First of all, I cant reply to things endepth while at work.sea_sensu_siMarch 21 2008, 03:06:33 UTC
Were you aware that the Creator of LJ is also one of thouse in the croud of voices that's saying SUP is in the Wrong.
SUP didn't just buy a service to perpetuate, they also got a vibrant voisterous community, that argues and bickers and exspresses itself.
That is what they bought.
I don't know what SUP thinks its playing at - they could be playing Russian roulette for all I care.
The problem isn't that SUP is the Sun, and that We are the pebbles.
The problem is, that SUP is SUP, and We are We...
We aren't going away, Sup is interchangable - it could be some other company.
And We, can very well create a lot of problems for SUP.
Media relations, boycotts. ect.
All SUP can really do is pull its service support. Which, if they do - they lose money. buisness practice or no - yes, SUP does need to listen to us.
It doesn't matter what thier buisness degree background is... the LJ community has just as much behind it as do they.
And the LJ community is transendent and independent of SUP.. and the LJ community will raise its voice. which is what it is doing and has done..
if it weren't for the outrage, SUP would have done exactly what it has done. But enoughe voices were raised, with very valid points that SUP reconsidered its position.
What they did, you are correct, IS pure buisness strategy.
but in the war game.. they failed to account for the random factor. The random factor of PR, population force and community perseverance.
If LJ isn't what they wanted, then they should have been clear. They should have stated "we don't care what you have to say, so do not bother." but they know that they have to listen to the userbase for the majority of the time.
You and i are from two schools of thought here.
Not all individuals who oppose SUPs decision are whiny nor deluded. And not all who support SUPs decisions can maintain that the duspute is pointless and stupid.
its only pointless and stupid, if it is done for no reason. And its only whiny and deluded if no one cares.
But, people do care and they have spoken out, and they have done so with very valid points.
And for me - personally - this isn't about supporting the whiners... it's about the fact that very high profile LJ workers, admins, volunteers, developers - people I've known and worked with, people I respect like Brad and Leora and many others, Have weighed in on this, and thier message is clear.
SUP is the Buisness, but LJ is the Community.
And if SUPs intent is to invest in the LJ community, than it is very poor buisness practice to disregard the driving force of the original userbase, because it is ONLY the original userbase that is going to stimulate the growth of the new userbase.
Buisness decision or not - LJ as it is can not have one without the other.
content perpetuates content, as you can see between yourself and I.
If no one generates new content - there will be no interest in the service.
That is why Sup needs to listen to its userbase, to save face, quell the tied of the poor PR storm it has generated, and reunite its lifeblood - the users.
Thier linear programing failed to account for a very neccisary component - the ramifications of the users.
They simply wanted to see users as placated and docile. They found out that they were very wrong.
You may think it stupid for a segment of the community to have gone up in arms about SUPs actions...
but SUP can loose, and we have already won one battle.
Pepples make ripples, and ripples can have dramatic effects. Regardless of Computer science and buisness - people have power if they believe and persue and persevere... people can distroy systems, even if they systems say that they can not.
SUP didn't just buy a service to perpetuate, they also got a vibrant voisterous community, that argues and bickers and exspresses itself.
That is what they bought.
I don't know what SUP thinks its playing at - they could be playing Russian roulette for all I care.
The problem isn't that SUP is the Sun, and that We are the pebbles.
The problem is, that SUP is SUP, and We are We...
We aren't going away, Sup is interchangable - it could be some other company.
And We, can very well create a lot of problems for SUP.
Media relations, boycotts. ect.
All SUP can really do is pull its service support. Which, if they do - they lose money.
buisness practice or no - yes, SUP does need to listen to us.
It doesn't matter what thier buisness degree background is... the LJ community has just as much behind it as do they.
And the LJ community is transendent and independent of SUP.. and the LJ community will raise its voice. which is what it is doing and has done..
if it weren't for the outrage, SUP would have done exactly what it has done. But enoughe voices were raised, with very valid points that SUP reconsidered its position.
What they did, you are correct, IS pure buisness strategy.
but in the war game.. they failed to account for the random factor. The random factor of PR, population force and community perseverance.
If LJ isn't what they wanted, then they should have been clear. They should have stated "we don't care what you have to say, so do not bother." but they know that they have to listen to the userbase for the majority of the time.
You and i are from two schools of thought here.
Not all individuals who oppose SUPs decision are whiny nor deluded. And not all who support SUPs decisions can maintain that the duspute is pointless and stupid.
its only pointless and stupid, if it is done for no reason. And its only whiny and deluded if no one cares.
But, people do care and they have spoken out, and they have done so with very valid points.
And for me - personally - this isn't about supporting the whiners... it's about the fact that very high profile LJ workers, admins, volunteers, developers - people I've known and worked with, people I respect like Brad and Leora and many others, Have weighed in on this, and thier message is clear.
SUP is the Buisness, but LJ is the Community.
And if SUPs intent is to invest in the LJ community, than it is very poor buisness practice to disregard the driving force of the original userbase, because it is ONLY the original userbase that is going to stimulate the growth of the new userbase.
Buisness decision or not - LJ as it is can not have one without the other.
content perpetuates content, as you can see between yourself and I.
If no one generates new content - there will be no interest in the service.
That is why Sup needs to listen to its userbase, to save face, quell the tied of the poor PR storm it has generated, and reunite its lifeblood - the users.
Thier linear programing failed to account for a very neccisary component - the ramifications of the users.
They simply wanted to see users as placated and docile. They found out that they were very wrong.
You may think it stupid for a segment of the community to have gone up in arms about SUPs actions...
but SUP can loose, and we have already won one battle.
Pepples make ripples, and ripples can have dramatic effects. Regardless of Computer science and buisness - people have power if they believe and persue and persevere... people can distroy systems, even if they systems say that they can not.
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