goals and guidelines

[barakb25]

As promised, I want to clarify any confusion there may have been about our policies regarding your content on LiveJournal.

Our number one goal is to encourage and promote a free and open community. We will only intervene to the extent needed to avoid the site being used as a vehicle for illegal activities. The policies are simple.

• We do not

Comments

[photosinensis]

What about role playing journals, where there is obviously no intent to actually do any illegal activity, but illegal activity may be a part of what the character is? Will a standard "This journal is not a real journal, but a part of roleplaygame," be enough to clarify this? After all, Strikethrough got at least three RP journals based on the fact that the characters' interests and activities were illegal in real life.

[roaring]

No, it won't. A few celebrity RP journals have gotten deleted because they "impersonated" someone, even if the disclaimer was there. This happened before ST though.

[burr86]

That's actually a different situation -- in those cases, if they impersonate someone (even with a disclaimer), and we get a report from the person being impersonated, we'll suspend the journal.

[roaring]

So why weren't all celebrity journals banned? All of the others friended to it and the RP communities, etc. It' was there, clear as day. Also, the person was really upset, because it was done without warning.

I don't like celebrity RP, but I know that would irk the hell out of me.

[burr86]

Because it has to be reported by the person being impersonated. Otherwise, we don't act on the journal.

[jmpierce]

...and you can't give people ample enough warning so they can save their crap?

I also want to know why LJ/6A can't be arsed to give any warning whatsoever before shutting something down.

[ksol1460]

[rainnxonxme]

I find that hard to believe. Do you verify said celebrities' identities when they complain?

[herwonderfulday]

It's probably handled by the celebrity's lawyer.

[fangirlsays]

So, does that extend to Real-Person fiction? Where the writer clearly says "this is fiction, and I'm not making any claims about the actual celebrity"? Those will be suspended if the celebrity complains about it? Because those two things seem pretty similar to me.

[burr86]

Well, the difference in that particular case is that the entire journal isn't about the person. (If I'm understanding you right.) So in that case it becomes a situation where it's one objectionable entry, rather than the entire journal being used to impersonate someone.

Of course, if I had a journal full of RPS about you, even if I didn't claim to be you, you'd have a pretty strong case for getting it shut down. :)

[fangirlsays]

Okay. So, say I have a community that is devoted to RPS fiction involving two celebrities. You're saying that if the celebrities complain -- for any reason, even just that they don't like the idea of it -- the comm's going to be suspended?

Of course, if I had a journal full of RPS about you, even if I didn't claim to be you, you'd have a pretty strong case for getting it shut down. :)

The difference being that I'm not a celebrity or a public figure, I would think.

[burr86]

That, I'm not so sure about -- the line changes when you talk about celebrities vs talking about regular people. (It's creepier for people to write stories about me than it is for people to write stories about John Barrowman or whoever. ;) So I can't tell you for sure what would happen in those cases, because I've yet to see a case like that.

[thedorkygirl]

You RPF John Barrowman/David Tennant, don't you?

[burr86]

Mmmmmm.

I mean. No. :)