The Privacy Paradox at the Heart of Mainstream Fandom

Katherine Dee argues that as fandom moves from a hidden subculture to mainstream culture, the line between public writing and private communities blurs. Journalists linking to AO3 tests fans’ implied privacy, sparking a debate about what readers outside the core community should be allowed to access. Fans want openness but fear exposure and intrusive coverage, revealing a tension between open publishing on the internet and the norms that once protected the space.