But I have't written anything in years, so I don't know how AO3 would be for a more active fandom

I'm not writing in it, but I read a lot in Vorkosigan, and there are some active challenges hosted there--it does pretty well, so far as I can tell. The key is that new stories are posted there, and announcements direct people there, rather than just use it for a backup.

They have a subscription service, which I like, but I would like to expand that so I could subscribe to a particular fandom, rather than a writer. Or even a particular tag.

When you subscribe to something on AO3, does the author know?

Not so far as I can tell. Certainly I have no messages regarding subscriptions, although that could mean nobody has subscribed to me.

(take a look at the Recent Stories page--there's a ton of Sherlock going up, which I suspect is barely on the radar at FFN).

Nah. When I run out of AO3, I hit ff.net for it. There's plenty.

Though many of the ff.netters are starting to crosspost to AO3, which, err, kind of makes me sad, because there's been a serious drop in quality with the increase in quantity.

I love the kudos button. I got a kudo this morning on my Yuletide, and it made me smile. It also makes it easy to thumbs up from my phone.

When I was writing a lot, I grew to fear comments. There's only so many times a body can write, "thanks!" before it starts to feel forced.

I never got enough comments for that to be an issue. It helps when people leave some substance in their comments, but still, really not a threat for me to be running out of words.

Yeah, "thanks" seems to be more than enough of a response to "grate story!"

When I run out of AO3, I hit ff.net for it. There's plenty

Huh, I would not have expected that. Is it slash or gen/het? Because I just don't think of FFN as the place for slash.

There's only so many times a body can write, "thanks!" before it starts to feel forced.

Yeah, but it's still great to get them, and I like to thank people for making the effort. Kudos are nice, but not the same.

I never got enough comments for that to be an issue. It helps when people leave some substance in their comments, but still, really not a threat for me to be running out of words.

Origin Story and Cops and Graverobbers both got WAY too many for me to deal with. One hit a nerve, the other hit a need, apparently. And, at time, I was still dealing with my untreated panic disorder, so I'd freak out at the thought of answering comments.

I still feel GUILTY for not responding to them all.

Kudos are the same for me, pretty much.

Huh, I would not have expected that. Is it slash or gen/het? Because I just don't think of FFN as the place for slash.

Slash, smarm, gen, het.

The ban on hard stuff that caused the mass exodus nearly a decade ago doesn't seem to be much enforced.

I can find a bunch of D/C on FF.NET, and it's only marginally more scary than plumbing the depths unguided of AO3. You takes your chances and you pays your price.