The Chapters

Exposure

Reception of "The Ms.Scribe Story"

The Ms.Scribe Story was read and linked widely in LiveJournal fan communities during June and July of 2006. It spread beyond Harry Potter fandom and was even noticed by non-fannish sites.[15][16] The story was so long, included so many pieces of evidence, and referenced so many different Harry Potter events and people (not just the sockpuppets) that many fans remarked that they were hopelessly confused. However, as a narrative, The Ms.Scribe Story was well-written and made for an entertaining read. People who were not personally affected by the revelations were astonished and fascinated by the antics of Msscribe. Joking comments were made about the ratio of sockpuppets to real people in the Harry Potter fandom.[citation needed][17] While The Ms.Scribe Story is now almost universally considered highly credible, initially there were some skeptics. At the time, Msscribe still had many friends in fandom, and some people pointed to inaccuracies or lack of definitive evidence for some of Charlotte's claims. Furthermore, Msscribe had been accused of sockpuppetry before, but the accusers had not been believed, so it was thought that someone was simply rehashing old wank. However, the wide dissemination of the story allowed various individuals to come forward with further evidence, and many readers reported back that they had been able to independently verify many of the claims. Msscribe's actions, the fanwork itself, the identity of the author (still unknown), and related issues were discussed all over Livejournal. For examples, see oulangi's Link Spam (posted June 18th, 2006) and metafandom's June 21, 2006 links.

Impact of "The Ms.Scribe Story"

Four addendums were posted, detailing additional information that had surfaced and the reactions of the key players in the drama. Many people who had been friends with Msscribe were very upset. The revelations about Msscribe also seemed to create a domino effect, as the behavior and motives of other people were called into question.[18] Meanwhile, many apologized to the much maligned Gryffindor Tower crew. With The Cassandra Claire Plagiarism Debacle [1], posted in August to bad penny, added to the mix, many readers outside of the fandom concluded that Harry Potter fandom was ridiculously wanky. However, some Harry Potter fans noted that their corners of the fandom had been unaffected by Msscribe's antics. Victoria P wrote: [19] It's really easy to talk about how batshit insane HP fandom is - and again, in some segments it is - but I've been in the fandom - if it can be called *one* fandom - for three years now, and while I've seen some nastiness and some wank directly, it's no more so than any of the other fandoms I've been in, and considering XMM BtVS , and SV , I'd say it's been considerably less at this end of the fandom. Even fans reading the most affected ships didn't necessarily notice the people involved, because of Harry Potter's huge size. In 2006, ratcreature wrote: [20] [...] before last week I had no idea who Msscribe was nor recognized the pseud , and I have been in HP fandom for years now. I mean, I noticed some of the wanks mentioned peripherally, e.g. that Gryffindor Tower disappeared because I sometimes read Harry/Ginny , but I don't follow f_w and most of the time not even metafandom , so I'm not usually aware of the kerfuffle of the day. Which might not be a bad thing to make my fandom experience more pleasant, but sometimes makes me feel like I'm in some other fandom entirely. Another fan expressed their feeling of distance from this wank: [21] I glanced at it, but I didn't understand a word of it. So very different, I'm glad to say, from the home life of my own dear fandom. Shortly after the Mssribe essay was posted, some fans attempted to summarize the events with literary analogies: [22] Vanity Fair for HP Fandom, with a young Becky Sharpe clawing her way to the top and not caring much who she destroyed on the way." [23] "This isn't a mere wank . It's too big. It's like ancient epic poetry . It's... it's... it's a Wankcycle. The Wankcycle of Msscribe." A fan in 2006 wrote about, "The MsScribe Story," fan history, and its sometimes fleeting ephemera and impact: Why is it important that this "history" be preserved? This question always starts up in my head when old fandom events get dragged up. It's one of those fascinating things about human nature in general that we're all interested in our history and where we come from and in terms of fandom we don't have so many books/museums/school history lessons to tell us so we seem to create our own ways of keeping these stories alive. Thing is fandom moves so fast and if you read all the bad_penny stuff there are places where it explains that posts have been capped before they disappeared and that interests me because if this hadn't happened now and in 5 years someone tried to look back would they have been able to piece this together? I hate the pain that bringing this all up again is creating but as a historian I am very interested in how we as a stupidly fast moving fandom community are finding ways to remember not just the good bits but the bad as well and it makes me wonder what else we've forgotten. [24] I hate the pain that bringing this all up again is creating but as a historian I am very interested in how we as a stupidly fast moving fandom community are finding ways to remember not just the good bits but the bad as well and it makes me wonder what else we've forgotten. Another fan expressed their feeling of distance from this wank:Shortly after the Mssribe essay was posted, some fans attempted to summarize the events with literary analogies:A fan in 2006 wrote about, "The MsScribe Story," fan history, and its sometimes fleeting ephemera and impact:

MsScribe confessed to nothing publicly and maintained radio silence for many months. In the end, Msscribe maintained that Clarabella was a real person even in her final comments, but by this time she had admitted to a few of the other sockpuppets. Msscribe's comments: On October 12, 2006, she posted: All my apologies are belong to you. [snipped] Did I read all the BP stuff? (Nah, I’m not linking to it. I’m sure you can find it on your own.) I won’t lie. I didn’t. I read the beginning of it, cringed, cut off the computer, and went back into my home turf. Could I have handled things differently? Yeah, but hindsight is twenty–twenty, right? Is it all true? No. Not by a long shot. I’m not going to go point to point on this thing. One, I don’t have the time, and Two, I think people have seen way too much TMI regarding my person and it has to stop somewhere, right? Also, those of you who know me know that it takes me two years to write something that’s fifty thousand words, so my response would come in 2008 and I don’t think by then people would much care. Basically my peeps know what’s up. A manipulating mastermind? Nah, I’m not that smart OR that organized. So if you believe it all, then I wish you well. Is some of what those people said true? This took longer for me to even admit to myself, but, yeah. I was a real cunt to the GT people and you know, after years of distance I wish I would have done things differently. I really did believe the things I said I did back then. Do I now? Nah. But I understand the anger, and it’s probably well deserved. For that, I’m deeply sorry. I also wish you nothing but the best, seriously, no fannish bullshit behind it either. I’ve been out of fandom for a long time and I’m happy that way so no worries regarding all of that. tartanboxersand [sic] ladymaidmarian, especially. Y’all are decent folk and good mamas, which in this day and age is worthy of a little respect. I still think Imogen is crazy, though, but shit, we all are aren’t we? I mean, we’re a bunch of grownups who used to write fanfic involving Harry Potter. Crazy is like a fucking prerequisite. I also want to take the time to apologize to sapphsmum. I really had no clue she was in the hospital, and I was assured that she was a scammer. Hell, I thought that up until a couple of weeks ago when I finally swallowed my damn pride, did some digging, and discovered that no, she was indeed very ill. I made a donation to her fund this morning and I hope she gets better. It sucks to be that sick. It tires your body and weighs on your soul and even though I’m pretty agnostic, if you’re a believer than pray she gets better. Seriously? I was really, really wrong about this. I'm sorry for a lot of things, and I truly wish I could change them but I can't. All I can do is apologize. So basically, love to you all. Keep wanking, keep writing, and keep laughing. Also, can y’all lay off of Heidi? Do you know how much she LOVES this fandom. All she wants to do is make it a fun playground for folks, and she tires herself out giving her time and energy to this place. Cool? Cool. And Cassie, like it or not is one of our own, and we should rejoice when one of our own makes it. I’m so proud of her. And those who know her know how hard she worked on this book. Hey that up. <3. Dionne [25] Hey Charlotte , girl, you got my name right! You wouldn’t believe how many people fuckup. <3. Dionne On October 12, 2006, she posted: Reactions to this apology are here. Then, on August 15, 2007, almost a full year later, Msscribe posted another entry in her LJ describing how Clarabella, who was living with her at the time as her informal nanny and home care aide, had manufactured many of the sockpuppett accounts. The entry was written at Clara's request in order to exonerate Msscribe. Msscribe explained that she had no knowledge of Clara's activities and felt betrayed: Although it doesn’t matter much anymore, Clara asked that I write this up. (Oh, didn't Charlotte tell you that she was real? Nanea used to talk to her on the phone. Also to me. We sound different. Also, you know, when I was hospitalized Nanea talked to her because I was incapable of it. ) Frankly, I don’t think this post is all that necessary but here it goes. I was never going to post this and Clara didn't want me to but she has since changed her mind since this whole thing has put a strain (for her) on our friendship. This whole Bad Penny thing has done me a lot of good, though. I’m sure this wasn’t their intention, but it has. I’ll explain later. In the beginning (In know, I know, a little Biblical but bear with me) I was in a car accident. I had a head injury. The oldest was only 6 months old and so we got my neighbor’s younger cousin who had come to visit a few times to care for her (and me) during my recovery. Think I’m vying for sympathy here? Read back to me the number of posts I’ve made detailing this part of my past in the last 6 years. Like four, maybe? So yeah, I didn’t meet Clara on the web. We totally got online together and SarahKJames? Her college roommate (A funny chick who I’d love to get back in contact with) would come with her for weekends at my house. They’d do laundry. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Clara isn’t her real name. We gave the fake name to Carissa Lynn because she was a cunt to Clara and Clara thought she might try to do something regarding her in school. Sarah was in art school and eventually went on to do something in Real Estate. No, she wasn’t 36. We made that up. She was gay, though, and after she moved in with her girlfriend we didn’t hear much from her. She stopped posting. Don’t you just love the Internet?[26] Don’t you just love the Internet? MsScribe also stated that if the fans who tried to alert her to Clara's behavior had been nicer, she would not have been so blindly loyal to Clara: [27] Also, I didn't want to admit that the grumbly chicks at GT were actually right. But they were. They caught on waaay before this and I remained loyal and stubborn. But seriously, maybe if they'd been nicer. You thought that I made people loathe you? HA! Y'all did a pretty damn good job of that all on your own. Msscribe's post was a repeat of a series of earlier posts and emails by her and Clarabella in May 2003 where they both revealed that Clara had been the one behind the sockpuppets and was a good friend who made "bad decisions."[28] The 2007 post quickly became a topic of discussion at Fandom Wank.[29] [30] However, numerous other fans weighed in, with the majority of contributors, both named and anonymous, expressing doubts as to the truth of the events as described by Msscribe. Msscribe also appeared in the fandom wank discussion thread to further clarify her statements, which in turn led one fan to quip: [31] "Subject - I thought it was Colonel Mustard. So, it was the nanny, in the upstairs bedroom, with the anonymizer?" On August 17, 2007, Msscribe posted: I'm sorry. [snipped] But the truth is I DO give a shit. I AM sorry. I am really, really fucking sorry. If I could go back and figure this shit out and fucking listen to the GT people instead of putting blind faith in someone who I still love, but who frankly dicked me over then I would. If I could not be an asshole on the internet and mock someone who I thought was faking a serious illness, but actually wasn't faking, I would. I would. I would do a lot of things differently. I've been really lucky, in spite of this, to have met some great people and I forget that they hurt as much (if not more) than I do. I've lost a friend, someone who I really loved, and yeah, this is wanky, but now after knowing all of this shit I don't think things will be the same. She lived with me, she cared for me and my children, and she was part of my fucking family and now I can't even have a conversation with her without the pain of all of this. I'm shaking, now. Sorry if my spelling is bad or I'm not being apologetic enough. But I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Amy, and Katie and everyone else. I'm so sorry for fueling this up again. I really felt like I had to say something, anything, and I was hurting and I guess the [32] But I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Amy, and Katie and everyone else. I'm so sorry for fueling this up again. I really felt like I had to say something, anything, and I was hurting and I guess the FW people would call it Karma. Yep, I guess that is what it is. Screencap it, mock away, and laugh about it. On August 18, 2007: Msscribe posted: [33] I'm sorry. I feel like shit for everything that the GT's went through,and for everything that my friends went through, and I would give anything to make things go differently. I didn't listen to them and I was a cunt, and I'm paying for it now. It was because I wanted to believe they were all a bunch of assholes. I'm sorry for not believing Sapphsmum was really sick, I am, and I'm sorry for being such a complete cunt to people who didn't deserve it. I'm sorry for coming here and snarking but I was angry and sad. I'm no one special. I'm just a fucking housewife with two kids and I fucking wear braces. My life is tragically normal, and I'd never do anything to hurt anyone in real life in spite of my semi-threat of having information. I swear that Charlotte's real name would never EVER in a million years come from me, and I never reported anyone. Not that that means much anymore, but there it is. On August 17, 2007, Msscribe posted:On August 18, 2007: Msscribe posted:

Msscribe as a Subject of Fanworks