Here Be Dragons - ATTENTION SHERLOCK FANDOM.

[inarduisfidelis]

I cannot hold my peace any longer about this. I've seen a good lot of fandom drama and I'm fine with it as long as it all stays on the internet and the internet alone, but this particular thing - this particular person has gone way beyond everybody's comfort zone and caused drama in many people's REAL lives.

It's time to get the word out so's you all know what you're letting yourselves in for. So here goes:

This post is about rakspatel and her comm, Mycrofting. It's long and rather ranty, so, long story short:

DO NOT ENGAGE.

I mean it. This person has caused so many people so much grief it's not even funny. I'm not badmouthing anyone, I am giving you facts. I have been personally involved in all this drama rather heavily and I simply do not want to keep my mouth shut any longer. People need to be aware of these things.

Long story long:

Raks is new to fandom and to the internet in general so she has no idea about netiquette. She made no great effort to learn either, in all the time she was a member of the Baker Street Supper Club forum (one of yours truly's hangouts, which is how our paths crossed).

She has no idea what fandom is all about and, to mine (and several others') perception is trying to use it as a means to "change careers". Possibly because she's had her hours reduced at her job for spending all her work time on the fan sites (we're talking about stuff like the IT department banning her from accessing tumblr, for example).

She was banned from the BSSC for several reasons including:

- harrassment of other BSSC members via email, text and phone. For example, she called someone at seven in the morning over a forum post that had been moved.

- failure to abide by the forum rules - example: she hijacked a thread about asexuality to post about something completely unrelated to that in a very aggressive manner

- misrepresenting the BSSC in front of actors and other official people

She will tell you that all this is completely untrue and that the one reason she got banned is because she doesn't like slash. That's bollocks. There are many reasons for her ban, see above. Also, she is a massive bigot - she will say she considers slash disrespectful to the Canon but as soon as it's fic or art done by her favourite people she's all over it.

Here are a few incidents to give you a bit of a picture.

ETA
She went to the stage door at the NT on the third night of Frankenstein. Look at the way that this is phrased; what I'm saying is that she went to the stage door to get Mr Cumberbatch's picture before she had even seen the play.

He didn't want his picture taken that night at all and she was among those who kept badgering him for a photo.
She was bragging she was going to post that picture a few days later - after he had said at the stage door that night he didn't want the photos posted on the internet.

gozadreams, who witenessed the situation firsthand, describes it as follows:

"My friends and I saw the production on its 3rd preview. We were at the stage door (which was small) that night. Benedict came out looking exhausted (hardly "fresh as a daisy"). We were all delighted that he came out because its clear that neither Naomie Harris or Jonny Lee Miller are stage dooring at all and Benedict isn't actually leaving by the stage door and is only coming out to sign. Making him the loveliest person ever.

We very politely asked for a photo (because don't ask don't get) - he very very very politely said no as he was knackered. We respected that and put our cameras away. We were the ONLY ones that did. And we stood and watched teeth gritted as others raced up and talked him into photos he didn't want to do while he backed towards the door trying to escape. The subject of your post didn't ask him for a photo.
What she did do was take about a billion and one flash photos of him an inch away from his nose until even my friend who is so laid back she is virtually horizontal was coming up with a few choice suggestions for what she could do with her camera. It was disquieting to watch but I put it down to over excitement. I've seen it before - new to fandom, new to meeting actors can result in really socially awkward OTT behaviour with the actors. I was less impressed when she admitted that she hadn't been at the show - I'm always wary of people who "happen" to be at stage doors when they haven't seen the production that evening. I understand people coming back if they were there the previous night and the actors didn't come out but that wasn't the case here."
End of ETA

She has been stalking Mark Gatiss and Benedict Cumberbatch at the stage door and "interacting" (if you can call it that) with them in a manner that is beyond description - not making eye contact, shoving stuff in their faces to sign, being passive-aggressive etc.

She has caused the admins in the forum a great deal of pain both on the internet and in RL and it's time people became aware of this. She is delusional and trying to use fandom for her own personal goals - trying to land "official" interviews with the cast and crew, trying to get "official" articles written and published. She even wants to show her fansite to the BBC once it launches. People have been trying to explain to her that this is the sort of thing that, for copyright (and a myriad other) reasons should not be done, but I'm not sure she is actually seeing sense.

So please, please give her and her comm a nice wide berth, do not post your content there, do not engage. She is a delusional person who cannot draw a line between fact and fiction. I'm serious - she cannot draw a line between internet life and real life at all, she cannot distinguish between an actor and his character(s) and she cannot distinguish between fictional characters and real people on any level. This has caused, and continues to cause, a large number of people a great deal of pain.

ETA: snugglemuffin89 on Raks: Late-night calls and crossposting without crediting

killerweasel linked to their bit of experience with her.
End of ETA

She possibly needs help, but one thing she definitely does not need is enabling.

Feel free to spread the word, but if you do, please link back and drop me a line so I know who else is boosting the signal.
Thank you.

ETA: LINKS

lei_che_sogna has boosted the signal at her journal and linked. Thanks!

baker-street on tumblr has boosted and linked. Thank you

turkfox has signal boosted and added a few extra notes of their own on their journal. Thanks!

orange_pips explains why rakspatel was banned from the BSSC forum over here.

The signal was anonymously boosted at the kink meme. Whoever you are, anon, thank you very much!

sunnyringo has done a writeup of the crazy that's been going down on mycrofting for the last couple of weeks over here - with screencaps.

ETA April 11, 2011 Her story has made it to wank_report and FandomWank, so you can find all the information on what she's been up to over there. Suffice it to say that after reading that she gave Benedict Cumberbatch one of the invites to her Frankenstein closing night party, the text in the icon on this post reflects how much I've had of all this.

ETA April 16, 2011: soophelia has created a Very Useful Post as a warning to the Sherlock Holmes fandom at large (ie Holmes fandom outside the following of Sherlock) - important because rakspatel is involved with the Undershaw Preservation Trust and the Sherlock Holmes Society of London. Thank you.

rakspatel has been banned from mycrofting and cumberbatchfans now. mycrofting has three new mods and seems to be shaping up nicely as a friendly place for Sherlock fen to chat. ledasdaughter has created the_sign_of_fun as a reaction to the mycrofting drama as well, so I wish them all all the best.

ETA April 21, 2011

You guys, YOU GUYS: Johnny Lee Miller yelled at her on Tuesday night (link goes through to more detailed report) because she shoved one of her "Posh invites" in his face and he told her in so many words how ridiculously offensive to him and the rest of the cast it was. Well done JLM. Also, it would appear that those who need to know have been informed.


ETA April 29, 2011

She's now selling tickets to Frankenstein illegally on eBay

Comments

[songgoeson.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads up. I've not come across her yet, but I'm glad I know in advance for if I do.

I cannot stand fans like this. They are the reason perfectly normal fans get a bad reputation. It's especially upsetting when they take it to the actors and invade their space and their privacy and their perfectly reasonable requests. It's selfish, ignorant, beyond rude and generally despicable behaviour.

I hope the message gets out :/

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Thank you. She was at the SHAM in January but you might not have seen/noticed her.

Lots of people have replied and a couple of them have linked and boosted the signal so it looks like the word is spreading :)

[eumelkeks.livejournal.com]

I just checked out that comm of hers. It's not very wank-free, is it? Also LOL @ vibrant.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Haha, no it's not. It's also shite because she doesn't understand how LJ works.

And yeah, LOL indeed.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

D: I'm glad I've not come across that particular fan or anyone of that ilk, and thanks for the heads-up (although it's comparatively unlikely that our paths would cross).

Ignoring the personal requests of the actors and their personal space? Really not cool.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your comment and for your support, it means a lot.

[martinius.livejournal.com]

That is... wow. Not likely that I'll cross paths with her, but I'll keep away if I do.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

I know, right? Thanks for your comment!

[gayalondiel.livejournal.com]

Oh, she runs Mycrofting? I'm only.peripherally aware of it but it comes up in such circumstances as people talking about harassing actors at the stage door.* it makes me feel so sick when fen do this because all I want to do is enjoy and appreciate art and then people go and bring wank into it and ruin the average fan's chance of expressing their appreciation to a creator (yes, I'm still sore about Moffatt, can you tell?). Things like this make me want to up and leave fandom.altogether because I'm not like that and I don't see why I should be labelled.

*I.am aware that stage doors are tradition - however Mr Cumberbatch gives the distinct impression of being uncomfortable with elements of.fandom and as such we should respect that.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

This is how I feel. I made a post about it some time ago (which you know about because you wrote the longest comment on there, haha) and just... yeah. I don't want to be associated with this kind of fuckery. I'm glad that my flist is so supportive, it really means a lot, so thanks.

[blackbirdblade.livejournal.com]

The biggest warning bell about this person from what I can see is ignoreing the pretty damn well known request of Benedicts to not post pics. In fact to even bug him for a pic on a night when it sounds like he really wasnt up for it says a lot about her as a person.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Apparently I misunderstood the picture thing - she was bragging about wanting to post it but never did. Presumably because someone told her to GTFO and respect his wishes about not posting pictures on the net.

[fullofowls.livejournal.com]

aaagh. people like this give the rest of us fans a bad name.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

This. Your icon is extremely appropriate.

[irisbleufic.livejournal.com]

Whoa, I hadn't heard about this, but I seem to remember vaguely that she was at the 29 January meet-up, wasn't she? I'll never understand this sort of behavior.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Yes, she was. I will never get it either and I'm starting to wish I was less involved in fandom/lived further away from London so I wouldn't have to be so affected by it.

[suddenlyflying.livejournal.com]

I decided to give mycrofting a wide berth when I saw its announcement just because it initially started off with "NO SLASH FIC" due to family values or something like that. I just remember being very turned off by the wording until I think she turned it into a blanket ban on fanfic due to someone else bringing up concerns.

In light of your post, I find it a bit funny that when I went to mycrofting, I saw posts about being "OFFICIALLY LGBT FRIENDLY" (hmmm) and banning stagedoor/parapparazzi pics. >.>

[shrewreader.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I realized that that was her, after morelindo's very welcome and valuable 'heads up, crazy person, do not engage!' post.

I had a thorough rant on her initial intro with the slash = family unfriendly.

(and, true to my acafenishness, I did actually screen cap the original post.)

[girlingoldboots.livejournal.com]

I was going to join that comm, but something about it screamed NO to me. Glad I stayed away. She sounds like a rude, evil, cow.

Treating actors like that makes them start thinking that the whole fandom is like that.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Yes, and yes. And that last part makes me so sad I can barely cope.

[lydt.livejournal.com]

Even though for 90% of the time I've been involved in any fandom I'm usually either completely oblivious or intentionally ignoring any drama that goes on, I heard about a certain member of BSSC causing some kind of shit a while ago, not that I was aware of details of anything.

But yeah, I'm just basically echoing what most other people have said. It's a real shame that some people can't conduct themselves properly and learn to have a bit of respect in general. It really does give a bad name to fandom as a whole, because although usually these types of people are in the minority, they always tend to parade around being a twat everywhere whilst shouting loud enough to drown the perfectly sane members of fandoms out.

I can't say I've come across this person in any detail, but it's still good information to bear in mind if I ever do!

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your comment and your support.

[shrewreader.livejournal.com]

I do wish that people like her would stop being so willfully ignorant, and cling to their ignorance like some kind of social lifeboat.

They make my head hurt, and despair of my profession. *sigh*

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

THIS. I've lost count of the number of times I have tried to explain something to her and she just would not listen

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

I stay pretty much on the fringes of Sherlock fandom so I've never run into this person, but thanks for the heads-up.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

I had a brief look at some of her recent comm posts and yeah--some red flags there.

[mresundance.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks.

Saw mycrofting and stayed far away because of the no-fanfic ban. Interesting to know why.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. Thanks for your comment and support!

[lei-che-sogna.livejournal.com]

Thank you for being brave enough to post this. Often when shit goes down, nobody's willing to actually stand up and warn other people, so thank you very much for doing this.
I've only met her once, in passing at the Anniversary meet, but thanks for the heads-up.

[lei-che-sogna.livejournal.com]

P.S., did a signal boost for you here: http://lei-che-sogna.livejournal.com/21002.html

I am tired so it's in all likelihood needlessly melodramatic, and I would understand you not spreading it about.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Wow. Thank you.
Seriously, profound thanks for taking the time to write this and for expressing things in the way that you did.

[alethea-dot.livejournal.com]

Oh no! I have just replied to the meet up for next Sat about possibly coming. I wondered where there wasn't much interest when there had been quite a lot initially. Now I probably know why. Guess I won't be going to that then.

Thanks for the heads up- you seem pretty sensible about this sort of thing and from what I've seen at shwatchalongs I trust your opinion (not that RL has let me join in much recently). Mind you, this kind of thing makes me think it's probably best to sit back and enjoy fandom from afar but not engage too deeply! It's a shame as I would love to enjoy a Sherlock watchalong in person with some other fans someday but probably not going to happen.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. Thanks for your trust and support.

[shoedog.livejournal.com]

Hi! Came here from the link at the discussion/chatter post on the kinkmeme.

I read a lot in this fandom but don't post much. First took notice of this person on this post at cumberbatchfans (http://community.livejournal.com/cumberbatchfans/144974.html)

The furious back and forth debate on stage door etiquette, said person "speaking for all fans!" (eek.) and the rampant backpedaling on her part when caught in a falsehood or something that made her sound in the wrong alerted me to a gut "Oh-uh. Worms eating the brain of poster. Stay away." feeling.

Matter of fact I stay away from cumberbatchfans because of this poster's omnipresence and, quite frankly, creepy posts.

Heaps of admiration to you for taking a stand, especially the kind that is frequently unrewarding and involves a frightening loose cannon.

Please post information if there is any unpleasant repercussions and, if so, anyway you think folks could assist you.

Having the courage to speak up does not mean you should be hung out, left out to dry.

[orange-pips.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think the 'speaking for all fans' justification is a standard fandom alarm bell. No-one has that privilege. Fans may share a love for a particular show / film / band whatever but more often than not are very different people otherwise. She certainly doesn't speak for me but then I know that her argument, which she's used in emails that found their way to me, is that members of the Supper Club aren't real fans because we didn't go on the last Sherlock Holmes walk? Excuse me? The Supper Club has a very international membership and those of us who do live in London have jobs. Unlike her we're not willing to go part time at work to dedicate more time to our fandom. o.0

[the-nightjar.livejournal.com]

She's trampling all over cumberbatchfans now. For my part,not wishing to turn it into a public slanging match I've walked away. It's clear that she'll keep going until she gets the last word *headdesk*

[shoedog.livejournal.com]

Hi again. Looked at my comment again and have no idea why it posted unscreened, I had noticed there was no date at the heading when I posted and the response to pushing 'post comment' button just read 'COMMENT POSTED.'

Whereas it usually goes back to the site and shows your comment right there.

This has happened to me twice in the past month. Haven't a clue why. If anyone knows, feel free to chime in.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

It posted screened. YOu yourself can always see your own comments, even when they are screened.

[gozadreams.livejournal.com]

I sort of feel I should clear up one of your ETAs - not that I have a real desire to be involved in this because I don't - but I do so hate chinese whispers.

My friends and I saw the production on its 3rd preview. We were at the stage door (which was small) that night. Benedict came out looking exhausted (hardly "fresh as a daisy"). We were all delighted that he came out because its clear that neither Naomie Harris or Jonny Lee Miller are stage dooring at all and Benedict isn't actually leaving by the stage door and is only coming out to sign. Making him the loveliest person ever.

We very politely asked for a photo (because don't ask don't get) - he very very very politely said no as he was knackered. We respected that and put our cameras away. We were the ONLY ones that did. And we stood and watched teeth gritted as others raced up and talked him into photos he didn't want to do while he backed towards the door trying to escape. The subject of your post didn't ask him for a photo.
What she did do was take about a billion and one flash photos of him an inch away from his nose until even my friend who is so laid back she is virtually horizontal was coming up with a few choice suggestions for what she could do with her camera. It was disquieting to watch but I put it down to over excitement. I've seen it before - new to fandom, new to meeting actors can result in really socially awkward OTT behaviour with the actors. I was less impressed when she admitted that she hadn't been at the show - I'm always wary of people who "happen" to be at stage doors when they haven't seen the production that evening. I understand people coming back if they were there the previous night and the actors didn't come out but that wasn't the case here.

The one thing I will say is that you should never allow one person to prevent you doing anything in fandom. If you want to organise London meets, Sherlock Holmes walks do it. You cannot allow your enjoyment of fandom and the marvellous people in it to be affected by one individual.

[mariemjs.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your message, it's quite a good thing to have this explained by people who witnessed it first hand (I had heard about this from someone else as well).

I was there on the first preview night, Benedict played the Creature and was exhausted, he came out in loose clothes and crazy hair just for us, and even if he said yes to photos that's when he insisted on not posting them all over the internet.
Which prompted me to quickly post about it on Cumberbatchfans, kind of creating a general rule of "do not post" and has been so far quite a success, considering how few pictures have popped up on the internet in the last month. I don't expect people to follow it, and I'm not there to judge, but it has certainly warned the fans with good common sense not to bother him too much about pictures. Especially on nights when he plays the Creature.

I saw the play on Thursday and stage doored for the second time in the run, it was a peaceful affair, and people were very calm and lovely. I saw the play again on Friday, as it was the Young Patrons event of the NT (which I'm part of) and barely stopped at the stage door, just to say good bye to a group of german friends who had travelled to come and see the show. I had no intention of staying around as I thought it was inappropriate, considering I'd been there the day before and it was "done". When I was leaving quickly before any actors would come out, Raks appeared out of nowhere to stage door, and with that timing, the only probable explanation was that she was at the door, again, because she was around and because she could.
I was genuinely baffled.
I've seen Frankenstein 5 times, yet I did not stage door everytime I went to see it, just because I think it's awkward. I love my London theater, I indulge in seeing things I like many times if I want to, I stage door once maybe twice everything I see (if the play is good) and that's no secret to anyone who knows me, but stage dooring the shit out of it constantly is just to bizarre.
And I certainly don't stage door outside of seeing a play either.

So yeah, I'm mostly extremly uncomfortable with that behavior, these guys don't owe us anything, giving time at the stage door for the fans is lovely but not obligatory, which is also why I completely understand Johnny's absence at the stage door as well, I heard he's not too comfortable with this, and it's fair enough, we're just strangers, happy enthusiastic strangers yes, but still strangers. Nothing else. You can have David Suchet who will ask for fans to queue at the stage door and will meet them ONE BY ONE in the theater, or you can have Naomie Harris who will never show her face at the door, and it's all fine. Again, they don't owe use anything at all.

[orange-pips.livejournal.com]

I did a post yesterday afternoon about Mark's new show, The Crimson Petal and the White. An hour later the same thing was up on her comm. Stealing content and ideas is par for the course on the internet but she's taken the content from the BBC website for the series and just copied and pasted it without quoting her source or making it clear that she didn't write it.

I thought she was meant to write for a living? Surely that includes knowing the rules about how to cite, quote or otherwise reference your sources.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

I don't believe for a second that she writes for a living. Someone who does that would know about referenceing, but on a more basic level, also about proper punctuation and how overusing capslock and exclamation marks makes you look (and sound) like an eight-year-old.

[smittenfancy.livejournal.com]

Damn, I wish I had known about this thread before I responded to her meet-up post.

Ah well, live and learn. Thank you for the signal. Let us hope this is an isolated headcase and more don't spring up from the ether.

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

S'ok, I'm glad you came here and commented. And yes, here's to hoping.

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

Someone pointed me over here after I had a bit of a rant about the subject of this post. This explains so very very much.

Oy vey.

Here's my bit of experience with her. Mind you, this is in a post where I put up screencaps of Martin Freeman from a show called The Robinsons. The conversation/argument that followed had absolutely no place in the post. It is very rare for me to see wank and whatnot pop up in posts I've made, let alone posts of screencaps. the wank that had popped up in one of my posts in said community (http://community.livejournal.com/mycrofting/91787.html?thread=1085835#t1085835)

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Oh my word. Thanks for that link. What even?

I have to say that last comment of hers reall makes my fingers itch. All her hypocricital talk about not wanting to invade BC's privacy really sets me off, considering what she's done to him at the stage door. I really want to comment and explain that maybe , maybe snapping dozens of photos of someone without their permission is a much greater invasion of their privacy than linking to a web article and people expressing their sympathies in the comments. But she wouldn't even listen since it's me and my opinion is invalid by default.

[snugglemuffin89.livejournal.com]

Ergh! I'm good friends with pudupudu and love her Markcroft comm but 'a certain someone' keeps trampling in with her heavy, insane boots and trying to drag my friend down with her.

She mentions her at every opportunity in her numerous rant posts, though I know pudupudu is unaware of most of them as she doesn't read the comments on Mycrofting unless she is alerted to them- pudu doesn't 'side' with anyone, she's as neutral and fair in fandom as she is in life and I can't stand the fact her good nature is being used against her.

Yesterday Raks cross-posted something which was actually typed up entirely by pudupudu (though she didn't get credit)and used the post as an excuse to pimp her community and bitch at another at which point the mods had to step in and say that it isn't on.

I'm not normally a 'ranter' but Raks brings out that side of me. Pudu's a Finalist at uni and has better things to be doing than having Raks angst at her and I know she does- I've been with her when she's been being 'talked at' on the phone for hours (often she calls at 1am or later).

I'd urge anyone on here who has seen Markcroft mentioned in connection with Mycrofting not to avoid the former on the basis of this association. Both the community and its mods are wonderful and shouldn't be tainted by the same brush.

[turkfox.livejournal.com]

She keeps asking every now and then if she can advertise Andrew Scott Online on her site/other places. I've said no on numerous occasions but she still asks. It's hard enough to get anyone to join the forum (the site does well enough but the forum, not so much) as it is and if they see an advert posted by her or on her comm, I'm sure they'll avoid ASO.

I can't believe she calls at 1am! That's pretty ridiculous.