I call bullshit
Apparently LJ is once again deleting fandom journals for overly-prurient content, despite their insistence that they would not do this. The victims this time are Harry Potter fanartists who depict sexual situations with characters who are underage in some of the HP books and may or may not be underage in the fanart. LJ is suspending all victims' accounts permanently with no warning or takedown requests. This after LJ's refusal to clarify their ridiculously vague TOS changes and their assurance that fandom journals would not be targetted. If you want to see exactly what is tweaking LJ's nipples these days, here's the image that got ponderosa121 permanently suspended. (NOT work safe.)
Making the whole situation even more retarded is the fact that the suspensions seem to have occurred during or right after San D, and LJ recently altered its code so that perma-banned or deleted accounts no longer appear as struck-through names, but as bolded and unlinked, and further the deleted accounts have been disappeared from profile pages. So the only way you'll notice someone's journal is banned is if you go looking for it.
Bitching is taking place here and here.
What I posted, not that I expect anyone to listen, but it summarizes how I feel:
What the hell is wrong with you people, seriously? What the hell is it that has you freaking out and taking on the role of censor? I have news for you: it's up to a court to interpret the exact border between art and obscenity, if and when someone is charged with violating the obscenity laws. Not you. Where the hell do you get off, anyway, thinking that you have the sort of intelligence, discretion, and judgment necessary to make decisions regarding the censorship of free expression in the name of "the public good"? From where I sit, the people making these decisions for LJ/6A barely have enough judgment to get their pants on in the morning.
What goal is it you are trying to achieve with your ambiguous TOS definitions and your absurd non-enforcement of them? What goal could you possibly have that would justify pissing off fandom as a whole and driving herds of faithful LJ users to competing services? Do you really think you are such special snowflakes that we can't find another journaling service? Do you think we're such sheep that no matter what you do, we won't go through the bother of leaving? That might be true if this was a one time thing...but there are only so many times you can kick us in the balls before we get fed up; and if you know nothing else about fandom you should at least be aware that free speech is near and dear to all our hearts, and more likely than any other dispute to unite us all in the same cause.
You need to fucking shape up. Unfortunately, every time you start this shit again, moving to another journaling service seems like a better idea. I'm only here now because all my friends are here. I expect many people feel the same. If our friends start going, do you really think we're going to hang around?
I'm seriously considering leaving. The only reason I'm here really is because all you guys are, but if other people want to leave I'm happy to leave to. Just...fuck this shit, you know? I'm starting to feel like I'm subsidizing Chick Ministries or something.
By the by, here's a guide to backing up your LJ. Unfortunately it seems comments, moods, etc. have to be transferred manually, but moving the actual meat of the journal over is pretty simple. I may do this soon...I've not quite decided.
I have journals (which I'm currently not using) on InsaneJournal and JournalFen. I hear GreatestJournal is kinda clunky so I haven't got one there now. I think I'd lean towards IJ as the best LJ alternative but I'm not really positive...I want to be able to see my friends on my friends list, that's all I'm after.
Making the whole situation even more retarded is the fact that the suspensions seem to have occurred during or right after San D, and LJ recently altered its code so that perma-banned or deleted accounts no longer appear as struck-through names, but as bolded and unlinked, and further the deleted accounts have been disappeared from profile pages. So the only way you'll notice someone's journal is banned is if you go looking for it.
Bitching is taking place here and here.
What I posted, not that I expect anyone to listen, but it summarizes how I feel:
What the hell is wrong with you people, seriously? What the hell is it that has you freaking out and taking on the role of censor? I have news for you: it's up to a court to interpret the exact border between art and obscenity, if and when someone is charged with violating the obscenity laws. Not you. Where the hell do you get off, anyway, thinking that you have the sort of intelligence, discretion, and judgment necessary to make decisions regarding the censorship of free expression in the name of "the public good"? From where I sit, the people making these decisions for LJ/6A barely have enough judgment to get their pants on in the morning.
What goal is it you are trying to achieve with your ambiguous TOS definitions and your absurd non-enforcement of them? What goal could you possibly have that would justify pissing off fandom as a whole and driving herds of faithful LJ users to competing services? Do you really think you are such special snowflakes that we can't find another journaling service? Do you think we're such sheep that no matter what you do, we won't go through the bother of leaving? That might be true if this was a one time thing...but there are only so many times you can kick us in the balls before we get fed up; and if you know nothing else about fandom you should at least be aware that free speech is near and dear to all our hearts, and more likely than any other dispute to unite us all in the same cause.
You need to fucking shape up. Unfortunately, every time you start this shit again, moving to another journaling service seems like a better idea. I'm only here now because all my friends are here. I expect many people feel the same. If our friends start going, do you really think we're going to hang around?
I'm seriously considering leaving. The only reason I'm here really is because all you guys are, but if other people want to leave I'm happy to leave to. Just...fuck this shit, you know? I'm starting to feel like I'm subsidizing Chick Ministries or something.
By the by, here's a guide to backing up your LJ. Unfortunately it seems comments, moods, etc. have to be transferred manually, but moving the actual meat of the journal over is pretty simple. I may do this soon...I've not quite decided.
I have journals (which I'm currently not using) on InsaneJournal and JournalFen. I hear GreatestJournal is kinda clunky so I haven't got one there now. I think I'd lean towards IJ as the best LJ alternative but I'm not really positive...I want to be able to see my friends on my friends list, that's all I'm after.