Ahh, Clarity

[hummingwolf]

For those of you who aren't avoiding LJ in an attempt to avoid Harry Potter spoilerers: You probably already know that lj_biz issued clarifications about LJ policy yesterday, but you should also be aware that they have since clarified the clarifications. Yeah, HP fanfic authors are going to be so pleased when they get back

Comments

[daisydumont]

i'm not avoiding LJ, but i'm being careful about what i look at. news of this clarification did reach me. many of the people i know from fandom are preparing for exodus (to greatest or insane journal). i may eventually delete my fan lj, just because the atmosphere is getting chilly.

[hummingwolf]

As far as I can tell, LJ's just trying to stay within the bounds of US anti-obscenity and anti-child pornography law. The problem is that the laws (and court precedents, which may matter more) are maddeningly vague, so any guidelines LJ issues trying to clarify things really aren't going to seem all that satisfactory. IMO, the only protection moving to GJ or IJ would offer is that GJ and IJ are smaller and therefore less likely to be targeted by the various crusaders.

[daisydumont]

yes, i think that's what my friends intend, to stop feeling like a target. not that i hang out with fans of chan, but in general, there's the sense that slash is or will be under the gun. maybe they're wrong. guess we'll see in time.

[hummingwolf]

via musesfool: "This isn't just the Potterdammerung; it's the Wanknarok."

Sometimes free speech issues do bring out the giggles.

[daisydumont]

i guess i'm not too amused by it, because my fandoms both have lots of questionable stories, which i've read. (clark's very often under 18 in clex fic.) i'd be sorry to shut down the other LJ, but if the climate continues iffy, i will do.

[hummingwolf]

Ah. See, I sincerely think there's nothing to be worried about, LJ-wise, at this point. There are fannish people on LJ staff, and fandom as a whole has let 6A as a whole know loud and clear that fandom is a large enough part of their userbase, that I think post-Strikethrough LJ will do its best to bend over backwards to keep from pissing off fandom any more than it has to--while still adhering to United States law. The bigger thing to worry about would be if J.K. Rowling or the CW lawyers decide it's time to enforce their rights under copyright law, but fandom never seems to be terribly concerned about that.

At this point, I mostly feel sorry for the LJ people--who aren't lawyers and clearly aren't any good with PR--who are trying to clarify obscenity law. Yeah, good luck with that.

[daisydumont]

yeah, i agree that the LJ people are having a hard time, and i'll try to feel sorry for them. (barak's post of apology after the strike-out thing was quite gracious, i thought.) you're probably right that there's not really much threat to most of us fangirls & boys & old ladies.