I think the above exchange is a perfect encapsulation of how Homestuck's author and fans treat the more "marginalized" characters such as Equius ("marginalized" here referring to lack of narrative involvement.)

I wasn't around when HS 1 was active, but I can tell that there were a lot of readers who resented the author for not giving certain characters (mostly the murdered trolls) a bigger role in the story. And that resulted in resentment towards the readers, which was reflected in the comic, which made the readers even angrier. Again, I wasn't there, but A) I don't think I'm too far off base here, and B) most of act 6 certainly *feels* antagonistic to read.

It's easy to blame the author for this, and in a literal sense, they are responsible for making writing decisions that a good number of readers (perhaps the majority?) dislike. But I will play devil's advocate here and note:

- Vriska was (technically) dead for most of act 6, despite Hussie emphatically saying that Vriska is their favorite character.

- There was a tonal shift towards the end of act 6 where the story stopped feeling needlessly antagonistic and the comic started using its "marginalized" characters in meaningful ways.

Would a more "sensible" author have handled Equius "better"? Maybe, but a more "sensible" author probably wouldn't have made Homestuck in the first place. A more "sensible" author might have not killed off Equius, but a more "sensible" author probably wouldn't have made Equius in the first place. A more "sensible" author wouldn't have constantly antagonized Nepeta, but that antagonism gives profound meaning to the later parts of the story where she rises above it.

I'll leave you with a quote from the Huss themselves: (https://homestuck.net/official/interviews/vast-error.html)

> Fanwork always represents the most constructive form of criticism, because the creator is putting their money where their mouth is. Think your favorite character got the shaft? Didn't get enough screen time, or died unjustly? All you have to do is take the source to task by showing what could have been.