More Msscribe Stuff
I truly don't want to pile on heidi8 when she is down, demanding instant apologies, explanations, and justification of all her actions and inactions over the past three years. That isn't polite or reasonable. On the other hand, what she is saying on her LJ is infuriating me. Here is what I just posted to her:
When I got Angua's email, I spoke about it with praetorianguard, ari_o, owlman and others who had been involved and/or paying attention in spring/summer 2003, and they told me that there wasn't anything in Angua's email that hadn't been examined in the nine or so months before.
What? Are you saying that these people read my email? They saw all my arguments, my evidence, the contradictions I pointed out in Dionne's story? Are you saying that, when Ari_o was making fun of me in public on her LJ, saying that R/Hr shipping had fried my brain, SHE HAD READ MY EMAIL?
Wow.
Obviously, I don't think "don't respond, do nothing, and mock the sender in public" was an appropriate or prudent response to the email I sent you. But others must judge that for themselves. I will post the text of that email on my LJ, so that they can.
Here is a copy of the email I sent, which Heidi has variously characterized as inconclusive, not containing evidence that Msscribe was Fandom_Scruples, and containing nothing that hadn't been examined in the nine or so months before:
I sent this email to Heidi six times between March 26 and April 6, 2004. I have had to cut out all her words, because I quoted her responses to me on her friendslocked post. If I receive her permission, I will quote the email with her words left in:
*************************************************************
Uhh, yeah, I'd better take this to email. I'm attempting to reply to all your most recent comments here:
Angua (before):
They published their evidence, and THEY WERE NOT BELIEVED. Praetorianguard posted her terrifying legal threat, and - I apologize if my memory is faulty - but I *do* remember you commmenting approvingly to her post either on FAP or LJ, symbolically adding your lawyerly support.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
I'm sorry that I can only go by my memory here. Simon's journal isn't public anymore, and I can't find the thread that I remember about it at FAP (maybe you can?), but this is what I remember:
1 - Praetorianguard made her post about libel.
2 - At about the same time, Simon made a public post on his LJ and on FAP (identical posts) speaking for FA in your absence and saying basically that FA wasn't the same as people-who-happened-to-be-members. Either in that first post, or in a later one, he linked to Praetorianguard's libel post and agreed with it.
3 - Later, you added your voice, saying that you'd been out having a baby, but that Simon spoke for you and you totally approved of what he said, with some sort of reference to legal issues (sorry, my memory is very vague on the exact contents). I *think* this was a comment on Simon's LJ post, or it could have been on the thread he started at FAP.
As best as I can remember, I took away the definite impression that you were deliberately referencing Praetorianguard's post about libel. If you say you weren't, I must have misunderstood what you said. And if you didn't post AT ALL endorsing Simon, then my memory is totally wacked, because I would have sworn to it!
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Whoa, have you ever SEEN this police report? Has anyone? Msscribe has now deleted or friends-locked all her posts dealing with Fermatojam, but when they were still up, I was puzzled by some contradictions in them. At first she said that she had declined to press charges against "Louis" (Fermatojam) based on some promise or offer from him and his university which I now forget (weirdly, this happened VERY fast, like two days after he first sent her an anonymous flame). At another time, she said that him using a computer was a violation of the "probation" that the judge gave him. And, recently, that she "took him to court" and he was expelled from school. I would be very, very interested if *anyone* in the fandom has ever seen these police reports, or seen any real-life confirmation that Fermatojam ever existed. I have never seen anyone publicly say they have. Do you know if anyone has?
I wasn't the slightest bit impressed by Msscribe's "alibi" of having been in the hospital when one post was made, since she posted from the hospital on her laptop in March (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=662&view=findpost&p=8252 ). Or anyway, she said she did. If Clarabella is really Msscribe, all those reports from Clarabella about Msscribe being near death in the hospital take on a very different look. It is notable, too, that there were no indications, either from Msscribe or from Clarabella, that Clarabella was Msscribe's nanny or living with her until *after* GT exposed Fermatojam's posts as coming from the same computer as Msscribe's. I knew also, because one of my two friends from GT told me, that Clarabella said that her stalker's name was "Louis Movello." If "Louis Movello" was really a university student, his name didn't get listed on his university's website anywhere, because he doesn't show up on Google at all. Obviously, that doesn't prove that he doesn't exist, but it doesn't corroborate that he exists, either. My friend was *trying* to verify whether or not he really exists.
I definitely think Fermatojam was a sockpuppet. He seemed to me to obviously be set up as a butt for jokes. He constantly said stupid things, walking right into the punchline of jokes. His "Big Name Sinners" list was much more flattering than it was insulting, and everybody immediately wanted to be on it. As best as I could find after hours of looking, he NEVER posted anywhere except his own LJ, Pottersginny's LJ, GT-related sites, and on the Live Journals of Msscribe and her now-departed close friend Infinitus. It is especially noteworthy that he never posted on QueerAsJohn's LJ, even though he had a huge argument with him on Msscribe's LJ, and John was constantly taunting him and *trying* to get him to post on his LJ. [EDIT: Whoa. I was just doing a Google search to try to find the copies people made of Fermatojam's LJ, and found THIS: http://www.livejournal.com/users/epicyclical/120852.html?thread=3458836 .
Fermatojam actually did post in Cassandra Claire's LJ, so she should have his IP. I didn't know that before.]
Let me be brutally honest here. I think that Msscribe invented Fermatojam as a way to get herself noticed in the fandom, and as a way of providing us hours of delicious wankery and entertainment in the form of homophobe-baiting. I think that Fermatojam was custom-designed to enrage and amuse fandomers. And I think his main purpose was to win friends and attention for Msscribe.
Msscribe made her first post in the Harry Potter fandom on December 31, 2002 at Portkey.org. She started her LJ on February 21, 2003. On February 26, 2003, she related her first encounter with a homophobic Nutty Christian in her delightful Lesbian Tot story (http://www.livejournal.com/users/msscribe/2003/02/26/ ). This real life Nutty Christian got the newbie Msscribe a lot of attention and her friended-by list jumped from about 4 people to 20-something (http://marnanel.org/joule?user=msscribe&mode=chart ). A couple of weeks later, she posted her philosophy on Empowering Smut (http://www.livejournal.com/users/msscribe/5464.html ) and was fortunate enough to hear from an anonymous abused woman from Pakistan, who had found Msscribe's fiction and her Live Journal, and been inspired by it:
"I live in pakistan and my husband is very dominant but I come to this place to escape. I read you and cassie and lissane and babygrrl and cadey to escape the reality i deal with. I get beat regularly but here I am powered. When I read your story taking him, i cry because i understand what happening. I understand what feel like to be hurt in that way and this fantasy help me deal with it. It wasn't porn at all it was powerful and my husband do bite me to hurt me and he do hit me but i can escape here. He let me read harry potter and this stuff because he don't know about the sexy stories but i find myself through all of you strong women. He can never have all of me and i stay with him because of duty to family and duty to children but he can never take all of me. my mind is strong even if my body is not and i want to thank you for writing story like you do and understanding women like me and why it make us feel strong to know women can use strong words."
This touching communication got Msscribe more attention and won her a few more LJ friends. However, at about this time, references to a "stalker" and anonymous flames began appearing in her LJ. I can no longer see these, but maybe you can, if she changed them to friends-only. Fermatojam, the second homophobic Nutty Christian to enter Msscribe's life since she'd started her LJ, made his first appearance with a flaming comment on her LJ. Also at that same time, Msscribe made an eloquent and touching post about her great love and admiration of Cassandra Claire (which I can no longer see). She also made a post where she listed her most-admired fic-writers. I can no longer see that post, either, but as I remember, it included Cassandra Claire, Ebony, Parker, Nancy Malfoy, Lissanne, and Ali Wildgoose. A few days later, when Fermatojam issued his "Big-Name Sinners List," it had pretty much that exact list of people, plus Msscribe and her friend Infinitus.
Now maybe Fermatojam got his list from reading Msscribe's journal, but it seemed to *me* that Fermatojam's "Big Name Sinners List" was no more and no less than a wish list of people Msscribe wanted to be friends with. I especially noticed that even though Fermatojam claimed to be denouncing people, he was actually quite flattering to them. For instance: "She has infected us with her captivating writing style and sucked innocents into her sick world" (about epicyclical). At any rate, it worked to Msscribe's benefit. All the well-known names on the List immediately friended both Msscribe and Infinitus, and Msscribe was well on her way to becoming a BNF and member of the "Inner Circle."
Why do I think Msscribe made Fermatojam a GTer and an H/G shipper? Simple -- I think she wanted to have a stalker just like Cassandra Claire had, so they would have something in common, and Cassie would notice her. I think she desperately wanted to be friends with Cassandra Claire. I think she wanted her "stalking" to be as much as possible like Cassie's. And I also think that she knew very well that the people she wanted to be friends with -- the "Inner Circle" if you will -- disliked and distrusted GT and would believe and enjoy something that made GT look bad. I think she catered to the prejudices she saw in the fandom in a (successful) attempt to be popular and accepted. So she targeted homophobes, racists, smut-haters, extreme Christians, and... H/G shippers. ;)
Soon after this, another Nutty Christian named Killiganhashope posted on Msscribe's LJ (and on nobody else's but his own). He claimed to know Fermatojam. Then came Pottersginny. First, she created her despicable, disgusting LJ. Nobody noticed. Then "SarahKJames" found her and posted about her ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/sarahkjames/2801.html ). Still, not many people noticed. So Pottersginny went on Infinitus's LJ and called her a "slut" (now deleted). Then she called Msscribe a "zebra," and the fandom finally took notice in a very big way. Like Fermatojam, Pottersginny was very careful about which LJ's she posted in. She only posted in her own, Infinitus's, Msscribe's, and Sarah K. James's (and later the GT-related ones). She also claimed to know Fermatojam.
After this, Msscribe was friended by *everybody*. She was a made woman. She was uber-popular. In all my time in the Harry Potter fandom, I had never seen hide nor hair of a Nutty Christian, and now suddenly there were three, and they ALL attacked Msscribe, and posted in her Live Journal. Together with the weird Christian lady at her daughter's daycare, that made FOUR Nutty Christians who had exposed themselves to Msscribe in a three-month period. Each of the four was outspoken, had really weird beliefs, and was very, very easy to make fun of. And who benefitted? Msscribe did. She went from complete unknown to roommate-of-Cassandra Claire-at-Nimbus, FA Mod, and friend-of-hundreds in only five months, thanks to her gift for attracting these entertaining maniacs. Or, as I believe, her gift for *inventing* these entertaining maniacs.
The people at GT charged that not only were the Nutty Christians sockpuppets for Msscribe, but so were SarahKJames and probably Clarabella. I looked into it, and I think they're right. If you look at these people's profiles and posts at Portkey.org and Fiction Alley, and their Live Journals, you will see that they have avatars about Msscribe, signatures about Msscribe, and about 90-95% of their posts are about the brilliance, generosity, and wonderfulness of Msscribe. I believe that Msscribe invented these two identities, as well as the Davis_517 identity, at Portkey JUST TO PROMOTE HERSELF when she first entered the fandom.
If you look at the history of SarahKJames and Clarabella, it is pretty clear that these are fangirl sockpuppets, not real people.
For instance, Msscribe made her first post on Portkey on December 31, 2002 (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=123&st=0&#entry869 ). The next day, Jan. 1, Clarabella joined Portkey and made her *very first post* on Msscribe's intro thread (8th post down on previous link), claiming to be 31 years old, with two kids, and to not know Msscribe but to be a huge fan of her fic (which was posted at Porktkey on 12/28, just four days earlier). In another post the same day (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=135&st=0&#entry978), Clarabella introduced herself as an editor for a literary magazine. In her time at Portkey.org, Clarabella did basically nothing but fangirl Msscribe, make a website about Msscribe, report Msscribe's hospitalization and frightening brush
with death, and extol Msscribe's generosity (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=662&view=findpost&p=8121 for instance). You can see all 25 of Clarabella's posts from here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showuser=192 .
However, when Clarabella started her LJ (which she linked to from Portkey.org), she described herself as a 19-year old, childless, jobless college student ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/clarabella21/ ). What happened? Did she forget her two kids, grow 12 years younger, and lose her job? Or did her creator just forget what she'd written two or three months earlier? In her Fiction Alley profile ( http://www.fictionalley.org/fictionalleypark/forums/member.php?s=&action=get
info&userid=17859 ), Clarabella lists her birthday as March 5. However, Msscribe has never mentioned this great and good friend's (and now I find, actual housemate's!) birthday on her LJ.
Similarly, SarahKJames joined Portkey on February 1, 2003, seemingly so that she could make a lot of posts about Msscribe's wonderfulness and help build Msscribe's webpage. Here is a link to her 15 posts:
http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showuser=503 . Interestingly, SarahKJames listed her birthday as October 3 in her Fiction Alley profile (http://www.fictionalley.org/fictionalleypark/forums/member.php?s=&action=get info&userid=19034 ) and as July 3 in her Live Journal profile ( http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=sarahkjames&mode=full ). Why the contradiction? And why has Msscribe never wished her admiring friend SarahKJames happy birthday on either of her two birthdays? Clarabella told the GT people that she had SarahKJames's passwords and had posted as her from Msscribe's computer. And yet, despite this closeness, neither SarahKJames nor Clarabella have wished each other happy birthday, either.
And, of course, it goes without saying that the majority of the very few posts these two people have made, both at FA and on LJ, are about Msscribe. They seem to exist only to admire Msscribe.
When I first saw the list of IP's the GT people published, I looked to see if they agreed with the IP's I had available to me. They did. In fact, "Clarabella" posted in my forum at Sugar Quill in February of 2003 (http://www.sugarquill.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=3048&st=0&#entry66439 ), using the same IP (68.82.67.208) that the GTers said Fermatojam used when registering at GT. This was, according to Msscribe, the *real* Fermatojam. I read Zorac's analysis at the time, but I found it impossible to believe that a stalker and his stalking victim would be, by coincidence, randomly assigned the *exact same IP address* by Comcast. The GTers were, I believe, hoping that other people would look and see what IP's Fermatojam and Pottersginny had used on other people's LJs. But it turned out that they had never posted on anyone else's LJ's except the seeming Msscribe sockpuppets and Infinitus (who had deleted her LJ and disappeared). [EDIT: see my note above for the one exception!] However, you, for instance, must have dozens of records of the IP's used by Msscribe, and some (from FA) used by SarahKJames and Clarabella. You could see if your numbers were consistent with the numbers GT published.
Yes, of course I'm aware that all this IP stuff is suggestive at best. Although, to me, Zorac's analysis is hugely supportive of the GT claims if you follow the logic through. However, if you look at *what* is suggested, you will see that Msscribe had a clear motive to invent these Nutty Christians, that she greatly benefitted from the existence of these Nutty Christians, and that their posting patterns (posting first and primarily on Msscribe's LJ and about her) are very suggestive of her having inventing them. Now look at it the other way: The GTers I know had, I assure you, no idea who this newbie Msscribe was and no reason to dislike her. As far as I know, they never even heard about Fermatojam. It took a day or two for them to find out about Pottersginny and her strange behavior. What would be the GTer's motive for framing Msscribe as a sock-puppeteer? Why would they make the astonishing charge that someone called *herself* a zebra, if they didn't think it was true?
You know, if you don't believe the former GT people were telling the truth, why would you have any desire to be on decent terms with them? I certainly wouldn't be friends with them if I thought they would do a thing like that. The two people I know at GT were *heavily* involved in gathering and publishing the IP evidence and trying to figure out what the heck was going on and who was doing it. I was one of the main people who tried to bring the Pottersginny thing to their attention and get them to stop obsessing about Irina and pay attention to this wacko, and I know how totally blindsided they appeared to be by the whole thing. They didn't have, at that time, the *slightest* suspicion that Msscribe was anything but an innocent victim of racial prejudice. They initially believed that both Fermatojam and Clarabella existed. It was the evidence they found that convinced them otherwise, and the same evidence convinced me. It think it would convince anybody who seriously looked into it and considered the possibility that Msscribe did it all. It just comes together too neatly. Maybe I'm prejudiced. Maybe I'm wrong. But that's how I see it. The wank follows Msscribe. The wank benefits Msscribe.
However, Fermatojam's nonexistence is *not* a cornerstone of the GT claims, actually. In their first post ( http://www.livejournal.com/community/gryffindortower/2003/05/31/ ) the GTers still thought Fermatojam was a real person. Their claim is that "Clarabella" was posting as Fermatojam, and as Pottersginny, and as Killiganhashope, and as Melodysings at GT, on the GT Livejournal, and at Bohemian Vixen's H/G Livejournal community *for the purpose of making GT and H/G look bad*. At the same time that msscribe and/or her nanny were using false identities to connect racists, homophobes, and prudes to GT (which they both publicly admitted, though they claimed a different motive), they were ALSO administering the GT_Hidden_Room to make fun of and badmouth GT (also publicly admitted) AND posting severe criticism (cockroaches, etc.) about GT on their own and other people's LJ's and on Fandom Wank (no need to admit, as these were public). Msscribe was in the very midst of this flurry of anti-GT behavior when she was made a mod at Fiction Alley. And, in fact, ALL the maintainers of GT_Hidden_Room except Purebloodgryff ( http://www.livejournal.com/community/join.bml?comm=gt_hidden_room ) are currently mods at Fiction Alley. That's why former GTers associate "people who hate us" with Fiction Alley.
So their "complaint" about you personally is that you elevated a person to Mod while she was conducting a public relations campaign against GT. They assume (believe, whatever) that you both knew about, and approved of, this public relations campaign. *I* don't believe that, but that's why I talk to you and I don't talk to Msscribe. I truly believe that Msscribe is a manipulative, conniving, and conscienceless liar and troublemaker -- the Becky Sharp of the fandom -- and I would not on any terms be friends with her unless I found out that she was innocent of what I believe her to be guilty of.
I'm pretty sure the GTers think Msscribe has fooled you and many other people, not that you had anything to do with her sockpuppeteering. But they DO definitely think that you knew about GT Hidden Room and about all the public posts and flames and wankeries that were going on at that time. And they deeply resent that you put your power and prestige squarely on Msscribe's side, and against them. I think ALL former-GTers feel this way, no matter which side they were on in the Imogen-Tartanboxers split.
I don't know if you can even entertain the possibility that Msscribe might actually have done the things they (and I) believe her guilty of, but if you could even *consider* it, it would make a HUGE reduction in their bitterness and anger. They're deeply grateful to me, simply because I took the trouble to investigate Msscribe's past and came to the same conclusion they did. I can tell you that there are a good number of people who believe as I do about Msscribe and her Nutty Christians.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Heidi, you have publicly said that you have seen police reports, etc. from Cassie's case, and I believe you. You were already, at that time, a well-known member of the fandom, and you had credibility and a reputation to lose. Cassandra Claire knew many people who could visit her apartment, verify her story, etc. There was an all-too-obvious motive for someone to send her threatening and abusive emails. Chrislynn clearly existed in the fandom, and she never denied having a husband, as far as I know. That's why I believe Cassandra Claire was a victim of a crime, even though I know nothing about the circumstances and have not one single piece of evidence. But the situation with Msscribe was very different. She was very new to the fandom and very little known when she made her claim of being stalked. At that time, she claimed to have met NO ONE in person except for Clarabella, whom I don't believe even exists (has anybody ever met Clarabella, by the way?). There was no credible or believable reason why Fermatojam would choose Msscribe as a stalking victim. Fermatojam is not known to exist in the fandom, away from Msscribe. In addition, Cassandra Claire had very little motive for inventing a stalking, while Msscribe has (in my opinion) a huge and obvious motive. I also see that Arabella and Zsenya, parties unconnected with and not friendly with Cassandra Claire and you, contributed to the investigation of Jeff, while I see that Bohemian Vixen, a party unconnected with and not friendly with GT, contributed to the investigation of Msscribe. In both cases, that makes me tend to believe the accuser more.
I can easily see why Chryslin and Imogen would downplay the IP evidence -- because Jeff was GUILTY. And I can easily see why Msscribe would downplay the IP evidence -- because she was GUILTY. To me, that makes perfect sense. Yes, I can see it is ironic for the GTers, but that doesn't mean they were lying or forging evidence last May. You can remember, I assume, how furious you were at being accused of fabricating evidence, so I'm sure you can understand how furious they are at being accused of fabricating evidence.
I can also understand, even if it is hard for you as her friend, how GTers might dislike and even hate Cassandra Claire even though somebody on "their" side went beyond the boundaries of acceptable behavior in response to her. I'll tell you honestly that I don't like Cassie myself, primarily because of a post she made to me at SQ where she told me to never "address" her again. I thought that was unnecessary and egotistical of her, and I haven't much cared for her since. People do dislike people, based on their personal histories with them, and simple personality incompatibilities. It's inevitable. These things happen.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Well, to the best of my knowledge they never reported any of this to any ISPs or to the police, or anything like that. I wouldn't have expected them to. Was any law broken? I don't think so. I doubt there is even an ISP policy against having sockpuppets, or pretending to be a racist and posting at GT, or fangirling yourself. What is the point of reporting behavior that's morally, but not legally, wrong? And, frankly, the GT people are rather, well, wimpy. Publishing the IP evidence was way more aggressive than the way they usually behave. They really, truly do want to be left alone and forgotten about.
I disagree with you about Zorac's analysis. Although the IP's obviously don't *prove* that all those posts were made from Msscribe's computer, there are a bunch of strange connections and coincidences. Yes, it's even a coincidence that all those people use Comcast and GST Telecom. And that three of them posted through the Delaware educational system. These were supposed to be Nutty Christians from Arkansas, after all! Delaware is where *Msscribe* lives. Why are the Nutty Christians posting from there? And why does Msscribe use Anonymizer in the first place? And, heck, why would Pottersginny use Anonymizer, if she's just an honest redneck racist? Why would she worry about GT tracing her IP? She was supposed to love GT. Frankly, I thought Zorac's analysis made the case against Msscribe *more* convincing.
Also, remember that "Clarabella" contacted GT voluntarily after they made a teaser "we-know-who-you-are" post and admitted a whole bunch of stuff in a series of emails. These emails were published by GT, and "Clarabella" admitted that she made them and apologized for her deceptions on her LJ. Msscribe also admitted several things in her posts at the GT livejournal and her own. This is similar to Jeff's admission to Arabella. You can't expect a police report, if no criminal behavior is charged.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
I agree that it is silly, but one of them did ask me if they could be sued for something like that. And you know, what I learned in my time as an architect is that anyone can sue anyone at any time for anything, no matter how worthless the case, or how likely to be thrown out. To the best of my knowledge, it is perfectly possible to file a lawsuit charging that someone is beaming radio waves at your tooth fillings. If Msscribe is as wealthy as she says, and has a lawyer for a husband, I can see that they might hesitate to take even the slightest risk.
If I had a lawyer make such a post about me, I would find it a bit chilling. Of course, I would say "sue me, then, and let's get the facts out" but that's my personality (and my financial situation). I'd certainly see it as a very hostile and infuriating response.
I suspect Carissa changed her mind about emailing FA. I think Simon was a bit hasty in his conclusions, unless he had information I don't, which is of course possible.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Well, I and the GTers still believe that she wasn't actually harrassed by Fermatojam, and that she DID do the things claimed by GT on the GT forums. If she has quit the Hidden Tower, it is not apparent from what you can see publicly at that site. The parody sockpuppets such as "Getlaidmarian" and "Stolencocks" still post there. "GT Empress" (which Clarabella admitted to using) continued to post there after Msscribe became a mod. Msscribe is still listed as a maintainer there, along with muffinbutt, littletort, and nmalfoy. Msscribe has the community friended on her LJ. I suspect Msscribe created the parody identities, and HGEmpress, and that she continued to post in those names. I think she simply lied to you and Praetorianguard about what she was doing.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
But she WAS an FA mod when she did it. And I always thought the Fandom Bitches and Avada Sarcastic were blatantly biased *for* FA and *against* SQ and (especially) GT. There is semi-flattering meanness, and there is harshly unflattering meanness. Anyway, these two entities have done a great deal to create the widespread impression that people at GT are a bunch of loons, an impression that I believe contributed to Msscribe's decision to scapegoat them.
Angua:
The old-GTers don't necessarily know your shipping opinions or the rest of your personality because their main contact with you comes ONLY when you make a comment about them at FA or on Fandom Wank.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Yes, they are sadly behind the times, and they really don't keep up with the fandom very well. I don't necessarily agree with that attitude (obviously, since I don't follow it myself), and I think it's a large part of the reason they have fared so badly in the court of public opinion.
But it is a very consistent, and I believe sincere, desire of theirs to withdraw from the fandom at large and not spend their time paying attention to it. With the result that the only time they pay attention to it is if they find out they're being wanked, or whatever. Then their retorts and rejoinders appear somewhat silly because they don't actually know their opponents very well (except for - now - Msscribe).
If you're looking for them to "join" the fandom, I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen. What will happen, probably, is that they will keep on being taunted and poked and mocked by people like msscribe and muffinbutt, and they will lash back ineffectively saying something about "FA people" and you will be offended that they have attacked you for no reason, while they are offended that you (your people) attacked *them*. And the HP fandom will keep its title as most wankeriffic fandom ever.
Angua:
I know that Arabella (because of the unfortunate timing) and Perceval (because of her character) suffered distress when they were wanked by "Sporkify" over the incest thing.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
I haven't heard anything from Arabella in weeks. Maybe she really has achieved escape velocity. I hope not, because I'm dying for HQoW5, but for her sake, maybe I should hope so.
Angua:
Most of the former GTers tend to be the type to suffer distress when wanked, especially because it is pretty much the ONLY way the fandom interacts with them.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Yes, I know. It's a vicious cycle. On both sides.
Angua:
For instance, in the Arabella wank, people said all kind of nasty (and untrue) things. Then, as I recall, you said something like ("I have less and less respect for her").
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Heidi, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it was true. I have a clear memory of sometime -- in the last three months, after her incest rant -- reading along Fandom Wank comments about how terrible Arabella is, mostly from people I don't know, and being unpleasantly jolted by such a post from you. But the post is not where I had remembered seeing it (the Arabella wank of January 9) and I can't find it. I'm not prone to hallucinating things, but I have to admit I can't find this post, so if you don't remember making it, I have to admit that you are probably right and my memory is at fault. It was such a clear memory, though!
Angua:
*I* definitely got the impression from your public comments that you disliked them and thought the worst of them, as a group.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
I certainly can't blame you for disliking them. I have disliked people for much less reason than that. And it is not for me to judge you for your public comments. Let me just put it this way:
When I first entered the fandom (Nov-Dec of 2001), I had heard of you and Cassandra Claire from HP4GU. I had never heard of or met any GT people. FA was the first site I joined and posted at. And my *first* impression of GT, I got from threads I read at FA, and from Cassandra Claire's LJ (which I was reading for the Very Secret Diaries). That impression was very negative.
Later (approximately summer of 2002), I joined SQ and began considering myself a SQer. If you had asked me to summarize the "official Heidi Tandy position," it would have been something like "those SQers are a bunch of smug, intolerant canon-thumpers, but at least they're not total wackos like the GTers." Now, I don't have the time to go find every post you might have made that led me to think this, or even if I'm attributing to you things that were actually said by somebody else. I'm not trying to make trouble or criticize you -- you have a perfect right to your opinions, as does everyone, and I'm aware that you've gone to a hell of a lot of trouble to maintain cordial relations with SQ. I'm just saying this was my honest opinion, biased or not, correct or not. Maybe, someday when I have more time, I'll take the time to investigate where I might have gotten this impression. I can't right now.
Angua:
I came to a conclusion on my own as to who "Sporkify" is (from various circumstantial, stylistic and motivational evidence), and then I discovered that other people, including former-GTers and others, had come to the same conclusion. The person I suspect is definitely an FA Mod, but I don't know how close you are to that person, how much you talk to them, or whether you consider him or her to be a friend. The person is on your friends list, but you have a very large one. :p I definitely believe that you and your friends have been misled and manipulated by a very dishonest person among your... acquaintances at least, if not close friends.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Can't you guess? :p I think "Sporkify" is Msscribe.
Okay, why do I think this? First, I started noticing that Msscribe seemed to be making Fandom Wank posts as part of her "campaign" against GT (and then ex-GT) in late summer or early fall of 2003, after Nimbus. I remember one Fandom Wank in particular, that I thought seemed to have Msscribe's style. I believe it was about either Kvader or Runechild, and it ended with a comment about these being the same people that accused Msscribe's nanny of something. Anyway, Msscribe linked to this Fandom Wank in her LJ, and someone (can't remember who) commented "that was you, wasn't it, Dionne? I recognized your wankalicious style!" (paraphrasing, obviously, as I can't remember exact words). An hour or so later, that post of Msscribe's disappeared, presumably because she took it friend-only or filtered. It made sense to me that Msscribe would want to make sure the dislike and distrust of GT was kept alive, and that everyone thought they were loons, so that no one would actually look at their evidence or seriously consider the charges that they had made. It also made sense that she would prefer to do it anonymously, if possible.
The next post that I can remember thinking "that sounds like Msscribe" was the one on Arabella ( http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/2004/01/09/ ). Later, I found that msscribe had posted a comment on her Live Journal about Arabella's rant a few hours before the Fandom Wank was posted ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/msscribe/72854.html?thread=1574550#t1574550 ). Much, much later, I found that the "Sporkify" identity was created just six minutes before the Fandom Wank post, obviously to make that post ( http://www.journalfen.net/userinfo.bml?user=sporkify&mode=full ). Here are the time stamps on my computer:
2004-01-09 10:41 Msscribe mentions Arabella's rant on her LJ, in a thread where only she and one other person are posting.
2004-01-09 14:59:06 Sporkify identity is created.
2004-01-09 15:05:00: Sporkify wanks Arabella on Fandom Wank.
After that, I remembered the name "Sporkify," with the hypothesis that it might be Msscribe.
A few days later, Sporkify wanked Fandom_Scruples ( http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/277857.html ) only a few hours after it was first posted (
http://www.livejournal.com/users/fandom_scruples/447.html ) and before anyone had even commented on that journal.
2004-01-13 11:22:00 Fandom_Scruples makes the first post.
2004-01-13 15:14:00 Sporkify wanks Fandom_Scruples.
2004-01-13 16:36 First comment (an anonymous one) on Fandom_Scruples.
First, I thought that the style and tone of the Fandom Wank post was *extremely* similar to msscribe's typical style. Second, I thought the whole Fandom_Scruples thing was very similar to Fermatojam and Pottersginny. Especially that the "Blacklist" was very similar to the "Big Name Sinners List" and everyone wanted to be on it. When Fandom_Scruples started cutting and pasting censorship law, it reminded me very strongly of the way Fermatojam had cut and pasted anti-homosexuality tracts from the internet (you could google the words and find them) and Pottersginny had cut and pasted anti-miscegenation tracts (ditto). In other words, I was beginning to strongly suspect that both Sporkify and Fandom_Scruples were Msscribe, up to her old tricks.
Since I was friended by Fandom_Scruples, and included on the Gold List, I had a lot of motivation to figure out who was connecting me with such asinine and unpopular sentiments. I became way more interested than before in "Sporkify."
Next, I noticed this Fandom Wank, posted by Sporkify: http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/327130.html
She seemed to drop all pretense of not being Msscribe, admiring her own snark, and then posting in almost the same words as Sporkify on Fandom Wank and as Msscribe on Tartanboxer's LJ. Because of the strong similarities in attitude and style and the fact that Sporkify seemed to post mainly about things Msscribe had brought up first, I felt pretty confident that Sporkify was Msscribe. That was when I made the first comment on your LJ about Sporkify, suggesting that surely someone knew who she was. I was influenced by the earlier post, where one of her friends seemed to recognize her style, in thinking that some people probably knew the Sekrit Identity of Sporkify. Yes, I honestly think that when you asked FA mods if they knew who Sporkify is, that Msscribe didn't say yes, even though she is Sporkify (for obvious reasons).
And then I think that Sporkify made this next Fandom Wank post *to establish that she wasn't Msscribe* because you had done that (or because she read my comments on your LJ, or both): http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/337282.html
For the first time ever, Sporkify wasn't attacking either an ex-GTer or an SQer. For the first time ever, Sporkify dropped several items of personal information. 1 - "Not sure how warnings and all that work at Fiction Alley" (see! I can't be an FA Mod!), "helped me kill half an hour or so of time I should have been spending on homework" (see! Msscribe doesn't do homework!), "the comments even made my girlffriend laugh" (see! Msscribe doesn't have a girlfriend). However, Slytherincess rather undercut that when she accused "Sporkify" of being on her friends list:
"You're right. It's not particularly wanky. Perhaps Sporkify thought so, because I mentioned it under a filtered post on LJ (which would mean, I would guess, that Sporkify is someone on my LJ f-list). I filtered it because even though it's my LJ and I have the right to bitch if I want to, I kind of felt that it would be inappropriate for me to discuss something that arose from FA business in a totally public forum.
Funny how the first filtered post I've ever made on my personal LJ is f_w'ed within two hours of my posting it. Gotta give props for chuztpah. "
Sporkify rushed to clarify that no, she got it from Punurple. Punurple is a friend of the original wanker, Minerva_fan. She is friended by only 10 other people, and her LJ is friend-only. Also, the entire Minerva_fan thing was on March 6. Punurple posted then. However, on March 11, slytherincess, ari_o and other FA mods post there and *that's* when (within two hours according to Slytherincess), Sporkify wanked it. I think the circumstances imply that Sporkify *is* someone who is on Slytherincess's friends list, who saw her post. I, of course, can't see Slytherincess's post, but this is what I can see:
2004-03-06 10:50:00 MInerva_fan rants in her LJ.
2004-03-06 10:12 Punurple replies.
2004-03-11 08:43 First FA Mod comment on Minerva_fan's LJ (by Slytherincess).
2004-03-11 14:14:00 Posted on Fandom Wank by Sporkify.
And, of course, the Escape from Azkaban thing has now been wanked. However, I *don't* think that "Sporkify" wanks every wank she sees. I think she wanks things that will tend to make people think poorly of GT, or at least SQ. In other words, to think poorly of the people who suspect that Msscribe is the Queen of Sockpuppets.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Yes, I definitely considered the hypothesis at first that Fandom_Scruples was an actual sincere person. I know that some people have a bug in their rear about using passwords for smut (RunechildUK, for instance). I thought the use of the word "blacklist" was evidence that someone was intentionally trying to look stupid, though. Who would use such a negatively-loaded word, after McCarthyism? Also, the choice of people on the "gold list" was just bizarre. Sunshyndaisies and MissPince and (I think) Joesther are well known as complete smut-fiends who constantly post NC-17 without passwords. Pretty much everyone knows that Arabella, at least, has posted plenty of delicious smut where minors could (and did) get at it, and Zsenya also has, a bit. Anyone on my friends list would know that I have, as well. Then, Perceval was apparently on there because she posted about incest, but I don't think she's ever actually posted any fanfic. Same with Firoza, except I *know* she's never posted any. Dr. C mostly left the fandom a while ago. Whoever made up that list doesn't seem to know us very well. And it's a weird mixture -- a few SQers, a few former GTers, and a few "independents" like Sunshyndaisies. About the injuction thing, Msscribe, or another sockpuppeteer, is perfectly capable of appearing more ignorant than they really are. It makes the sockpuppet easier to laugh at.
Anyway, once Fandom_Scruples started to do really bizarre things like quoting laws, I felt pretty confident that he or she was trying to look stupid and stir up controversy, not actually get smut behind passwords. And I don't think it's an accident that it makes us gold listers, and SQ and ex-GT by extension, look like prudish idiots. Which, errr, we're not. I mean, okay, maybe we're idiots, but we're not THAT kind of idiot. Personally, protecting minors from smut is way down on my priority list somewhere near "learn names of all Backstreet Boys."
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
*sigh* You're probably right. Although any hint that you might be willing to consider the possibility that they were telling the truth about Msscribe would, I suspect, thaw their attitudes enormously. But as for going to conventions or enjoying the fandom? I don't see that happening.
But as long as FA Mods like Muffinbutt and (I believe) Msscribe are Fandom Wanking them, and as long as posts keep being made at GT_Hidden_Room by sockpuppets they believe Msscribe is animating, and FA Mods such as Flourish and Muffinbutt and Littletort are applauding with their comments, FA and *you* will tend to get dragged into it. That's just inevitable.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Sorry I missed you. I had no internet access down there, and Wednesday was the only day we weren't down in the Keys (which were AWESOME, by the way), anyway. Maybe next time! I didn't see this until I got back.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Yes, they did those things. I mean, I don't know about the "they were told" part, but they did do the thing with Cassie's name. As for the schnoogle thing, that used to happen automatically at SQ because our old Forum software had it listed as a naughty word. Maybe that happened at GT as well, or maybe not. I don't know.
And you might be right that it hadn't died down. But I didn't see people talking about it much. I didn't see taunts or flames or stuff like that. That all pretty much started in spring of last year, and it's been constant ever since. And from what I've seen, the attitude of former-GTers has changed a lot for the worse in the past year. I mean, I guess it was bad before, but now it's a lot worse. They feel hounded to the point of madness.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Sorry, I can't see that post. It must be filtered. I have a vague memory that you commented negatively about GT on Ebony's post, which I presume is still available, but I've reached my limit of looking things up tonight. Look, I'm not saying you did anything bad or evil or even particularly mean. I'm just saying that the ex-GTers are firmly convinced that you hate them and think badly of them, and that their reason for thinking that is public posts that you made, public posts that your friends made, and the timing and circumstances of Msscribe becoming an FA Mod. And I also think that Msscribe is working very hard to make sure that emnity remains between you and her other friends on the one hand and ex-GT mods on the other hand. Because it's very important to her that people NOT start wondering why she is constantly plagued by flamers and plagiarists and Nutty Christians and stalkers and people who write letters to her boss and anonymous emailers who criticize her appearance. She doesn't want people to start wondering if maybe the ex-GTers might have been on to something with all that IP stuff. She doesn't want people to wonder just how far an unknown newbie might go to reach the exalted ranks of the "Inner Circle" and become friends with the cool, in, powerful people. And I think, too, that she simply enjoys controversy and wank for its own sake.
I also think that if Msscribe would cease her activities, the wank level in the Harry Potter fandom would go down about 40%. That it would, in fact, return to the level it had before spring of last year when she joined us and Fermatojam made his unforgettable appearance. I wish very, very, very much that she *would* cease her activities. There would be a lot less pain and anguish, and this fandom would have a better reputation. I'm taking the time and trouble to write this very long, boring post to you in hopes that maybe you can *make* her stop. That would be incredible!
But that's just what I *think*. I recognize that I might be wrong. Maybe you will be able to find evidence to show me that I'm wrong about Msscribe. Maybe you've met Clarabella personally, and talked to Msscribe's doctors, and talked to the chief of police and the president of Fermatojam's university. It could be. Anyway, you asked, and I answered. This is how I see things.
Yours, in extreme exhaustion,
Angua (Susan)
*************************************************
To all who are sick of the situation, I apologize, but I wanted to put my email into the public record.
ETA 17 Aug 2007:
Since people are looking at this again, I ought to say that Heidi emailed me sometime in July 2006 and gave me permission to add back in her words that I quoted in the email. I never got around to responding to that email or adding in the words because I'm a lazy bitch, but she did give me permission.
When I got Angua's email, I spoke about it with praetorianguard, ari_o, owlman and others who had been involved and/or paying attention in spring/summer 2003, and they told me that there wasn't anything in Angua's email that hadn't been examined in the nine or so months before.
What? Are you saying that these people read my email? They saw all my arguments, my evidence, the contradictions I pointed out in Dionne's story? Are you saying that, when Ari_o was making fun of me in public on her LJ, saying that R/Hr shipping had fried my brain, SHE HAD READ MY EMAIL?
Wow.
Obviously, I don't think "don't respond, do nothing, and mock the sender in public" was an appropriate or prudent response to the email I sent you. But others must judge that for themselves. I will post the text of that email on my LJ, so that they can.
Here is a copy of the email I sent, which Heidi has variously characterized as inconclusive, not containing evidence that Msscribe was Fandom_Scruples, and containing nothing that hadn't been examined in the nine or so months before:
I sent this email to Heidi six times between March 26 and April 6, 2004. I have had to cut out all her words, because I quoted her responses to me on her friendslocked post. If I receive her permission, I will quote the email with her words left in:
*************************************************************
Uhh, yeah, I'd better take this to email. I'm attempting to reply to all your most recent comments here:
Angua (before):
They published their evidence, and THEY WERE NOT BELIEVED. Praetorianguard posted her terrifying legal threat, and - I apologize if my memory is faulty - but I *do* remember you commmenting approvingly to her post either on FAP or LJ, symbolically adding your lawyerly support.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
I'm sorry that I can only go by my memory here. Simon's journal isn't public anymore, and I can't find the thread that I remember about it at FAP (maybe you can?), but this is what I remember:
1 - Praetorianguard made her post about libel.
2 - At about the same time, Simon made a public post on his LJ and on FAP (identical posts) speaking for FA in your absence and saying basically that FA wasn't the same as people-who-happened-to-be-members. Either in that first post, or in a later one, he linked to Praetorianguard's libel post and agreed with it.
3 - Later, you added your voice, saying that you'd been out having a baby, but that Simon spoke for you and you totally approved of what he said, with some sort of reference to legal issues (sorry, my memory is very vague on the exact contents). I *think* this was a comment on Simon's LJ post, or it could have been on the thread he started at FAP.
As best as I can remember, I took away the definite impression that you were deliberately referencing Praetorianguard's post about libel. If you say you weren't, I must have misunderstood what you said. And if you didn't post AT ALL endorsing Simon, then my memory is totally wacked, because I would have sworn to it!
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Whoa, have you ever SEEN this police report? Has anyone? Msscribe has now deleted or friends-locked all her posts dealing with Fermatojam, but when they were still up, I was puzzled by some contradictions in them. At first she said that she had declined to press charges against "Louis" (Fermatojam) based on some promise or offer from him and his university which I now forget (weirdly, this happened VERY fast, like two days after he first sent her an anonymous flame). At another time, she said that him using a computer was a violation of the "probation" that the judge gave him. And, recently, that she "took him to court" and he was expelled from school. I would be very, very interested if *anyone* in the fandom has ever seen these police reports, or seen any real-life confirmation that Fermatojam ever existed. I have never seen anyone publicly say they have. Do you know if anyone has?
I wasn't the slightest bit impressed by Msscribe's "alibi" of having been in the hospital when one post was made, since she posted from the hospital on her laptop in March (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=662&view=findpost&p=8252 ). Or anyway, she said she did. If Clarabella is really Msscribe, all those reports from Clarabella about Msscribe being near death in the hospital take on a very different look. It is notable, too, that there were no indications, either from Msscribe or from Clarabella, that Clarabella was Msscribe's nanny or living with her until *after* GT exposed Fermatojam's posts as coming from the same computer as Msscribe's. I knew also, because one of my two friends from GT told me, that Clarabella said that her stalker's name was "Louis Movello." If "Louis Movello" was really a university student, his name didn't get listed on his university's website anywhere, because he doesn't show up on Google at all. Obviously, that doesn't prove that he doesn't exist, but it doesn't corroborate that he exists, either. My friend was *trying* to verify whether or not he really exists.
I definitely think Fermatojam was a sockpuppet. He seemed to me to obviously be set up as a butt for jokes. He constantly said stupid things, walking right into the punchline of jokes. His "Big Name Sinners" list was much more flattering than it was insulting, and everybody immediately wanted to be on it. As best as I could find after hours of looking, he NEVER posted anywhere except his own LJ, Pottersginny's LJ, GT-related sites, and on the Live Journals of Msscribe and her now-departed close friend Infinitus. It is especially noteworthy that he never posted on QueerAsJohn's LJ, even though he had a huge argument with him on Msscribe's LJ, and John was constantly taunting him and *trying* to get him to post on his LJ. [EDIT: Whoa. I was just doing a Google search to try to find the copies people made of Fermatojam's LJ, and found THIS: http://www.livejournal.com/users/epicyclical/120852.html?thread=3458836 .
Fermatojam actually did post in Cassandra Claire's LJ, so she should have his IP. I didn't know that before.]
Let me be brutally honest here. I think that Msscribe invented Fermatojam as a way to get herself noticed in the fandom, and as a way of providing us hours of delicious wankery and entertainment in the form of homophobe-baiting. I think that Fermatojam was custom-designed to enrage and amuse fandomers. And I think his main purpose was to win friends and attention for Msscribe.
Msscribe made her first post in the Harry Potter fandom on December 31, 2002 at Portkey.org. She started her LJ on February 21, 2003. On February 26, 2003, she related her first encounter with a homophobic Nutty Christian in her delightful Lesbian Tot story (http://www.livejournal.com/users/msscribe/2003/02/26/ ). This real life Nutty Christian got the newbie Msscribe a lot of attention and her friended-by list jumped from about 4 people to 20-something (http://marnanel.org/joule?user=msscribe&mode=chart ). A couple of weeks later, she posted her philosophy on Empowering Smut (http://www.livejournal.com/users/msscribe/5464.html ) and was fortunate enough to hear from an anonymous abused woman from Pakistan, who had found Msscribe's fiction and her Live Journal, and been inspired by it:
"I live in pakistan and my husband is very dominant but I come to this place to escape. I read you and cassie and lissane and babygrrl and cadey to escape the reality i deal with. I get beat regularly but here I am powered. When I read your story taking him, i cry because i understand what happening. I understand what feel like to be hurt in that way and this fantasy help me deal with it. It wasn't porn at all it was powerful and my husband do bite me to hurt me and he do hit me but i can escape here. He let me read harry potter and this stuff because he don't know about the sexy stories but i find myself through all of you strong women. He can never have all of me and i stay with him because of duty to family and duty to children but he can never take all of me. my mind is strong even if my body is not and i want to thank you for writing story like you do and understanding women like me and why it make us feel strong to know women can use strong words."
This touching communication got Msscribe more attention and won her a few more LJ friends. However, at about this time, references to a "stalker" and anonymous flames began appearing in her LJ. I can no longer see these, but maybe you can, if she changed them to friends-only. Fermatojam, the second homophobic Nutty Christian to enter Msscribe's life since she'd started her LJ, made his first appearance with a flaming comment on her LJ. Also at that same time, Msscribe made an eloquent and touching post about her great love and admiration of Cassandra Claire (which I can no longer see). She also made a post where she listed her most-admired fic-writers. I can no longer see that post, either, but as I remember, it included Cassandra Claire, Ebony, Parker, Nancy Malfoy, Lissanne, and Ali Wildgoose. A few days later, when Fermatojam issued his "Big-Name Sinners List," it had pretty much that exact list of people, plus Msscribe and her friend Infinitus.
Now maybe Fermatojam got his list from reading Msscribe's journal, but it seemed to *me* that Fermatojam's "Big Name Sinners List" was no more and no less than a wish list of people Msscribe wanted to be friends with. I especially noticed that even though Fermatojam claimed to be denouncing people, he was actually quite flattering to them. For instance: "She has infected us with her captivating writing style and sucked innocents into her sick world" (about epicyclical). At any rate, it worked to Msscribe's benefit. All the well-known names on the List immediately friended both Msscribe and Infinitus, and Msscribe was well on her way to becoming a BNF and member of the "Inner Circle."
Why do I think Msscribe made Fermatojam a GTer and an H/G shipper? Simple -- I think she wanted to have a stalker just like Cassandra Claire had, so they would have something in common, and Cassie would notice her. I think she desperately wanted to be friends with Cassandra Claire. I think she wanted her "stalking" to be as much as possible like Cassie's. And I also think that she knew very well that the people she wanted to be friends with -- the "Inner Circle" if you will -- disliked and distrusted GT and would believe and enjoy something that made GT look bad. I think she catered to the prejudices she saw in the fandom in a (successful) attempt to be popular and accepted. So she targeted homophobes, racists, smut-haters, extreme Christians, and... H/G shippers. ;)
Soon after this, another Nutty Christian named Killiganhashope posted on Msscribe's LJ (and on nobody else's but his own). He claimed to know Fermatojam. Then came Pottersginny. First, she created her despicable, disgusting LJ. Nobody noticed. Then "SarahKJames" found her and posted about her ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/sarahkjames/2801.html ). Still, not many people noticed. So Pottersginny went on Infinitus's LJ and called her a "slut" (now deleted). Then she called Msscribe a "zebra," and the fandom finally took notice in a very big way. Like Fermatojam, Pottersginny was very careful about which LJ's she posted in. She only posted in her own, Infinitus's, Msscribe's, and Sarah K. James's (and later the GT-related ones). She also claimed to know Fermatojam.
After this, Msscribe was friended by *everybody*. She was a made woman. She was uber-popular. In all my time in the Harry Potter fandom, I had never seen hide nor hair of a Nutty Christian, and now suddenly there were three, and they ALL attacked Msscribe, and posted in her Live Journal. Together with the weird Christian lady at her daughter's daycare, that made FOUR Nutty Christians who had exposed themselves to Msscribe in a three-month period. Each of the four was outspoken, had really weird beliefs, and was very, very easy to make fun of. And who benefitted? Msscribe did. She went from complete unknown to roommate-of-Cassandra Claire-at-Nimbus, FA Mod, and friend-of-hundreds in only five months, thanks to her gift for attracting these entertaining maniacs. Or, as I believe, her gift for *inventing* these entertaining maniacs.
The people at GT charged that not only were the Nutty Christians sockpuppets for Msscribe, but so were SarahKJames and probably Clarabella. I looked into it, and I think they're right. If you look at these people's profiles and posts at Portkey.org and Fiction Alley, and their Live Journals, you will see that they have avatars about Msscribe, signatures about Msscribe, and about 90-95% of their posts are about the brilliance, generosity, and wonderfulness of Msscribe. I believe that Msscribe invented these two identities, as well as the Davis_517 identity, at Portkey JUST TO PROMOTE HERSELF when she first entered the fandom.
If you look at the history of SarahKJames and Clarabella, it is pretty clear that these are fangirl sockpuppets, not real people.
For instance, Msscribe made her first post on Portkey on December 31, 2002 (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=123&st=0&#entry869 ). The next day, Jan. 1, Clarabella joined Portkey and made her *very first post* on Msscribe's intro thread (8th post down on previous link), claiming to be 31 years old, with two kids, and to not know Msscribe but to be a huge fan of her fic (which was posted at Porktkey on 12/28, just four days earlier). In another post the same day (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=135&st=0&#entry978), Clarabella introduced herself as an editor for a literary magazine. In her time at Portkey.org, Clarabella did basically nothing but fangirl Msscribe, make a website about Msscribe, report Msscribe's hospitalization and frightening brush
with death, and extol Msscribe's generosity (http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=662&view=findpost&p=8121 for instance). You can see all 25 of Clarabella's posts from here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showuser=192 .
However, when Clarabella started her LJ (which she linked to from Portkey.org), she described herself as a 19-year old, childless, jobless college student ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/clarabella21/ ). What happened? Did she forget her two kids, grow 12 years younger, and lose her job? Or did her creator just forget what she'd written two or three months earlier? In her Fiction Alley profile ( http://www.fictionalley.org/fictionalleypark/forums/member.php?s=&action=get
info&userid=17859 ), Clarabella lists her birthday as March 5. However, Msscribe has never mentioned this great and good friend's (and now I find, actual housemate's!) birthday on her LJ.
Similarly, SarahKJames joined Portkey on February 1, 2003, seemingly so that she could make a lot of posts about Msscribe's wonderfulness and help build Msscribe's webpage. Here is a link to her 15 posts:
http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showuser=503 . Interestingly, SarahKJames listed her birthday as October 3 in her Fiction Alley profile (http://www.fictionalley.org/fictionalleypark/forums/member.php?s=&action=get info&userid=19034 ) and as July 3 in her Live Journal profile ( http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=sarahkjames&mode=full ). Why the contradiction? And why has Msscribe never wished her admiring friend SarahKJames happy birthday on either of her two birthdays? Clarabella told the GT people that she had SarahKJames's passwords and had posted as her from Msscribe's computer. And yet, despite this closeness, neither SarahKJames nor Clarabella have wished each other happy birthday, either.
And, of course, it goes without saying that the majority of the very few posts these two people have made, both at FA and on LJ, are about Msscribe. They seem to exist only to admire Msscribe.
When I first saw the list of IP's the GT people published, I looked to see if they agreed with the IP's I had available to me. They did. In fact, "Clarabella" posted in my forum at Sugar Quill in February of 2003 (http://www.sugarquill.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=3048&st=0&#entry66439 ), using the same IP (68.82.67.208) that the GTers said Fermatojam used when registering at GT. This was, according to Msscribe, the *real* Fermatojam. I read Zorac's analysis at the time, but I found it impossible to believe that a stalker and his stalking victim would be, by coincidence, randomly assigned the *exact same IP address* by Comcast. The GTers were, I believe, hoping that other people would look and see what IP's Fermatojam and Pottersginny had used on other people's LJs. But it turned out that they had never posted on anyone else's LJ's except the seeming Msscribe sockpuppets and Infinitus (who had deleted her LJ and disappeared). [EDIT: see my note above for the one exception!] However, you, for instance, must have dozens of records of the IP's used by Msscribe, and some (from FA) used by SarahKJames and Clarabella. You could see if your numbers were consistent with the numbers GT published.
Yes, of course I'm aware that all this IP stuff is suggestive at best. Although, to me, Zorac's analysis is hugely supportive of the GT claims if you follow the logic through. However, if you look at *what* is suggested, you will see that Msscribe had a clear motive to invent these Nutty Christians, that she greatly benefitted from the existence of these Nutty Christians, and that their posting patterns (posting first and primarily on Msscribe's LJ and about her) are very suggestive of her having inventing them. Now look at it the other way: The GTers I know had, I assure you, no idea who this newbie Msscribe was and no reason to dislike her. As far as I know, they never even heard about Fermatojam. It took a day or two for them to find out about Pottersginny and her strange behavior. What would be the GTer's motive for framing Msscribe as a sock-puppeteer? Why would they make the astonishing charge that someone called *herself* a zebra, if they didn't think it was true?
You know, if you don't believe the former GT people were telling the truth, why would you have any desire to be on decent terms with them? I certainly wouldn't be friends with them if I thought they would do a thing like that. The two people I know at GT were *heavily* involved in gathering and publishing the IP evidence and trying to figure out what the heck was going on and who was doing it. I was one of the main people who tried to bring the Pottersginny thing to their attention and get them to stop obsessing about Irina and pay attention to this wacko, and I know how totally blindsided they appeared to be by the whole thing. They didn't have, at that time, the *slightest* suspicion that Msscribe was anything but an innocent victim of racial prejudice. They initially believed that both Fermatojam and Clarabella existed. It was the evidence they found that convinced them otherwise, and the same evidence convinced me. It think it would convince anybody who seriously looked into it and considered the possibility that Msscribe did it all. It just comes together too neatly. Maybe I'm prejudiced. Maybe I'm wrong. But that's how I see it. The wank follows Msscribe. The wank benefits Msscribe.
However, Fermatojam's nonexistence is *not* a cornerstone of the GT claims, actually. In their first post ( http://www.livejournal.com/community/gryffindortower/2003/05/31/ ) the GTers still thought Fermatojam was a real person. Their claim is that "Clarabella" was posting as Fermatojam, and as Pottersginny, and as Killiganhashope, and as Melodysings at GT, on the GT Livejournal, and at Bohemian Vixen's H/G Livejournal community *for the purpose of making GT and H/G look bad*. At the same time that msscribe and/or her nanny were using false identities to connect racists, homophobes, and prudes to GT (which they both publicly admitted, though they claimed a different motive), they were ALSO administering the GT_Hidden_Room to make fun of and badmouth GT (also publicly admitted) AND posting severe criticism (cockroaches, etc.) about GT on their own and other people's LJ's and on Fandom Wank (no need to admit, as these were public). Msscribe was in the very midst of this flurry of anti-GT behavior when she was made a mod at Fiction Alley. And, in fact, ALL the maintainers of GT_Hidden_Room except Purebloodgryff ( http://www.livejournal.com/community/join.bml?comm=gt_hidden_room ) are currently mods at Fiction Alley. That's why former GTers associate "people who hate us" with Fiction Alley.
So their "complaint" about you personally is that you elevated a person to Mod while she was conducting a public relations campaign against GT. They assume (believe, whatever) that you both knew about, and approved of, this public relations campaign. *I* don't believe that, but that's why I talk to you and I don't talk to Msscribe. I truly believe that Msscribe is a manipulative, conniving, and conscienceless liar and troublemaker -- the Becky Sharp of the fandom -- and I would not on any terms be friends with her unless I found out that she was innocent of what I believe her to be guilty of.
I'm pretty sure the GTers think Msscribe has fooled you and many other people, not that you had anything to do with her sockpuppeteering. But they DO definitely think that you knew about GT Hidden Room and about all the public posts and flames and wankeries that were going on at that time. And they deeply resent that you put your power and prestige squarely on Msscribe's side, and against them. I think ALL former-GTers feel this way, no matter which side they were on in the Imogen-Tartanboxers split.
I don't know if you can even entertain the possibility that Msscribe might actually have done the things they (and I) believe her guilty of, but if you could even *consider* it, it would make a HUGE reduction in their bitterness and anger. They're deeply grateful to me, simply because I took the trouble to investigate Msscribe's past and came to the same conclusion they did. I can tell you that there are a good number of people who believe as I do about Msscribe and her Nutty Christians.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Heidi, you have publicly said that you have seen police reports, etc. from Cassie's case, and I believe you. You were already, at that time, a well-known member of the fandom, and you had credibility and a reputation to lose. Cassandra Claire knew many people who could visit her apartment, verify her story, etc. There was an all-too-obvious motive for someone to send her threatening and abusive emails. Chrislynn clearly existed in the fandom, and she never denied having a husband, as far as I know. That's why I believe Cassandra Claire was a victim of a crime, even though I know nothing about the circumstances and have not one single piece of evidence. But the situation with Msscribe was very different. She was very new to the fandom and very little known when she made her claim of being stalked. At that time, she claimed to have met NO ONE in person except for Clarabella, whom I don't believe even exists (has anybody ever met Clarabella, by the way?). There was no credible or believable reason why Fermatojam would choose Msscribe as a stalking victim. Fermatojam is not known to exist in the fandom, away from Msscribe. In addition, Cassandra Claire had very little motive for inventing a stalking, while Msscribe has (in my opinion) a huge and obvious motive. I also see that Arabella and Zsenya, parties unconnected with and not friendly with Cassandra Claire and you, contributed to the investigation of Jeff, while I see that Bohemian Vixen, a party unconnected with and not friendly with GT, contributed to the investigation of Msscribe. In both cases, that makes me tend to believe the accuser more.
I can easily see why Chryslin and Imogen would downplay the IP evidence -- because Jeff was GUILTY. And I can easily see why Msscribe would downplay the IP evidence -- because she was GUILTY. To me, that makes perfect sense. Yes, I can see it is ironic for the GTers, but that doesn't mean they were lying or forging evidence last May. You can remember, I assume, how furious you were at being accused of fabricating evidence, so I'm sure you can understand how furious they are at being accused of fabricating evidence.
I can also understand, even if it is hard for you as her friend, how GTers might dislike and even hate Cassandra Claire even though somebody on "their" side went beyond the boundaries of acceptable behavior in response to her. I'll tell you honestly that I don't like Cassie myself, primarily because of a post she made to me at SQ where she told me to never "address" her again. I thought that was unnecessary and egotistical of her, and I haven't much cared for her since. People do dislike people, based on their personal histories with them, and simple personality incompatibilities. It's inevitable. These things happen.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Well, to the best of my knowledge they never reported any of this to any ISPs or to the police, or anything like that. I wouldn't have expected them to. Was any law broken? I don't think so. I doubt there is even an ISP policy against having sockpuppets, or pretending to be a racist and posting at GT, or fangirling yourself. What is the point of reporting behavior that's morally, but not legally, wrong? And, frankly, the GT people are rather, well, wimpy. Publishing the IP evidence was way more aggressive than the way they usually behave. They really, truly do want to be left alone and forgotten about.
I disagree with you about Zorac's analysis. Although the IP's obviously don't *prove* that all those posts were made from Msscribe's computer, there are a bunch of strange connections and coincidences. Yes, it's even a coincidence that all those people use Comcast and GST Telecom. And that three of them posted through the Delaware educational system. These were supposed to be Nutty Christians from Arkansas, after all! Delaware is where *Msscribe* lives. Why are the Nutty Christians posting from there? And why does Msscribe use Anonymizer in the first place? And, heck, why would Pottersginny use Anonymizer, if she's just an honest redneck racist? Why would she worry about GT tracing her IP? She was supposed to love GT. Frankly, I thought Zorac's analysis made the case against Msscribe *more* convincing.
Also, remember that "Clarabella" contacted GT voluntarily after they made a teaser "we-know-who-you-are" post and admitted a whole bunch of stuff in a series of emails. These emails were published by GT, and "Clarabella" admitted that she made them and apologized for her deceptions on her LJ. Msscribe also admitted several things in her posts at the GT livejournal and her own. This is similar to Jeff's admission to Arabella. You can't expect a police report, if no criminal behavior is charged.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
I agree that it is silly, but one of them did ask me if they could be sued for something like that. And you know, what I learned in my time as an architect is that anyone can sue anyone at any time for anything, no matter how worthless the case, or how likely to be thrown out. To the best of my knowledge, it is perfectly possible to file a lawsuit charging that someone is beaming radio waves at your tooth fillings. If Msscribe is as wealthy as she says, and has a lawyer for a husband, I can see that they might hesitate to take even the slightest risk.
If I had a lawyer make such a post about me, I would find it a bit chilling. Of course, I would say "sue me, then, and let's get the facts out" but that's my personality (and my financial situation). I'd certainly see it as a very hostile and infuriating response.
I suspect Carissa changed her mind about emailing FA. I think Simon was a bit hasty in his conclusions, unless he had information I don't, which is of course possible.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Well, I and the GTers still believe that she wasn't actually harrassed by Fermatojam, and that she DID do the things claimed by GT on the GT forums. If she has quit the Hidden Tower, it is not apparent from what you can see publicly at that site. The parody sockpuppets such as "Getlaidmarian" and "Stolencocks" still post there. "GT Empress" (which Clarabella admitted to using) continued to post there after Msscribe became a mod. Msscribe is still listed as a maintainer there, along with muffinbutt, littletort, and nmalfoy. Msscribe has the community friended on her LJ. I suspect Msscribe created the parody identities, and HGEmpress, and that she continued to post in those names. I think she simply lied to you and Praetorianguard about what she was doing.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
But she WAS an FA mod when she did it. And I always thought the Fandom Bitches and Avada Sarcastic were blatantly biased *for* FA and *against* SQ and (especially) GT. There is semi-flattering meanness, and there is harshly unflattering meanness. Anyway, these two entities have done a great deal to create the widespread impression that people at GT are a bunch of loons, an impression that I believe contributed to Msscribe's decision to scapegoat them.
Angua:
The old-GTers don't necessarily know your shipping opinions or the rest of your personality because their main contact with you comes ONLY when you make a comment about them at FA or on Fandom Wank.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Yes, they are sadly behind the times, and they really don't keep up with the fandom very well. I don't necessarily agree with that attitude (obviously, since I don't follow it myself), and I think it's a large part of the reason they have fared so badly in the court of public opinion.
But it is a very consistent, and I believe sincere, desire of theirs to withdraw from the fandom at large and not spend their time paying attention to it. With the result that the only time they pay attention to it is if they find out they're being wanked, or whatever. Then their retorts and rejoinders appear somewhat silly because they don't actually know their opponents very well (except for - now - Msscribe).
If you're looking for them to "join" the fandom, I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen. What will happen, probably, is that they will keep on being taunted and poked and mocked by people like msscribe and muffinbutt, and they will lash back ineffectively saying something about "FA people" and you will be offended that they have attacked you for no reason, while they are offended that you (your people) attacked *them*. And the HP fandom will keep its title as most wankeriffic fandom ever.
Angua:
I know that Arabella (because of the unfortunate timing) and Perceval (because of her character) suffered distress when they were wanked by "Sporkify" over the incest thing.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
I haven't heard anything from Arabella in weeks. Maybe she really has achieved escape velocity. I hope not, because I'm dying for HQoW5, but for her sake, maybe I should hope so.
Angua:
Most of the former GTers tend to be the type to suffer distress when wanked, especially because it is pretty much the ONLY way the fandom interacts with them.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Yes, I know. It's a vicious cycle. On both sides.
Angua:
For instance, in the Arabella wank, people said all kind of nasty (and untrue) things. Then, as I recall, you said something like ("I have less and less respect for her").
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Heidi, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it was true. I have a clear memory of sometime -- in the last three months, after her incest rant -- reading along Fandom Wank comments about how terrible Arabella is, mostly from people I don't know, and being unpleasantly jolted by such a post from you. But the post is not where I had remembered seeing it (the Arabella wank of January 9) and I can't find it. I'm not prone to hallucinating things, but I have to admit I can't find this post, so if you don't remember making it, I have to admit that you are probably right and my memory is at fault. It was such a clear memory, though!
Angua:
*I* definitely got the impression from your public comments that you disliked them and thought the worst of them, as a group.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
I certainly can't blame you for disliking them. I have disliked people for much less reason than that. And it is not for me to judge you for your public comments. Let me just put it this way:
When I first entered the fandom (Nov-Dec of 2001), I had heard of you and Cassandra Claire from HP4GU. I had never heard of or met any GT people. FA was the first site I joined and posted at. And my *first* impression of GT, I got from threads I read at FA, and from Cassandra Claire's LJ (which I was reading for the Very Secret Diaries). That impression was very negative.
Later (approximately summer of 2002), I joined SQ and began considering myself a SQer. If you had asked me to summarize the "official Heidi Tandy position," it would have been something like "those SQers are a bunch of smug, intolerant canon-thumpers, but at least they're not total wackos like the GTers." Now, I don't have the time to go find every post you might have made that led me to think this, or even if I'm attributing to you things that were actually said by somebody else. I'm not trying to make trouble or criticize you -- you have a perfect right to your opinions, as does everyone, and I'm aware that you've gone to a hell of a lot of trouble to maintain cordial relations with SQ. I'm just saying this was my honest opinion, biased or not, correct or not. Maybe, someday when I have more time, I'll take the time to investigate where I might have gotten this impression. I can't right now.
Angua:
I came to a conclusion on my own as to who "Sporkify" is (from various circumstantial, stylistic and motivational evidence), and then I discovered that other people, including former-GTers and others, had come to the same conclusion. The person I suspect is definitely an FA Mod, but I don't know how close you are to that person, how much you talk to them, or whether you consider him or her to be a friend. The person is on your friends list, but you have a very large one. :p I definitely believe that you and your friends have been misled and manipulated by a very dishonest person among your... acquaintances at least, if not close friends.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Can't you guess? :p I think "Sporkify" is Msscribe.
Okay, why do I think this? First, I started noticing that Msscribe seemed to be making Fandom Wank posts as part of her "campaign" against GT (and then ex-GT) in late summer or early fall of 2003, after Nimbus. I remember one Fandom Wank in particular, that I thought seemed to have Msscribe's style. I believe it was about either Kvader or Runechild, and it ended with a comment about these being the same people that accused Msscribe's nanny of something. Anyway, Msscribe linked to this Fandom Wank in her LJ, and someone (can't remember who) commented "that was you, wasn't it, Dionne? I recognized your wankalicious style!" (paraphrasing, obviously, as I can't remember exact words). An hour or so later, that post of Msscribe's disappeared, presumably because she took it friend-only or filtered. It made sense to me that Msscribe would want to make sure the dislike and distrust of GT was kept alive, and that everyone thought they were loons, so that no one would actually look at their evidence or seriously consider the charges that they had made. It also made sense that she would prefer to do it anonymously, if possible.
The next post that I can remember thinking "that sounds like Msscribe" was the one on Arabella ( http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/2004/01/09/ ). Later, I found that msscribe had posted a comment on her Live Journal about Arabella's rant a few hours before the Fandom Wank was posted ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/msscribe/72854.html?thread=1574550#t1574550 ). Much, much later, I found that the "Sporkify" identity was created just six minutes before the Fandom Wank post, obviously to make that post ( http://www.journalfen.net/userinfo.bml?user=sporkify&mode=full ). Here are the time stamps on my computer:
2004-01-09 10:41 Msscribe mentions Arabella's rant on her LJ, in a thread where only she and one other person are posting.
2004-01-09 14:59:06 Sporkify identity is created.
2004-01-09 15:05:00: Sporkify wanks Arabella on Fandom Wank.
After that, I remembered the name "Sporkify," with the hypothesis that it might be Msscribe.
A few days later, Sporkify wanked Fandom_Scruples ( http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/277857.html ) only a few hours after it was first posted (
http://www.livejournal.com/users/fandom_scruples/447.html ) and before anyone had even commented on that journal.
2004-01-13 11:22:00 Fandom_Scruples makes the first post.
2004-01-13 15:14:00 Sporkify wanks Fandom_Scruples.
2004-01-13 16:36 First comment (an anonymous one) on Fandom_Scruples.
First, I thought that the style and tone of the Fandom Wank post was *extremely* similar to msscribe's typical style. Second, I thought the whole Fandom_Scruples thing was very similar to Fermatojam and Pottersginny. Especially that the "Blacklist" was very similar to the "Big Name Sinners List" and everyone wanted to be on it. When Fandom_Scruples started cutting and pasting censorship law, it reminded me very strongly of the way Fermatojam had cut and pasted anti-homosexuality tracts from the internet (you could google the words and find them) and Pottersginny had cut and pasted anti-miscegenation tracts (ditto). In other words, I was beginning to strongly suspect that both Sporkify and Fandom_Scruples were Msscribe, up to her old tricks.
Since I was friended by Fandom_Scruples, and included on the Gold List, I had a lot of motivation to figure out who was connecting me with such asinine and unpopular sentiments. I became way more interested than before in "Sporkify."
Next, I noticed this Fandom Wank, posted by Sporkify: http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/327130.html
She seemed to drop all pretense of not being Msscribe, admiring her own snark, and then posting in almost the same words as Sporkify on Fandom Wank and as Msscribe on Tartanboxer's LJ. Because of the strong similarities in attitude and style and the fact that Sporkify seemed to post mainly about things Msscribe had brought up first, I felt pretty confident that Sporkify was Msscribe. That was when I made the first comment on your LJ about Sporkify, suggesting that surely someone knew who she was. I was influenced by the earlier post, where one of her friends seemed to recognize her style, in thinking that some people probably knew the Sekrit Identity of Sporkify. Yes, I honestly think that when you asked FA mods if they knew who Sporkify is, that Msscribe didn't say yes, even though she is Sporkify (for obvious reasons).
And then I think that Sporkify made this next Fandom Wank post *to establish that she wasn't Msscribe* because you had done that (or because she read my comments on your LJ, or both): http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/337282.html
For the first time ever, Sporkify wasn't attacking either an ex-GTer or an SQer. For the first time ever, Sporkify dropped several items of personal information. 1 - "Not sure how warnings and all that work at Fiction Alley" (see! I can't be an FA Mod!), "helped me kill half an hour or so of time I should have been spending on homework" (see! Msscribe doesn't do homework!), "the comments even made my girlffriend laugh" (see! Msscribe doesn't have a girlfriend). However, Slytherincess rather undercut that when she accused "Sporkify" of being on her friends list:
"You're right. It's not particularly wanky. Perhaps Sporkify thought so, because I mentioned it under a filtered post on LJ (which would mean, I would guess, that Sporkify is someone on my LJ f-list). I filtered it because even though it's my LJ and I have the right to bitch if I want to, I kind of felt that it would be inappropriate for me to discuss something that arose from FA business in a totally public forum.
Funny how the first filtered post I've ever made on my personal LJ is f_w'ed within two hours of my posting it. Gotta give props for chuztpah. "
Sporkify rushed to clarify that no, she got it from Punurple. Punurple is a friend of the original wanker, Minerva_fan. She is friended by only 10 other people, and her LJ is friend-only. Also, the entire Minerva_fan thing was on March 6. Punurple posted then. However, on March 11, slytherincess, ari_o and other FA mods post there and *that's* when (within two hours according to Slytherincess), Sporkify wanked it. I think the circumstances imply that Sporkify *is* someone who is on Slytherincess's friends list, who saw her post. I, of course, can't see Slytherincess's post, but this is what I can see:
2004-03-06 10:50:00 MInerva_fan rants in her LJ.
2004-03-06 10:12 Punurple replies.
2004-03-11 08:43 First FA Mod comment on Minerva_fan's LJ (by Slytherincess).
2004-03-11 14:14:00 Posted on Fandom Wank by Sporkify.
And, of course, the Escape from Azkaban thing has now been wanked. However, I *don't* think that "Sporkify" wanks every wank she sees. I think she wanks things that will tend to make people think poorly of GT, or at least SQ. In other words, to think poorly of the people who suspect that Msscribe is the Queen of Sockpuppets.
Heidi:
*TEXT DELETED*
Angua (now):
Yes, I definitely considered the hypothesis at first that Fandom_Scruples was an actual sincere person. I know that some people have a bug in their rear about using passwords for smut (RunechildUK, for instance). I thought the use of the word "blacklist" was evidence that someone was intentionally trying to look stupid, though. Who would use such a negatively-loaded word, after McCarthyism? Also, the choice of people on the "gold list" was just bizarre. Sunshyndaisies and MissPince and (I think) Joesther are well known as complete smut-fiends who constantly post NC-17 without passwords. Pretty much everyone knows that Arabella, at least, has posted plenty of delicious smut where minors could (and did) get at it, and Zsenya also has, a bit. Anyone on my friends list would know that I have, as well. Then, Perceval was apparently on there because she posted about incest, but I don't think she's ever actually posted any fanfic. Same with Firoza, except I *know* she's never posted any. Dr. C mostly left the fandom a while ago. Whoever made up that list doesn't seem to know us very well. And it's a weird mixture -- a few SQers, a few former GTers, and a few "independents" like Sunshyndaisies. About the injuction thing, Msscribe, or another sockpuppeteer, is perfectly capable of appearing more ignorant than they really are. It makes the sockpuppet easier to laugh at.
Anyway, once Fandom_Scruples started to do really bizarre things like quoting laws, I felt pretty confident that he or she was trying to look stupid and stir up controversy, not actually get smut behind passwords. And I don't think it's an accident that it makes us gold listers, and SQ and ex-GT by extension, look like prudish idiots. Which, errr, we're not. I mean, okay, maybe we're idiots, but we're not THAT kind of idiot. Personally, protecting minors from smut is way down on my priority list somewhere near "learn names of all Backstreet Boys."
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
*sigh* You're probably right. Although any hint that you might be willing to consider the possibility that they were telling the truth about Msscribe would, I suspect, thaw their attitudes enormously. But as for going to conventions or enjoying the fandom? I don't see that happening.
But as long as FA Mods like Muffinbutt and (I believe) Msscribe are Fandom Wanking them, and as long as posts keep being made at GT_Hidden_Room by sockpuppets they believe Msscribe is animating, and FA Mods such as Flourish and Muffinbutt and Littletort are applauding with their comments, FA and *you* will tend to get dragged into it. That's just inevitable.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Sorry I missed you. I had no internet access down there, and Wednesday was the only day we weren't down in the Keys (which were AWESOME, by the way), anyway. Maybe next time! I didn't see this until I got back.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Yes, they did those things. I mean, I don't know about the "they were told" part, but they did do the thing with Cassie's name. As for the schnoogle thing, that used to happen automatically at SQ because our old Forum software had it listed as a naughty word. Maybe that happened at GT as well, or maybe not. I don't know.
And you might be right that it hadn't died down. But I didn't see people talking about it much. I didn't see taunts or flames or stuff like that. That all pretty much started in spring of last year, and it's been constant ever since. And from what I've seen, the attitude of former-GTers has changed a lot for the worse in the past year. I mean, I guess it was bad before, but now it's a lot worse. They feel hounded to the point of madness.
Heidi:
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Angua (now):
Sorry, I can't see that post. It must be filtered. I have a vague memory that you commented negatively about GT on Ebony's post, which I presume is still available, but I've reached my limit of looking things up tonight. Look, I'm not saying you did anything bad or evil or even particularly mean. I'm just saying that the ex-GTers are firmly convinced that you hate them and think badly of them, and that their reason for thinking that is public posts that you made, public posts that your friends made, and the timing and circumstances of Msscribe becoming an FA Mod. And I also think that Msscribe is working very hard to make sure that emnity remains between you and her other friends on the one hand and ex-GT mods on the other hand. Because it's very important to her that people NOT start wondering why she is constantly plagued by flamers and plagiarists and Nutty Christians and stalkers and people who write letters to her boss and anonymous emailers who criticize her appearance. She doesn't want people to start wondering if maybe the ex-GTers might have been on to something with all that IP stuff. She doesn't want people to wonder just how far an unknown newbie might go to reach the exalted ranks of the "Inner Circle" and become friends with the cool, in, powerful people. And I think, too, that she simply enjoys controversy and wank for its own sake.
I also think that if Msscribe would cease her activities, the wank level in the Harry Potter fandom would go down about 40%. That it would, in fact, return to the level it had before spring of last year when she joined us and Fermatojam made his unforgettable appearance. I wish very, very, very much that she *would* cease her activities. There would be a lot less pain and anguish, and this fandom would have a better reputation. I'm taking the time and trouble to write this very long, boring post to you in hopes that maybe you can *make* her stop. That would be incredible!
But that's just what I *think*. I recognize that I might be wrong. Maybe you will be able to find evidence to show me that I'm wrong about Msscribe. Maybe you've met Clarabella personally, and talked to Msscribe's doctors, and talked to the chief of police and the president of Fermatojam's university. It could be. Anyway, you asked, and I answered. This is how I see things.
Yours, in extreme exhaustion,
Angua (Susan)
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To all who are sick of the situation, I apologize, but I wanted to put my email into the public record.
ETA 17 Aug 2007:
Since people are looking at this again, I ought to say that Heidi emailed me sometime in July 2006 and gave me permission to add back in her words that I quoted in the email. I never got around to responding to that email or adding in the words because I'm a lazy bitch, but she did give me permission.