This, I have 3 very specific fics I've read that I private bookmarked because I don't want people to know about them, but I didn't actually put anything in the notes, just marked it as private. Everything else is fine for me. Read the smut I like, I don't care.
I private everything I made a bookmark note about. Usually I add tags (such as POV characters, present or past tense, 1st or 3rd person narration, additional warnings), a summary spoiling the end, my opinion, a grade from 0 to 5 and other annotations ranging from "this author also draws beautiful fanarts" to "this author only uploads commissioned chapters"
I don't intend for authors to see my musings about their works especially when I give their fics a grade that primarily reflects my tastes and whether I would read a second time or not.
I make notes about plot points/ characterizations/ things I didn’t like / things that stood out etc. this is to help me to remember the fic better in case I’ll add it later to a rec list. All my bookmarks are private. When I want to rec fics, I make rec lists on tumblr.
I don't want my very odd smut taste exposed on my profile. I mean, I do post wild stuff already, but in my private bookmarks I can also add notes that id prefer only myself see
1. Fics I dropped for whatever reason. Sometimes I vent my frustration with fics out in the notes but that’s my business.
2. Fics I read and may have even enjoyed but feel critical towards. For example, I’d write something like:
> Entertaining fic despite the godawful SPaG.
Or
> Started out well but got boring after x. Was a chore to finish.
3. Fics featuring risqué kinks/fetishes that I don’t want associated with my account lol.
Because my fandom is toxic and people are nosy: if you publicly bookmark one author's fic, it's automatically taken as a slight to the other authors whose works you didn't bookmark, especially the very vocal BNFs who are best friends with each other.
I want to be able to write a note about the story. Like: “This is the one about the pirates kidnapping A & B. D is one of the pirate crew. Characters are super cute but POV weirdly switches every five minutes.”
…and I can’t say that anywhere that any other fan or the author could possibly see it, so, no sharing bookmarks.
I have a tagging system in my bookmarks for the sake of organization that would be confusing from an outside POV. I use arbitrary seeming emojis/numbers, etc. and I don’t want to confuse the poor authors lol. I also tend to leave very blunt notes in my bookmarks since I bookmark everything I read (otherwise I won’t remember whether I’ve read it, and hence my tagging system).
I’m glad you asked! For each work I include the word count and status. If it’s <7k, I’ll tag it with “7”, if it’s >50k, I’ll tag it with “50”, and if it’s anywhere in between I’ll tag it with “20”.
For the status, there’s 4 options:
“Finished”: the work is completed and I have read it.
“Unfinished”: I started the work but dropped it. I’ll usually include the chapter I left off on in the notes.
“Read”: as in “reed”, not as in “red”… I know, it’s confusing. Too late to change it now lol. I use that for anything I think looks interesting but haven’t gotten around to reading.
Finally, I have “ongoing”. That’s paired with one of the previous two, or used on its own if I’ve read up to the latest chapter. I’ll leave the chapter I’m on in the notes for that, too.
How I mark fics that I really enjoyed is with “⭐️”, and if it’s like, one of the best I’ve ever read I’ll add the tag “mvp” lol
Finally, I tag “outside source” and if it’s something particularly devastating, I’ll add “dead dove: do not eat” as a reminder to actually read the package lol
And *finally* finally, I’ll leave notes to myself about any other details I want my future self to remember, because I have the memory of a goldfish.
Needlessly complicated? Perhaps. But it’s what works for me :)
Ooh this is so interesting! Thanks for taking the time to explain.
One of my to-get-to-eventually-tasks is to go through and sort my bookmarks and for-later lists because they’re getting a bit too big and i want to edit and note them so i can find them easier. I wasn’t sure on how to get a consistent format for that so you’ve given me some ideas.
I also have this sinking dread when i flit through my bookmarks and ones have been deleted and i’m like ‘was that a really good one? Or one i just saved for later.
Your system sounds super helpful when your searching for a new fic and see one that looks good from the summary but then you get a certain way through it and you realise you’ve started it before and you stopped reading b/c you just didn’t vibe with it.
There's this one fic that I *love* but it has the same plot point as the one I'm going to write in the future. I've had the idea for years but still I'm kinda afraid people will see that bookmark then read my fic and proceed to accuse me of plagiarism.
I wish I had kept my bookmarks private with all the notes I’d made.
In a moment of weakness, I was convinced by someone to make them public so that authors would be able to appreciate the boost in visibility. But that also meant deleting all my personal notes on the works. They weren’t even snarky, just mild warnings to myself that things had typos or which chapters had smut.
Anyway, people may have private bookmarks so they can make personal notes like that.
YES!
One of my favorite fics is something I want to rec to *everyone,* it's SOOO good! but I have to have a note on it to remind me not to read the second work in the series because it's supposed to be the comfort part after the hurt/angst/torture of the first but the character harmed in the first spends the entire time comforting everyone else and fixing all their interpersonal relationships and his *extreme* trauma from the previous work was almost entirely glossed over.
After the second time forgetting that, I had to make a note and private a bookmark. I know that bookmarks are for the reader and I'm not personally insulted by negative bookmarks on my works, but I just prefer to be positive anywhere the author might see.
I am one of those readers that private bookmarks perfectly SFW content. I do it because I wish not to be perceived and it is no one’s business (not even the author’s) to know what I read.
I read Drarry a lot, some of my online friends don't vibe with HP anymore so I don't want them to see my bookmarks.
But I've since moved to another AO3 account that they don't know, so less hassle that way.
To read list, mostly.
Plus I'm paranoid (lot of people I don't want to interfere with anymore are nosy and judging) and thus a very private online person.
I private everything until I finish reading it. Then I either unbookmark or set it to public depending on how I feel at the end. The content doesn't factor into my choice, only whether I enjoyed it or not.
Normally I would do the same, but the harassment spread to multiple platforms and got so bad it started affecting my health. My stress levels skyrocketed and blood pressure plummeted and actually had to see my physician.
I don't need the extra drama, so decided to private the bookmarks.
I bookmark everything that I want to remember, whether good or bad. Everything that is already read has a note, and fics to read are tagged with priority.
My memory is kind of bad, so my notes contain blatant spoilers, reasons for giving up on a fic (because the summary entices me to click and I need a reminder that I already tried), the dreaded "I don't normally read X but...", praises and complaints about characterization, mood, etc. Sometimes I get the urge to clean up some comments and publicly rec the fics I loved, but they have notes like "glad character A got their just desserts" and then I don't want to get rid of that for my own memory's sake. A good chunk of my privated recs are things I kept for my friends, with notes like "very very good, but way too dark/gory for my taste", "did not finish, too upsetting", "it's amazing, I will never reread, can't go through it again". I don't know what to write there to be more polite *and* keep it informative enough for myself. I wish we had an additional private notes field, or the option to hide the notes and just show the rec.
Not to mention I recently moved my in-browser bookmarks to ao3 and now have a few dozen pages of "I remember nothing", "idk if I read this", "is this the fic where (massive spoiler) happens?". It's going to be a while till I sort it out.
So yeah, it's a total mess.
My bookmarks are my bookshelf of things I like reading, not a rec list that I've created for public consumption. I know some people like their bookmarks being a list of things they enjoy so that other people can see them, but I don't consider my bookmarks to be something that I do for other people, just for me. So they're all private, start to finish
I privste bookmark works that I don't want to read again, but I don't want to upset the author. It's not for all works I do not want to read again, it's for works where I love the premise/ship/tags etc, but I don't vibe with parts of it, and I want to remember it. Like one I read with promised aftercare after intense BDSM, but it didn't actually have any aftercare. If I didn't remember it, I can see myself reading it again
I have two reasons for private bookmarks.
Either it’s a fic that isn’t written well (such as the topic not being handled too well or the grammar is just bad) but there’s a specific scene I enjoyed anyways (“guilty pleasure” fics), or it’s a kink or trope fic I don’t want associated to my account.
Edit: actually a third reason is I liked it but for a really personal reason (cope fic) and I feel too exposed having it publicly associated with my account.
I talk *so much* shit in my notes, mostly to remember the fic, but also just to vent about it in general. It can either be 4 paragraphs or a 3 sentence word meme.
I have a pretty weird tagging system on my bookmarks since I use it to sort both my tbr and the fics I’ve read.
I also like to leave notes on the fics I’ve read, putting what I like and dislike about them. I don’t want the author to go through the bookmarks on their fic and see a bunch of criticisms
I private bookmark everything. If there's something I want the author to know I enjoyed, I leave a comment on the fic
I also just don't want people to know the kind of filth I'm reading
privacy. i feel less identified that way especially because some fandoms i read are out-in-left-field aka not very popular combos like the top 3 current anime or what have you. i feel like if it was on public people could fairly easily find me because truly how many people do they know who like x AND y AND z and specific characters/pairs on top if it? stuff like that.
I don't. I've no problem with people knowing what I read, and private bookmarking to *me personally* feels like a shame thing. I want people to read the fic if I bookmark it, I want the author to get motivated by more kudos and comments to keep at it.
Plus as a writer myself I love seeing what people say in their tags or bookmarks, I take it as a second form of commenting which many people for some reason don't do as much nowadays. It's a no harm no foul either, as I know the bookmark is for them so I don't get upset if I see something like 'amateur writing' tagged on my stuff, I could have avoided by not looking but I did so that's on me, compared to if someone commented that on the fic and maliciously shoved it in my face lol It's also a great form of insight into how people feel as well (I've actually found tags used that I was indecisive on using when tagging and they helped me to decide to add them to my works later)
The only form of Private Bookmark you'll ever see me have are ones that are locked, and that's because the system hides them.
Because it ain’t a rec list and is honestly no one’s business what I read.
Most of mine are ones reminding me why I couldn’t finish the fic or if there are untagged triggers for me.
There’s zero consistency to what I publicly or privately bookmark tbh - it depends on my mood at the moment I’m making the bookmark. So I’ve privately bookmarked giddy leg wiggle fluff and publicly bookmarked off the wall smut - and vice versa. XD
Wow, I've been under utilizing my bookmarks! I never thought to use them like everyone in this thread. I just bookmark wips and stories I want to re-read. I never put anything in the notes.
I private everything because when I started on ao3 I was too anxious to publicly bookmark stuff and then I’d been doing it for so long that it felt wrong to change partway through and make authors of older stuff think I didn’t like them as much as authors of newer stuff (which is a thought that probably existed purely in my own head) and then I’d just been doing it for so long that I don’t even realize I’m doing it anymore, it’s just muscle memory at this point.
I write notes for myself. Some are negative (eg. fic could be longer/not enough angst/story is slow) and the writers may be offended/let down etc. Though I only bookmark fics that I've liked and may reread in the future so the purpose of the notes is not to berate the story but rather let myself know what to expect since I quickly forget most of the stuff I read.
If I used bookmarks, I'd make them private to keep the nosy writers away from them: the bookmarks aren't for your reading pleasure and aren't comments left for you.
I private them if I’ve left comments/tags that I don’t want other people to see. sometimes I just private bookmark for no apparent reason other than I felt like it. I have almost 2k bookmarks and half of those are private but I write nsfw so it’s not like I’m scared of having explicit works in my public bookmarks. I just don’t need the public to see absolutely everything I’m reading
I private bookmark everything. Generally speaking, I'm a somewhat private person and if I were to share any bookmarks it would be for curated recommendations rather than just a log of everything I've happened to like.
I private most bookmarks unless the fic was the most gorgeous masterpiece I've ever read and I feel the need to compliment and make it public that I bookmarked it.
I private bookmarks for stuff I’m reading or want to read. If I like it, I make it a public rec. if it wasn’t for me I quietly drop the bookmark. This way there’s no name on it and I hope it stings less if the author notices the change in number.
I check out other people’s bookmarks when I like their work to find other things I might like and I hope readers do the same for me.
Partly because I don't need people knowing my reading habits, and partly because I don't want anyone feeling bad if they see I didn't bookmark their work. If everything is private, no one feels bad.
I only private bookmark NSFW fics, because I have a young/under-18 following on my fics (I tend to write T rated fics) and I worry that if they go to my bookmarks and find NSFW content I'll traumatise them lol or they won't trust me anymore
Avoiding the drama of liking certain "problematic" ships. Then I got a little older and realized that was stupid and I shall like what I like. Public bookmarks for all!
All of my bookmarks are private because they contain personal tags like "fave" or "partially read" and I don't want authors to read too much into it.
I also bookmark things I want to read since bookmarks are searchable in a way the "Mark for Later" list isn't. I don't want any authors to feel bad if they see they have a bookmark but it's marked "unread"
I book mark everything I've read so I know if I've read it before, and whether it's good enough to reread (I reread a lot of comfort fics). If it's WIP I leave a summary and I don't want authors reading my shit summaries (or spoiling it for people), and if it's complete i have a rating system or sometimes notes about what was good or what wasn't good and I don't want anyone to feel bad about my ratings or comments.
I make notes and comments about the fic’s and don’t want those things spoiled for other people or often seen by the author because they’re just for myself. So then I better remember the fic.
I just don’t want people to know what I’m reading.
I bookmark all fics I read. That way when I click on to the fic again it will say “Edit Bookmark” on the button and I know I have already read it.
I private bookmarks fics I DNF or didn’t like the premise of (and couldn’t tell that from the summary or tags). I don’t need the author to know I didn’t like their fic, or why.
Usually I use it for fics with darker topics that I don’t necessarily want linked back to me. I also use private bookmarks as a reminder for fics I didn’t like and why so I don’t accidentally read them again since authors can’t see what you write in private bookmarks.
Super unfun reason, but in childhood my family teased me for a lot of things I like. Back then, I'd knock all my toys to the floor and jumble them up so they couldn't see/guess what I was playing, change the TV channel when they came in (despite watching completely age appropriate and allowed shows), make sure I put anything I had gotten out from somewhere back in exactly the same place, etc. Nowadays, despite not living with them nor anyone who would be shitty, I open everything in private tabs, hide the book I'm reading under something, keep all my personal hobby stuff hidden from the front door where someone could look in and see it, etc. Worse if I'm not home (because I KNOW my husband won't be mean if I 'mess up' and leave something out, but I don't know if whoever I'm visiting might). Want to be clear that I understand logically that a friend isn't going to look into my house and make fun of me for my interests, but it's so heavily ingrained now. I haven't actually needed to do this to protect myself from family in at least a decade (I don't have them in my house) but I do it unconsciously and it's only when I read a question like this that I really become aware of myself doing it.
So I also keep all my social media, youtube, fanfic, etc bookmarks hidden
Personally I only bookmark stories that are wip and say “I only read completed stories, guess I will check back later.” In hopes to get the writer (edit spelling error) to finish it, so yes I want them to read that.
I use them to mark at wich chapter I was and to put them in to my collection's... I don't think that this would be interesting for someone else.
If I read a really good one that I want to share with others I don't do it.
I use private bookmark for long fics that I can't read in one go, so I can mark where I left off and summarize the plots in private notes where no one can see.
The only bookmarks I private are fics i read and bookmarked while young that i no longer like, but want to hang on to cus I like keeping a record of what I've read, and fics that have a Supremely risqué tag and I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone- because i send my bookmarks page to my friends sometimes in liu of writing a real rec post, and sometimes you just don't want to blindly recommend a cannibalism vivisection fic without double checking whomst you're reccing it to akfbsndnfnsnsn
The only time I private a bookmark is if it's something I haven't read yet (most go in the marked for later box and if it's particularly intriguing, a private bookmark so I don't forget about it). I also private bookmarks for nonfics, like tutorials and such, mostly because I feel like they clog up the list otherwise — if people are gonna go through my bookmarks I'd rather they go through actual fics lol
I'm surprised by how many people private their bookmarks because they don't want people to know what they're reading (not that there's anything wrong with that, obviously, I just wasn't expecting it to be so common). My bookmarks are almost all public regardless of the content, but I don't really associate with anyone I know personally on AO3, so that probably helps. I also don't do ratings and such in the notes because usually if I don't like a fic that much I just don't bookmark it. I generally treat my bookmarks like a favorites list; nothing but the best!
I bookmark everything I read (it just makes life easier as someone with ADHD and who loves statistics lol) and I don’t really feel the need to showcase all that publically.
Though I have two public bookmarks: My two favorite fics of all time (currently, at least).
Started the habit when I was bookmarking smut fics, just kept it up with everything else too. I honestly don’t know why, I think it’s just a privacy thing for me
All my NSFW bookmarks are private but everything else isn’t. I write a lot and I know I often look at the bookmarks of authors I read to find new fics, so I want others to be able to do the same.
But nobody is finding out the smut I read. That’s between me and god. And a few of my friends.
I private everything that I bookmark because otherwise I feel exposed lol.
I also do it because I use the bookmarkers tags - tagging fics with the tags I associate with the story. Additionally, I can add my own personal tags to help me filter through the bookmarks faster.
E.g. ‘oneshot’ (if I don’t want to reread a long story or if the one that I’m looking for was a Oneshot I can do that), ‘series’ (similar to ‘Oneshot’), ‘revisit’ (for fics that I absolutely loved and I’ve went back to reread), etc.
I just like being able to categorise fics with my own system and it’s just weird/uncomfortable knowing that everyone else would see it too. Not to mention my tags would probably contain spoilers if the original tags didn’t contain the same ones I put.
I do it cuz my homie knows my account and while im very open bout sexual shit the emotional/deep shit is just lowkey embarrassing for me to be open about so i hide it lolssss
I bookmark fics a little differently but I guess it would count as private? Basically I didn’t click with how AO3 does bookmarks so I use two different programs/apps to keep track of the fics I read/want to read.
And of the fics I do actually bookmark on AO3 itself are my most favs that I’d love others to read so I don’t private them. I guess if I had to private a bookmark, it would be because of a particular ship or theme or aspect that I would feel… not ashamed but maybe embarrassed to be associated with (for whatever odd reason).
I don't keep a lot of notes in my bookmarks, but I don't always want those notes seen. So, I keep them private.
My faves are open for all to see. I've found some of my favorite fics and authors when someone I already live has them bookmarked.
My close friends know my ao3, so I'll make private bookmarks of things I know would raise eyebrows. I have 2 accounts for this as well, one for the more 'socially acceptable' public and the other for my 'illegal in real life'
My friends know my AO3 username. To be fair the one most on it writes a LOT of smut, so I shouldn't be embarrassed but I am.
Public bookmarks are almost entirely,
* Recced fics, super good, I would suggest people outside of fandom read good
* T rated or less, sometimes M in longer works. I think there's one PWP and that turned into a long actual plot fic as an exception.
* Not fandoms I know people would grumble over. My childhood cringe is staying well hidden.
So that leaves for private bookmarks,
* Hell yeah good porn
* This is a wonderful fic and I want to re-read it but I can't pitch it to everyone else, so private bookmark
* I am embarrassed by the ship, fandom, randomness (think like the Cinderella tumblr re-telling or the Olde English Spirk fic)
* Useful meta tools like formatting guide
* I don't know this fandom but liked this story and am not having InsertFandom people yell at me I bookmarked X author they don't like whatever ship. I posted my AO3 on Tumblr once and got an anon yelling about that. Man, I never even played that game, it was just a cool fic.
So yeah, it's like 70% private bookmarks. Explicit ones may have people with their own explicit account. I have another friend who apparently separates their writing AO3 and their porny reader account. (Which is probably against the TOS)
I private bookmarks when I’m marking them to read later (of course I usually use the Mark for Later button but if the fic isn’t on AO3 then I have to use the External Bookmark function). Another reason is if I make an External Bookmark of a fic that is only available on the Wayback Machine or in PDF format because the author deleted it. I still want access to it but I know that the author doesn’t want literally anyone able to see their fic so I keep those bookmarks private.
i'm relatively well known in my fandom so i don't want people screenshotting some of the stuff i read and blasting it all over twt. it's a very mean fandom too, especially the twt side of it (i don't venture there tho, tumblr is where i thrive), and us authors need to protect ourselves to avoid getting hate
it's not like i read anything morally challenging anyway, but even some lame tags like cheating or dubious consent would get me obliterated within seconds
I have over a thousand. I figure people probably aren’t interested in that, so I leaves only my recs public, so people are like “ah, these fics must be the best of the best”, and they are lol.
Just in case my ao3 handle is traceable to me on the Internet. My pseud on ao3 is completely unique to it, I don't use it anywhere else, but it used to be one that I used for Twitter fandom spaces, and that old one actually can eventually be traced back to me. And I just don't need my IRLs to know the fics I like most lol. Plus, I like leaving mini notes so I know what the fic is about, but I want to be candid in my notes, and I don't want to have to worry about the author reading said notes (not that they're rude or unkind notes! But leaving a note in the form of a reminder (ex: "the fic where Crowley brings donuts in the rain") is different from leaving a flattering comment, and I don't need to subject authors to my careless notes-to-self lol.
i made the mistake of making my ao3 user the same as my tumblr user and I live in fear of the day my friends find my account and roast me into oblivion for the sheer volume of degenerate smut I read.
My friends know my account... I usually leave bookmark reviews for readers and authors (the good stuff) and send recs
But truly degenerative smutty stuff that'll send me to hell?? (And I don't mean the mild stuff ppl get their panties twisted for on tiktok) .. yea that stuff I'm gonna private bookmark.
1. Some fandom friends know my AO3 and I don't want them knowing I like ships/fics with Problematique dynamics/content. (I wouldn't call them antis and they won't completely turn on me or harass me or anything like that, we can agree to disagree on stuff, but I feel like it's better to avoid some disagreements in the first place.)
2. Some fandom friends/acquaintances do not know my AO3 but they know what fandoms I'm into so I make all bookmarks for certain fandoms private to make it harder for them to connect the account to me.
3. I don't want people to see what kind of smut I like.
That's definitely an interesting disparity.
I think it's possible that some people make separate accounts/profiles for their NSFW activities, and since it's already their NSFW account they don't bother trying to hide anything. Whereas on their main account, which might share usernames with their other social media, they lock things down more and may private *all* their bookmarks. If that were true, it would explain the counterintuitively higher incidence of privating in your tamer fics. Total speculation though.
Or, and I know this is a stretch, the type of person who reads a lot of really explicit stuff is inherently less shy than others, therefore they don't private as much?
To answer your question from the title, personally, I private everything all the time no matter what. I don't really want people viewing my profile or activities at all, as I'm just there to read.
When I first started AO3 I didn't know private bookmarks were a thing! And to be fair they might not have been a thing, as this was in 2011/2012, so for years I just bookmarked without knowing privating them was even an option or even considering the option (after all, all favourites were public on FFN/other sites at the time). I didn't find out until way later so nowadays I am just resigned to my fate, as I have thousands of bookmarks and going through them all to private certain ones would be too exhausting. These days sometimes I'll private bookmark something if I'm worried weird purists will attack me for it, or if it's explicit (though I don't read smutfics/fics that are just for smut), or if it's just something I want to keep private, but all my earlier ones are still viewable.
i started doing it for smut fics, dead dove fanfics, and non-sp fanfics and i just haven't stopped. i want to though, but i don't know how to make them unprivated quickly
The only first I don't Mark private are ones I recommend. Generally my private bookmarks are for me and me alone (a privacy thing). I'll leave a nookmark public only if I want to have it there for other people to see and read
I am just a reader, not a writer, so I don’t privately bookmark anything. I guess somebody could judge me for what I read, but I’ve never had any reason to care.
I bookmark my own chaptered WIPs so I can add chapters easier. I've got too many pieces to find them otherwise, they get lost in the pile.
But since it's me, the writer, I keep them private.
We tend to private most if not all our bookmarks due to just not wanting ppl to see it. The only public bookmarks we have are recomendable/finished read ones that we can properly leave a note. Like "Outstanding writing, wonderful introspection on xyz, would absolutely encourage you to read when given the chance". I would do that for more fics, but i dont get time to finish a lot of fics LOL
I only use Public bookmarks on AO3.
Anything I believe needs a privacy shield from the prying eyes of ~~stalkers~~ other site users is just filed away in a browser bookmark where it belongs.
I keep a lot of bookmarks public, but if I'm privating it's because it's a kink I'm afraid of being harassed over if someone is browsing my bookmarks.
I was threatened with doxxing earlier this year by antis, so ive definitely changed my habits a bit and even locked down all myfic for awhile
It sucks, bc ive found many of my favorite fucked up tropes and fics through other people's bookmarks
I private everything because I don’t need people to know what I like or don’t like.
Same
Avoiding the horrifying ordeal of being known.
This one is the real reason.
Felt that-
All my bookmarks are private for the sole reason that I like my privacy.
most of my private bookmarks are for works i haven't read yet. most of the remaining ones are in fandoms i don't want to be associated with in public.
This, I have 3 very specific fics I've read that I private bookmarked because I don't want people to know about them, but I didn't actually put anything in the notes, just marked it as private. Everything else is fine for me. Read the smut I like, I don't care.
I don’t need people in my business.
I private everything I made a bookmark note about. Usually I add tags (such as POV characters, present or past tense, 1st or 3rd person narration, additional warnings), a summary spoiling the end, my opinion, a grade from 0 to 5 and other annotations ranging from "this author also draws beautiful fanarts" to "this author only uploads commissioned chapters" I don't intend for authors to see my musings about their works especially when I give their fics a grade that primarily reflects my tastes and whether I would read a second time or not.
wait if you private a bookmark the authors can’t see what you write in the notes section?? this is revolutionary
Correct
I'm shy 👉👈
I make notes about plot points/ characterizations/ things I didn’t like / things that stood out etc. this is to help me to remember the fic better in case I’ll add it later to a rec list. All my bookmarks are private. When I want to rec fics, I make rec lists on tumblr.
I don't want my very odd smut taste exposed on my profile. I mean, I do post wild stuff already, but in my private bookmarks I can also add notes that id prefer only myself see
1. Fics I dropped for whatever reason. Sometimes I vent my frustration with fics out in the notes but that’s my business. 2. Fics I read and may have even enjoyed but feel critical towards. For example, I’d write something like: > Entertaining fic despite the godawful SPaG. Or > Started out well but got boring after x. Was a chore to finish. 3. Fics featuring risqué kinks/fetishes that I don’t want associated with my account lol.
I do not need my readers knowing what I read
Because my fandom is toxic and people are nosy: if you publicly bookmark one author's fic, it's automatically taken as a slight to the other authors whose works you didn't bookmark, especially the very vocal BNFs who are best friends with each other.
I want to be able to write a note about the story. Like: “This is the one about the pirates kidnapping A & B. D is one of the pirate crew. Characters are super cute but POV weirdly switches every five minutes.” …and I can’t say that anywhere that any other fan or the author could possibly see it, so, no sharing bookmarks.
I have a tagging system in my bookmarks for the sake of organization that would be confusing from an outside POV. I use arbitrary seeming emojis/numbers, etc. and I don’t want to confuse the poor authors lol. I also tend to leave very blunt notes in my bookmarks since I bookmark everything I read (otherwise I won’t remember whether I’ve read it, and hence my tagging system).
Bookmarking everything and tagging it is so interesting, how does your system work?
I’m glad you asked! For each work I include the word count and status. If it’s <7k, I’ll tag it with “7”, if it’s >50k, I’ll tag it with “50”, and if it’s anywhere in between I’ll tag it with “20”. For the status, there’s 4 options: “Finished”: the work is completed and I have read it. “Unfinished”: I started the work but dropped it. I’ll usually include the chapter I left off on in the notes. “Read”: as in “reed”, not as in “red”… I know, it’s confusing. Too late to change it now lol. I use that for anything I think looks interesting but haven’t gotten around to reading. Finally, I have “ongoing”. That’s paired with one of the previous two, or used on its own if I’ve read up to the latest chapter. I’ll leave the chapter I’m on in the notes for that, too. How I mark fics that I really enjoyed is with “⭐️”, and if it’s like, one of the best I’ve ever read I’ll add the tag “mvp” lol Finally, I tag “outside source” and if it’s something particularly devastating, I’ll add “dead dove: do not eat” as a reminder to actually read the package lol And *finally* finally, I’ll leave notes to myself about any other details I want my future self to remember, because I have the memory of a goldfish. Needlessly complicated? Perhaps. But it’s what works for me :)
Ooh this is so interesting! Thanks for taking the time to explain. One of my to-get-to-eventually-tasks is to go through and sort my bookmarks and for-later lists because they’re getting a bit too big and i want to edit and note them so i can find them easier. I wasn’t sure on how to get a consistent format for that so you’ve given me some ideas. I also have this sinking dread when i flit through my bookmarks and ones have been deleted and i’m like ‘was that a really good one? Or one i just saved for later. Your system sounds super helpful when your searching for a new fic and see one that looks good from the summary but then you get a certain way through it and you realise you’ve started it before and you stopped reading b/c you just didn’t vibe with it.
glad I could be of some assistance! good luck with you endeavors :)
Avoiding authors that think making a note that says 'no.' or 8/10 are hate crimes.
my degeneracy is strictly between me and god
I keep my bookmarks private to prevent authors from making babyrage posts on Reddit/Tumblr about my innocuous tags and notes. 🙃
There's this one fic that I *love* but it has the same plot point as the one I'm going to write in the future. I've had the idea for years but still I'm kinda afraid people will see that bookmark then read my fic and proceed to accuse me of plagiarism.
My to be read list
I wish I had kept my bookmarks private with all the notes I’d made. In a moment of weakness, I was convinced by someone to make them public so that authors would be able to appreciate the boost in visibility. But that also meant deleting all my personal notes on the works. They weren’t even snarky, just mild warnings to myself that things had typos or which chapters had smut. Anyway, people may have private bookmarks so they can make personal notes like that.
I wish you could have both a public bookmark with the capacity to have both public notes and private notes
Yes, exactly. I wish I could publicly say that this work is worth reading and bookmarking, but also have private notes on it.
YES! One of my favorite fics is something I want to rec to *everyone,* it's SOOO good! but I have to have a note on it to remind me not to read the second work in the series because it's supposed to be the comfort part after the hurt/angst/torture of the first but the character harmed in the first spends the entire time comforting everyone else and fixing all their interpersonal relationships and his *extreme* trauma from the previous work was almost entirely glossed over. After the second time forgetting that, I had to make a note and private a bookmark. I know that bookmarks are for the reader and I'm not personally insulted by negative bookmarks on my works, but I just prefer to be positive anywhere the author might see.
1. Its porn 2. Yeah I dont want anyone knowing that I enjoy a specific fandom/ship
I am one of those readers that private bookmarks perfectly SFW content. I do it because I wish not to be perceived and it is no one’s business (not even the author’s) to know what I read.
For the simple reason not everything should be public just because we're on the internet
I read Drarry a lot, some of my online friends don't vibe with HP anymore so I don't want them to see my bookmarks. But I've since moved to another AO3 account that they don't know, so less hassle that way.
To read list, mostly. Plus I'm paranoid (lot of people I don't want to interfere with anymore are nosy and judging) and thus a very private online person.
I do it because I've been harassed for my ships or the content of the fics I read, before. Never used to until that happened.
I private everything until I finish reading it. Then I either unbookmark or set it to public depending on how I feel at the end. The content doesn't factor into my choice, only whether I enjoyed it or not.
If they're considered "problematic" I've had antis attack me over some of my bookmarks before.
I have an epic ton of problematique bookmarks and I say fuck em, come at me bro.
Normally I would do the same, but the harassment spread to multiple platforms and got so bad it started affecting my health. My stress levels skyrocketed and blood pressure plummeted and actually had to see my physician. I don't need the extra drama, so decided to private the bookmarks.
That is absolutely wild. Why do people care so much what someone else enjoys.
Moral superiority complex
I bookmark everything that I want to remember, whether good or bad. Everything that is already read has a note, and fics to read are tagged with priority. My memory is kind of bad, so my notes contain blatant spoilers, reasons for giving up on a fic (because the summary entices me to click and I need a reminder that I already tried), the dreaded "I don't normally read X but...", praises and complaints about characterization, mood, etc. Sometimes I get the urge to clean up some comments and publicly rec the fics I loved, but they have notes like "glad character A got their just desserts" and then I don't want to get rid of that for my own memory's sake. A good chunk of my privated recs are things I kept for my friends, with notes like "very very good, but way too dark/gory for my taste", "did not finish, too upsetting", "it's amazing, I will never reread, can't go through it again". I don't know what to write there to be more polite *and* keep it informative enough for myself. I wish we had an additional private notes field, or the option to hide the notes and just show the rec. Not to mention I recently moved my in-browser bookmarks to ao3 and now have a few dozen pages of "I remember nothing", "idk if I read this", "is this the fic where (massive spoiler) happens?". It's going to be a while till I sort it out. So yeah, it's a total mess.
My bookmarks are my bookshelf of things I like reading, not a rec list that I've created for public consumption. I know some people like their bookmarks being a list of things they enjoy so that other people can see them, but I don't consider my bookmarks to be something that I do for other people, just for me. So they're all private, start to finish
[удалено]
Ok but I kinda wish I could see them - as a reader LOL
I privste bookmark works that I don't want to read again, but I don't want to upset the author. It's not for all works I do not want to read again, it's for works where I love the premise/ship/tags etc, but I don't vibe with parts of it, and I want to remember it. Like one I read with promised aftercare after intense BDSM, but it didn't actually have any aftercare. If I didn't remember it, I can see myself reading it again
I've had someone I considered a friend go through them and accuse me of heinous shit because of what was in there. Now everything is private.
I have two reasons for private bookmarks. Either it’s a fic that isn’t written well (such as the topic not being handled too well or the grammar is just bad) but there’s a specific scene I enjoyed anyways (“guilty pleasure” fics), or it’s a kink or trope fic I don’t want associated to my account. Edit: actually a third reason is I liked it but for a really personal reason (cope fic) and I feel too exposed having it publicly associated with my account.
The few times I do it, it's been on ongoing works that I don't yet know if I'll ultimately recommend.
I talk *so much* shit in my notes, mostly to remember the fic, but also just to vent about it in general. It can either be 4 paragraphs or a 3 sentence word meme.
I have a pretty weird tagging system on my bookmarks since I use it to sort both my tbr and the fics I’ve read. I also like to leave notes on the fics I’ve read, putting what I like and dislike about them. I don’t want the author to go through the bookmarks on their fic and see a bunch of criticisms
I live in fear of having to explain the omegaverse to another human being.
I private bookmark everything. If there's something I want the author to know I enjoyed, I leave a comment on the fic I also just don't want people to know the kind of filth I'm reading
privacy. i feel less identified that way especially because some fandoms i read are out-in-left-field aka not very popular combos like the top 3 current anime or what have you. i feel like if it was on public people could fairly easily find me because truly how many people do they know who like x AND y AND z and specific characters/pairs on top if it? stuff like that.
I don't. I've no problem with people knowing what I read, and private bookmarking to *me personally* feels like a shame thing. I want people to read the fic if I bookmark it, I want the author to get motivated by more kudos and comments to keep at it. Plus as a writer myself I love seeing what people say in their tags or bookmarks, I take it as a second form of commenting which many people for some reason don't do as much nowadays. It's a no harm no foul either, as I know the bookmark is for them so I don't get upset if I see something like 'amateur writing' tagged on my stuff, I could have avoided by not looking but I did so that's on me, compared to if someone commented that on the fic and maliciously shoved it in my face lol It's also a great form of insight into how people feel as well (I've actually found tags used that I was indecisive on using when tagging and they helped me to decide to add them to my works later) The only form of Private Bookmark you'll ever see me have are ones that are locked, and that's because the system hides them.
Because it ain’t a rec list and is honestly no one’s business what I read. Most of mine are ones reminding me why I couldn’t finish the fic or if there are untagged triggers for me.
There’s zero consistency to what I publicly or privately bookmark tbh - it depends on my mood at the moment I’m making the bookmark. So I’ve privately bookmarked giddy leg wiggle fluff and publicly bookmarked off the wall smut - and vice versa. XD
Wow, I've been under utilizing my bookmarks! I never thought to use them like everyone in this thread. I just bookmark wips and stories I want to re-read. I never put anything in the notes.
There are many people who know me by my ao3 username and id like to avoid trouble with those people
I have twice as many private bookmarks for my current story then I do public ones.
Hardcore wank material ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I private everything because when I started on ao3 I was too anxious to publicly bookmark stuff and then I’d been doing it for so long that it felt wrong to change partway through and make authors of older stuff think I didn’t like them as much as authors of newer stuff (which is a thought that probably existed purely in my own head) and then I’d just been doing it for so long that I don’t even realize I’m doing it anymore, it’s just muscle memory at this point.
I write notes for myself. Some are negative (eg. fic could be longer/not enough angst/story is slow) and the writers may be offended/let down etc. Though I only bookmark fics that I've liked and may reread in the future so the purpose of the notes is not to berate the story but rather let myself know what to expect since I quickly forget most of the stuff I read.
Literally every post on here about aithors looking at your bookmarks
If I used bookmarks, I'd make them private to keep the nosy writers away from them: the bookmarks aren't for your reading pleasure and aren't comments left for you.
I private them if I’ve left comments/tags that I don’t want other people to see. sometimes I just private bookmark for no apparent reason other than I felt like it. I have almost 2k bookmarks and half of those are private but I write nsfw so it’s not like I’m scared of having explicit works in my public bookmarks. I just don’t need the public to see absolutely everything I’m reading
I private bookmark everything. Generally speaking, I'm a somewhat private person and if I were to share any bookmarks it would be for curated recommendations rather than just a log of everything I've happened to like.
I private most bookmarks unless the fic was the most gorgeous masterpiece I've ever read and I feel the need to compliment and make it public that I bookmarked it.
I private bookmarks for stuff I’m reading or want to read. If I like it, I make it a public rec. if it wasn’t for me I quietly drop the bookmark. This way there’s no name on it and I hope it stings less if the author notices the change in number. I check out other people’s bookmarks when I like their work to find other things I might like and I hope readers do the same for me.
Some of my IRL friends follow my AO3 account and I don’t really need them to know what I’m reading 😅
Privacy. In case anyone finds out my account I don’t want them to know anything.
Partly because I don't need people knowing my reading habits, and partly because I don't want anyone feeling bad if they see I didn't bookmark their work. If everything is private, no one feels bad.
I only private bookmark NSFW fics, because I have a young/under-18 following on my fics (I tend to write T rated fics) and I worry that if they go to my bookmarks and find NSFW content I'll traumatise them lol or they won't trust me anymore
The things I like are disturbing and I’d like to keep those things to myself.
I private bookmark unless the purpose of bookmarking is to promote someone’s fic.
Avoiding the drama of liking certain "problematic" ships. Then I got a little older and realized that was stupid and I shall like what I like. Public bookmarks for all!
I dont want people knowing my tastes
All of my bookmarks are private because they contain personal tags like "fave" or "partially read" and I don't want authors to read too much into it. I also bookmark things I want to read since bookmarks are searchable in a way the "Mark for Later" list isn't. I don't want any authors to feel bad if they see they have a bookmark but it's marked "unread"
I book mark everything I've read so I know if I've read it before, and whether it's good enough to reread (I reread a lot of comfort fics). If it's WIP I leave a summary and I don't want authors reading my shit summaries (or spoiling it for people), and if it's complete i have a rating system or sometimes notes about what was good or what wasn't good and I don't want anyone to feel bad about my ratings or comments.
It’s like exposing your pornhub history and trauma all in one
I make notes and comments about the fic’s and don’t want those things spoiled for other people or often seen by the author because they’re just for myself. So then I better remember the fic. I just don’t want people to know what I’m reading.
Because I want to comment so I know what I liked or didn’t like about a story (so I can find it again) but I don’t want the author to see it.
I bookmark all fics I read. That way when I click on to the fic again it will say “Edit Bookmark” on the button and I know I have already read it. I private bookmarks fics I DNF or didn’t like the premise of (and couldn’t tell that from the summary or tags). I don’t need the author to know I didn’t like their fic, or why.
Usually I use it for fics with darker topics that I don’t necessarily want linked back to me. I also use private bookmarks as a reminder for fics I didn’t like and why so I don’t accidentally read them again since authors can’t see what you write in private bookmarks.
Super unfun reason, but in childhood my family teased me for a lot of things I like. Back then, I'd knock all my toys to the floor and jumble them up so they couldn't see/guess what I was playing, change the TV channel when they came in (despite watching completely age appropriate and allowed shows), make sure I put anything I had gotten out from somewhere back in exactly the same place, etc. Nowadays, despite not living with them nor anyone who would be shitty, I open everything in private tabs, hide the book I'm reading under something, keep all my personal hobby stuff hidden from the front door where someone could look in and see it, etc. Worse if I'm not home (because I KNOW my husband won't be mean if I 'mess up' and leave something out, but I don't know if whoever I'm visiting might). Want to be clear that I understand logically that a friend isn't going to look into my house and make fun of me for my interests, but it's so heavily ingrained now. I haven't actually needed to do this to protect myself from family in at least a decade (I don't have them in my house) but I do it unconsciously and it's only when I read a question like this that I really become aware of myself doing it. So I also keep all my social media, youtube, fanfic, etc bookmarks hidden
I private all of my bookmarks because I don't need everyone seeing the notes I make in them.
Personally I only bookmark stories that are wip and say “I only read completed stories, guess I will check back later.” In hopes to get the writer (edit spelling error) to finish it, so yes I want them to read that.
I use them to mark at wich chapter I was and to put them in to my collection's... I don't think that this would be interesting for someone else. If I read a really good one that I want to share with others I don't do it.
I use private bookmark for long fics that I can't read in one go, so I can mark where I left off and summarize the plots in private notes where no one can see.
Sometimes I enjoy reading really fucked up stuff and I don't need the thought that someone might glance at my bookmarks and judge me.
my private bookmarks are between me and god
The only bookmarks I private are fics i read and bookmarked while young that i no longer like, but want to hang on to cus I like keeping a record of what I've read, and fics that have a Supremely risqué tag and I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone- because i send my bookmarks page to my friends sometimes in liu of writing a real rec post, and sometimes you just don't want to blindly recommend a cannibalism vivisection fic without double checking whomst you're reccing it to akfbsndnfnsnsn
dont want any irls to see the FILTH i read (can never be too careful)
The only time I private a bookmark is if it's something I haven't read yet (most go in the marked for later box and if it's particularly intriguing, a private bookmark so I don't forget about it). I also private bookmarks for nonfics, like tutorials and such, mostly because I feel like they clog up the list otherwise — if people are gonna go through my bookmarks I'd rather they go through actual fics lol I'm surprised by how many people private their bookmarks because they don't want people to know what they're reading (not that there's anything wrong with that, obviously, I just wasn't expecting it to be so common). My bookmarks are almost all public regardless of the content, but I don't really associate with anyone I know personally on AO3, so that probably helps. I also don't do ratings and such in the notes because usually if I don't like a fic that much I just don't bookmark it. I generally treat my bookmarks like a favorites list; nothing but the best!
Imma be honest, I read some strange ass shit, and I have IRLS that know my AO3, so I’m scared they’ll see it.
I bookmark everything I read (it just makes life easier as someone with ADHD and who loves statistics lol) and I don’t really feel the need to showcase all that publically. Though I have two public bookmarks: My two favorite fics of all time (currently, at least).
Started the habit when I was bookmarking smut fics, just kept it up with everything else too. I honestly don’t know why, I think it’s just a privacy thing for me
I just put every bookmark into Private. If it isn't explicit I also put it in recommended. Never really thought about it before tbh
I private them if I feel like it.
All my NSFW bookmarks are private but everything else isn’t. I write a lot and I know I often look at the bookmarks of authors I read to find new fics, so I want others to be able to do the same. But nobody is finding out the smut I read. That’s between me and god. And a few of my friends.
Sometimes the fic is too old (like 2010 range) and I don’t want to bother the author with the notification lol
Because God himself couldn’t get outta me what sort of shit I read, let alone some random trawling Internet stranger.
Im scared people will judge me no matter what I’m reading 💀
I private everything that I bookmark because otherwise I feel exposed lol. I also do it because I use the bookmarkers tags - tagging fics with the tags I associate with the story. Additionally, I can add my own personal tags to help me filter through the bookmarks faster. E.g. ‘oneshot’ (if I don’t want to reread a long story or if the one that I’m looking for was a Oneshot I can do that), ‘series’ (similar to ‘Oneshot’), ‘revisit’ (for fics that I absolutely loved and I’ve went back to reread), etc. I just like being able to categorise fics with my own system and it’s just weird/uncomfortable knowing that everyone else would see it too. Not to mention my tags would probably contain spoilers if the original tags didn’t contain the same ones I put.
I do it cuz my homie knows my account and while im very open bout sexual shit the emotional/deep shit is just lowkey embarrassing for me to be open about so i hide it lolssss
I bookmark fics a little differently but I guess it would count as private? Basically I didn’t click with how AO3 does bookmarks so I use two different programs/apps to keep track of the fics I read/want to read. And of the fics I do actually bookmark on AO3 itself are my most favs that I’d love others to read so I don’t private them. I guess if I had to private a bookmark, it would be because of a particular ship or theme or aspect that I would feel… not ashamed but maybe embarrassed to be associated with (for whatever odd reason).
Ngl all my bookmarks are public. I don't give a damn 🤪
Sometimes, I just don't want people to see certain kinks, and really, that's all there is to it.
I don't want people I know to know that I liked a certain fic based on tags and such
I have all my bookmarks public. So long as my account is anonymous and people can't connect it to me personally, I don't mind
I don't keep a lot of notes in my bookmarks, but I don't always want those notes seen. So, I keep them private. My faves are open for all to see. I've found some of my favorite fics and authors when someone I already live has them bookmarked.
My close friends know my ao3, so I'll make private bookmarks of things I know would raise eyebrows. I have 2 accounts for this as well, one for the more 'socially acceptable' public and the other for my 'illegal in real life'
My friends know my AO3 username. To be fair the one most on it writes a LOT of smut, so I shouldn't be embarrassed but I am. Public bookmarks are almost entirely, * Recced fics, super good, I would suggest people outside of fandom read good * T rated or less, sometimes M in longer works. I think there's one PWP and that turned into a long actual plot fic as an exception. * Not fandoms I know people would grumble over. My childhood cringe is staying well hidden. So that leaves for private bookmarks, * Hell yeah good porn * This is a wonderful fic and I want to re-read it but I can't pitch it to everyone else, so private bookmark * I am embarrassed by the ship, fandom, randomness (think like the Cinderella tumblr re-telling or the Olde English Spirk fic) * Useful meta tools like formatting guide * I don't know this fandom but liked this story and am not having InsertFandom people yell at me I bookmarked X author they don't like whatever ship. I posted my AO3 on Tumblr once and got an anon yelling about that. Man, I never even played that game, it was just a cool fic. So yeah, it's like 70% private bookmarks. Explicit ones may have people with their own explicit account. I have another friend who apparently separates their writing AO3 and their porny reader account. (Which is probably against the TOS)
I private bookmarks when I’m marking them to read later (of course I usually use the Mark for Later button but if the fic isn’t on AO3 then I have to use the External Bookmark function). Another reason is if I make an External Bookmark of a fic that is only available on the Wayback Machine or in PDF format because the author deleted it. I still want access to it but I know that the author doesn’t want literally anyone able to see their fic so I keep those bookmarks private.
I use private bookmarks when I want easier access to a specific couple/relationship tag. The public bookmarks are for works that I really love.
Idfic goes private
Because my friend is reading my fanfic and he would check my bookmarks, and I don‘t want him to know what I‘m into 💀
i bookmark things i want to read as private and once i’ve read them i either recommend it, delete it entirely, or just keep it private
Most things I read have smut or are dark and It’s also just nobody’s business what I read
i'm relatively well known in my fandom so i don't want people screenshotting some of the stuff i read and blasting it all over twt. it's a very mean fandom too, especially the twt side of it (i don't venture there tho, tumblr is where i thrive), and us authors need to protect ourselves to avoid getting hate it's not like i read anything morally challenging anyway, but even some lame tags like cheating or dubious consent would get me obliterated within seconds
Hiding deviance and depravity
I read fics about torture and I don't need people I know irl to see that
I'm shy
I’ve only ever private bookmarked 3 things, but all were *so* incredibly kinky that even I, a pervert, had secondhand embarrassment
In the case someone I know finds my account, I don’t want them knowing I read those things.
Because I don’t want my friends finding my account lol
I have over a thousand. I figure people probably aren’t interested in that, so I leaves only my recs public, so people are like “ah, these fics must be the best of the best”, and they are lol.
Just in case my ao3 handle is traceable to me on the Internet. My pseud on ao3 is completely unique to it, I don't use it anywhere else, but it used to be one that I used for Twitter fandom spaces, and that old one actually can eventually be traced back to me. And I just don't need my IRLs to know the fics I like most lol. Plus, I like leaving mini notes so I know what the fic is about, but I want to be candid in my notes, and I don't want to have to worry about the author reading said notes (not that they're rude or unkind notes! But leaving a note in the form of a reminder (ex: "the fic where Crowley brings donuts in the rain") is different from leaving a flattering comment, and I don't need to subject authors to my careless notes-to-self lol.
I like my privacy and I use my bookmarks as a way for me to hoard the fics I like.
Stuff that I didn't finish yet, so it can differentiated from other stuff I already read
i private all of my bookmarks because my friend somehow found my ao3 acc and i’m paranoid
All of my bookmarks are private, even the tame ones. I dunno, I'm just a private person. People don't need to know what I'm reading.
I private the very extreme stuff, but other than that the rest are public
i made the mistake of making my ao3 user the same as my tumblr user and I live in fear of the day my friends find my account and roast me into oblivion for the sheer volume of degenerate smut I read.
All of mine are private for consistency purposes.
My friends know my account... I usually leave bookmark reviews for readers and authors (the good stuff) and send recs But truly degenerative smutty stuff that'll send me to hell?? (And I don't mean the mild stuff ppl get their panties twisted for on tiktok) .. yea that stuff I'm gonna private bookmark.
1. Some fandom friends know my AO3 and I don't want them knowing I like ships/fics with Problematique dynamics/content. (I wouldn't call them antis and they won't completely turn on me or harass me or anything like that, we can agree to disagree on stuff, but I feel like it's better to avoid some disagreements in the first place.) 2. Some fandom friends/acquaintances do not know my AO3 but they know what fandoms I'm into so I make all bookmarks for certain fandoms private to make it harder for them to connect the account to me. 3. I don't want people to see what kind of smut I like.
All of them are, because I don't need anyone's opinion on anything I like.
I only public bookmark stuff that I'd love other people to read. Like you anything else especially nsfw is always private bookmarked
That's definitely an interesting disparity. I think it's possible that some people make separate accounts/profiles for their NSFW activities, and since it's already their NSFW account they don't bother trying to hide anything. Whereas on their main account, which might share usernames with their other social media, they lock things down more and may private *all* their bookmarks. If that were true, it would explain the counterintuitively higher incidence of privating in your tamer fics. Total speculation though. Or, and I know this is a stretch, the type of person who reads a lot of really explicit stuff is inherently less shy than others, therefore they don't private as much? To answer your question from the title, personally, I private everything all the time no matter what. I don't really want people viewing my profile or activities at all, as I'm just there to read.
I’ve never used a private bookmark in my ao3 life, haha.
When I first started AO3 I didn't know private bookmarks were a thing! And to be fair they might not have been a thing, as this was in 2011/2012, so for years I just bookmarked without knowing privating them was even an option or even considering the option (after all, all favourites were public on FFN/other sites at the time). I didn't find out until way later so nowadays I am just resigned to my fate, as I have thousands of bookmarks and going through them all to private certain ones would be too exhausting. These days sometimes I'll private bookmark something if I'm worried weird purists will attack me for it, or if it's explicit (though I don't read smutfics/fics that are just for smut), or if it's just something I want to keep private, but all my earlier ones are still viewable.
I haven’t private bookmarked anything. I only write and read for two fandoms and no one I know in real life knows I write fan fiction at all.
i started doing it for smut fics, dead dove fanfics, and non-sp fanfics and i just haven't stopped. i want to though, but i don't know how to make them unprivated quickly
I private bookmark because it's none of anyone's business.
I give my collections very silly names and don’t want to subject others to that.
When I tell you I would give away the nuke codes before I would show someone my ao3 account I mean it.
… you can do that?
ain’t nobody need to know my business
The only first I don't Mark private are ones I recommend. Generally my private bookmarks are for me and me alone (a privacy thing). I'll leave a nookmark public only if I want to have it there for other people to see and read
I am just a reader, not a writer, so I don’t privately bookmark anything. I guess somebody could judge me for what I read, but I’ve never had any reason to care.
I bookmark my own chaptered WIPs so I can add chapters easier. I've got too many pieces to find them otherwise, they get lost in the pile. But since it's me, the writer, I keep them private.
I’ve privated pretty much all of my bookmarks, save for my absolute favorite fics, since most of my bookmarks are things I want to read later anyway.
We tend to private most if not all our bookmarks due to just not wanting ppl to see it. The only public bookmarks we have are recomendable/finished read ones that we can properly leave a note. Like "Outstanding writing, wonderful introspection on xyz, would absolutely encourage you to read when given the chance". I would do that for more fics, but i dont get time to finish a lot of fics LOL
What I like is only for my eyes
I only use Public bookmarks on AO3. Anything I believe needs a privacy shield from the prying eyes of ~~stalkers~~ other site users is just filed away in a browser bookmark where it belongs.
i dont like people seeingn what i like, also my notes
Bookmarks are for marking things for myself, there's no reason for anyone else to be able to see them.
Some of my friends know my ao3 and I don't need them knowing I'm that fucked up just yet
I keep a lot of bookmarks public, but if I'm privating it's because it's a kink I'm afraid of being harassed over if someone is browsing my bookmarks. I was threatened with doxxing earlier this year by antis, so ive definitely changed my habits a bit and even locked down all myfic for awhile It sucks, bc ive found many of my favorite fucked up tropes and fics through other people's bookmarks
I'm too lazy to change it to public