In which I try to write a short summary of What's Going Down At AO3

Wrote up part of this as a comment in someone else's post, decided to bulk it out a little.

Quick personal background:

• I've been an AO3 volunteer since 2013 ETA: 2012 (and a user for even longer). Tag wrangler, never anything higher-up
• I was lucky enough not to get the email that a bunch of volunteers were attacked with in May 2022
• I am not a lawyer (or a coder, or a Trust & Safety professional)

AO3 and its parent organization, the OTW, are run by a small army of volunteers. Most earnest, well-meaning, hard-working fans who are dedicated to doing the best we can with what we've got.

In spite of that, the org overall is...kind of a hot mess!

Here's the stuff that's been coming out recently:

( EndOTWRacism, the May 2022 attack, professional evaluation from Denise, and various links )