One-day LJ strike

[aelfgyfu_mead]

ETA: LJ responded to my main concerns in a post last night that I have only now seen (much thanks to friendshipper for the link. I will not be striking. So if you don't see me tomorrow, know that I'm not on strike. :-)

I'm leaving the original post and responses below intact, because I'm already seeing some verbal abuse of those of us who planned to strike. I've changed my mind because circumstances changed, and I want to leave the original post so that it's evident at least some of us were not trying to force anyone else to strike, and what reasons we had.


A few recent changes concern me. Yes, it is naive, but I was shocked when SUP announced the end of free basic accounts--ignoring the advice of their own Advisory Board. I am angry at the way the news was announced, or not announced. I have since heard that recently LJ has begun silently omitting certain interests from the list of Most Popular Interests that they compile. I can understand not putting "hardcore" on that list, actually; maybe I can see omitting "sex." But "depression"? Heaven knows we don't want people discussing that; someone might learn something. "Bisexuality"? "Fanfiction," for heaven's sake?

So some LJ users have decided to do something to make a statement, something that won't seriously hurt the company (and give an excuse to raise prices or something!) but should be noticed: a one-day LiveJournal content strike. Don't post, comment, or reply to comments on Friday, March 21 (by GMT reckoning). I can't remember who gave me the link (sorry!), but there are good, clear, short explanations here and here.

For information on LJ tampering with the Most Popular Interests, see this InsaneJournal entry by stewardess (thanks to loriel_eris for the link).

I do plan to strike. If you're upset with the way the decision to end basic accounts was made and belatedly announced only after an outcry, or if you're upset with the lumping together of all fanfiction and some gay-related interests with "hardcore" "porn" and "bondage" as interests LJ wants to pretend users don't share, you might want to strike too. I'll still be on e-mail, but I won't be on LJ on Friday. I don't expect anyone would even notice that I'm gone, if I hadn't said anything--but if a lot of us are gone, SUP will notice!

Comments

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I don't have the ability to edit my replies (because I don't pay! Yes, yes), so I'm adding here what I'd like to edit:

anton_nossik writes here that the translation used in the link I provided was bad, and he never called anyone "idiots." I am unclear on what his position is with LJ or SUP, but his entry deserves a read, if you've read the one to which I linked.

Just trying to set the record straight (and hoping I'm not failing entirely).

[greyias.livejournal.com]

He certainly comes off far more literate in that article than the translation (which I was wondering about, knowing how translations... don't get it right always). It being the age of the internet and knowing how I myself backpeddle on occasion... I choose to find a large hole to bury my head in for the next day or so. Politics scare me.