This is an approximate timeline of the online shifter community, from the earliest time shifters were spotted to the present day. I will not be focusing on anything offline or from the early days before shifters used the internet; I could never do them enough justice and there are other writings and resources addressing these topics. The timeline may be updated as more information is found to complete it; many resources have been lost to the changing internet.
This timeline is based on public posts, websites, and public forum articles as well as what I remember of the shifter community at the time. I certainly haven't touched on everything, and if you have any other information on shifter communities during this time you are more than welcome to message me about it or document what you know. Screenshots from private forums will be censored, when possible.
Citations will be in Chicago format. I will be posting the approximate established date of sites and packs as indicated by resources like the Wayback Archive. As the therian and shifter community has intermingled from time to time, this will simultaneously be covering some of a portion of the therian community's activities from the early 2000s to the late 2010s. I may end up covering intercommunity skirmishes, as a few are major community-defining moments.
If a claim seems a bit unusual or odd or hasn't been supplemented with appropriate proof, feel free to take it with a grain of salt. Some information may be supplemented by my memory alone if documentation is missing, and so may conflict with what others remember. I am cataloguing the history of the shifter community, so individuals are included if they indicate they self-identified as either a shifter or had shifter experiences. Identifying whether they are truly shifters or not is not the goal of this article.
Terminology
I can't go into the history of the shifter community without going into the terminology used around this time! Around this time terminology was fairly flexible and groups intermingled and mixed with each other from time to time, so different terms may have different meanings depending on the group using them.
Supernatural (Super): An umbrella term for those who are or identify themselves with the supernatural in a literal and physical fashion. Some common supernaturals include shifters, vampires, and witches, with avians, mermaids and dragons being more controversial.
In some cases the term "mythical" might also be used to refer to these groups, although due to the association with a younger crowd may be avoided by older supernaturals.
Physical shifter/Shapeshifter/P-Shifter: A term referring to those who identify as or are in some way a physical shapeshifter, such that they physically become another entity in some way, shape, or form. Physical shifting may be brief or prolonged, minor or major, or intense, and may be physiological all the way up to a full genetic change. Some shifters claim to shift fully into an animal, while others may deem more minor changes (such as ear or arm shifts) as proof enough of a physical change. Despite the name, pseudo-physical changes (such as illusionary or ghostly bodies) are sometimes accepted as a form of physical shifting.
The physical prefix is often used by therians to indicate that these are shifters that change in the real world (or claim to), and is not simply an identity that is non-physical.
The shifter label is broad, and many groups may use it without agreeing on the specifics of what makes a shifter a shifter, or to indicate wildly differing shifter types.
Real Weres/Weres/Werewolves/Lycans/Lycanthropes: Weres are those who physically shift into animals from this world, often paralleling the styles of shifting seen in mythology. Although not all weres are werewolves, werewolves and lycanthropy often gets used as shorthand for the community and attracting other shifters due to the sheer number of wolves around the community.
Lycanthropy as used here is not in reference to clinical lycanthropy, the mental health condition.
Therianthropy/Therians: A non-physical identification as a non-human animal. A therianthrope is a person who identifies as an animal or animalistic entity in a (typically) spiritual or psychological manner. Therians usually shapeshift on a spiritual or non-physical level, making no claims that their body changes to another creature. Common forms of non-physical shifting include mental (where a person may think more like their species), phantom (feeling the body parts of one's species) or spiritual (taking on or projecting the spiritual essence of their species). It is not necessary to shift to be a therian; only having an identity as a non-human animal is required.
Before terminology was standardized, many therians used to colloquially refer to themselves and each other as "weres". Older resources can still be found discussing these weres, though they are usually not physical in nature.
Most therianthropes shun the concept of physical transformation, and while a select few might believe in it, it's not a core facet of therianthropy or the therianthropic experience. However, in the timeframe this timeline analyzes, many younger or eclectic therianthropes believed in it, and would indulge in p-shifting attempts. I will refer to these therians as p-shifting therians/otherkin in order to differentiate them from standard, non p-shifting therians/non-therian shifters.
Otherkin: A non-physical identification as a nonhuman being. Not specific to animals, otherkin encompasses any non-physical identity as a nonhuman being, such as mythological beings. Shifting has never been a core part of the otherkin experience the way it has been for therianthropes, although otherkin still reserve great skepticism towards the concept.
Cyberpack: A cyberpack is a site or a group that is intended to function as a pack (or some other imitation of an animal group) largely online, usually aimed at younger therians and otherkin. Cyberpacks often emphasize an animal-esque hierarchy (such as alpha, beta, omega) and indulge in things usually deemed too taboo or childish for the mainstream therian and otherkin community, such as tail-wearing or physical shifting. As many cyberpacks tend to be run by younger members, they are infamous for drama and toxic behavior.
Online Community
Early Internet and Usenet
While scant, there is some evidence that shifters were using the internet at the same time many nonphysical nonhuman communities were beginning to form or come together.
The best evidence of shifters and werewolves existing around this time comes from books on the subject. David Cohen's Werewolves!, published in 1996, mentions a werewolf on Usenet with a large pack that dominates a good portion of North America. [1] Linda Godfrey's 2006 book Hunting the American Werewolf cites a werewolf she encountered online who described how he struggled to control himself while transformed, locking himself up in his basement to avoid hurting others. [2] Most notably, Rosalyn Greene's book The Magic of Shapeshifting (published in 2000) focuses predominantly on physical shapeshifting, and goes over many personal accounts and information from shifters on alt.horror.werewolves. [3]
Alt.horror.werewolves was an Usenet group that would soon come to host the beginnings of the therianthropy community, and with them the occasional claims of physical shifting. [4] Several notable claimants would appear on the group, and while some would be revealed to be scammers or frauds, others would insist on their sincerity.
In 1995 a person named Storm would claim to be a physical shapeshifter, requesting money in exchange for teaching people how to shift. [5] This individual would con several members out of their money and lead to permanent distrust of those claiming supernatural abilities in the therian community. [6] Still, claims persisted. One anonymous individual would give their account of what a physical shift felt like for them, while another more notable therian going by the name of Lance Foxx would document their attempts with shifting. [7][8]Most shifters would remain silent on these groups, but the therian community would include them and their variants in community documents for some time.[9]
Despite the skepticism regarding shifting during this time, methods about shifting would still be provided, albeit from a more theoretical point of view. One proposed method suggested using a mirror to see one's true form, or meditate and create a illusionary form. [10] Another suggested shifting would occur as a natural byproduct of other shifts. [11]
The inclusion of shifters in the modern therian community would be phased out as more therians either expressed their skepticism or focused on ways to become an animal without the need for an organic transformation. [12] Conversations on shapeshifting would still take place, but they would become increasingly relegated to the outskirts of the community, and eventually excluded entirely. This didn't mean that shifters stopped existing, but they would not again become a focal point of the therianthropy community until much later.
Citations:
[1] Cohen, Daniel. Werewolves. New York: Cobblehill Books, 1996.
[2] Godfrey, Linda S. “Confessions of a Lycanthrope.” Essay. In Hunting the American Werewolf. Madison, WI: Trail Books, 2006.
[3] Greene, Rosalyn. The magic of shapeshifting. York Beach, Me.: Samuel Weiser, 2000.
[4] “Frequently Asked Questions for Alt.Horror.Werewolves.” Alt.Horror.Werewolves FAQ. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.firelion.org/raven/ahwwfaq/index.html.
[5] House of Chimeras. A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. Updated 19
November 2021. www.houseofchimera.weebly.com.
[6] House of Chimeras. A Timeline of the Therianthrope Community, Version 1.1. Updated 19
November 2021. www.houseofchimera.weebly.com.
[7] Shadow Wulfs Alphas. “Anonymous Physical Shift Report.” The Shadows Wulfs Den. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.oocities.org/pilotwolf143/anonymous_physical_shift_report.htm.
[8] Lance Foxx. “The Sasebo P-Shift.” Nocturnal. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20091023152224/http://geocities.com/LanceFoxx/thesasebopshift.html.
[9]Jakkal. “Types of Awareness.” Shifters.org, January 12, 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20010405183600/http://www.shifters.org/awereness/werebreeds.shtml.
[10] Polar. “Using a Mirror.” Lycanthrope. Accessed December 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20010823074757/http://www.lycanthrope.org/index.php3?955670171.
[11] Kaurpin. "Why Shift?" Lycanthrope. Accessed December 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20010421135943/http://www.lycanthrope.org/index.php3?955816548
[12]Swiftpaw. “What a Were Is.” Swiftpaw’s Tree. Accessed December 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20041226015456if_/http://www.otherwonders.com/swiftpaws/therian/old/whatawereis.html.
Blaze, 43Things and Razgriz
In 2004 a website called 43 Things would launch to the world. [1] 43 Things was a site which allowed users with similar goals to group up and encourage each other to complete them through logging their progress. [2] It was on this site where a group centered around becoming a real werewolf would form.
The book Twilight would be released on October 5th, 2005. [3] Marketed to a young audience, the book centered around a teenage girl named Bella, and her strange attraction to a boy named Edward, who would later turn out to be a vampire. [4] Subsequent books would introduce the Quileutes, a tribe of natives who possessed the ability to turn into large wolves in order to fight off vampires. [5] The books would prove to be insanely popular among many teens, leading to a Twilight-mania of sorts as teens fawned over the main characters and identified themselves based on whether they liked werewolves or vampires. [6]
Around this time the group "Become a Werewolf" would form around 2005-2006, being focused around becoming a werewolf or wolf-like being. [7] Fueled by Twilight-mania, the group would take off in a couple of years, amassing more than a thousand users and accumulating many frequent posters. [8] Believers made up a majority of the posters there, although there were a few skeptics who would clash with newcomers and old posters from time to time. [9] A few species-specific groups coexisted on the platform with similar goals, such as "Become a Dragon", and "Become a Fairy", however most of these would not receive the same amount of attention as "Become a Werewolf". [10]
It was on this site that in March 26, 2009, a person going by the name of LASR1 (or Blaze, as he would later come to be known) would claim to have successfully transformed. [11] His claim was not unusual for the group topic, but he also offered a practical way of actually achieving what many in the group craved, and soon enough he would start a site for those looking to know more, Razgriz Wolf Pack. [12] Hosted on the freewebs (later renamed to Webs) platform, this site would function as a virtual wolf pack, with ranks and hierarchies being used in place of the mod system (so an "alpha" would be the site administrator, a "beta" would be the site moderator, etc.) and would become extremely popular among the wolves-to-be. [13] Some more people claimed to shift using Blaze's methods, increasing the site's popularity even further, and leading to frequent fights as members tried to figure out what worked for them and what didn't. [14] This would lead to the occasional site outage as all the activity exceeded their bandwidth allotment.
Eventually, two sites would be created to host the sum of information compiled by shifters and therians: the Shifting Database, and Razgriz Therianthropy Academy. [15] [16] Razgriz Therianthropy Academy contained Blaze's precise methods on how to achieve a physical shift, as well as his theories (such as therians needing a certain percentage of "animal blood" within them) in order to shift. The Shifting Database was a more generalized site and contained essays from Blaze and other members on shifting, experiences, and therianthropy tips. With these two resources anybody could now learn to shift, and learn they did.
This heightened popularity led to a bunch of spinoff sites and groups. Howling Jaws, Recolitus Lupus Sarcina, School of Shifting, Dream Catchers and many others followed in their footsteps, leading to an influx of members onto these sites. [17] A feature of webs allowed members to easily display the sites they were a part of on their profiles, allowing others to easily follow and join new shifter sites without much advertising.
Despite claiming to physically shift, many of these sites otherwise followed therianthropy beliefs and ideals, and claimed that finding your theriotype was the first step in the long process to changing your physical form. [18] Mentally acquiring the thinking of your theriotype was second in that checklist and heightening that connection would be necessary to physically shift. [19] Evidence for shifting could include blacking out, having memories or dreams of being in your new form, seeing fur in your bed or having odd scratches on you, and having pets react differently to you. [20] Shifting took a lot of work so practicing as often as possible was the only way to achieve a shift; if you couldn't shift you weren't working hard enough. [21]
Similar changes were happening on 43 Things. With the secret out, nobody could be dissuaded from changing into another creature, and new groups soon followed suit. H2O: Just Add Water (a television series about teens who gain the ability to become mermaids) premiered in 2006, and it also soon gained an analogous group, "Become a Mermaid". [22] The book series Maximum Ride (about teens who gain large wings) led to the group "Grow wings"; the members of these groups called themselves avians. [23] All three groups (Become a Werewolf, Become a Mermaid, and Grow Wings) would become wildly popular among young teens, and many members intermingled between the various groups or encouraged each other.
While some had an innate connection to the creatures they wanted to become (through having a nonhuman identity or spirit), others had no connection and would attempt to form one. [24] Mermaids in particular would popularize the idea of the fantasy shift, the process of researching, deliberating and choosing a tail and/or mermaid form to shift. [25] The connection to one's nonhuman side could vary in intensity and type, with some claiming an integrated identity and others having a dis-integrated nonhuman self that was distinct from their human self and somewhat sentient, yet still them identity-wise. [26][27] P-shifting therians in particular were known to have dis-integrated identities, with many making references to their animal sides in their writings and crediting them with the knowledge to shift. [28] Although shifting was a prominent method in these groups, spells and other magical forms of turning were often used as secondary or supporting methods. [29][30]
These groups would also spawn their own unique sites. Golden Purity and The Siren's Cove were two popular mermaid sites, and Winged Ones focused on the art of growing wings. [31] [32] Although avians were inspired by the shifters they saw, they felt that since wings were an add-on iinstead of a reformation, it would be impossible to shift them and would instead attempt to grow them as permanent fixtures of their bodies. [33] Avians would also attempt to learn how to survive on their own and join a flock, knowing that they would be conspicuous and vulnerable once they grew wings. [34] Due to this, wasn't too uncommon to see avians with etheric or nonphysical wings, with these individuals suggesting these as alternatives to physical wings. [35] [36]
Adding to the hype, a few individuals who had shifted actually showed proof. A mermaid named KissingMidnight would show screenshots from a live chat where she shifted in front of her friends. [37] Later on she would show her new tail, indicating the methods worked for her. [38] A few avians would show some unusually colored feathers, and friends of theirs would also claim to have seen their wings in a live chat. The successes of these members would encourage others and lead to an even greater boom in membership to these sites, as members told their friends about these sites.
On Razgriz the constant in-fighting and demands placed on Blaze would begin to take their toll. At this point the site had surpassed a thousand members, and he now spent a majority of his time administrating the site and settling conflicts. [39] Members often vented their hate for him in public chats and forums, and rivals sought to compete with him. [40] This would eventually stress him out, causing him to flee from the site and create a second site, Pariah Pack. [41] This too would soon prove to be too much as it had many of the same issues caused by the same people, leading him to eventually go offline entirely. [42] Confused and leaderless, various old mods and members made their own sites meant to host members of Razgriz or Pariah.
With new leadership taking the reins, Razgriz would move to a shiny new site around 2010 yet struggle to regain its activity amid its still-present toxicity. [43] Silverblack, a wolf therian, would start up her site and advertise it on the site around this time, diverting membership away from Razgriz and killing its chances of revitalizing itself. [44] Initially named Wolf I have Become but later renamed Silver Pack, Silver's site would soon become a new hub for all those looking to physically shift or transform, although many would report that Silver's personality and behavior made it hard to get along with her. [45] At really bad points members might flee to Swedish Therians, a smaller site with a similar premise ran by a shifter called Shadowscar who wanted to meet other Swedish p-shifters. [46] Swedish Therians would later be renamed to Ember Pack, changing its focus to accommodate the wider supernatural community and serving as a quasi-ally to Silver Pack.
Pariah Pack 2 would be created in 2011 by Emily Shadowwalker and Moon as a successor to Pariah Pack. [47] It would initially focus on physical shifting, but as time went on and the site aged, the site's topics would shift to non-physical therianthropy and otherkinity. [48] Many members would come to identify as therians, otherkin, or other forms of non-physical nonhumans, with most coming to disbelieve in the concept of p-shifting entirely. Still, shifters and weres were more than welcome on the site, and could debate their points of view with other more skeptical members.
For a while these sites would exist in a kind of tense harmony with each other. If conflict broke out on one site members would often flow to another, till the conflict resolved. Occasionally site leaders would get into fights with leaders from other sites, taking issue with their teaching or the way they ran their packs. Rarely, internal site conflicts would break out, which would often lead to a mod deleting the forum on the site, explaining their motives and then leaving entirely.
This would be the high point of the community, with interest leveling off around this time. Although newer and more specialized cyberpacks would be created with time, few would reach the same amount of activity as the more established ones.
Citations:
[1] “‘43 Things’: The World’s to-Do List.” The Christian Science Monitor, June 7, 2005. https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0607/p25s02-stin.html.
[2] “‘43 Things’: The World’s to-Do List.” The Christian Science Monitor, June 7, 2005. https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0607/p25s02-stin.html.
[3] Meyer, Stephenie. “Twilight.” Stephenie Meyer, August 13, 2021. https://stepheniemeyer.com/project/twilight-book/.
[4] Meyer, Stephenie. “Twilight.” Stephenie Meyer, August 13, 2021. https://stepheniemeyer.com/project/twilight-book/.
[5]Meyer , Stephenie. “Eclipse.” Stephenie Meyer, August 13, 2021. https://stepheniemeyer.com/project/eclipse-book/.
[6] Spines, Christine. “When ‘twilight’ Fandom Becomes Addiction .” Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2010. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-27-la-ca-twilight-addiction-20100627-story.html.
[7]“Become a Werewolf.” become a werewolf on 43 Things. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20071118115636/http://www.43things.com/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[8] Become a werewolf. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20100727122155/http://www.43things.com/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[9] Lord Bearclaw. “I Can See This From.” Become a werewolf. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20140110220310/http://www.43things.com/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[10] Lust. “Untitled.” Become a werewolf, February 14, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120220153159/http://www.43things.com:80/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[11] LASR1. “Interesting, I Found That after This...” Become a werewolf. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20090911222450/http://www.43things.com:80/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[12] LASR1. “Interesting, I Found That after This...” Become a werewolf. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20090911222450/http://www.43things.com:80/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[13] Blaze. “Razgriz Wolf Pack.” Razgriz Wolf Pack - Home, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20091204141524/https://razgrizpack.webs.com/.
[14] Blaze. “Razgriz Wolf Pack.” Razgriz Wolf Pack - Home, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20091204141524/https://razgrizpack.webs.com/.
[15] Shifting database. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20101106211334/http://sites.google.com/site/shiftingdata/home.
[16] Blaze. Lessons - rta razgriz therianthropy academy. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20110810090612/http://sites.google.com/site/razgrizrta/lessons1.
[17] Harloqui. “So the Archival Project...” Shapeshifter’s Eden, September 1, 2023. https://spiritshifter.wixsite.com/harloqui/post/so-the-archival-project.
[18] Blaze. “Lesson 1 - Inspiration.” Google Docs. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20210331015129/https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bWRKcPfkYCJdvli8b4QqBy2NGRlIMfD4XdEAYXPbfFA/edit.
[19] Khaosdog. “Khaosdog.” The shifting database, May 4, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101106212617/http://sites.google.com/site/shiftingdata/shifting-guides/khaosdog-s-m-shift.
[20] Leah. “Leah’s P-Shift Method.” The shifting database, May 4, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101105141836/http://sites.google.com/site/shiftingdata/shifting-guides/leah-s-p-shift-method.
[21] “Phases of Therianthropy.” The shifting database. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20101106055925/http://sites.google.com/site/shiftingdata/shifting-information/phases-of-therianthropy.
[22] Become a mermaid. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20080327000804/http://www.43things.com/things/view/131861/become-a-mermaid.
[23] Grow wings. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20071211180055/http://www.43things.com/things/view/35265/grow-wings.
[24] Become a werewolf. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20120422023048/http://www.43things.com/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[25] “Research.” Mermaid Shifting. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20210829200212/https://sites.google.com/site/mermaidshifting/shifting/research.
[26] “It’s You.” The shifting database. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20101107004122/http://sites.google.com/site/shiftingdata/theories/it-s-you.
[27] GothikVixen. “I've Been Inactive Again.” Become a werewolf. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20120630072009/http://www.43things.com:80/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[28] LeforaGuest. “Are You a Therian? .” One Pack, October 25, 2023. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/onepack/are-you-a-therian-t4269792.html.
[29]Become a mermaid. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20100128184059/http://www.43things.com/things/view/131861/become-a-mermaid.
[30]Become a werewolf. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20091031015117/http://www.43things.com/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[31] The Siren’s Cove, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140518181819/http://thesirenscove.com/.
[32] Winged Ones, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20130516133520/http://wingedones.webs.com/.
[33] WingedFour. “As a Matter of Fact, It.” Grow wings, January 21, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140302061237/http://www.43things.com/how_i_did_it/view/128671/how-to-grow-wings.
[34]WingedAce. “Good and yet Bad in Many Ways.” Grow wings, November 27, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20140301131126/http://www.43things.com/how_i_did_it/view/121302/how-to-grow-wings#comments.
[35]Nayaths. “Ive Done It.” Grow wings, 13AD. https://web.archive.org/web/20080415032158/http://www.43things.com/things/view/35265/grow-wings.
[36]MaximumRide17. “ How to Grow Wings.” Grow wings. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20100417220206/http://www.43things.com/things/view/35265/grow-wings.
[37] “Kissingmidnight.” 43 Things. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20140120024120/http://www.43things.com/person/KissingMidnight/entries.
[38] DeeDee. “KissingMidnight.” Mermaid Dreamers. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://mermaiddreamers.weebly.com/kissing-midnight.html.
[39] Bartlett, Alex. “Blaze’s Final Farewell.” Shifter’s Hideout, August 21, 2013. https://aminoapps.com/c/shiftershideout/page/shared-folder/blazes-final-farewell/KMKl_dRhKPIR6oap61a8vmjgPYXN6v8Ekp6.
[40] LASR1. “Interesting, I Found That.” Become a werewolf. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20120630072009/http://www.43things.com/things/view/184520/become-a-werewolf.
[42] Bartlett, Alex. “Blaze’s Final Farewell.” Shifter’s Hideout, August 21, 2013. https://aminoapps.com/c/shiftershideout/page/shared-folder/blazes-final-farewell/KMKl_dRhKPIR6oap61a8vmjgPYXN6v8Ekp6.
[42] Bartlett, Alex. “Blaze’s Final Farewell.” Shifter’s Hideout, August 21, 2013. https://aminoapps.com/c/shiftershideout/page/shared-folder/blazes-final-farewell/KMKl_dRhKPIR6oap61a8vmjgPYXN6v8Ekp6.
[43] Leon, Howard. “The Pack.” Razgriz Pack. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20140107090052/http://razgrizpack.com/?bp_pc_redir_to=%2Fmembers-2%2Fvictoria.
[44] Silverblack. “Website Presentation.” Wolf I Have Become, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120331201424/http://wolfihavebecome.webs.com/.
[45] Non-laughing-hyena. “P-Shifting Bullshit.” Tumblr, July 15, 2016. https://thejaguarcometh.tumblr.com/post/147419013133/p-shifting-bullshit.
[46] Shadowscar. Ember Pack. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20130505225521/http://swedishtherians.webs.com/.
[47] ShadowWalker, Emily. Pariah Pack 2, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120712121638/http://pariahpack2.webs.com/.
[48] ShadowWalker, Emily. Pariah Pack 2, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20181119115203/https://pariahpack2.webs.com/.
Were vs. Therian
With the sheer number of beliefs and views around shifting, therianthropy/otherkin, nonhumanity and identity, it's no surprise that even in cyberpacks everyone would start differentiating themselves and trying to figure out where they belong. A common question posed by members was about the differences between therianthropes/otherkin and werewolves, weres, or shapeshifters.
P-shifting therians might differentiate by energy or form, feeling that weres had a different energy and could become human-animal hybrids. [1] Non p-shifting therians were often adamant that there was no difference between a therian and a were (or if there was, it was only between therians and their mythological variants) whereas weres and those who self-identified as shifters begged to differ. [2] [3] Weres and shifters often indicated a specific sort of feel, mindset and/or belief system that differentiated them from therians, and many indicated that being a shifter was a innately physical experience, even outside of p-shifting. [4] Therians were spiritual and/or psychological, weres and other shifters were supernatural and physical.
Many shifters began to split off and make their own sites, such as Kin-Walkers (est. 2012), Werewolfswebsite (2011), and Land of the Werewolf (est. 2013). [5][6][7] Unlike many other sites at the time, these were never intended to function as packs and were simply sites where members could go to talk as equals. Where therians focused on personal identity and spirituality (if not the neurology behind how therians came to identify as nonhuman beings) shifters focused on the physical realm, becoming an animal or other nonhuman being, and learning more about the supernatural powers within. [8] Energy control, psychic and kinetic abilities were just some of the other topics talked about within shifter circles, and were seldom found in therian spaces.
The demographics of these communities often differed from those of both the cyberpacks and mainstream therianthropy community. Black and native americans were often visible in these communities whereas therians appeared to be predominantly white. The therian community also consisted of younger members in their early teens, while the shifter community had members in their later teens and early twenties. [9] Wolves were most common, but a handful of other caniform species could be found too (coyotes, foxes) and even other species such as felines and ursines. Even rarer were the mythical and fictional types, although these were often accepted if their claims matched up to conventional shifter experiences. [10]
Weres and shapeshifters typically approached shifting less dogmatically than p-shifting therians did, paying no heed to the articles saying you should mental shift before physically shifting, and think about your animal form, etc. [11] Instead, members were encouraged to do what felt right for them, and to keep themselves and their animal sides healthy. [12] Members were often told to get off the sites and into nature, and reminded to keep a healthy balance with one's human side. Here, the focus wasn't on shifting, but living your life as a were. [13] Shifting would happen when it happens.
Many shifters on these sites considered turning to be a real possibility at the time, and entertained the possibility of turning a human. [14] Some members even claimed to have been turned themselves, increasing the interest. Hypothesized methods differed wildly: some felt a bite was necessary, others felt it was a spiritual or even a mental process. [15] Few would actually try it; the danger and uncertainty involved deincentivized many. Therians never even humored the idea in their circles.
Shifting styles also varied. A vast majority felt shifting should not be painful, and experienced it as a largely painless and stressless experience. [16] Severe pain was seen as an indication something was wrong, or that you were forcing the shift. While most became human-sized animals, a select few claimed to grow bigger or otherwise defy conservation of mass during the shift; this was reasoned to be due to weres producing energy differently, a trick of the shift (a 130 pound shifted wolf might look bigger than a regular wolf due to the position of their legs or their physical stance) or some other quality of weres that allowed them to surpass these limits. [17] Some shifters shifted in a purely metaphysical sense, materializing parts or animal bodies so that others could see them. [18]
Shifters often oscillated between wanting to validate themselves scientifically and wanting secrecy. [19] Unlike therians, who often wished for scientific and social validation to relieve their species dysphoria, many shifters did not want to be validated in the same way. Many wanted scientific research done on shifting, but were wary of humans realizing shifters exist, and would look for ways to do this covertly. [20]
Humans and vampires were not considered enemies of shifters. The proliferation of Twilight-esque media meant that many who claimed to be wolves would declare their hatred of vampires. In reality, shifters had no qualms with vampires, with some even using the irrational hatred of vampires as a red flag for people roleplaying. [21] Some shifters had a dislike of humans, although this was often limited to those who were causing harm to the shifter in question or their environment. [22] Weres often saw themselves as guardians of humanity, built to protect and support those around them. [23] [24] Few expressed outright hatred of humanity as a whole, and this mindset wasn't always tolerated due to shifters also being part human. [25]
The p-shifting therian community and the shifter community would tread different paths. P-shifting therians often viewed themselves as therianthropes that could physically shift, in all other respects being like a regular therianthrope. [26] P-shifting therians were often willing to interact with the rest of the non p-shifting therian community, sometimes annoying non p-shifting therians in the process as the wider community did not want to discuss the topic. [27] By contrast most shifters viewed themselves as being physically and innately distinct from therians, and while some did check out therian and otherkin sites most remained in the shifter community, communicating and interacting with other shifters. [28] They had no great desires to integrate with the therian community, often remaining in their groups and purposefully avoiding therian-type communities.
Citations:
[1]Kara Rayne Wolf. “What Is a Therian and What Is a Lycan?” One Pack, January 7, 2012. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/onepack/viewtopic.php?p=272#p272.
[2] Bisclavret. “My Viewpoints on Werewolves.” Kin-Walkers, July 19, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829231125/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/9181736-my-viewpoints-on-werewolves.
[3] Arcover. “Weres vs Therians.” Kin-Walkers, August 31, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20221120220824/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8043544-weres-versus-therians.
[4] Szayel. “No, Therians Are Not the Same as Werewolves.” WerewolfsWebsite, January 4, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20221120222954/https://werewolfswebsite.webs.com/apps/blog/show/40402417-no-therians-are-not-the-same-as-werewolves.
[5] Kin-Walkers. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20130512040351/http://kin-walkers.webs.com/.
[6] Szayel. the werewolf website, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110717213750/http://www.werewolfswebsite.webs.com/.
[7] SpawnWolf. “Welcome.” Anthropomorphic Werewolves. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20130624100407/http://landofthewerewolf.webs.com/.
[8] “Energy/Pyschic Stuff.” Werewolfswebsite. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230511080549/https://werewolfswebsite.webs.com/apps/blog/categories/show/704466-energy-pyschic-stuff.
[9] Arcover. “Age Demographics.” Kin-Walkers, September 1, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829230949/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8046457-age-demographics.
[10] springshifter. “What It’s Like To Be In A Certain Form.” Shapeshifters United, May 19, 2017. https://shapeshiftersunited.boards.net/thread/73/certain-form.
[11] Accalia. “Sorry If I Sound Lazy Lol.” Kin-Walkers, March 19, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829232103/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8780433.
[12]Arcover. “Kids, Hooligans, Rogues.” Wayback Machine, December 19, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20230511080519/https://werewolfswebsite.webs.com/apps/blog/show/42949061-kids-hooligans-rogues-.
[13]Arcover. “Oh Man She’s Back!...Hellz Yeah I Am.” Werewolfswebsite, September 6, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20230831005124/https://werewolfswebsite.webs.com/apps/blog/show/8389368-oh-man-she-s-back-hellz-yeah-i-am.
[14] Arcover. “Therians on Werewolves and Other Things.” Kin-Walkers, October 4, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20221120220319/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8154470-therians-on-werewolves-and-other-things.
[15] SpawnWolf. “Symptoms of Becoming a Werewolf.” Anthropormorphic Werewolves, February 6, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150124012813/http://landofthewerewolf.webs.com:80/apps/forums/topics/show/8614828-symptoms-of-becoming-a-werewolf?page=3.
[16] Szayel. “Daily Werewolf Progressions .” Werewolfswebsite, September 13, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20230511080507/https://werewolfswebsite.webs.com/apps/blog/show/42659752-daily-werewolf-progressions.
[17] Sierra. “Size vs. Spirit.” Kin-Walkers, August 15, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829234737/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/7994016-size-v-spirit.
[18]Toxic_wolfx. “Who Here Can?” Kin-Walkers, October 7, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20210630024621/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8162897-who-here-can-?page=1.
[19] Arrow. “Were’s and Others Unite.” Strong Guardians. Accessed November 14, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829223233/https://strongguardians.webs.com/.
[20] Szayel. the werewolf website, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110717213750/http://www.werewolfswebsite.webs.com/.
[21] Aptrgangr. “Vampire Q and A.” Kin-Walkers, July 12, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829234423/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/9163245.
[22] Meccasa. “Humans.” Kin-Walkers, September 9, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829230857/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8072639-humans-.
[23]Arcover. “I Still Don’t Know.” Werewolfswebsite, August 18, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20230831004638/https://werewolfswebsite.webs.com/apps/blog/show/32119810-i-still-don-t-know.
[24] Arrow. “Were’s and Others Unite.” Strong Guardians. Accessed November 14, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829223233/https://strongguardians.webs.com/.
[25] Adelaide (Ace). “Something Iv Been Wanting to Say for a Long Time.” Kin-Walkers, December 26, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829230932/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8424079.
[26] Kara Rayne Wolf. “What Is a Therian and What Is a Lycan?” One Pack, January 7, 2012. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/onepack/viewtopic.php?p=272#p272.
[27] Jakkal. “So Your Pack Can P-Shift.” The Werelist, April 8, 2014. https://werelist.net/forum/new-user-orientation/9135-so-your-pack-can-p-shift.
[28]Szayel. “No, Therians Are Not the Same as Werewolves.” WerewolfsWebsite, January 4, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20221120222954/https://werewolfswebsite.webs.com/apps/blog/show/40402417-no-therians-are-not-the-same-as-werewolves.
Hunters and Doomsday
Around this time talk of hunters would appear and then slowly begin to ramp up in the community. Many therians worried about the government or others hunting them down, since shifting was a relatively new phenomenon and many felt that if the secret got out officials would be on their tails. To reduce the possibility of this happening, many gave tips on how to hide themselves if hunters were to appear, and many forbade proof from being shown on their own sites (or made it clear it was a risky endeavor) to keep their members safe.
Some therians would report strange instances of cars or vans following them, or of people looking at them weirdly. Members would try to help but others, knowing there was nothing they could do, would lament and curse the hunters upsetting their friends.
As 2012 approached, many humans began to talk about the end of the world as forecasted by the Mayan calendar. The Mayan calendar ended on December 1st, 2012, and people were worried that this meant that the world as we knew it would end too. Some otherkin and therians would come to believe this, but with a twist: at the end of 2012, all nonhumans would gain their true forms and abilities once more. [1] Surprisingly, this belief seems to have flowed over from the modern otherkin and therian community to the cyberpacks instead of the other way around, as many p-shifting therians did not see the need to wait for an apocalypse to change their forms. [2]
After a few visions, Silver would come to believe that all otherkin would gain their forms, but also that a war would happen as a result. Her worries would bleed onto the other members, and soon there was a bit of anxiety about what she had seen, with other members even feeling or seeing similar. She would begin to change the site from a shifting and therianthropy site into one that prepared for the upcoming war. Other members vocalized their skepticism or discontent with these changes, but she would continue on, and soon had a small band of people who were also getting ready. Some of the more skeptical members would disperse onto other sites such as Kin-Walkers and Pariah Pack, seeking other opinions or trying to get away from the impending storm that would inevitably result. [3]
December 1st, 2012 would come and go without much fanfare on either the human or the otherkin side. Nothing particularly noteworthy happened, and soon Silver would realize that she had made a serious mistake. Some of her most loyal supporters felt misled and betrayed, and called her out on her failed predictions. After some heated words from both sides, she would quickly return the forum to the way it was originally. However the damage had been done, with several people losing faith in either the forums or Silver, and leaving entirely.
Citations:
[1] Kara Rayne Wolf. “The End of the World.” One Pack, January 13, 2012. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/onepack/the-end-of-the-world-t4417649.html.
[2]Justanotherkin. “Otherkin Challenge Day 29.” Tumblr, June 22, 2013. https://justanotherkin.tumblr.com/post/53595035586/otherkin-challenge-day-29.
[3]Meccasa. “Your Opinion on the Veil.” Kin-Walkers, August 25, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829231401/https://kin-walkers.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8023826-your-opinion-on-the-the-veil-.
Social Media Sites
Wattpad
Established in 2006, Wattpad is a site based around the writing and publishing of novels. With an account, anybody could write a book and, if popular enough, get it published. Many aspiring shifters and supernaturals would take to the site to document their progress and network with others. [1][2] Instead of writing full books on their experiences, they would use the site as a virtual diary, allowing others to see how their journey was going. [3][4] A wider array of supernaturals would converge here in addition to shifters such as nekos, starseeds, and kitsunes, and many would intermingle and share tips and tricks. [5]
Experience Project
Experience Project was a site started in 2007 as a way for people to share experiences with others who understood what they were going through. [6] Upon joining the site, a member would get a feed of topics they were interested in and any groups they had joined. Groups had to be prefaced with "I am a...", but beyond that there were almost no limits as to what a group could be for.
Experience Project would come to host a plethora of therian and shifter groups, some incredibly broad ("I am a wolf therian", "I am an otherkin", "I am a lycanthrope") and some incredibly specific ("I am trying to find my wolf mate", "I haven't shifted yet", "I am part of the Crimson Rain wolf pack".)[7][8] This variety in groups meant that the site became a hub for all sorts of nonhuman people to find others like them, even down to specifics.
Among these groups the most popular one would be called "I am a Real Werewolf", at one point having more than three thousand members. [9] Similar to the demographics on the Webs-based shifter sites, some of the more visible members were POC or otherwise minority races and many shifters on Experience Project skewed older. [10] Twenty and thirty year old shifters were not an uncommon sight, and many had lives outside of the shifter community. As on other sites, wolves were incredibly common, followed by other caniforms, ursines, and felines.
Members from I am a Real Werewolf and similar groups were more likely to intermingle with other supernatural groups, such as the vampires and supernatural hunters. They had little fear or paranoia when it came to interacting with vampires or hunters, often regarding them as allies or neutrals instead of enemies. [11] Unlike in the cyberpacks of Webs, there was less intermingling between therians and shifters, and while they both still encountered each other from time to time there was a stronger understanding that they weren't the same. [12]
Shifters here took a fact-based approach to their experiences. Most did not believe in anything that could not be found in an occult or spiritual book or scientific text, and were reluctant to believe anything that had not been verified by these means. [13] Here, a shifter was a person who (often painfully) transformed into an animal or monstrous beast. They were born shifters, and usually lived a fairly normal life before awakening and transforming into an animal for the first time. [14] Afterwards, they would shift back and continue their lives, living as human before needing to shift again.[15] There were no methods listed to aid or incite a shift since most shifters here felt that shifting was a biological mechanism that could not be activated unless absolutely necessary. [16] This strict adherence to external and scientific fact meant that many were highly critical of shifters that claimed blackouts, fantastical abilities or had flimsy evidence for their shifts, and members often used scientific articles to support the way they believed shifting should work. People looking to become nonhuman or dismissing their humanity were quickly chastised, as being a shifter was not a condition they felt should be romanticized. [17]
While many of the cyberpacks held fast to the tenants of therianthropy, shifters on Experience Project were more skeptical and didn't believe in therianthropy. [18] Skepticism about the plausibility of non-physical shifting and non-supernatural nonhumanity was not uncommon, and occasionally claims of therianthropy or non-physical otherkinity would be challenged if brought up by others. [19]This also meant that many were reluctant to believe in avians, mermaid shifters, and others that relied heavily on these methods, and would often educate those that claimed to be these creatures.
Unlike many of the cyberpacks and websites of the other communities, I am a Real Werewolf was an open group, visible to all members of Experience Project. This meant that the group often attracted trolls and confusion, and many fights would break out between the regular humans passing by and the shifters in the community. [20] Having never encountered shifters or werewolves online before, many people would question or freak out about the members in the group and their beliefs, with members responding in turn. [21] Occasionally dangerous individuals would also attempt to root themselves in these groups, claiming anything from doomsday scenarios to trying to sell the "secrets" to shifting; they would be quickly called out and flagged by members. [22] [23]
Despite the high amount of conflict in the group, a degree of familiarity and trust would form between some of the regulars, with some becoming close. [24] Although not a pack, regulars would defend each other if someone was trying to defame another without valid reason.
WerewolfBall and Werecon
Two lesser-known sites shifters frequented during this time were WerewolfBall and Werecon. WerewolfBall was a site for werewolves, shifters, and otherkin that required payment to access features of the site, including the forum. [25] Werecon was intended as a fundraising site for a real-world meetup between werewolf fans but would soon prove itself to be a scam; despite this there was also a forum for others to interact on. [26] [27] While Werecon was set up as a pseudo-blogging site where members could comment on each other's blogs, WerewolfBall was a true forum.
Both sites harbored shifters (as well as therians and the occasional otherkin), although the quality of WerewolfBall's shifter community was deemed to be slightly higher due to the paywall.
Citations:
[1] “Shift Stories.” Wattpad. Accessed November 30, 2023. https://www.wattpad.com/stories/p-shift.
[2] thatlittlefish. “Mermaid Shifting Book.” Wattpad, July 8, 2016. https://www.wattpad.com/story/75039678-mermaid-shifting-book.
[3] silentxspirit. “Mermaid Spellbook by V.” Wattpad, February 13, 2016. https://www.wattpad.com/story/62894660-mermaid-spellbook-by-v.
[4] princessAvalon. “How to Become a Mermaid! A Guide to Mermaid Studies.” Wattpad, September 14, 2013. https://www.wattpad.com/story/8311330-how-to-become-a-mermaid-a-guide-to-mermaid-studies.
[5] “Mythicals Stories.” Wattpad. Accessed November 30, 2023. https://www.wattpad.com/stories/mythicals%2Creal.
[6] Spikol, Liz. “Experience Project Is the Worst Social Networking Website (Here’s Proof): The Philly Post.” Philadelphia Magazine, May 8, 2013. https://www.phillymag.com/news/2013/05/08/social-network-experience-project-terrible/.
[7]“I Am a Real Werewolf, and Proud.” Experience Project. Accessed November 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20131022095049/http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Am-A-Real-Werewolf-And-Proud/563364.
[8] “I ’m Not Human .” Experience Project, October 13, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20151023085144/http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/M-Not-Human/589553.
[9] “I Am a Real Werewolf .” Experience Project. Accessed November 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20130819125814/http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/293509.
[10] zackshelpingpeople26. “ US as Older Wolves: I Am a Real Werewolf.” Experience Project, 13AD. https://web.archive.org/web/20131019195635/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/2871478.
[11] Deleted. “Honestly: I Am a Real Werewolf.” Experience Project, January 16, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130223053959/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/2878630.
[12] “Genes!: I Am a Real Werewolf.” Experience Project, January 18, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130314065727/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/2885060.
[13] TheOriginalSpirit. “Wannabe Werewolves: I Am a Real Werewolf.” Experience Project, November 22, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131020094917/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/2742398.
[14] Jakemingan. “Help.: I Am a Real Werewolf.” Experience Project, August 18. https://web.archive.org/web/20131019095028/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/3413214.
[15] letthewolfout. “I’m Sure You : I Am A Real Werewolf Story & Experience.” Experience Project, August 25. https://web.archive.org/web/20151001012705/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/7045360.
[16]Tim95. “My Opinion on : I Am A Real Werewolf Story & Experience.” Experience Project , Feburary 27. https://web.archive.org/web/20150607110924/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/5544263.
[17] TheOriginalSpirit. “Wannabe Werewolves: I Am a Real Werewolf.” Experience Project, November 22, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131020094917/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/2742398.
[18] DeannaJo. “I’ll Just Leave This Here, as Well.: I Am a Real Werewolf.” Experience Project, 25 July 2013, web.archive.org/web/20131019212050/www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/3345043.
[19] deleted, SheAngel19, and ToasttheKnowing. “Hi I’m New : I Am A Real Werewolf Story & Experience.” Experience Project, August 18. https://web.archive.org/web/20151002074746/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/7021123.
[20] prosperity915. “You All Need to Get Lives: I Am a Real Werewolf.” Experience Project, 13AD. https://web.archive.org/web/20131020085542/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/2871976.
[21]LordBearclaw. August 4. There are no such things as werewolves.: I am a real werewolf. Experience Project. https://web.archive.org/web/20131020024811/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/3371838
[22]SupernaturalScientist. “Hello All In : I Am A Real Werewolf Story & Experience.” Experience Project , 13AD. https://web.archive.org/web/20150612020529/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/5599382.
[23]PolyWere. “Dear Adam/SupernaturalScientist.” Experience Project, 14AD, web.archive.org/web/20150612170429/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/5601478.
[24] ToasttheKnowing. “It’s the Rebel : I Am A Real Werewolf Story & Experience.” Experience Project , August 14. https://web.archive.org/web/20150930233823/http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Real-Werewolf/7004809.
[25]“Welcome to Werewolf Ball.” WerewolfBall, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120418085559/http://werewolfball.com:80/.
[26] “Werecon.” Werecon Werewolves!, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101222113455/http://werecon.org/.
[27]“Werecon.” Werewolf community, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120701233248/http://werecon.org/werewolves/.
Always Watching The OtherKin (AWTOK)
Around 2012-2013, a few individuals would appear on various cyberpacks, claiming that the unthinkable had happened to them- they had been captured and nearly killed or experimented on. Stories differed, but they all shared a few commonalities: they had been going about their day when they were captured by a group of people in white suits, or in a white van. [1] They managed to free themselves, and a few even got the name of the organization that had captured them: Always Watching the OtherKin. [2] They were purported to be an organization that hunted down otherkin, therians and other mythical creatures because they were nonhuman.
Many members would immediately call this out as nonsense. Many stories did not make sense, with some kidnapped victims prioritizing informing others online over calling the police or their families. A group of people driving white vans following kids around would attract attention, meaning that regular people would notice these abductions and soon question them. Having mostly differentiated themselves from shifters, otherkin and therians admitted they were human and had no powers, meaning that there was no reason for a supernatural organization to even hunt them down. Safety concerns were also raised, as a few unscrupulous individuals would try to use the fear of being hunted to encourage people to run away from their families and come to them. [3]
The truth would come out not too long after. Different sources claim to be the origin of AWTOK, but all agree that it was never real in any way, with the only goal of its inception being to see how gullible some younger community members could be. Despite this, some younger members would take this and run with it, fearing that they could be next. They would create their own sites to warn about AWTOK, often listing the various warning signs that could indicate that the group was nearby. [4]
AWTOK believers would find themselves somewhat cut off from the rest of the therian, otherkin, cyberpack and shifter communities as less were willing to entertain their beliefs. While the possibility of hunters had been more or less accepted in the shifter community to varying extents and degrees, nobody had even heard of AWTOK until a few months ago. They also didn't seem to be interested in actual supernaturals, but otherkin for some reason? As a result, most people who claimed to be affiliated with or running from AWTOK were often looked at with confusion, if not immediately taken for a troll or a misinformed individual.
Those most willing to entertain AWTOK beliefs would be those who believed you could become nonhuman or a shifter through shifting methods. These were often individuals who were completely human in identity and experiences, but wanted to be nonhuman for various reasons. [5] Many of them had been around when the various nonhuman-focused groups on 43 Things had become popular, and had been trying to transform for years. When shifting failed to work for them, some would turn towards subliminals, propagating the belief in AWTOK to a new group. [6]
Citations:
[1] S. “Topic: Does The van Look like This?” AWTOK and More, December 25, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140901053922/http://awtokthehunted.webs.com:80/apps/forums/topics/show/11731015-does-the-van-look-like-this-.
[2] Aireaya. AWTOK and More, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121123051133/http://awtokthehunted.webs.com/.
[3] LeTrexane, Adam. “Home.” LIFSTA. Accessed December 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20150730200459/http://www.lifsta.com/.
[4] “Your Story’s.” To the destruction of AWTOK. Accessed December 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230325230710/https://tothedestructionofawtok.weebly.com/your-storys.html.
[5]Aurora. “Join the Fight?” ANTI- A.W.T.O.K, February 20, 2015. https://awtokawarness.weebly.com/blog/join-the-fight#comments.
[6] Larentia. “Awtok.” home, January 20, 2017. http://mythical-vale.weebly.com/blog/awtok.
The Decline
Near the latter half of the 2010s, cyberpacks and the topic of physical shifting would see a decline in interest. A multitude of factors are likely responsible. Many of the old leaders of said cyberpacks would realize they were otherkin or therians (if they didn't already identify as such) and either lose interest in their sites or try to transform their sites into more legitimate otherkin sites. [1] Webs.com, the platform many free cyberpacks were hosted on, had been deteriorating for some time and was becoming less accessible, especially on phones. Otherkin sites not hosted on Webs and used by the rest of the community were seen as more legitimate and were less glitchy, so newly awakened therians likely went there to continue learning about therianthropy. [2]
Much of the hype behind various nonhuman beings had also worn off, and those who were looking for an escape from their lives soon returned to them, moving on from the shifter or therian communities. [3] Many sites that had been specially hosting shifter and otherkin content due to this boom, such as Werecon and WerewolfBall, would become inactive and soon disappear as suddenly as they came. Sites such as 43 Things and Experience Project would also meet this fate as well, although their fall was likely due to the rise of social media making forum-type sites obsolete. [4][5]
Some old pillars of the younger cyberpack-type communities would come out as frauds. Blaze would make a post declaring that he never had the ability to physically shift, and was only ever imagining he was a wolf when he claimed to shift. [6] KissingMidnight's tail was exposed as photoshopped, and later she would come clean about her fraud. [7] Even a few "successful" avians were later revealed to have been lying about the entire experience. While they weren't the only ones who claimed to have successfully physically shifted, they were the most vocal about having done so. This would further demoralize those who had been working hard to shift, and soon the once active forums would be left with few members. [8]
In the end, only a few communities would remain. Winged Ones and werewolfswebsite would survive with a dwindling but loyal memberbase. [9][10] Land of the Werewolf would lose members after the site moved, and soon fall mostly inactive. [11] Pariah Pack 2 would die out after Emily renounced therianthropy and left the community, refusing to pass on leadership to anybody else. Silver Pack would trudge on, and eventually move from the Webs platform to Forumotion and Facebook, amassing a library of articles and a trickle of activity that would serve to keep the forum alive. [12] At this point only the regulars from before the shifting craze would remain, and the community would shrink to a fraction of what it once was. Now mostly dissociated from the therian and otherkin communities, the shifter community would continue unfettered for some time.
Citations:
[1]Kara Rayne Wolf. “The Problem with Some Otherkin Websites.” One Pack, March 25, 2013. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/onepack/the-problem-with-some-otherkin-websites-t5085274.html#p845
[2] Verschleiern. “Pariah Pack 2 on the Decline? I’d Like to Help.” Pariah Pack II. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20180314021244/http://pariahpack2.webs.com/apps/auth/login?why=pw&next=apps%2Fblog%2Fentries%2Fshow%2F43472503-pariah-pack-2-on-the-decline-i-d-like-to-help-.
[3]A N D R O M E D A. “‘Nothing Gold Can Stay.’” Become a mermaid. Accessed December 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20140822080030/http://www.43things.com/things/view/131861/become-a-mermaid.
[4] “EP Closed: Where Are The Experience Project Refugees?” AnswerMug. Accessed December 24, 2023. https://answermug.com/pages/Experience-Project-Refugees.
[5]Habib, Michael C. “43 Things: A Community Study.” JOMC 191.3. Accessed December 24, 2023. https://mchabib.com/43things/usability.html.
[6] Bartlett, Alex. “Blaze’s Final Farewell.” Shifter’s Hideout, August 21, 2013. https://aminoapps.com/c/shiftershideout/page/shared-folder/blazes-final-farewell/KMKl_dRhKPIR6oap61a8vmjgPYXN6
[7]can’t handle the loss of 43T. “Giving Hope Is Cool, Lying Isn’t .” Become a mermaid. Accessed December 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20140622192104/http://www.43things.com:80/things/view/131861/become-a-mermaid.
[8]Verschleiern. “Pariah Pack 2 on the Decline? I’d Like to Help.” Pariah Pack II. Accessed December 11, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20180314021244/http://pariahpack2.webs.com/apps/auth/login?why=pw&next=apps%2Fblog%2Fentries%2Fshow%2F43472503-pariah-pack-2-on-the-decline-i-d-like-to-help-.
[9]“Alright They...” Winged Ones, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20180327141412/https://wingedones.webs.com/.
[10]Szayel. “Homepage.” Wayback Machine. Accessed December 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20180227062127/https://werewolfswebsite.webs.com/.
[11]SpawnWolf. “Our New Website.” Shapeshiftersunited, June 11, 2017. https://shapeshiftersunited.boards.net/thread/90/new-website.
[12] Silverblack. “Presentation.” Silver Pack. Accessed December 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20180324064818/http://wolfihavebecome.webs.com/.
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