![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inarduisfidelisI 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![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
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 ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
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
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 creditingkillerweasel 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
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-03-30 10:28 pm (UTC)It's like she wants to be a BNF but she's doing it in the worst way possible.
Thanks for the write-up. If I ever run into her online, I'll know to head for the hills asap.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-31 04:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-31 10:05 pm (UTC)Seriously, if not for the RL creepiness with Cumberbatch, this wouldn't seem so creepy, but as it is . . . argh, why would you do that?
There's also something very off about the way she's talking to people. Like she's seeing the words, and replying to them, but not actually understanding them. She kept going "But the members want random posts, so your opinion is irrelevant!" to the face (well. Internet face) of members who were telling her the random posts should be cut down on.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 12:30 pm (UTC)She is doing a good job of discrediting herself without any outside help at the moment though - she basically managed to get kicked off her own comm, as far as I can see.
I totally agree on what you say about the way she talks to people. She's so rude, abrasive, and completely ignorant of basic netiquette (or, well, basic communication etiquette) that even people who have met her in RL are losing their patience with her.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 03:01 am (UTC)She's definitely somebody I'll take care to avoid in the future. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt and it didn't work out very well in my favor.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 12:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 06:06 am (UTC)I joined mycrofting for a brief period of about 2 weeks because I didn't actually mind the idea of just chatting with fellow Sherlock fans (and most fic already gets posted to sherlockbbc so there's not a whole lot of point in having another fic comm) but then left pretty soon after seeing her interactions with people on cumberbatchfans and hearing about the "no slash" rule (which had been removed by the time I joined, I think. Either that or I missed it completely - as a bi Sherlock/John shipper "no slash" is a warning which would have made me see red). But oh the crazy that's been going down lately! It's astounding. She's really got no grasp on reality, does she??
Thanks for making this post - it's good for people to be aware of those who have such a negative impact on fandom so they can stay away. I wish I'd seen it before I ever saw her or mycrofting, I could've been prepared! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 12:34 pm (UTC)The slash thing was changed into a blanket ban on all fanfic after her members gave her an earful or ten about how it was offensively worded.
I'm glad I'm able to help with this post and I hope you're going to be okay. Hope to see you around in the saner areas of the Sherlock fandom :)
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 12:42 pm (UTC)Anyway, thank you for posting this so people are fully aware of what's going on. I reside in the Cumberbatchfans comm, and I have come across her.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-02 01:36 pm (UTC)There are lots of others who have posted about what she's done to them, I've linked those that I'm aware of on the post. Apparently the extent of her wankery is much greater than any of us alone knew. At least, on
no subject
Date: 2011-04-05 07:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-05 09:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-04-06 12:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-06 12:58 pm (UTC)I think I should just keep my hand permanently glued to my face when it comes to her... also, have you seen this (http://community.livejournal.com/mycroft_brolly/12317.html)?
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-04-06 08:44 pm (UTC)But the only thing that really worries me about her is this "omg don't ever talk about Benedict's private life, that's not right at all" thing that happened in the Cumberbatchfans comm and then she basically stalks him at the stage door and doesn't even respect his personal space?
And what really got me was something she just posted in her Umbrella comm. Yes, I know, she's important and the people at the National adore her and so on, but she's talking as is she owns the damn place by organising backstage tours (http://community.livejournal.com/mycroft_brolly/12826.html), and as if Benedict is something like a personal friend who has no problem to sign stuff for her that she can send to other fans then: http://community.livejournal.com/mycroft_brolly/12317.html
Since Ben usually personalises his autographs by asking for the fan's name this might be quite interesting.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-08 09:10 am (UTC)But the only thing that really worries me about her is this "omg don't ever talk about Benedict's private life, that's not right at all" thing that happened in the Cumberbatchfans comm and then she basically stalks him at the stage door and doesn't even respect his personal space?
This person is the greatest hypocrite that I have ever met in my entire life, seriously. And don't even get me started on the Umbrella comm...
no subject
Date: 2011-04-08 08:37 am (UTC)And the sad part is, she doesn't realize that it's her own fault :( She must be sitting in this thread and read every new thing that is written ...in this case *hi Raks*
I wish the drama would go away, especially since the com mycrofting actually got really awesome once it was left to run by itself. Too bad, I and the other members were clearly enjoying themselves lately. I guess the other ban was for sunnyringo?
no subject
Date: 2011-04-08 09:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-04-15 07:05 am (UTC)Before that, my interaction with Raks was on
I've posted a link in my journal to the fandom wank entry so other people in Holmes fandom (who don't follow the Sherlock BBC series) know who she is and to stay far away!
Raks has been banned from Cumberbatchfans and Mycrofting now.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-15 09:00 am (UTC)I remember your post on
Thanks for linking on f_w - good idea to think about people in the Holmes fandom outside Sherlock fandom. I knew about the banning and it made me laugh - seriously, getting banned from two comms in one day, one of them your own, must be some kind of wankery record, surely - but thanks for flagging it up, I'll put it in the post.
Her latest antics at the National
Date: 2011-04-18 03:41 am (UTC)http://www.journalfen.net/community/wank_report/888.html?thread=6781048#t6781048
Re: Her latest antics at the National
Date: 2011-04-18 07:55 am (UTC)Jonny Lee Miller yelled at her
Date: 2011-04-20 09:41 am (UTC)http://www.journalfen.net/community/wank_report/888.html?thread=6812792#t6812792
Re: Jonny Lee Miller yelled at her
Date: 2011-04-21 12:53 pm (UTC)THIS THING JUST NEVER ENDS. HOLY SHIT.
I'm linking this!
Date: 2011-04-20 11:55 am (UTC)I am going to share the link on my tumblr:
http://cumbersnatchedcumberbitch.tumblr.com/
Re: I'm linking this!
Date: 2011-04-21 12:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-20 05:04 pm (UTC)I really have been living with my head in the sand. One of my friends is going to the Q&A tonight. I warned her to stay away :o
no subject
Date: 2011-04-21 12:54 pm (UTC)She's now illegally selling tickets to Frankenstein
Date: 2011-04-29 07:31 am (UTC)There are currently two auctions on Ebay for tickets to the final performance of Frankenstein. PLEASE DON’T BID ON THEM.
They were donated to the Swivel Theatre Company by Rakspatel to auction off as a fundraiser. The auction listing claims that “these tickets were donated to our theatre company by a patron at the National Theatre.”
RAKSPATEL DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DONATE ANYTHING FOR AN AUCTION ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE.
Face value of the tickets is £12. The opening bid of the auction is £70. I don’t need to tell you that this is a ripoff. I don’t need to tell you that one theatre company does not have the right to sell tickets to a performance by another theatre company for their own profit.
The auction listing also claims that you get “entry to the closing night party to which all the cast, crew and the director have been invited”.
THIS IS COMPLETE BULLSHIT.
The cast and crew have been endlessly HARASSED by Rakspatel. They have had offensively worded “posh invites” FORCED on them by Rakspatel. What you’re actually being granted “entry” to is a roped off section in the lobby of The National Theatre that anybody and everybody can wander into if whenever they please. Rakspatel will be there celebrating herself and her “connections”.
It’s not about Frankenstein anymore and it hasn’t been for quite a long time.
Again, PLEASE DON’T BID ON THESE TICKETS. Don’t give her the satisfaction of thinking she’s done a charitable thing. It’s not. It’s illegal. And it’s hugely disrespectful to The National Theatre.
First ticket : D41 - return code 5 - Order 4517058 Rakshita Patel
Second ticket : B 19 - return code 7 - Order 4517058 Rakshita Patel
Contact the NT administration : Telephone +44 (0)20 7 452 3333
or
Telephone +44 (0)20 7 452 3400
Email info@nationaltheatre.org.uk
Tell them one of their patrons thinks it’s ok to sell tickets on ebay (illegal) for an organisation that is absolutely not referenced as charity (illegal), and it also happens to be the crazy fan who has been stalking celebrities at the stage door and bothering the actors.
Here are the links, just for reference:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140540805441&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140540804222&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Re: She's now illegally selling tickets to Frankenstein
Date: 2011-04-29 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-29 06:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-29 07:49 pm (UTC)