AO3 is open source.

AO3 is open source. is a November 2, 2016 post by shinelikethunder. The post was repeated with edits in May 2018.
In both posts, she offers fans who are unhappy with AO3 both funding and technical assistance in setting up their own fanfiction archives. 
As of May 7, 2018, nobody had accepted shinelikethunder's offer.
For similar fan discussions, see Alt.startrek.creative Slash Wars (1997) and Horizon Fan Club's 1999 Discussion Regarding Adult Fanworks (1999).
==Some Topics Discussed in the Essays and Comments==
* Archive of Our Own
* some fans' anger at allowed content on Archive of Our Own
* antis and their mission
* censorship and control
* fandom as a safe space
* fan's history of DIY and ingenuity
==2018 Context==
On May 10, 2018, MeeDee posted the following summary of the discussions taking place:
==Other Archives' Restrictions==
See List of Content Banned by Archives for some archives (both active and inactive) and the content it bans/banned. FanDomination.Net Content Control and Weeding Guidelines (2002-2009) is one example.
==The 2016 Essay==
===Excerpts from Comments To The 2016 Post===
 
==The FBI Thread==
On April 16, 2018, another wave of criticism of AO3's content policies swept across Tumblr, prompting at least one adult fan to push for reporting AO3 to the FBI:
[finnisskinny]
This was not finnisskinny's first campaign against problematic fanfic posted to AO3, but it was the first time they involved the FBI.On Sept 11, 2017, they posted a list of Finn/Poe fanfic they felt was racist asking fellow fans to mass report the fiction to AO3 Abuse: "I’ve linked all their most recent fics because we know that’ll upset them the most to get it taken down". -- archive link. Nor were they the first to call for the FBI to shut down AO3.On Jan 23, 2018 lunaaltare wrote: "2k18 let’s pray ao3 gets destroyed by an FBI crackdown! 😍😍😍" -- In 2017, these calls to action led to a sexual abuse survivor being reported to the FBI for writing about their own abuse..
==Some Comments About Reporting AO3 to the FBI==
Some comments about reporting AO3 to the FBI:
[stonecoldfemme reblogged this from erikkillmongerdontpullout]: 
[let-froppy-say-fuck reblogged this from salty-nova]:
[lesbianplums reblogged this from marina-acnl]:
[ominousmutual reblogged this from heeyitsmk]:
One fan opined that this was proof that AO3 needed more moderators, and suggested that the book Lolita should have been blocked from being published:
[torontomaplegardens]:
vashti-lives pointed out that the FBI reports might have unintended consequences for those under 18:
Others pointed out that the FBI focuses on victimization of living children and is not tasked with censoring fiction:
[who-gives-a-ship]: 
And that making false reports also took away from FBI resources:
quidblr offered a lengthy and in depth discussion of American laws of child porn and the nature of adult spaces: 
eliannaeldari pointed that other platforms with direct messaging like Tumblr were far more likely to be used a vehicles for child predation than a fanfiction archive:
At least one fan reblogging finnisskinny's call to report AO3 to the FBI wondered why they couldn't create their own fanfic archive:
[elliexer reblogged this from jacmirie]: 
[fanfichasruinedmylife]:
==2018: The Offer Is Made Again==
Shortly thereafter, shinelikethunder repeated her 2016 offer. She also noted that three other fans had made similar offers:
===Excerpts From Comments To The 2018 Post===
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
==Context: Similar Discussions Taking Place in 2018==
===March 2018===
[centaurianthropology on March 31, 2018]:
===May 5, 2018===
[alia-andreth on May 5, 2018]:
[depizan]: 
[fouralarmfireinanoilrefinery]: 
[fozmeadows in response to jacmirie's post showing that there were thousands of fanworks on AO3 that had been tagged for rape, inest, underage]: 
===May 6, 2018===
[fozmeadows on May 6, 2018]:
[thunderboltsortofapenny in response to fozmeadows]:
[fozmeadows responding to an anonymous ask]:
[olderthannetfic] in response to fozmeadows]:
[lairofligeia in response to fozmeadows]: 
[dancexinxthexshadows reblogged this from beyondthemoor]: 
[redshoesnblueskies reblogged this from redshoesnblueskies]: 
===May 7, 2018===
[thelearningcat]:
===May 8, 2018 Part 1===
[tzikeh in response to shinelikethunder's offer]: 
[astolat] in response to shinelikethunder]: 
[olderthannetfic in response to astolat]: 
[sassbandit3000 on May 8, 2018]: 
[slipgizzlestories]: 
===May 8, 2018 Part 2===
[stitchmediamix on May 8, 2018]: 
[lkeke35 in response to stitchmediamix]: 
[diversehighfantasy in response to stitchmediamix]: 
[voxiferous in response to diversehighfantasy ]: 
[nkjemisin in response to diversehighfantasy]: 
[zz9pzza in response to nkjemisin]: 
[bright-elen in response to diversehighfantasy]: 
[peoriarhetoriapeoria in response to bright-elen]: 
[nightswatchrebel in response to diversehighfantasy ]: 
[jewishcomeradebot in response to nightswatchrebel]: 
[blad-the-inhaler in response to stitchmediamix]:
[peoriarhetoriapeoria in response to blad-the-inhaler]: 
[beatrice-otter in response to blad-the-inhaler]: 
[melannen in response to beatrice-otter]: 
[shinelikethunder in response to melannen and beatrice-otter]: 
[stele3 in response to [shinelikethunder, melannen and beatrice-otter]: 
[blad-the-inhaler in response to peoriarhetoriapeoria ]: 
[elfwreck in response to all of the above]: 
===May 9, 2018===
[leproblematique on May 9, 2018]:
[freedom-of-fanfic in response to leproblematique]:
[out-there-on-the-maroon in response to leproblematique]:
[crisisoninfintefandoms in response to astolat]:
[mmarycontrary in response to astolat]:
[lierdumoa]:
[Elfwreck in response to stitchmediamix and diversehighfantasy posts of the previous day]: 
[diversehighfantasy in response to elfwreck]: 
===May 10, 2018 - Part 1===
[shirosrighthandman]: 
[neurocrat]:
===May 10, 2018 - Part 2===
[melannen in response to stitchmediamix]:
 [somethingoddinsod in response to melannen]:
[kawuli in response to melannen]:
[persephone-garnata in response to melannen]:
[somethingoddinsod in response to melannen]:
==Discussions Via Tumblr Tags/Notes==
[ardatli reblogged this from alessandriana]: 
[marinarasarah reblogged this from popkin16]:
[marty-mia-matt reblogged this from olderthannetfic]:
[kawuli reblogged this from astolat]:
[artificialwench reblogged this from owlbear33]:
[abraxasmalfoy reblogged this from second-salemite]:
[atruephoenix reblogged this from astolat]:
[relenafanel reblogged this from leveragehunters]:
[candygalaxies reblogged this from rizaoftheowls]:
[iffeelscouldkill reblogged this from fandomfanworks]:
[oopsabird reblogged this from relenafanel]:
[sw087 reblogged this from floranna2]:
[sazandorable reblogged this from sw087 and added]:
[serpentinegraphite reblogged this from sazandorable]:
[masonmerger reblogged this from astolat and added]::
[and-classics reblogged this from merihn]:
[angelcamael reblogged this from shiphitsthefan:
[era-invenire reblogged this from lavvyan]:
[cest-la-venus reblogged this from freakingdork]:
[bleadyn reblogged this from lyraeon]:
[meadowstrawberry reblogged this from marchingatmidnight]:
==Further reading==
* FanDomination.Net Content Control and Weeding Guidelines (2002-2009)
* AO3 Content Discussion (2016)
* I think the general mindset and culture of Tumblr is effecting what people choose to write about in fic (2015 post)
* Fandom is not your safe space (2015 post)
* AO3 & Censorship (2016 post)
* The Three Laws of Fandom (2016 post)
* every time I see more of the ‘ao3 is evil’ crap circulating I think, ‘well, tumblr is evil too and I don’t see you stop using it’ (2016 post)
* List of Content Banned by Archives
==References==
Category:2016 MetaCategory:2018 Meta
Category:Meta on Tumblr
Category:Fanfiction Meta
Category:Organization for Transformative Works Meta