The internet will bend itself to my will!
Thank you to the people on wank_report for this – I’m not familiar with the show or fandom, so I’m mostly using their write-up.

Rakspatel is a livejournal newbie and a big fan of Sherlock Holmes, including the recent BBC version. She likes it so much, she's set up her own comm, Mycrofting. According to its profile:

"Mycrofting is not MY community - it belongs to its members. My vision for this community is that it is run by its members for its members. All members are equal and I have set up the community so that all members can post whatever they want, whenever they want. There is no moderation in place (just as with Cumberbatchfans). I actively encourage all my members to post their own pieces direct onto the community site. I want to make everyone feel at home and able to contribute. I want to give everyone a voice. Mycrofting will therefore end up being what its members make it. Mycrofting is a co-operative enterprise."

Mycrofting, however, doesn't exactly do what it says on the tin.


You can post whatever you want, whenever you want (especially if you're Rakspatel) - unless Rakspatel decides to make a rule you can't. You can contribute - but your idea might be called 'shit' if Rakspatel doesn't like it. You can offer constructive criticism of the way the comm is run - but Rakspatel will claim you're attacking her.

The whole comm is one big (cumber)batch of WTF, but some of the best links are here:

I hate your idea but your suggestions have been pretty spot on
If I have any more stress and drama I am calling Home Office security and Lambeth Police
I was advised to contact the BBC by a copyright lawyer who works for a TV company - do you know better than them?
I have had enough of the vandals.

(Oddly enough, Rakspatel took criticism about her original 'no slash' policy quite well and changed the profile accordingly.)

People (patiently or not so) try to explain things like netiquette and the difference between an LJ and a comm, but they don't appear to get through. And although Rakspatel is an internet newbie, she may have already discovered or is about to discover either (a) sockpuppets or (b) trolls

She's also been causing some drama in the comm dedicated to the lead actor in the BBC version, trying to dictate what people can and can't discuss (especially when his split from his long term girlfriend was announced), although it seems she's been shut down fairly effectively:

Yes I upset people, but plenty of people back me and what I say too.

Stories like this will not be on my com. (other posts were already deleted).

And the latest: Please cross-post this for me to a community I left in protest.


Livejournal fandom is not the first place she's caused controversy. There's a wonderful collection here of stories and links to the problems she's caused elsewhere: Short version - DO NOT ENGAGE.



ETA: The vandals have been hard at work, apparently. They care not for the haphazard breaking of rules and also dared to question Rakspatel’s love for Swivel and the cruel, cruel comments had to be deleted. But vandals are nothing if not organised, and caps can be found here and here (thank you booksbagsshoes). Not to be deterred from her goal of…something, Rakspatel has been forced to start an invite-only comm because “[t]oo many people here had no respect. You could have made a separate post re random and had a discussion. Instead you chose to trash the Swivel post. I hope you are pleased with yourselves.”

Yeah, take that, people who expected a mod to abide by the wishes of a community whose very opinions she had just solicited! The reins have been handed over to a new mod, who seems to have realised just a little too late exactly what they’ve got themselves into.

ETAx2: Because Linked in is where it is at, not LJ, she's leaving the community forever. Really leaving. [ETA: Screencap here, thank you _stolendreams_] Have you all noticed that she's leaving yet?

ETAx3: What, you thought it was over? The new mod tried to implement changes, which went over about as well as you'd expect. Rakspatel makes another post to remind everyone that she's still in charge (wasn't she leaving? And backing the new mod 100%?), which was then updated to add even more passive-aggression. Screencaps of both versions here (thank you killer_gopher).

ETAx4: It seems to have mostly settled down but there's still a little entertainment to be had. Rakspatel has resorted to posting various correspondences with the Undershaw Preservation Trust, including one about her demotion. Members do not recognise the value of what she is sharing with them and are mostly ignoring her posts.

A slashfic was posted but deleted fairly quickly – cap here (thank you, anon!). A clever pro-fanfic post titled The Art of the Pastiche has also sadly gone unnoticed by Raks.

Don’t steal her copyrighted posh invitation to an ‘exclusive’ ten and a half hour event that will be held in the lobby of a theatre! Bonus: she’s also going to send it to gozadreams, who spoke out about her antics in the 'do not engage' link above.

Finally, there are screencaps of various deleted posts here (thanks again for those, everyone!).

ETAx5: Raks discovered the various posts about her, banned two members and informed the community that anyone 'attacking' the mods (i.e. her) would be also be banned. And since one of the other mods turned on anon commenting, everyone came out to play. The post has been deleted but thanks to the anons on the wank_report thread (which has kind of exploded), there's a screencap of the post that includes all but one comment and a cap of the final comment before deletion.

ETAx6: I don't even know where to begin. It's probably easier if you just check page four of this post (and the soon-to-be page five if Raks keeps this up, which she probably will). Includes comment deletions, bannings, un-bannings, a new community and, of course, screencaps.

ETAx7: Raks has now been banned from four Sherlock forums, including the community she created. Detailed write-up plus caps here. And if none of that was bizarre enough for you, enjoy some more WTF here.