Yep

[branchandroot]

The only thing I really have to say about AO3's latest contretemps is: I told you so~

When a platform is so fucked up that the only way to make it run is to take out the navigation, then it's time to think real hard about who's been driving development.

Comments

[krait]

I. Wow. I'd wondered when the load times suddenly dropped -- despite the last update I'd seen reading, in essence, 'we can't do anything for a few weeks, sorry' -- what they'd figured out.

That, though? I did not expect that, and am a little amazed that I didn't notice. (I guess I mostly use in-fic tags, not sidebar tags? Huh.)

Mostly, though? I just want to give a hearty shout of "I SECOND THE MOTION!" to your past statement of tag wrangling on AO3 should be a function that creators and viewers have immediate, front-end access to, because. YES. Yes, yes, and YES IMMEDIATELY.

Seriously, I can *promise* that, when I tag a fic, I am well aware of terms that my tags should overlap with! (And ones they shouldn't.) For that matter, I sometimes find fics when reading whose tags need adjustment/linkage in ways I recognise! Do you even know how many times I have wished for tag-wrangling powers, or even a flippin' SUGGESTION BOX FOR TAGWRANGLING?! I can't even. That. ARGH.

[arduinna]

a flippin' SUGGESTION BOX FOR TAGWRANGLING?!

Support and Feedback, choose "Tags" in the first dropdown box.

[krait]

Wow, it exists in some form! *cheers*

I was really hoping there could be a version on the Upload form, rather than the generic feedback; but I guess that's just too advanced for an archive in beta. It'd be really awesome if it could warn you when a tag was unique, or have a little "this should be linked to" box, something like that. Remembering what I wanted linked and where so that I can go to the Feedback page afterward is kind of difficult, because I have a memory like Swiss cheese.

Still, at least there's one way to suggest that "x should be linked to y" -- thank you!

[niqaeli]

Yes, there exists a way to make a tag-wrangling suggestion.

Of course, they may choose to ignore your knowledge of the fandom and the actual real use of various tags, and tell you what's best by giving you a tag no one knows about and will never use and not fixing the actual problem you pointed out.

(That was the incident that opened my eyes to how fucked up tag-wrangling is on the AO3, how badly handled it is. It's the reason I listened so much during the election to other people's problems with tag-wrangling in its current form and came to hate the whole damn thing.)

(Dropping in from link-hopping)

[jackandahat]

Have used that twice to explain that while X and Y had the same name, they were from totally different fandoms and ask if there was any way to fix that.

The first time, I eventually got a nice reply saying "Oops, we'll sort that" and the names became Name(Fandom One) and Name(Fandom Two).

The second time I got a snotty reply about how they could only go on what names were there, and nothing could be done about it. When I grumbled about this on Twitter, I got a long lecture from a total stranger (friend of a friend) about how hard it was to be a tag-wrangler and how I had no right to complain because I wasn't even a user. (I'm not registered. And given it takes six months to sign up...)

So, the option exists, but...

[branchandroot]

*snorts* Yeah. The concept and current system behind tags is such a bizarre mashup of "we have to let everyone do anything they want" and "we have to be in complete control". Certainly non-author wrangling should have to go through review/approval, otherwise... oh god, the potential for vandalism. *winces at the thought* But let the /author/ have an "approve it/trash it" button! I mean, if she doesn't want to use it, fine, leave it for the wranglers (poor sods), but give her one! This could go so much faster and smoother with a tiny bit of forethought and automation. And someone in charge who's less of a flaming control freak.