Uh-oh... Are they calling it normal again?

[byslantedlight]

I've just had an email from lj about renewing my subscription, after several years when they emailed to say that they were extending paid ljs for free, what with the whole leaders-of-their-country-having-attacked-another-country, and clearly deciding that they really couldn't ask us to try and pay them money

Comments

[sc_fossil]

I bought a permanent account when I first came to LJ back in 2007 so I don't get any payment reminders. I'm actually surprised that the permanent account was honoured. I totally understand what you're saying and I sincerely wish we had somewhere else to go. It seems impossible to get anybody to Dreamwidth or even Discord. I have no useful suggestions on what to do. :( I want to keep on enjoying the lads with the few people left and I'm willing to migrate elsewhere. Tumblr isn't a great place to interact and Facebook is horrible for keeping up with anything in a logical manner.

[tinturtle]

Facebook is awful, and I'm also not comfortable using my real name for public fan interactions. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Dreamwidth is a bit clunkier than LJ, but seems like the best alternative, if we have to move. I have been crossposting there since the invasion for the people who don't feel they can use LJ anymore.

[sc_fossil]

You don't need to use a real name on Facebook but it's a horrible platform.

[byslantedlight]

I agree about using Facebook for fandom - total no-no for me.

My trouble with Dreamwidth (apart from similar moral issues about money going to support a government which does things I don't like), is that it doesn't host pictures, which makes most of the stuff I do on lj - including Dialj - almost impossible....

[sc_fossil]

Yes, I agree that DW has many limits, whereas Tumblr does pictures but not chat.

[tinturtle]

People on this thread keep saying that Dreamwidth doesn’t host pictures, but it does. It’s just clunky.

[byslantedlight]

Yes, you're right, they do host pictures now - but you're also right that it's clunky...!

[tinturtle]

Very clunky.

[tinturtle]

I suppose there is also Reddit.

[byslantedlight]

Don't know much about Reddit, but not sure I like what I've seen - and could it be used to host something like Discoveredinalj?

[sc_fossil]

Ya know, I don't know. Reddit doesn't seem chat and photo friendly but I don't use it often enough to make an informed decision.

[byslantedlight]

Re: lj honouring permanent accounts, giving free time to international members etc., I think it's like everything - we have to remember that it's individual people who make decisions in such companies, not necessarily the governments (although of course they can be linked/heavily dependent on them).

I have no idea about Discord - I've heard people talk alot about it, but never had a chance to look into it. Do people get their own webspace like on lj? Does it host pictures?

Dreamwidth is all well and good, but it just doesn't work well enough for me - my lj-ing (rather surprisingly to me) is picture-heavy, and Dreamwidth doesn't host pictures. I've been through the whole host-them-elsewhere-and-link thing, as we all have, and that works until a company like Photobucket says "No more, give us all your money or you lose your pics". If I had to (if Lj vanished entirely) I'd probably go there (although if we're talking morals get Guantanamo Bay shut down, stop imposing moral regulations on overseas charities who need help, don't vote

[sc_fossil]

It's a shame that all the Pros content is now on FB although it's not fandom related most of the time. It's mostly cars and episodes, which at least is Pros talk, but not fandom talk. I am on FB for that and for the main S&H platform these days. Now the S&H FB page is slash and adult and very busy, with sometimes dozens of posts a day. There are explicit pics posted all the time, along with adult/slash content. It is a locked community, like LJ, where you must be a member and accepted by the admin to access it. There are over 500 members. Again, you do not need a real identity to use FB. I'm not saying to move there; just passing on info. I dislike FB very much but at least I get to interact daily with Pros and S&H fen. I need my fandom.

[sc_fossil]

Adding, I am admin for the BistoCon FB page and I allow all explict slash talk, along with art. FB does not host vids but links to the vids are definitely allowed.