Werelist
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It has been suggested that this item be merged with Therianthropy. Please check the talk page discussion. |
The Werelist is an online directory created to help members of the therianthrope community meet and communicate with others in the community. It is one of the largest and thusly more popular resources for therians online.
- Addresses:
- Founder: Coyote (involvement ended in late 2007)
- Administrators: Savage, Jakkal
- Ran from/to: ? - present
The Werelist and furry[edit]
Generally, furries are well accepted on the site, as well as Otherkin and other non-therians. As long as people accept the views of others, they are allowed to stay and mingle.
Resources and rules[edit]
A contact directory is provided that makes it easier for weres to meet others and participate in the community, as well as a common ground for the therianthrope community to interact, as well as a central clearinghouse for reliable information about therianthropy. Other resources include:
- The Howl Resource, for announcing real-life gatherings and get-togethers for the community
- An informational resource, providing FAQs, essays, news and terminology
- A clearinghouse for news and announcements of interest to the Community
- Links to other resources of interest to the community, which may provide further resources and information.
- A Google maps map, showing the locations of all the members who have given them.
Controversy[edit]
Werelist has been accused of being "imperialistic", or stepping on the views of therians who the administrators do not agree with. This is a very weak claim, as the only time people are banned from the site, is when they either attack other people, or act in an overly uncivil manner (or "troll"). It is actually very difficult to earn a ban from Werelist, and in all the years the site has been in operation only a few dozen people have managed it. The current holders of a Werelist ban are for the most part trolls from sites like SomethingAwful, with other banned member categories including people who have attempted to conduct illegal activity on the site (soliciting minors for adult activity) and commercial spammers. Very few members have ever been banned for behavioral problems, and no one has ever been banned for disagreeing with the administrators, criticizing the site or holding an unpopular opinion. Constructive criticism or suggestions about the site and the helpstaff is always welcome and listened to respectfully. Diverse viewpoints are also welcome, though users must "agree to disagree" in a courteous adult manner while on the site.
Werelist has further been accused of being overly-critical of less-accepted ideas (such as P-Shifting). This is somewhat true, as the members are generally more moderate in their beliefs, and do not believe things they aren't familiar with. What is not true, is the accusation that people are banned simply because they hold less-accepted opinions.
Werelist's policy is that while all personal, spiritual and religious beliefs must be respected, if you make real physical claims about the real physical world, you must be prepared to present real physical evidence. For instance, it is fine to state that you believe in magically shifting your shape, but not fine to say that you can do it, or that you can teach others to do it for money or other considerations such as cybersex or submitting to the domination of some "authority" figure who makes claims of special, magical powers. This is considered unhealthy (and dangerously illegal if minors are involved) and is not tolerated. Good critical thinking about the real world is encouraged while respecting and appreciating spiritual beliefs.
The line between being respectful of personal and spiritual beliefs, encouraging healthy adult critical thinking, and staying safe from online predators and unhealthy game players is a difficult one to walk. Werelist strives to do its best in service to the community, but may not always do a perfect job at pleasing everyone all of the time.