Hi Elysian Fields Fam,
As an update to our last post, we heard you and your concerns and made the decision to reinstate the story in question, with apologies to the author for what we know was an upsetting day. The metadata, including the comments, summary, images, likes, and so forth have already been reinstated. The chapter content itself is a different recovery tool and generally takes more time, but we welcome Dusty to repopulate that without waiting for us. While we stand by the reasoning described in the initial post regarding our validation, selection, and hosting process, our first priority is the wellness of the community.
Wellness of the community also means wellness of the Mod team. We are, after all, a part of the community. The tone of discussion should always remain civil, even if you don’t agree with a decision that has been made. Certain members of the Mod team received individual messages that were not only uncivil but downright abusive. These are messages beyond: “I disagree with what you did and here are the reasons why” or any similar grievances. These messages were personal and vicious, and as this behavior would not be tolerated if aimed at any one member, it will not be tolerated when aimed at the Mod team. You don’t have to agree with us and you don’t have to like us, but hate mail is never acceptable under any circumstance. In this case, it was also not without casualty, as OffYourBird has formally resigned her position as Mod and opted to remove her stories from the archive. She has also placed her name on the Do Not Distribute list, so we ask members to respect that decision.
Going forward, we will ask that authors do some due diligence with stories that require a heavy amount of disclaiming in addition to the provided warnings. This is not to say that every fic idea, premise, outline, or chapter needs to be run by the Mods—God, how we do not want that. But we also don’t want to be here again, ever, ever, ever. So, we’re asking authors to be cognizant of the rules and, if a story flirts with the limits of our submission guidelines, check in with us for what is and isn’t permissible. Many authors already do this, as we mentioned already. We do not delight in telling anyone “no” and are open to discussing with any author how to ensure their story meets and maintains the required qualifications that make them EF appropriate. We understand that not all authors know where their story is going and that’s fine, but as members of a community with guidelines like ours, the onus is on each author to verify that they are in the right place. This is also nothing new, but perhaps not widely known, and we thought it best to reiterate it here.
As of the time of this posting, we consider this matter closed. You are welcome to come to us privately with any comments, questions, or concerns, and you are welcome to leave a response to this post, but we will not permit discussion on EF or any of its platforms in any area.
--The Mods on March 02, 2022 01:27pm 76 Comments
I’m baffled, disheartened, and honestly disgusted with the series of events that unfolded. This should not have happened - and frankly would have been better as a private communications between the mods and the author alone to resolve the matter, since time and again EF admin have shown open communication with its members. I don’t know what happened that forced this situation to go public this way in two mod posts, but what I did see was the ugly underbelly of a community I had thought to be better than this.
Thank you mods to keeping this space running. Glad the matter is closed now.
Just catching up on what all has gone down and I have to say I’m heartbroken for OffYourBird. How angry and betrayed she must feel to receive hateful messages in a community she’s been a part of for so long. I’ve mentioned here and there over the years that EF literally saved my life when I was on the brink of suicide over a decade ago; the idea that this is no longer a safe and happy space for OYB just wrecks me.
I can't even imagine how OYB must feel 
And I know this sounds overdramatic, but the site already feels weird without The Darkling and the Jumpverse and all her other fabulous stories.
My heart aches for how difficult a situation this has been, and I firmly believe no malicious intent was involved whatsoever, except for the person(s) who attacked OYB with cruel and hateful messages. And that hurts most of all because I’ve always known the spuffy community to be the kindest, most intelligent and beautiful people. I admire the mods for admitting to have made a mistake, that takes a lot of heart and courage and I never thought for a moment they had harmful intentions in their decision making. It was just a tricky situation and I applaud everyone involved for doing the best they can and eloquently stating their opinions on the matter in a vulnerable way with strong and open communication. I hope the person(s) who attacked OYB has a moment of clarity and steps up to give a genuine apology. The first fic I ever read was the Jumpverse by OYB and it remains my favorite fic, and the Darkling is close behind. I really hope she comes back to the site. You are such a beautiful person and writer and a huge inspiration to hundreds maybe thousands of people. We all want you to come back, and we’re sending you so much love.
This is terrible. I typically just come here to read and haven't really been part of the community, though I have often commented on stories and had discussion with several authors. I'm fairly new here - within the last year - and haven't submitted any work myself. However, there are a few authors who's work I simply love and OYB was probably in my top three.
I will never understand the hatred that people feel they can spew in an email, comment, or text to someone they probably don't even know. Why would anyone think that's okay? Everyone is different. Everyone takes words differently. Especially written words that can easily be misconstrued without tone and inflection. As authors and, in my case, avid readers, we should all be aware of how easily that can happen. I would like to think that people were misunderstood but I don't believe that is the case and I hope that the loss of OYB as a mod, author, and clearly beloved member of this site would make those who sent these messages think twice before hitting send on something written in a moment of frustration or anger. A quickly written email or a comment that is posted in a matter of seconds and then forgotten when your anger subsides can have devastating echoes in the minds of the one who it is sent to.
I hope that someone in contact with OYB lets her know she will be greatly missed and that there are many, many fans of her work. Perhaps, down the road, she will return. I can only hope that to be the case. Every story of hers I had read was in my favorites and on my bookshelf. Losing them is like losing an old friend. I can't imagine what it's like for her to lose all of us.
Guys, I'm going to address a few things but then I really need to step away from this.
- Discourse is always open at EF. We just ask that it be in the appropriate place so that it can be followed. The Shoutbox is not the place for that, nor is that its design.
- Saying that moderation was different in the past is just the truth of the matter. There have been varying degrees of involvement and rule enforcement over the years. Every iteration of the Mod team, and everyone who has ever served on the Mod team, has done the absolute best they could while balancing work/life, which is not easy for a community of this size, and the needs and degree of attentive moderation haven't been consistent over the archive's 15-year lifespan. We absolutely owe the existence of EF today to Amy, Susan, Megan, Kathleen, and Katie, who dedicated untold hours to develop the community that I was fortunate enough to rejoin three years ago, the current iteration, and the one in which we are operating. I can't speak for what happened prior to my returning to the Mod team in detail since I wasn't here, but I trust the accounts of my fellow Mods on the matter; this site has a long, long history and has changed the way things are done to accommodate the evolving scope of work and establish the sort of environment we want to cultivate. On occasion, fics that do not meet our current guidelines are brought to our attention. Our unofficial/official stance has been to consider them grandfathered in but to maintain the standards set in the current guidelines for all new work. This is the way the archive is run today. I'm not asking anyone to agree with it, but it is a reality of the archive that is not going to change.
- The Mods' role is to maintain the community and uphold the standards we have set for it. We're a small group of unpaid volunteers who do this because we love the site. We have also experienced exponential growth and a dramatic increase in activity as a result of the pandemic. We've been tasked to put out a lot of fires that, thankfully, most of the membership never knew were burning. We are human, though, and we make mistakes, particularly when our wells are empty. One of the most devastating parts of being a Mod is seeing exactly how you should have handled something after it's too late. Time, unfortunately, does not move backward.
Moving forward:
- Please continue to use the site as you have. No fics that exist on the site today are going to be removed. Any concerns we have about new content will be privately shared with the author in question for clarification and resolution. Work will only be removed if it is in direct violation of the rules and all other methods of resolving the issue amicably have been exhausted.
- The rules are still the rules. That hasn't changed. Submissions must adhere to those rules in order to be hosted at Elysian Fields. That's the nature of our site.
- It's the Mods' job to enforce the rules in a matter that is fair for everyone without allowing special treatment to any one member. Sometimes, that makes us the bad guy. And yes, sometimes we make mistakes, but when that happens, we will do what we can to correct them.
I hope this clarifies things.
Thank you, Holly. This is very helpful.
Omg I am heartbroken that OYB has removed themself and their stories. That they felt strongly enough to leave. Their stories are incredible and this is a tremendous loss. We are better than this, attacking people over a decision, we need to be better than this. No one should ever feel so attacked here that they leave so completely. I sincerely hope that OYB comes back one day or finds a new home because I dearly love their stories and appreciate them.
What Holly said is indeed helpful, and thank you very much for taking the time both to administer this site, and to post this comment. The fact that this is a statement, not a discussion is, however, saddening.
Does anyone know if OYB hosts their stories on another platform as well?
Wow I usually just lurk but I just wanted to add my sadness at the loss of OYB.
I just got home from work and was about-face to indulge myself with a little Spuffy goodness when I read all that has happened today and, even if I believe that everything has been said already, I feel like I should share ny feelings with you.
First of all, before EF I literally didn't know what fan fiction was, and since then, I have found in this site with all their amazing stories a little piece of haven during really hard times of my life. And I have to thank the writers but also the Mods, who with all their hard work keep this site going. For that, I'll be forever grateful.
This been said, I also declare myself as a DustyFan, even when she makes it hurt in all the right places 😘 I was waiting for her fic to be finished to read it all together and I'm very happy I'll be able to do so.
We all make mistakes or take decisions that later we realized were wrong or maybe missunderstood and I find that being capable of talking them out in a civilized way and getting to an agreement is what makes a person and a community great and keeps it growing. I find people who are able to do so a great role model and should be proud of themselves.
I just can't believe that there's people who would spend their time sending hateful messages just because you don't agree with something. For me, if you aren't capable of expressing yourself with respect, then you're not worth it.
I'm truly sad with the decision OYB had to made, we're losing such a valuable member of our community... I just hope that someday she'll be able to come back as a mod and as a writer (I spent many joyful hours reading The Darkling and it was a real piece of art). You will be missed. ❤️
Thank you, Holly, and the other mods for all the time and love and you put into maintaining the community. It’s a home for so many of us.
I agree with the mods that the shoutbox isn't a place for this. I know no one is mentioning it there now. But I a hundred percent agree (Plus finishing one of my stories so I didn’t see it earlier). Most people see EF as an escape from the day to day drama that takes place in their lives, and they aren't going to want to come on here and see more of it (as everyone sees the shoutbox). I'm happy this situation is resolved, but saddened that OYB stepped down because of it.
I love this community, and I've read some of the best stories on here (OYB's included). Even I see this place as an escape from real life. I know we will come back from this. Because that's what EF is. It's a survivor.
I guess I hadn’t realised how important this community was to me until I heard what happened from and to OYB.
i am filled with sadness for OYB and stand with her with all my love and appreciation.
people please be kind to one another.
Thank you so much to Katie and all the mods for all these years of dedication to the website! Losing OYB is devastating, especially because her fics have comforted me through everything and everyone I've lost during the pandemic. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I do know that people are human, and not infallible, and hateful messages are never how you'd want to resolve anything. So thank you, OYB, for all the love and hours you've poured into EF. I hope that you know there are still people who will appreciate all you've given to the ship, no matter what. ♥
Hello, everyone. This will be my first, last, and only comment here. I'm typing this (as I did in the Discord this morning) because I'm so disappointed in and hurt by the membership right now, and I think you all need to understand why. Yes, I received hate mail, and that was awful and appalling and deeply hurtful. However, this was thankfully by a very limited part of the population, and I am well aware of that. BUT myself and the other mods were also called fascists and censurers in the SB and otherwise mobbed by a *multitude* of members for enforcing a rule that we have enforced a number of times. It's unfortunate for the other authors who have had fics removed that they never had a bevy of people to fight for them, I guess.
My point here is, creating a "gang war" mentality and making the situation Team Author vs. Team Mods was horrifying. The mods are the people who keep the site running. The people who have spent countless hundreds of hours through the years ensuring that people have a community space to enjoy, and who have willingly treated running the site like a second job out of love for you all and the space. Through my tenure on the site as both a member and a mod, I have never once seen a mod's actions moved by maliciousness, and if they had been, the whole point is that there is a *team* of people to keep rulings as fair as we can make them, and mods can be removed if needed.
Additionally, I will remind everyone that some perspective is harshly needed. While the mods have treated their work like a "second job" because they've chosen to, it ISN'T. Modding/administrating is a *volunteer ownership* position for a fan fiction site. Everything the mods do is because they want to. No member is owed anything. *This is not a democracy.* EF is a private site owned by the MODS, not the government, so everyone screaming about "freedom of speech" really, REALLY needs to crack a textbook and understand what that phrase means. The mods could literally shut down the site tomorrow, or stop hosting everyone's fics, and that would be well within their rights, because it's their friggin' site. And I want to strongly encourage all of you to consider the weight of your words and the historical meaning behind them before you ever again accuse ANYONE, *including moderators running a fan fiction site*, of being fascists and censurers just because they made a decision you didn't agree with and asked for conversation to be directed to a certain place. If nothing else, those of us in fandom should know the weight and meaning behind words.
I also want to reiterate that this space is supposed to be fun. It's a HOBBY site. Sadly, it has not been fun for a while on my end, and I fear my fellow mods might feel the same. Since the start of the pandemic, the membership has been snappier and sometimes downright mean to the mods. And I get it, mental health is a struggle. I've been there. But I wouldn't allow people in my daily life to treat me the way I and the other mods were just treated, and I cannot not in good faith continue to serve or engage with a community who would treat its fellow members or leaders that way. Furthermore, I don't feel safe here as a human, and I don't feel safe sharing the vulnerable parts of myself (my creative works) in this place, which is why I removed my fics.
I understand that not everyone chose to participate in the mobbing, but incredibly few members spoke up in support or tried to end the spectacle, either, and that was more disappointing and disheartening than the mob. Even yesterday after I left, there were STILL members heckling the mods in the Shoutbox, with hardly anyone speaking up to tell them that was unacceptable. I'm not sure how EF got to a place where that became allowable, but I'm sorry for it.
That said, I know there are many, MANY amazing and wonderful members here, and I'm so grateful to have met and know all of you that I know, and I'm honored and overwhelmed in the best way by the outpouring of *kind* personal messages you all have send me via email, PM, and on this post. I still have my OYB email, my Discord account remains for non-EF reasons, and my EF account is still (and will remain) up so that I don't break art links or delete comments on others' fics. Kind messages/PMs from friends are always welcome.
I wish you all well, and I hope you all choose to pull it together. EF and my fellow Mods deserve so much better than the membership has acted.
I agree one hundred percent with OYB in this situation. Anyone joining a "Spuffy Archive" should know that there are limits to what type of fanfiction is actually acceptable. While I believe Dusty's "The Fairytale" will end Spuffy, I can see the confusion on the mods part. She stated that her story will explore why Bangel doesn't work. But she never actually stated she'd show why Spuffy does work. I'm in the firm belief that any story that focuses on heavy /Other shouldn't be on here. What I mean by heavy /Other is a story that's 40 chapters for example. If said story has 37 chapters of /Other and only 3 of the pairing we actually came to see, that obviously won't be accepted on here. I believe Dusty will give us more of Spuffy than she will Bangel. BUT I can see the obvious confusion it the situation. Even before I became a member of this wonderful website I knew that heavy /Other wasn’t accepted. And that’s from 2017, way before I became a member of this fabulous archive.
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.
Hello everyone,
First I want to say that I'm a very shy person and that English is not my native language so posting here is very hard for me. That being said, I can tell you how distraught I am about this all mess. EF has been a real haven during what is for me a very hard time and I still can't understand how this situation got so out of hand. I can totally relate to Dusty's shock seeing her story removed on such short notice and the fear of having lost the comments. I'm glad that they were not lost after all. Could the situation have been better handled? Well, yeah probably, as a lot of things in the world cause otherwise we would live in a world of rainbows and puppies with unicorns dancing in the sun and guess what, I looked at the window and no, not one unicorn. Damn. People are just that you know people, with real life hitting them on the head and sometimes they mess up. Does Dusty's story has its place here well, i don't know. While I love her work it's not for me to decide and I'm OK with this. There are other platforms where you can post and you can even "advertise" and include links on your profile. If a story is rejected here it's not the end for it. I know one thing though, if a story that I was following was suddenly delated, my first reaction would to kindly PM the author and then the mods to know why, and not to start screaming freaking murder against the mods team. The world is a dark dark place and I had naively hoped that on a website dedicated to love, people wouldn't be at each other's throats that quickly. I can only imagined what has been said to push someone as dedicated and talented as OYB through the door. So yeah that's kinda too late to ask for a discussion when a person already received hatefull personal messages. Personally, I would not be in the mood people, I would be in rage. Literally. That's what heartbreak do to some of us you know. My heart bleeds to see that harassment has become the first reaction to a lot of people on the Web. Badly done, badly done.
@Blackoberst, I don't really want to stir things up, but Holly pretty clearly laid out in her comment yesterday that should a fic be in question in the future the mods will engage the author to discuss if the content meets the with what EF is intended for. That seems like a very fair way to handle things and is showing that the mods are open to communication and discussion in these matters. People piling on with berating and insulting comments as happened in this scenario isn't really conducive to making an informed decision. That's not to say that lots of the comments posted weren't well thought out, but keeping the conversation to the author and the mods initially allows those that have the most visibility on the situation to have a space for discourse without the distraction of having to deal with floods of other comments rolling in as they try to resolve an issue. And yes, ultimately we're being given the privilege of a place to go to that we know hosts Spuffy fics exclusively because of the mods, so they do get to make the tough calls. We're extremely lucky that they're a kind and reasonable group and we don't necessarily see all that they do to keep the lights on here because they manage things behind the scenes so well. There have been lots of relatively unmoderated archives over the years where we can go to find fic, but I think we choose to come to EF because of the experience the mods are fostering for creators and readers alike.
OYB, I'm so sorry that the experience has devolved into something that took away the joy of being here for you. I'm nothing but grateful to you for sharing your words here and for the time, energy and effort you put in to giving us this great archive and I hope this hasn't dampened your love of Spuffy as a whole.
Mod team, thank you as well for all you do keep this place going. It says a lot that you were willing to review the decision and settle on a new way to handle this type of situation in the future. I can only imagine how thankless it must feel to oversee the site. Not sure how much it helps, but I'm over here in my corner of the world recognizing the work that goes into this and am very, very appreciative.
(yeesh, sorry for subjecting you all to that dang essay, everyone)
Almost everything has been said already but I want to say a couple of things and that's all I have time or energy (or desire) to do.
EF IS a community. I have always referred to it and ALL of you as family and that is my emotional attachment. Family has disagreements at times so the fact things have happened and are happening does not diminish that at all for me.
ALL communities and families have a hierarchy lest they descend to anarchy. Democracies (and there can be tons of debate on what a website is or is not. Twitter/FB, etc. are open communities too but have rules and even ban people for that matter). Mods are here to make things run smoothly for the WHOLE. Not all decisions are perfect and we try to admit and change when we see a mistake has been made. Not all decisions are fully unanimous or without reservations but when enforced it's after consensus has achieved with the eye to the best solution/implementation for the good of 1. the site and all its members and 2. our own well-being. It is our goal (and it has usually been achieved) to never let all of you see some of the ugliness we have to deal with daily in trying to keep this a happy, fun, friendly COMMUNITY/FAMILY. A couple have become public, at least bits. We haven't gone around "revealing our side" thus making ugliness worse all around. Maybe that has made us the "bad guys" in some situations but it's how we roll. We don't LIKE drama, not outside of the fiction. Got enough in our private lives!
ALL communities have rules. We have always had them but over the years some have been enforced, some forgotten, some ignored, etc. None of us has time or energy to go back over THOUSANDS of stories and remove those that likely shouldn't have been allowed on the site because they don't follow the rules. With WIPs it is sometimes hard to know if rules are going to be violated in the end. It's even harder when comments imply that said rules are going to be pushed to the limit. It's a tricky balance and NO ONE wants to lose stories that we all enjoy. NO ONE.
My own story has been mentioned and I'll briefly address a couple of things re that. My being a mod has NOTHING to do with its acceptance here. The story doesn't violate any rule. I have several stories I've written that I personally love that aren't here because they do not abide by the site rules/purpose. It hasn't been updated since 2021 because of family issues that have severely restricted my time and energy. It's not abandoned nor have any of my WIPs (unless I die they will all be completed asap). It is Spuffy per our rules and the mentioned Spike/Dru ended many chapters back just as it did in canon. Sorry for the personal issues in this paragraph but I felt singled out. Point is EoE is not a special snowflake because I'm a mod. It's here because it is a Spuffy story and does not violate the rules.
All the older stories that may be in violation will likely remain; as I stated, we havent' the time or energy to weed what has already been planted. We ARE trying to actually follow rules from this point on. We had been doing so behind the scenes for a few years now peacefully and quietly. Recent situations went public and there you have it. No one person was singled out or one story. Trying to do our job.
Back to the job portion of this comment... In any family or democracy in the end someone (or team of someones) makes the final decisions. That does not make for fascism it makes for order. We have never said there can be no discussion, no area to express an opinion, etc. We have tried to direct those discussions to the proper venue (such as long discussions not belonging in the Shout Box). So no one is being shut down just redirected. Also in the end someone WILL make decisions even unpopular ones or it will be a ruleless society and those ALWAYS destroy themselves. I don't think anyone wants yet another folded fic site.
We are human. We make mistakes. We have feelings. We have opinions. We're doing our best. Can we TRY to be civil?
Kathleen
BTW these comments are MINE as a member of the community/family. I am speaking for ME, not as a moderator.
I am utterly devastated and so heartsick over OffYourBird leaving as a mod and taking all of her wonderful stories with her.
Most of the stories in my Bookshelf were of her stories. A couple of them, I was anxiously awaiting the next chapter. I have read her stories over and over. They helped me during a difficult time when my father passed away this time last year.
I can’t believe that people would send her such hateful messages because they disagree with something. NO ONE deserves that. Again, I’m stunned and saddened to see her go.
Hi,
This is literally the first comment I've posted on this site after only joining a few months ago.
Just wanted to say thanks to the mods. You guys do a great job, I was really drawn to this community while I was in lockdown at home last year. It's absolutely your site, your rules and I respect your decisions. I also respect that you have had the courage and humility to re-evaluate a previous decision. It must have been a daunting public move. For me personally, I just think that there are a tonne of other fan-fiction sites out there, so if a member has to move a particular story to another site, I mean... I'll just go read it elsewhere. No biggie. It's so NOT a human right violation people haha. Mods, you've guaranteed that you will address these issues with care/compassion and that's all that matters.
What really capture my interested about EF and why I've grabbed onto it is that I was really drawn to the high QUALITY of the work here. It's clear that the mods and the whole community are passionate spuffy fans, and I love having the confidence to read anything on here and just know it will be worth my time. Other sites have all kinds of junkie fics and misleading pieces. This community is focused, orderly and just bloody good at story-telling. I think the mods are a huge part of this. The site just feels really well organised to me, and that's why I stick around.
Keep up the good work.
Hi again,
So my last comment was posted while I was in a very emotional state and at 4 am for me. So, not a very good idea... Sorry for that and for the rambling. I didn't mean to seem condescending. I was and still am extremely disturbed and sad.
I want to thank the Mod team and all the writers for all their hard work. Elysian Fields IS a very special place. We are very lucky it simply still exists and thrives after so long. And yes, I believe it's partly because there are rules and brave peaple to take tough decisions and bare with the consequences. No one is forced to be here and therefore to abide by these rules, be it as a writer or a reader.
We have lost great authors and persons out of this horrible incident, and I hope we've learned a lesson here.
Off Your Bird stories have been very dear friends to me for some time now, and I was devastated to see her gone. I completely understand though, even if it seems an utterly unfair outcome. I hope she will feel safe again one day to share her beautiful words. (I'm not above begging.) 
Love to you all, and long live Elysian Fields!
Hi again. Sorry to write again, since I said I was done, but it turns out there's one more piece I need to clear up on behalf of myself and the remaining mods. It has come to my attention that, despite the mods trying to be clear that we would never EVER delete someone's fic without informing them and make sure they saw that message and had time to respond, many members have been falsely told that we just yanked the fic without warning or care.
I am beyond sad that anyone believed that of us, or me, but there's no point in expressing my hurt and disappointment again.
I know the remaining mods are being incredibly professional and choosing to let sleeping dogs lie. Thankfully, I'm no longer a Mod, so I will say this now as clearly as I can: Dusty was sent an email the evening before informing her that her fic did not meet our hosting criteria and that we would no longer host it, she replied to us two hours later, and we responded to her comments the next morning, with an additional notice that we would be pulling the fic shortly.
And that's it. Please do with that information what you like.
I have not been on here for a while. This community is so important, losing OYB is a loss to us all
the mods work hard to keep this site as a place of support to authors and fans of fan fiction I hope OYB will come back
I've been mostly away from the site due to real life pandemic related personal and family issues. I am rather glad to have missed the main part of this. As such, I can only imagine the pile on the mods felt. I can only imagine the targeting the author felt. I can only imagine the lack of gratitude the mods feel for all their hard work. I don’t really have to imagine how unheard just about everyone felt, as it is quite readily apparently.
I also don't have to imagine the confusion and fear other authors feel about their own stories, as I feel it myself. As a neurodivergent individual, I often struggle with both written and unspoken rules. So many seem so arbitrary and open to interpretation that I don't know how to ensure i follow them. How pervasive is pervasive? How involved is involved? How dominant is dominant? What definition of relationship is used? Is platonic okay? Adversarial? Is a Spuffy child still related enough to consider the chapter having enough Spuffy? I also struggle with how to respond to reported infractions of such rules when I can't easily and readily define them in the first place.
I am, however, extremely disappointed to hear of personal attacks. That is never a solution to a contentious issue. It is, however, an exceedingly common reaction. We are a family here and we need to remember that, always. Families often have squabbles, fights, and sometimes some very ugly interactions in the heat of the moment. Our initial reaction can, and often is, to double down and assert we are the only ones in the right. It would appear that such was the case here with lots of heat of the moment reactions all around. Of course, the solution to that is often time.
I am glad to see some additional guidelines going forward. I would also recommend that time be incorporated heavily in any such issue going forward. I imagine an issue like this begins as a reaction to a complaint. Which does target and isolate someone regardless of intent. Even if it were not, I can imagine as an author being told a story you believe meets the guidelines, doesn't. That your Spuffy story isn't Spuffy enough or the right kind of Spuffy enough. The disbelief, the shock, the anger would be immense. One will likely not react favorably at all in the initial period. And an adverse reaction will invite similar. Imagine working behind the scenes hours every day and doing what you consider right only to be shouted down, called horrible things, and generally labeled a trash human. One would not react favorably at all, and such reaction invites similar.
Perhaps building out a somewhat more extended timeline in these matters will invite calmer thoughts and reactions and more civil discourse? A initial warning and message that this will be reviewed and revisited in 5 days. The author will have 5 days after that to provide rebuttal, explanation, etc. The mods then take another 5 to make final determination. This gives everyone time to move beyond the initial visceral reactions. It also might prevent a similar incident in the future, allowing both author and mods to contemplate, consider, and thoughfully converse without anyone feeling the need to leave or that they need to rally the torches and pitchforks. Hindsight can give us valuable insight but is ultimately unfruitful unless we use our due diligence to not only learn from it, but act upon that learning to prevent history from repeating itself.
Okay! This is still happening apparently. I wish this weren't still happening. I'd really love for this to not be happening anymore!
What OffYourBird said above is completely true! I've never said otherwise, so any other stories anyone is whispering around about what happened should stop. I'm not sure what's happening anymore. Mods emailed me at 10pm. I read it around 11 and responded shortly after, asking them to reconsider. They responded around 10 the next morning that they were pulling it. I started receiving tons of PMs following that. That is the timeline. It really doesn't matter anymore. The situation has been rectified. I hope none of us have to deal with anything like it ever again.
Let's please just let our happy place be happy, eh? 
I've met some wonderful people through this community, and made some really great friends. I'm sorry to hear that it's stooping to such low lows. This has me wondering, for the sake of the community - do we know who did this? Is there any way to find out who sent that hate mail and make sure they receive an appropriate penalty or disciplinary action?