…is this supposed to be considered weird? I don’t get it.
I think it’s more that it was an unexpected feature. I’m glad it’s there.
Yeah I actually found it while prepping for brain surgery, and was incredibly relieved that it was a built-in feature and not something I’d have to leave convoluted instructions about or whatever. It’s a bit morbid, sure, but it’s a great feature.
…an unexpected but very appreciated feature.
This is a feature designed by women who’d been in fandom for decades, and who had faced the issue of, “X is dead, and we know she loved fandom, so… can we reprint her stories? Who can decide? Her family knows fuck-all about fandom. Who was her best friend? Do they know if she would’ve liked her story to be reprinted in the Best Of OTP Fic zine?”
Running across that once doesn’t make you think about a policy, but by the time it’s five to ten times, and then you’ve seen people vanish from the internet (might be dead; might just be not interested anymore) and nobody knows whether it’s okay to collect their fic in an archive or transfer it to a new one….
Yeah, the FNoK policy is one of the awesome things about AO3.
I’ve recently found this, but, boy, do I wish I’d known about it sooner.
It might seem like an inconsequential thing to worry about when the bigger issue is terminal illness or the loss of someone you love, but someone’s writing (your writing) is such a precious thing and I can’t tell you the amount of times since Kiki’s death that something has come up that I know she would have wanted someone who understood what fandom meant to her to be able to manage on her behalf. I’m lucky that her family (and in particular her lovely sister) are open to leaving her accounts active and I know that I can approach them if something related to Kiki’s stories needs to be discussed. Still, knowing Kiki, she would have jumped at having a fandom next of kin had she known, because her stories were such an important part of her life, her identity and sense of self worth. She would have wanted her stories preserved and protected.
So. Find someone you trust and sign up.
This is so freaking practical, I am surprised by its presence in fandom!!! This is fantastic!!
Reblogging for all writers who follow me – signal boost!
marvelfangirlandsherlockian4ever 