Someone asked me about Dreamwidth? Cue ramble!
Okay, so here's the deal with my posting from Dreamwidth. I like DW. It's based on LJ, so it's been easy for me to figure out how to use. In fact, they have a FAQ/tutorial specifically for LJ users. I imported all my old LJ entries, complete with the old comments and tags, and my friendslist (more on that in a moment) with very little actual work on my part.
Even better, DW is designed to play well with others. All the posts I've made that have that little posted from DW tag at the bottom? Well, I don't actually do anything to make that happen -- my DW account is set up to automatically crosspost to my LJ account and add the little footer with the comment count. If you don't have a DW account, you can still access my DW posts -- including the locked ones that you see on LJ. Log into DW using OpenID (type [yourusername].livejournal.com into the box, and it's all pretty intuitive from there). If you're my friend on LJ, your OpenID has access on my DW. I can switch services without forcing you to make the switch as well. (If you want a DW account, though, let me know. I've got some invite codes somewhere around here.)
Of course, that doesn't explain why I'm posting here in the first place -- that's just what makes it easy. For one thing, I like the little changes. I am in love with the "Update Date" button. The DW Circle concept works better for me than the LJ friends system. On DW subscriptions and access are separated, so on DW I can subscribe to a journal without opening my every flocked post up to an interesting stranger. Admittedly, most of the people I currently have on my Reading Page at DW are also on my access list. But that's a choice now, not a requirement. Let's be honest, sometimes I just want to read the public pages of someone's journal, without granting her/him an inside pass to all the details of my latest medical issue or work drama.
I like knowing that accessibility is a priority at Dreamwidth. Accessibility is and has been considered right from the development level and not treated as an after thought. And I've yet to start up DW and go, 'wait, what changed and why?' Unlike this past week at LJ. (Only 10 entries at a time on the flist? Gimme a break.)
But beyond that, I like Dreamwidth's policies. LJ has done a fantastic job of making bad policy/customer service decisions in recent years. There was the breastfeeding default icon controversy (it's beautiful and natural as long as no one has to see it in a 100 pixel square). Then came strikethrough, when journals and comms were suspended without warning (and therefore in violation of LJ's own stated policy) due to the interests listed on their profile page -- a mass suspension that seemed to have been triggered by third party complaints and managed to sweep up communities discussing Nabokov's Lolita or gothic-lolita fashion, as well as a couple of actual incest survivors. Because frankly, most of us used 'interests' to mean 'things we may talk about' not 'things we support' the way LJ then said we should. Unsurprisingly, fandom got caught up in the mix, too. And then after the vague 'we handled it poorly' statements were issued and things started to calm down... LJ did it again, this time specifically targeting fan artists whose works (may?) depict underage fictional characters. It is important to protect the fictional children/teenagers -- because advertisers like assurances that their banners won't be appearing near anything scandalous.
(Speaking of advertisers, how about that outbound link thing? Classy. I understand the need to make money, but the very concept of redirecting our links to pick up their affiliations was dicey to begin with -- and sneaking it in and hoping it'd go unnoticed was crap. Someone more knowledgeable than I explains why it's also a potential security risk to those of us who regularly use links on LJ to explore the web.)
In contrast to strikethrough, I link you to DW's news posts about their issues with third party harassment and how, rather than cave to demands that DW content be policed beyond the restrictions set by law, DW stood firmly behind their principles. And when Paypal demanded that DW censor their users (hi, Paypal, you are used for adult purchases through ebay! hypocrisy, much?), Dreamwidth struggled to find a new payment processor rather than do it.
When those posts went up, I decided I wanted to put my money into the platform that has demonstratively put its values first. I don't hate LJ, and I'm not leaving LJ -- I have too many friends who are on LJ only and too many comms that don't have good equivalents. My crossposting continues with comments open on both, as does my own crossplatform commenting. But once my paid time is up on LJ, the next payment goes to Dreamwidth.
[As an aside, to those of my friends who are on DW, let me know what you're going by and I'll grant you access. If you already have access, but you've recently bumped into posts you can't read on DW that you see on LJ, tell me. I was mucking about with filters the other day and don't know if I got it all sorted. And finally, if you'd specifically prefer I comment on one or the other, let me know and I'll try to remember!]
The Dreamwidth version of this entry currently has
comments.
Even better, DW is designed to play well with others. All the posts I've made that have that little posted from DW tag at the bottom? Well, I don't actually do anything to make that happen -- my DW account is set up to automatically crosspost to my LJ account and add the little footer with the comment count. If you don't have a DW account, you can still access my DW posts -- including the locked ones that you see on LJ. Log into DW using OpenID (type [yourusername].livejournal.com into the box, and it's all pretty intuitive from there). If you're my friend on LJ, your OpenID has access on my DW. I can switch services without forcing you to make the switch as well. (If you want a DW account, though, let me know. I've got some invite codes somewhere around here.)
Of course, that doesn't explain why I'm posting here in the first place -- that's just what makes it easy. For one thing, I like the little changes. I am in love with the "Update Date" button. The DW Circle concept works better for me than the LJ friends system. On DW subscriptions and access are separated, so on DW I can subscribe to a journal without opening my every flocked post up to an interesting stranger. Admittedly, most of the people I currently have on my Reading Page at DW are also on my access list. But that's a choice now, not a requirement. Let's be honest, sometimes I just want to read the public pages of someone's journal, without granting her/him an inside pass to all the details of my latest medical issue or work drama.
I like knowing that accessibility is a priority at Dreamwidth. Accessibility is and has been considered right from the development level and not treated as an after thought. And I've yet to start up DW and go, 'wait, what changed and why?' Unlike this past week at LJ. (Only 10 entries at a time on the flist? Gimme a break.)
But beyond that, I like Dreamwidth's policies. LJ has done a fantastic job of making bad policy/customer service decisions in recent years. There was the breastfeeding default icon controversy (it's beautiful and natural as long as no one has to see it in a 100 pixel square). Then came strikethrough, when journals and comms were suspended without warning (and therefore in violation of LJ's own stated policy) due to the interests listed on their profile page -- a mass suspension that seemed to have been triggered by third party complaints and managed to sweep up communities discussing Nabokov's Lolita or gothic-lolita fashion, as well as a couple of actual incest survivors. Because frankly, most of us used 'interests' to mean 'things we may talk about' not 'things we support' the way LJ then said we should. Unsurprisingly, fandom got caught up in the mix, too. And then after the vague 'we handled it poorly' statements were issued and things started to calm down... LJ did it again, this time specifically targeting fan artists whose works (may?) depict underage fictional characters. It is important to protect the fictional children/teenagers -- because advertisers like assurances that their banners won't be appearing near anything scandalous.
(Speaking of advertisers, how about that outbound link thing? Classy. I understand the need to make money, but the very concept of redirecting our links to pick up their affiliations was dicey to begin with -- and sneaking it in and hoping it'd go unnoticed was crap. Someone more knowledgeable than I explains why it's also a potential security risk to those of us who regularly use links on LJ to explore the web.)
In contrast to strikethrough, I link you to DW's news posts about their issues with third party harassment and how, rather than cave to demands that DW content be policed beyond the restrictions set by law, DW stood firmly behind their principles. And when Paypal demanded that DW censor their users (hi, Paypal, you are used for adult purchases through ebay! hypocrisy, much?), Dreamwidth struggled to find a new payment processor rather than do it.
When those posts went up, I decided I wanted to put my money into the platform that has demonstratively put its values first. I don't hate LJ, and I'm not leaving LJ -- I have too many friends who are on LJ only and too many comms that don't have good equivalents. My crossposting continues with comments open on both, as does my own crossplatform commenting. But once my paid time is up on LJ, the next payment goes to Dreamwidth.
[As an aside, to those of my friends who are on DW, let me know what you're going by and I'll grant you access. If you already have access, but you've recently bumped into posts you can't read on DW that you see on LJ, tell me. I was mucking about with filters the other day and don't know if I got it all sorted. And finally, if you'd specifically prefer I comment on one or the other, let me know and I'll try to remember!]
The Dreamwidth version of this entry currently has
comments.