If you look at how AO3 is built, consent is also at the core of its infrastructure. The concept of Archive Warnings, how it’s implemented, and the content of these warnings are all about consent. Warnings are all about allowing readers to make informed choices – to give informed consent – to the kind of content they engage with. And two of the four things you can warn for (rape/non-con and underage) are directly related to consent. The interesting thing that does is that when you are writing your fic, when you are posting it, you are prompted to think about and engage with consent issues. And if you don’t, readers will comment on that and start a conversation. So thinking about consent is a community norm that is baked into our infrastructure.
How fanfiction is leading the way when it comes to conversations about consent
Fanhackers’ very own elmyra got interviewed by Just Geek Stuff about their research on consent in fanfiction.