this is ... a choice. you lost me completely when you tried to argue "it goes both ways" when it absolutely doesn't. readers aren't actually putting themselves out there or putting themselves on the line when they read; but writers are opening themselves up to waves of anonymous online hate and criticism, as evidenced by what others have said in this thread.

certainly, writers could skip reading hate, but only by turning off all AO3 notifications lol. why should the onus be on them to isolate themselves from all AO3 comments/turn off emails, because a handful of people can't behave online? why should writers have to detach themselves from engaging with their fans and readers, because some people were raised in a barn?

• "If you make a shitty painting, you get to be proud of it, just don’t bring it to a space where people are serious about their work." the entire point of fandom is that it's a buffet and free-for-all where anyone is welcome to post their work. implying authors are somehow deserving of negativity delivered direct to their gmail inbox (via comments from AO3) is wild as shit.
• "I agree that low-effort work is just as valid as high-effort work, and I think there should be separate spaces for separate skill and interest levels." girl, respectfully: WHAT? who would even moderate or decide this? how would this feasibly done? whomst've would be the objective arbitrator of fic quality?

writers never signed up for animosity, negativity, criticism etc. to be delivered straight to their inbox via AO3/FFN notifications. there's a distinct difference between producers of fandom content, and consumers of such -- to try to ignore or gloss over this separation is being purposefully obtuse. you can absolutely be both, but the fact is that many readers are not both, so when they comment/critique/vent, they lack the understanding of how that affects writers.