Srsly.
I can understand when the goal is to be humorous (such as the case of my 'Saxton Hale in Ponyville' story), and using... not-self-inserts. But a lot of people write these stories with the weirdest ideas. Characters inexplicably go to Equestria when they die, or are teleported there for reasons that hardly make sense. It's weird when it's a self-insert. It's even weirder when said self-insert falls in love with a pony (while still being human themself).