect cautioned that it was better not to get Lj involved and to let the community handle it.

I'm tired of the hostile misunderstandings (not you, not you).
I and my journal are dropping out of 'this' discussion. I should have known better then to become involved. Thanks for respecting my desire to distance from this.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

And please... I didn't mean to offend you. I've just had enough.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

It's not going to post. I really respect yours and Aggiebird's opinion on this.
I should not have let myself get pulled into this discussion.

[youraugustine.livejournal.com]

Np. I don't actually have a general horse in this debate; I just have a slight snarl reaction to having "trigger" equated with "squick" on levels of severity.

Also, I am a pedant. :) So no worries.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

You make me happy... it's a balm to scratchy feelings. Thank you.

and you taught me a new word. Pedant. First definition if I remember it correctly was 'a male teacher'. Am pretty sure you meant the second definition? *smile*

[aggybird.livejournal.com]

Right, well, my reply still stands.

I'm deeply sorry you have those triggers, and it sucks that it forces you to be vigilant about what you read, but not to sound callous -- as an author, I still don't have to warn for your triggers for the simple fact that I can't know everyone's triggers.

Hopefully, authors have enough common sense to recognize when they're dealing with sensitive issues (rape, incest, domestic abuse, suicide, etc.) and conduct matters accordingly (because any normal person would warn for that shit), but if they're schmucks who either don't know enough or don't care, then there's still not much you can do beyond refusing to read their work, giving negative reviews, or contacting them directly to let them know they're being assholes.