What Does DLDR (Don't Like, Don't Read) Mean?
AbbreviationThe foundational fandom etiquette principle: if a fic's tags or summary indicate content you dislike, close the tab instead of complaining. One of the oldest rules of fic culture, predating AO3 by decades.
DLDR (Don't Like, Don't Read) in Practice
Don't like, don't read emerged from mailing-list and archive-era fandom as the social contract that made coexistence possible: authors label their content honestly, and readers take responsibility for their own choices. The principle underpins AO3's entire design — extensive tagging exists precisely so readers can steer away from what they don't want — and it remains the standard response to comments complaining that a clearly tagged fic contains what it said it contained. DLDR's limits are debated in good faith (it presumes accurate tagging, and it doesn't resolve arguments about whether some content should exist at all), which feeds directly into proshipper/anti discourse. As personal practice, though, it remains fandom's most reliable peacekeeping technology.
Example usage
"The author's note just says 'tags are right there, DLDR,' which is a complete and sufficient sentence."
Related Terms
Mind the Tags
A standard warning phrase meaning: read the tags carefully before reading, because they accurately describe heavy or potentially upsetting content. It puts responsibility on the reader to make an informed choice.
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Curate Your Own Experience
The fandom principle that each person is responsible for managing what content they see — using tags, filters, blocks, and blacklists rather than demanding others stop creating. The philosophical backbone of AO3-era fandom etiquette.
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Squick
Content that triggers personal disgust or discomfort — visceral, individual, and explicitly not a moral judgment. 'That's my squick' means 'not for me,' not 'this shouldn't exist.'
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YKINMK (Your Kink Is Not My Kink)
The etiquette principle 'your kink is not my kink' — usually extended to YKINMKATO: '...and that's okay.' Fandom's formula for tolerating tastes you don't share.
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