Poll: Handling Darker Prompts

[cuddyclothes]

In the interest of serving the wider community, here's a poll. It will be closed on Friday evening, May 10. Please post your thoughts in the comments as well.

Poll #21996

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 16

View Respondents

How Should Darker Prompts Be Handled?

View Answers

Stay in the main prompt threat; this is supposed to be uncensored
3 (18.8%)

Have a separate entry for darker prompts
1 (6.2%)

Leave them, with trigger warnings at the top of the prompt
14 (87.5%)

Post the prompt anomalously at indeedsir in a plot bunny farm post
1 (6.2%)

Certain topics are not appropriate (answer in comments)
0 (0.0%)

Oops-it should read "anonymously"! You are encouraged to discuss this in comments.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I personally think we should leave them, with trigger warnings at the top of the prompt (and/or the fill)
Most triggers are obvious. If your prompt/fill contains dubcon elements, violence, rape, suicide... you know those are common triggers for a lot of people. It's easy to just write a warning before your prompt/fill.
For less obvious triggers, the prompt itself serves as a warning. For example if the prompt says "pissplay" and that makes you uncomfortable, then you know not to read the fill or comments.

[erinptah]

I think we've got to be cautious about saying "most triggers are obvious." Because of how trauma and mental illness work, most triggers are probably the random, non-obvious kind.

(Also important to note that "triggers" are different from just "finding something uncomfortable or squicky." Although it's good to take both into account when thinking about warnings.)

And even with common upsetting topics, not everyone will come up with the same list before posting a fill. A lot of people are squicked and/or triggered by infidelity -- and once you think about it, yeah, it's obvious why! But nobody in this conversation has mentioned it until now.

Which is why it's so valuable to have a specific list of "these are the topics that require warnings in this space."

[(Anonymous)]

But in that case the list would be never-ending... because like you said people are different and are trigged by different things.
Hmmm... It's tricky, isn't it?
I'm starting to think that people should post trigger warnings as best they can, but that ultimately we're all old enough to choose what to read and what not to read.

[erinptah]

A list of "all topics that could possibly upset anyone in any way" would be never-ending! But that's not the kind of list I'm suggesting, here.

IMO, good rules are the kind that help people pick warnings and choose what to read.

[(Anonymous)]

Ooooh I see! So there would be a list of warnings that each prompter/writer can use according to their prompt/fill. Makes sense.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't have an account, but if I may, I also vote for the third option (trigger warnings at the top of the prompt and/or fill)! I liked erinptah's idea about having a specific list of warnings. Borrowing somewhat from AO3, perhaps they could be: graphic violence, rape/non-con, incest, suicide, character death. In the case of rarer things like "pissplay" or what have you, if it's not obvious from the prompt, authors could also have the option of using their own judgment to tag anything else they want to warn for.

[(Anonymous)]

Check boxes!

[cuddyclothes]

Not today, Satan!

They'll be in the next poll, promise!

[(Anonymous)]

OP of the post that caused a war lol (I am pretty embarrassed, annoyed and also sorry for causing all this, though as I see all the answers I think it would have happened at some point anyway)
I think that if everyone agree putting a trigger warning on top of the post should be enough
I mean we're all old enough I believe to apply don't like/don't read, and to use our own judgement.
I think that basing the tagging stuff on AO3 policy seems good like you absolutely HAVE to use a trigger warning on those four things , and on stuff that could be triggering use your own judgement and better safe than sorry.

Though this is still a kink meme and I firmly believed that it should remain uncensored, I mean for me at least that's like kind of the whole point of this, it's supposed to be a safe place to let go , and frankly after all this I don't feel I can really do that anymore.

[(Anonymous)]

Also I think that I should maybe explain the prompt I had posted in the light of everything.
Like the whole point was that Bertie was rescued from his suicide attempt, like I was in now may trying to glorify or promote suicide.
It's just that at someone who had felt that way a lot, seeing or reading about people being rescued from this is very cathartic and comforting, it gives me hope that everything will one day be okay or at least that someone care.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't want to tell you how to feel, but as far as I'm concerned, you have nothing to be sorry or embarrassed about at all! It's a great, unique prompt and you were perfectly within your rights to post it. I've already started writing it. I'm going to try to do a really good job with it, so I hope if you do end up reading it, it'll be worth the hullabaloo.

[erinptah]

I'm sorry your prompt ended up in the middle of such a big thing. It's never fun to feel put on-the-spot like this, even anonymously, and even if the polls come down on your side.

Do what you've gotta do to take care of yourself <3

For what it's worth, I don't think anyone took the prompt as trying to promote suicide. Even when the mods objected, I think they just hadn't considered why people might want to read about the topic at all.

[cuddyclothes]

I don't see it as starting a "war", more that an important discussion is being had. This is extremely informative and I'm glad to get everybody's input.

[(Anonymous)]

Poor choice of words on my part, I just hate to be put on the spot like this.
But yes in a way I am glad it happened because like you say it's an important discussion to have.

[wotwotleigh]

I agree with some other folks here that following the AO3 model would work well! Include a trigger warning (or the more neutral “content note”) for a few of the very most common/obvious triggers/squicks, plus maybe a “Choose Not to Warn” option. People could also warn for/note additional stuff that’s not in the list at their discretion.

[thesadchicken]

I agree with this!