Whether you like it or not (you clearly don't) unless you tag with "I'm not tagging shit--enter at own risk", people are still putting the onus on you for their mental health, and the culture of expectation still applies.

That's, in theory, what Choose Not to Warn means on AO3.

I just don't trust that people understand that choice, nor do I trust that they respect it.

I just don't trust that people understand that choice, nor do I trust that they respect it.

100% cosigned.

That's, in theory, what Choose Not to Warn means on AO3.

That's how I take it.

That's how I take it.

Seconded. Also, doesn't AO3 default to chooses not to warn if you don't pick something else?

From time not to time, I've seen "chooses not to warn" AND "graphic violence" used on a fic. How do you all interpret that? My first assumption would be that it's shorthand for "this story is dark, dark, dark, and things like death are definitely on the table but you'll have to read to find out for sure."

Seconded. Also, doesn't AO3 default to chooses not to warn if you don't pick something else?

Yes. It's checked by default

From time not to time, I've seen "chooses not to warn" AND "graphic violence" used on a fic. How do you all interpret that? My first assumption would be that it's shorthand for "this story is dark, dark, dark, and things like death are definitely on the table but you'll have to read to find out for sure."

I tend to read it as "I forgot to uncheck the first box when I checked the second"

I'd go with "someone you like is going to die, but I don't want to put in Major Character Death." Or they're going to bring the torture porn. I might read, but I'd be cautious.

I tend to read it as "I forgot to uncheck the first box when I checked the second"

That has happened to a few of my stories. I go back later to edit that one typo that I just found, and end up having to fix that as well.

The first time I chose not to warn, I had nothing to warn about. So that's what I assumed it meant for a very long time.

I've used the chooses not to warn option a few times. Then put "deathfic" or something in the tags. It was when I first started posting on AO3, so I think I didn't have a good handle on the protocol for all the options.

One fic I chose to not warn for I did because it would have given away a major plot point. It was a ghost story and the end twist wouldn't have worked if I'd warned for major character death. Instead, I put a comment at the beginning of the story that if people were concerned about the choose not to warn, there was an explanation in the end notes. It's one of my most popular fics.

Warnings frustrate me. I would like readers to be able to avoid anything triggery, but on the other hand, if I warn for everything that happens in the fic, you've essentially already read it. And someone's likely going to be triggered by something I didn't warn for, regardless. Choose not to warn is much less head-twisty for me.