I've noticed over the course of this past year there's been an increase in nasty, vicious reviews. Mostly anonymous, but not all. More recently things have taken a turn for the worse and I've seen our fandom engage in behavior that is not typical of us. In at least two incidences I have witnessed us deteriorate to the point of mob like behavior. I've read books in psych class on the topic and was convinced that these things no longer happened. I'd thought we were too evolved and educated to succumb to such conduct. Honestly, if I hadn't seen the mobbing happen in real time, right before my eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.

People were tweeting about the matter as it was occuring, some joining the fray, others watching in horror as the event unfolded. None of us really knowing the proper thing to do. When the smoke cleared two fandom members were gone, one taking her stories and her talent with her. Unacceptable.

If we don't know our history then we are doomed to repeat it. I'm hoping we can go back and look at what went wrong so that we can ensure that these events never happen again. Based on what was tweeted and what I witnessed, a reviewer who is respected and viewed as credible commented on a story unfavorably. Others read the review before reading the story-something I've done countless times-which led to preconceived notions about the story and the writer's intent. Another review is posted, this one a little more heated than the one before. By the end there were 29 reviews posted (who knows how many PMs) in the span of a few hours ripping the writer and the story, most without a qualifying statement or mentioning one positive aspect of the story or the writer's skills. Only five reviewers took a diplomatic approach offering pros and cons, or mentioning they had enjoyed the story.

What especially struck me, the moment I knew without a doubt that a line was being crossed, was when the writer offered what was clearly a sincere apology (which I thought was unnecessary and unfair), informed everyone that the story was being deleted, and asked that the bashing please stop. People still went after her. At some point we have to recognize when we are being mean boys and girls.

Sadly, I was one who sat back and watched this happen without lending support, privately nor publicly. However, this is a learning opportunity and the best way to show support is by making sure this is the last time such ugliness happens. We are all here because we enjoy 'Castle' and Mondays are not enough to get our fill. It's a fun place to be, a delight to read the creative situations in which the fanfiction writers place the characters. It's been my experience that the writers 99% of the time write for the sole purpose of entertaining and exercising a creative outlet. It's rare that I've seen someone set out to deliberately insult readers. So it seems that no one should ever feel compelled to leave, definitely not to leave hurt and broken. Castle and Beckett are fictional, the people in this community are real.

We are an accumulation of different cultures, different backgrounds, religions, beliefs, and experiences. But we are united by this fandom, so when one of us is out of line it is a representation of us all. It is not for us to stop critiquing stories as I am one of the biggest critics here. As well, writers must be mindful of the content published, the message they are sending whether it be a controversial topic or sexual content, as young-some very young-people are also lurking.

We are a community of readers and writers so we know the importance of words. What impact they can have, what damage they can do. Let's make a pact to look out for each other, respect each others feelings.

Gil