On Archive of Our Own (AO3), detaching a creation from one’s account is a feature called orphaning. This process disassociates the user’s account from the work, rendering the work authorless. The content remains available on the platform, but it is no longer connected to the user who initially posted it. For example, a user might orphan a story they no longer wish to be associated with, but still want to be accessible to the wider readership.
The primary significance of this action lies in providing creators with a method to relinquish control over a work without outright deletion. This allows the work to continue to exist within the archive, contributing to the platform’s overall content and discoverability. Furthermore, this function has evolved within the context of online creative communities, addressing issues related to author pseudonymity, changing creative interests, and management of online identities. It represents a middle ground between maintaining complete ownership and permanently removing content from the platform.
