If we have this WHAM warning thread, then does the WHAM warning get included in the full story when it's uploaded to the archive?
The Archive and the mbs, although working nicely in conjunction with each other, are two entirely different and separate forums, Simba, so rules which apply on one don't necessarily follow on the other, and vice versa.
I'm not aware that there's any specific rule for warnings on the Archive - although I'd probably have to check over the FAQ to be positive.
Regardless, in my tenure as EIC of the Archive, I've generally adopted a 'leave it to the author' policy.
Generally, the only time I'd contact an author to request they think about putting a warning on their story would be if I'd had a complaint about the content. That happens very, very rarely though and it would still be approached on a case by case basis, rather than as a general fast and firm rule.
I can only specifically recall asking an author to include a warning prior to their story being uploaded, once, and that was with a story that was about the aftermath of 9/11, which was uploaded very shortly after the event, when emotions were still raw.
So, basically, since I'm all for letting the author make up their own minds on this one, that's generally the current policy on warnings as far as the Archive is concerned. If an author feels that they want to include a warning, that's fine. Equally it's fine if they prefer not to spoil their story in advance with one.
The only exception would be if the GE editing the story felt that it required a warning because there was, say, excessive violence in it or it dealt with a sensitive subject. In that case, the GE's opinion would over-rule the author's. If they couldn't agree, it would be referred back to me, and my decision either way on whether a warning should be included would be final. Again, I can't say we've had many incidences of that over the years, either.
So, mostly, for the Archive, it's a non-issue.
LabRat
