fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2147 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2147 ⌋

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 100 secrets from Secret Submission Post #307.
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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I know I've kind of seen it discussed hereabouts before, but how do you feel about tagging secondary pairings on AO3?

On the pro side: if you treat tags as warnings, you can avoid fics that include both Pairing X and Pairing Y if your OTP is Pairing X and you hate Pairing Y (or at least you can go in prepared to skim when you get to all the Pairing Y stuff).

On the con side: if you go in looking for Pairing Y, every time you search for it you're going to get a bunch of Pairing X (with Pairing Y in the background), which is not what you want when you're looking for Pairing Y. This may be especially aggravating when Pairing X = A/B (which is the endgame pairing) and Pairing Y = B/C (which is often seen as kind of a set-up pairing but is definitely NOT endgame for the writer), and you're just a Pairing Y fan looking for something good to read.

Sooooo my point is, as a reader at AO3, which would you prefer? Having secondary pairings tagged (to have full awareness of what's in there), or having them not tagged so as to not come up when searched for, since they're not what the fic's primary focused on? (Theoretically in the second case I'd still mention other pairings, such as they were, in like the summary or something).

I'd prefer there to be some way to mark a pairing as the endgame/focus of the fic, and to be able to filter that out. So if I go looking for pairing Y, I can filter out results that have pairing X as the focus.

I think that would be pretty handy!

If this were possible that would be wonderful. Doubt it'll ever happen though.

But I'd rather have secondary pairings tagged, yes. Someone else mentioned writing a note with this information and I think that's a great idea, too.

Maybe not tagged, but put in the description? Or maybe tagged as "background secondary pairing", so that it wouldn't show up in the main tags for that pairing, but so that people would still be informed...

If I'm searching for a pairing, it doesn't necessarily mean I only want to read a fluffy one-shot focusing just on that pairing. A fanfic where the characters are a couple and also has other plot works, too. Even if they're not the main characters of the work. So I'd prefer all the pairings represented to be tagged, and I've been doing that now that I've gotten an invite too.

That being said, I'm a tag'oholic. I probably have waaaaay too many tags on my stuff.

I actually like it being tagged because I don't mind reading them as the secondary couple. Plus, there are a lot of good fics I may have never read if secondary couples weren't included.

In fact, the reason I've gotten into some alternate pairings was because of this.

So I like it.

Plus, isn't there a way to exclude another couple if you want to avoid it from your search? On top of that, summaries tend to let on who the fic will focus on.

Edited 2012-11-18 21:48 (UTC)

I don't tend to look for pairings so much, but I am having this problem with a character tag. He keeps getting tagged on fic where he has an extremely small part, or even when he doesn't appear at all but just gets mentioned or talked about by the other characters. Which really sucks when trying to find fic, because a lot of fic in his tag barely features him at all.

Personally, I think characters (and also pairings) should only be tagged if they have some level of presence in the story. If they are relevant to the plot or put in a significant appearance then they should be tagged, but if they've basically a bit part with a couple of throwaway lines then they should not be tagged.

Yes, this. I've had the exact/i> same problem looking for fic about a somewhat minor character.

I would prefer they be tagged than not tagged-- I have two pairings that I particularly like in Avengers for example: Thorki and Stony. But while I am fine with Thorki fic that have Steve and Tony with others/not a couple, Thorki is my absolute OTP and I don't like stumbling across them paired with other characters unmarked. So yes, mark it!

I'm in favour. I've missed really good fic for my OTP before because they were the B Plot, and I was completely delighted when I found them.

On the other hand, I am entirely against tagging every character who appears in a story - cause then you have to wade through hundreds of stories about the fandom darlings where it turns out your fave only has one line.

Pairings are different than characters, because it implies something about the plotline, even if it's only a small story.

You tag it with "X/Y secondary pairing" or "X/Y background pairing." The tag wranglers will catch it so that it will show up under X/Y, people won't get their hopes too high, and then the people who are squicked by the main pairing can avoid it. Win/win, I think. :)

I think it's helpful to tag them as a secondary pairing or background pairing, especially if both characters in the pairing are in the story.

Recently, I almost wrote "contains mentions of A/B" in my author's notes, but then realized that it was silly to warn for something that was barely two sentences.

I don't mind it, but I super appreciate when the summary indicates who the main characters or pairings are. Sort of sucks when you're looking for something with a less popular character, and it turns out they're just making a cameo. Other than tagging like has already been mentioned with "main/secondary things", yeah.

I think secondary pairings should at least be listed in the summary. You don't have to tag them per say, but they should be listed somewhere so that people who don't want to read one of them when looking for whatever is the main pairing can avoid it.

[ SECRET POST #2147 ]

Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?

Re: Tagging Secondary Pairings on AO3 - Opinions?