In fact, medieval werewolves didn't physically shapeshift either. They did in the fictions such as the Lay of Bisclavret and the story of William of Palerne but when you get to the actual accounts of werewolves by werewolves (like Theiss) and the people who actually knew them (like the Norse who wrote the accounts of Berserkers), they didn't physically change. I never rejected the "Were" terminology and some of the people who originated it now know why. By moving away from the traditional terms, it opened a door for whoever wants to fantasize that they're a Werewolf - and that's obviously a very provocative lure for folks that want to be something other than what they are.

Yes, Mainstreamers think about Lon Chaney when they think of Werewolves but "Were" is where our heritage lies - it's our roots and it's honorable roots. Why change how we refer to ourselves instead of changing the Mainstream cultures view of us. Werewolves are becoming more and more acceptable in fiction and I suspect it's because modern writers are becoming familiar with our culture - I'm seeing more and more in werewolf fiction that looks like real Were culture. It's almost always a mistake to try to change yourself to escape others' irrational biases.