Now you all know I rarely rant...
Ok, so I tried not to rant until I knew all the facts, but the more facts I see, the angrier I get. But first things first. All fandom people reading this: if you haven't already, go join fandom_counts. Remember how LJ boasted of its 13 million journals? Basically, fandom_counts is a tally of how many journals are used for fandom purposes. So go join with whatever fandom-related journals you have--if you use your main one for any fandom, join with it. RP journal for a fandom character? Go ahead. Writing journal? Welcome. And this is for any fandom, not just my pet one, HP. Go. Jump on the bandwagon. Over 12000 journals have joined before you.
Honestly, I can't express how angry it makes me that a group of amateur vigilantes (Google Warriors for Innocence--I dare you) can pressure LJ into taking down groups and comms that didn't do anything wrong. Just for an "objectionable" interest. First of all, if Warriors for Innocence is connected in any way, shape, or form with a law enforcement agency, they're not showing it. Any site that has instructions on how to impersonate a child in order to "catch a pedophile" is only making things worse. Admirable intentions, yes--I don't support child rape at all. But if anything, they're only making the situation worse in several respects. And by targeting groups, they're pretty much accusing the people who run these journals of either condoning or, heaven forbid, perpetrating pedophilia. It's libel, plain and simple. And I really would like to see a lawsuit declaring it so.
And what about at least warning mods about their journals? To go check to check LJ and find that one of the longest-running fic archives is gone because of some vigilantes is not pleasant, let me tell you. And it shows how much these people have done their research--last I'd heard, fiction depicting incest wasn't illegal, unless V. C. Andrews's books have been taken off the shelves? And Lolita, a classic, isn't illegal either, so why delete a comm devoted to discussing the book?
Also, really, why piss off fandom? Especially when, Six Apart, they're a significant portion of your user base? If LJ stops being the place to be for fandom, Six Apart stands to lose thousands. All for the sake of some vigilante witch hunters? I think someone has some serious rethinking to do.
If you need me, call me--I'll be in my room, seething about the sheer rampant idiocy in this world...
Honestly, I can't express how angry it makes me that a group of amateur vigilantes (Google Warriors for Innocence--I dare you) can pressure LJ into taking down groups and comms that didn't do anything wrong. Just for an "objectionable" interest. First of all, if Warriors for Innocence is connected in any way, shape, or form with a law enforcement agency, they're not showing it. Any site that has instructions on how to impersonate a child in order to "catch a pedophile" is only making things worse. Admirable intentions, yes--I don't support child rape at all. But if anything, they're only making the situation worse in several respects. And by targeting groups, they're pretty much accusing the people who run these journals of either condoning or, heaven forbid, perpetrating pedophilia. It's libel, plain and simple. And I really would like to see a lawsuit declaring it so.
And what about at least warning mods about their journals? To go check to check LJ and find that one of the longest-running fic archives is gone because of some vigilantes is not pleasant, let me tell you. And it shows how much these people have done their research--last I'd heard, fiction depicting incest wasn't illegal, unless V. C. Andrews's books have been taken off the shelves? And Lolita, a classic, isn't illegal either, so why delete a comm devoted to discussing the book?
Also, really, why piss off fandom? Especially when, Six Apart, they're a significant portion of your user base? If LJ stops being the place to be for fandom, Six Apart stands to lose thousands. All for the sake of some vigilante witch hunters? I think someone has some serious rethinking to do.
If you need me, call me--I'll be in my room, seething about the sheer rampant idiocy in this world...