The situation over the weekend was a great illustration of the problems I see inherent in the "must post with fully detailed header, ratings, warnings, etc" mindset. It may be very convenient for the reader (may be - I find it irritating, myself), but it creates real problems for the writer. What if a fic isn't easily categorized, or completely loses its effect when it's boxed and labelled like that? The banner that was posted with that fic was clearly supposed to be part of the story, forming the inital impression that would lead the reader into the story. But when everybody's so used to the usual way of doing things, it sort of paves the way for that kind of reaction, doesn't it? Readers get very accustomed to writers behaving a certain way, and become rather intolerant of anything different.

I mean, didn't it occur to anyone that the reaction the banner brought up might have been part of the intended effect of the story? There've been times when I've been caught hook, line and sinker by a posting like that, but I didn't get all pissy and try to bite anybody's head off. I just laughed with relief when I found out it wasn't real. Hell, I'd hate to think what these people would've done if they'd been around when Welles' War of the Worlds was first broadcast.