Adding my thoughts to this interesting conversation...
We are a worldwide community here with a unique culture, built around a PG, family oriented show. Part of that culture includes the use of beta readers on the message boards and general editors for the archive, and I believe that has resulted in the generally high quality of fiction that is written by this fandom.
When I first began reading stories here (way back when the show was still on the air), I found an immediate sense for the stories I most enjoyed (WAFFY, B-plot driven, revelation) and concluded by the sheer number of stories written with these plots and the number of responses those stories generated, that many people in this fandom also enjoyed those types of stories. It seems natural that this would be the case because we were drawn to this fandom by a show that included a romantic element.
Certainly, though, there are other stories to tell. As a writer, it is respectful to consider the audience for whom you are writing. Since we are a worldwide community, it is likely that there are people with divergent opinions, and it is considerate to warn them of the type of content you intend to write about. Since there is a seperate place for writers interested in exploring mature themes, it is considerate to post those types of stories there.
Adding information in a story summary or at the beginning of a post to let potential readers know that the story may not be of interest to them is respectful. After all, writers enjoy positive feedback. Writers should want to seek out potential readers who are interested in what they have to write. It benefits both parties to steer unintended audiences away.
Deciding the line between PG-13 and beyond is ultimately open to interpretation. The culture of this community is different than the culture of other communities, and the line may move more conservatively on that issue here.
Several years ago at my school, two 14-year old girls did a History Day project on Frida Kahlo. Their exhibit contained examples of her art and analyzed their interpretation of it. One example they used was "The Broken Column". Their project won at both the school site and school district competitions. When they submitted it to the county competition, it was pulled before judging, deemed "pornographic." The county superintendent of schools happened to walk into the exhibit hall before the public exhibition and felt it was inappropriate for 14 year olds to be dealing with such issues and didn't want the public to feel like the county school board supported it. Two communities had deemed the project award winning, another viewed it a different way. Ultimately, I had to accept that it benefited the community at large to prevent people from unwittingly being confronted with something they might interpret as offensive.
In considering the use of curse words, a writer again has to consider the community. Is the use of the actual word integral to the story? If so, warnings and/or posting to the nfic side are respectful. But if not, writers can use the power of language to convey a wide range of imagery and emotion without having to resort to specific four letter words. Beta readers and general editors can help authors develop more powerful writing styles by challenging them to develop wider vocabularies. And this, as I said, ultimately contributes to the quality of the fandom's writing as a whole.
The culture of this community is why have I have stayed here for so many years. Intelligent conversation, respectful debate, excellent fiction writing - we're really lucky to have it all.
