The Spuffy site Elysian Fields has been pursuing a vendetta against me and some friends for a few years now. We have our own chat room, and a forum, and are part of a new archive (West of the Storm) that has its own forum, but uses our chat room. They have gone after our site, changing their rules to force out any and all references to us. When someone asked about a story I wrote, one of the admins told them it could be found on AO3. When someone else said it could also be found on the archive West of the Storm, their comment was removed from the site.
There was also a case of a writer mentioning us in a general sense, with no mention of the site or links. He merely said he was sad some people (again, no names mentioned) he chatted with on Discord had been banned. His entire author note was deleted without notification, and he was sent a warning, stating there was an unwritten rule against any mention of us.
Why is this being done? Because a few friends and myself made a forum in an attempt to foster discussion among Spuffy fans. We associated it with a chat room, and we ran a few events. We were, admittedly, a little overzealous in trying to let people know about these events, but it was due to excitement, not malice, and the stories being produced were going to be posted on Elysian Fields. Instead of being contacted and asked to maybe tone it down a little (which we absolutely would have done), rules were immediately put into place with no advance warning.
We were irritated by this, but whatever. Not a huge deal. And they now had rules about sites being able to be promoted once a week. Cool. We hadn’t planned on doing anything like that, but why not take them up on it? So, we did.
We also talked freely in our chat room. There were some other rules on Elysian Fields that we weren’t too keen on. Not everyone is going to like every rule on a site. That’s normal. We grumbled about them, because that’s what people do. Some of us also talked about some less-than-stellar reviews we’d received on EF (including a transphobic rant left as a “review”), as well as expressing dissatisfaction with how the moderators had dealt with the issue of a serial flamer on the site. And there was discussion about some EF members sending e-mails wishing death and rape on people due to their fanfic preferences (those preferences being a general disinterest in all human fics. Not hate for them or those who like them, just general disinterest).
We also discussed the idea of making our own archive site, where we could set up our own rules and fanfic categories. This was partly in jest (a sort of "We'll make our own site, and it'll have blackjack and hookers!" kind of thing) and partly because we thought it'd be awesome for Spuffy fanfic to have a wider internet presence.
All of the above, including the possible archive site, were referenced as reasons when EF sent us official warnings on their site, policing our conversation on the chat room of a completely different site. When they were PMed with information about harassment and death and rape threats, they said there was nothing they could do about off-site issues. But they felt they could give warnings and punishments on their site to people for griping on another site. They decided that there would be no mention of our forum and chat room on their site, no promotions. Nothing. They claimed that they had endorsed us (they never did. In fact, they’d been working hard to reduce any mention of us even before this), and that we “said bad things about them.”
So, yes, EF believes they have the right to censure and punish people for the things they grumble and gripe about on other sites. Once you are a member there, they feel that they own you, and can dictate your thoughts and feelings and how those are expressed online (unless you’re creating burner e-mail addresses to send death and rape threats for daring to be "meh" about all human fics. That, they don’t care about). Interestingly, they have since made their own Discord server, where the rule is that it's a private server, and no one is allowed to screen cap or talk about messages to others. More proof that they felt they owned us and our chat room just because we happened to be EF members at the time.
Even before all of this, we had an issue with a highly considered member of Elysian Fields coming onto our chat and yelling at people (including those who had never even heard of Elysian Fields before) for not being on the Elysian Fields chat room instead. This person also sent PMs to our chat members that were described as being disgusting. The Elysian Fields moderators were informed about this behavior, to which they said they could do nothing, as it was on another site (though, again, they felt they had the right to issue official warnings to people on their site for being vocally grumpy on outside sites about their policies and the behavior of some of their members). They were also warned that the person causing problems in our chat room seemed to want to cause issues between the two sites. This warning was dismissed as nonsense.
Over time, a few other friends that weren’t involved with the EF nonsense joined up with us to create an archive. And that brings us back to the beginning. Following EF’s own rules, when someone asked about one of my stories, they were told that it could be found on West of the Storm. It was removed and the person who posted was told that West of the Storm was banned from any and all mention on the site.
Keep reading and being a member of EF if you wish. Many of our active members in chat are, and we have no problem with it. Our chat room is often used to brainstorm fics that are then posted on EF, and we tend to have writing parties so people can work on EF event stories. So, read whatever stories you want, wherever you want, and post wherever you want (we have no problem with stories cross posted both there and here.) But do please be aware of the behavior of the Elysian Fields moderation team.
Edit:
Further information about the things going on at EF have recently come to light. The moderation team made an arbitrary decision (in a long history of arbitrary decisions) that got a lot of backlash. They randomly decided that a story that met the guidelines and criteria for the site didn't and deleted the story with barely any notice. It was sent at night, and by the time the author was awake in the morning, the story and all its comments and likes were gone.
There was a massive protest about this, with the mods standing their ground and doubling down on the bad decision. Eventually, they did cave and restored the story, but only with a post talking about how one of the mods got so much hate mail that she gave up her position as a mod, took down her stories, and left the site. The wording sent a clear message of, "We did nothing wrong, but we have decided to give in, even though your cruel actions hurt this mod," all meant to turn attention away from their wrongdoing. Interestingly, the mod who "left" is still listed as a member and part of the admin team. Her stories are gone, but they've already shown they can restore those easily enough. The plan seems to be to do so once the members have shown enough contrition for questioning the mods.
No proof of any actual hate mail was produced, and past experience has shown that the moderator stance on hate mail is that it will not tolerate anyone talking about it happening, as that would be damaging to the community. If this hate mail actually happened, it was only mentioned because the moderation team felt the community was at odds with them and wanted them to feel bad about themselves and for protesting their decisions.
A member was in conversation with someone who knows the person banned for the supposed hate mail and have shared part of a PM discussion.
It seems this "hate mail" was no more than someone concerned that the poor decision made by the mods was, in fact, a poor decision. And the mod in question lashed out by accusing them of calling her a Nazi, when no such sentiment was made or intended.
Further issues have been transpiring. This exchange took place on the EF discord, between one of their mods and a member of both EF and WotS.
EF Mod:
"Because I always loved her words best, I'm going to reiterate what Katie said above here for anyone in the cheap seats in the back: "This is not a democracy." There is an owner of EF, as much as I own my house. You might help me build my house, paint it, display your pretty flowers, but you don't own it. You can suggest, through messages, ideas to make a site better, but the only things that you own here are your words and your energy (positive or negative on both). Look after yourselves and protect both. If you have words and comments you want to save for posterity on the site, you should definitely back them up frequently, just like you would back up your computer. I love that so many of you want to "help," but do you know what you would even help with? All the coding for the site? Negotiating with web companies for the cost of hosting it? Are you going to confidentially respond to members behind the scenes about their mental health crises because they have no one else to turn to? Or about being mistreated by a beta? Or message members about the flaming comments they left on a story that has made an author want to leave? Have pages of messages with that author about not leaving? These are some of the hidden "costs" of "ownership," many of which skyrocketed in March of 2020, when our membership exploded. Again, this is a hobby. A fanfiction site that makes no one any money and is, technically, copyright infringement of a 20+ year old TV show. When you see a message like, "Elysian Fields isn't going anywhere," I hope that you took it in the spirit it was intended at the time - kind of like how I tell my boys, "Mommy will always be here." Well, kids, the harsh truth is, I won't. I will as much as I'm able, but I'm expendable. The site is expendable - because it is organized by expendable, flawed, and exhausted humans. For me, I'm finding it difficult to find the point and the meaning behind a lot of my life ventures and now I can add this site to that pile."
EF/WotS Member:
"As much as mods might own the house, the members are who own the property that home is built on. Without members creating content, there is no EF. The attacking of members happening right now, for expressing their concerns, is disturbing to say the least. We're essentially being told to sit down and shut up, or we'll lose the site. You made a mistake, and while you reversed that action, there was never once an apology to the community for causing the panic. I don't condone the hate mail, or the attacking of mods, just as I don't condone the attacking of a community that is trying it's best right now to support you- and you just spit back in their faces. It's disrespectful and rude, and if you won't tolerate it, why should the community? I understand it's a stressful situation for all involved, but it is entirely a situation created by the mods- who leapt before they looked, and didn't make an effort to be fair to the author or to the readers in making a decision. Yes, it is absolutely your decision to make, but at some point you're going to have to realize and accept responsibility for this entire situation. It never would have happened if you hadn't jumped the gun on a decision. I'm not here to fan flames, or to attack, but to defend the community, since most of them all seem so determined to continue kissing your asses while you do whatever you want with content you don't actually own, with zero accountability for screwing up."
This member was then immediately banned from EF in response.
They are proudly declaring themselves not a democracy and owned solely by the moderation team (despite the fact that they have a donation button. Or at least did in the past. It's possible they may change this at some point.). They made a mistake in judgement, but rather own up to it, they are treating their membership like unruly children (even comparing them to their own kids while threatening to delete the site) for daring to protest that mistake in judgement. Members have no rights, despite their work being the reason the site even exists. The rules can and have been changed at any moment with no notice, and the members are expected to regularly check the rules in case they have been changed, because the moderators do not consider it their job to inform people of rule changes.
People are having their comments deleted and accounts banned, for nothing worse than saying they have the right to speak up about something.
Another shared member, who had been a part of EF for 15 years has had his access to his EF account denied, with his fics still there and not under his control. He is likely in the process of being banned. This was done in response to this message:
"So let me get this straight/ This is your toy, and we should be happy for the privilege of being allowed to play with it? And if we don't roll over and lick the hand that beats us, we're being whiny, not supportive, and abusive?
I honestly thought that the whole 'we're a community' stuff was for real. Please keep in mind we're writing and reading about a show that's been dead for 20 years. The way-back archive is full of the dead husks of Spuffy archives that are no longer among us, and they all died not when they ran out of mods, but when the community supporting them drifted apart and away. A community does need a police force, but there's a difference from enforcing clearly defined rules, and picking and choosing when and if one murky rule will maybe be imposed, possibly midway through the story.
Case in point? 'Eye of Eleos' by Kathleen is some 70 chapters of Spike and Drusilla. Buffy is a ghost observing things, not even interacting with Spike in any way, shape, or form, and yet that story is revered (it's one that I personally love reading, so please don't take this as a critique, or a vote for that story to be taken down, or anything, it's just an example of a story which is Spuffy without them actually being even on the same plane of existence most of the time, and there is plenty of /other pairing to be found). This is just one example off the top of my head. It's not a completed fic, it's still being posted (though not since '21), and is, in fact, the creation of a mod. So what exactly are the rules, again?
What I would very much like would be less of the 'this is our site, shut your mouth' attitude which has been abundant since the start of this debacle, and more of the 'let's have a conversation, so that we all enjoy our time together here, creating, and enjoying something we love'.
May I also just say this: Remember Buffy's speech about the Watcher's council role if you take away the Slayer? Well, what would the moderator's role be without any content creators?
To sum it up. Kudos for doing an awesome job of keeping this running, but if you want help, ask, and don't start saying 'you wouldn't even know where to start' because I can guarantee that there are many here very well versed in coding, managing, etc. And if it's to be a community of people united in their love of Spuffy, drop the 'this is ours, discussion over' attitude."
There have been multiple bannings (with no warning, despite their rules saying that everyone gets three before being banned) and messages telling people to sit down and shut up, all while the mods are publicly claiming they aren't silencing anyone.
It has since been taken down due to a report of "harassment," but for a short time, Megan, an original creator of EF, had a story chapter posted on AO3. It included an author note detailing how the current moderation team of EF stole the site from her in January of 2022. If the current moderation team doesn't like the truth, they claim it's either slander or harassment, which isn't how truth works. She has been able to repost on LiveJournal: https://elysian-archive.livejournal.com/25371.html Megan has sense friends locked this post, but the gist of it is that she was one of the original founders of EF, and despite how the current moderators made it sound, it was not her choice to leave her moderation position at EF.
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