If you are a fan of fanfiction, you may have heard of or used Archive of Our Own (AO3), a nonprofit open-source repository for user-contributed fanworks.
Furthermore, AO3 hosts over 10 million works in over 54,000 fandoms.
Moreover, running such a large and complex site requires regular maintenance and updates to ensure smooth operation and security.
In this article, we will explain what AO3 is, ongoing maintenance breaks and what to do during these maintenance breaks.
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What Is Archive Of Our Own?
Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a nonprofit open-source repository for fanfiction and other fanworks contributed by users.
It was created in 2008 by the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) and went into open beta in 2009.
AO3 allows users to share their fanworks, get notified of their favorite works, participate in challenges, and keep track of works.
Furthermore, users can join by getting an invitation from an automated invite queue or another user.
The tagging system allows users to sort content based on intended audiences, including content, fandom, characters, relationship pairings, and additional tags.
In addition, AO3 is one of the most popular and well-known platforms for fanfiction and other fanworks.
Archive Of Our Own Maintenance Break Updates
AO3 hosts over 10 million works in over 54,000 fandoms and has a large and active community of fans and creators.
However, running such a large and complex site requires regular maintenance and updates to ensure smooth operation and security.
According to their official Twitter account, Archive of Our Own performs regular server maintenance every Wednesday from 11:00 to 13:00 UTC.
The site may be slow or unavailable for some users during this time.
Moreover, maintenance is necessary to keep the site running smoothly, fix bugs or issues, and implement new features.
In addition to regular maintenance, AO3 also experiences occasional outages and problems due to high traffic, technical issues, or other reasons.
On July 10, 2023, the site was attacked by a hacker group with a denial-of-service attack that disrupted its service for several hours.
The hackers claimed to be “religiously and politically motivated,” but experts working with AO3 have yet to verify these claims.
Furthermore, AO3 apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the maintenance breaks and thanks its users for their patience.
AO3 is committed to providing a safe and welcoming space for fans and fanworks.
What To Do During These Maintenance Breaks?
AO3 sometimes goes down for maintenance or technical issues such as DDoS attacks.
During these breaks, you can do some of the following things.
However, before going into any solutions, you must check whether your internet is stable.
1. Check The Server Status
You can check the server status of the AO3 site by visiting the official Twitter page, Downdetector and Tumblr page.
They usually post about planned maintenance, technical issues, and site performance.
Furthermore, after checking the status, if there are any updates about maintenance, try again after the issues resolve.
2. Download And Read Offline
You can download some works in advance to read offline; use the download button on each work’s page to get an epub, mobi, pdf or html file.
Furthermore, you can choose the format that suits your device or preference.
You can also use tools that allow you to download multiple works simultaneously, such as the AO3 eBook Download Helper.
3. Work On Existing Drafts
You can also work on your existing drafts with the help of Microsoft Word, Notepad and Google Docs.
Furthermore, use some tools that help you with formatting and editing, such as the AO3 Work Skin Code Generator and the AO3 HTML Editor.
4. Explore Other Sites
If you are impatient with these maintenance breaks, explore other fanfiction sites or platforms.
You can visit popular ones, such as FanFiction.Net, Wattpad and Tumblr.
The Bottom Line
AO3 performs regular server maintenance every Wednesday from 11:00 to 13:00 UTC.
The site may be slow or unavailable for some users during this time.
Furthermore, due to high traffic, technical issues and ongoing DDoS attack, you might encounter maintenance break messages in AO3.
However, you can try some solutions in the article during these maintenance breaks.
