amado1

Some folks seem to think that people who don't like warnings are proclaiming some type of superiority over those who do. But the attitude that disturbs me is found in an increasing number of fans who display a strong sense of entitlement regarding, among other issues, labels and warnings. They consider them a right of fandom and get quite outraged when they don't get them. Many proponents of the Early Warning System, subtly or otherwise, like to brandish the Courtesy Club. To wit: It's only courteous. I appreciate the courtesy of the people who give warnings. It's the polite thing to do. Well, it's nice if people include warnings. Etc. Which is to say . . . what? That authors who don't like to write spoilers for their own stories are rude, uncaring, and not nice? However, the Courtesy Club swings both ways. It might be just as easy to conclude that such readers are arrogant and insensitive to the needs of the writers.

Authors do not exist for the convenience of the readers (any more than the reverse). I have read thousands upon thousands (upon thousands) of fanzines and Internet-published stories without it ever occurring to me that someone should have run ahead before me and smoothed my path. (Or indeed, as many fans seem to think, that there is an actual obligation for someone to do so.)

No, I don't want to run into the stuff that bothers me any more than the next person does. But that's my responsibility. And, yes, I do expect to get stung occasionally. That's life. That's fandom.

The onus for my emotional well-being or busy schedule is not on the shoulders of the writers.

And if I did want warnings, I would like the "No Concept of Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation" Warning, the "Wouldn't Know Research if It Came Up and Bit Me on the Ass" Warning, the "Editing? What's That?" Warning, and the "You Mean I Should Watch the Show Before I write Stories About It?" Warning.

—K.S. Langley, Have You Noticed? It's Fandom, Not Wal-Mart. Read here.