Read-along Harry Potter (part 8)
Okay, this does it. I've said it too many times before. I've just about had it with LJ. It is definitely time to leave. In the latest round of LJ drama two people were permanently deleted with no warning, just because they posted pictures of characters from Harry Potter in sexual situations. LJ said the characters looked underage. They did not. Believe me, there's plenty of pictures out there far more dubious than the two that were deleted.
I love LiveJournal, but i have absolutely no love for Six Apart. They are arbitrarily targetting Harry Potter fandom, they are singling out individuals for no good reason and with no sensible explanation, and they are making up the rules as they go along. Worst of all, they have overcome the strikethrough fiasco by changing the LJ code so that deleted users no longer appear with a strikethrough! They don't even get a link anymore! The username just appears in bold. Do Six Apart honestly think that removing the strikethrough makes it all okay? It's dishonest, disrespectful and devious.
I've been thinking for a long time that i need to let go of dependence. Any time you let other sites host stuff for you, you're at the mercy of any censoring they may decide to enforce. I boycotted all things Microsoft a few years ago, but moved to Yahoo for email. That's no longer good enough. I'm going to set up my own email address at my own domain, and i'm going to create my own journal that i will host myself. I believe we have the technology these days, with RSS and OpenID, to be dispersed and yet still connected. It just takes a bit of organisation, but i think Six Apart have just kick-started fandom into doing it.
I will finish up posting my comments of Deathly Hallows, i will finish the day-by-day review at deathly_cntdwn and then i will leave for good. As a parting farewell, i may even post the picture that got ponderosa121 banned.
I deleted my Vox account today. When it asked me why, i put something like, "Because Six Apart have ruined LiveJournal and i want nothing more to do with it".
Okay, now to finish up what i started ... with the final most exciting chapters! Unfortunately i was in rather a hurry to finish and get to bed, so i didn't write as much as i wish i had, but at least these thoughts will jog my memory for the future.
Chapter 33
Sunday 22/07/2007 22:30. Oh no! Both Remus and Tonks. And i suspected Tonks of being evil.
Huh?! The password was 'Dumbledore'?!
Ohhh ... right. They were memories that Harry took from Snape. Now maybe we will learn something.
22:40. Oh, i think we're really getting somewhere with these memories. I wonder how far they will go ... will we see Regulus?
22:45. Was Snape involved in part of Harry's protection? Is that why Snape's true colours were only seen when Harry was almost 17? "I shall never reveal the best of you" - what does that mean? That Snape loved Harry's mum?
22:50. Dumbledore was tempted? Tempted by the sign of the Deathly Hallows on the ring?
22:55. Oh crikey. Harry is a Horcrux. You're going to say it, Jo, aren't you? Please make it interesting; i've heard this theory enough times to become sick of it!
23:00. Well, fancy that, it seems Jo has led us so far down the path to believe that Snape is evil, only to turn it right back at the last moment! One day i'll sit down and count how many times my opinion of Severus Snape has been changed! I think Snape has known for a long time that Harry must die to defeat Voldemort. No wonder Snape was so anxious to find Harry tonight. But what of this Elder Wand, now? Dumbledore and Voldemort both seem equally sure of one thing: Voldemort must kill Harry. But then what happens?
23:10. This truth about Snape seems oddly softening. Dumbledore kept Snape in the dark as much as anyone, i notice.
Chapter 34
Sunday 22/07/2007 23:10. I am pleased to see that Harry is peacefully accepting of the fact that the time has come to die.
23:15. Oh no! Colin Creevey! Poor little cute Colin Creevey.
This ending feels somewhat like the end of Titanic in its proportions.
Oh wow! Harry remembered the Snitch! The time has come! Could these Deathly Hallows yet save Harry? Would the wand obey Harry, since Harry took Snape's dying breath???!
23:20. My tears are so close now, as all Harry's loved ones appear, brought by the stone. Ahhh. This is too sad. Death does not hurt. Thank you, Jo, for including that.
Chapter 35
Sunday 22/07/2007 23:25. Is that it? Was that Harry's quick and pain-free death? What happened to Voldemort?
OH MY GOSH! This is so totally ... oh ... what's that film? With Robin Williams in it. Where you create your own afterlife - things happen exactly as you decide they should happen - instantly!
23:35. Oh, hooray! An answer to the gleam of triumph that has annoyed us forever and a day! So Voldemort is still alive, and hence, Harry can't truly die? That ugly thing on the floor, is that the other bit of Voldemort's soul?
23:50. Wow. That was a really good conversation. It explained a lot. What a great concept, that something can be in your head and real. This is very powerful stuff. I'm not sure what all the Christians would think of it ... but they should be pleased with the Jesus metaphor.
It's not over yet, is it? Harry's going to go back. I suppose we'd call this a near-death-experience. It has taught Harry that there is nothing to fear in death.
Chapter 36
Sunday 22/07/2007 23:55. Oh yes! Harry has, once again, survived the Killing Curse!
WOW!!! Narcissa knows Harry is alive! And lies to Voldemort! I'm suddenly remembering that Draco owes Harry a couple of life debts! Maybe the whole Malfoy family will convert to the good side!
Good thing Harry's not ticklish! ;)
Monday 23/07/2007 00:00. I've just got a tiny little feeling that Neville might go and kill Nagini!
00:05. Heheh! Dead Harry disappears and Neville finishes off the final remaining Horcrux! Now then, anyone fancy having a stab at Voldemort?! I notice the Gryffindor sword popped out of the Hat again! Hope Griphook won't miss it! You true Gryffindor, Neville!
00:10. Awww Kreacher!
00:15. Oh that is AWESOME! Lily died for Harry and Voldemort could not kill Harry. Now Harry has died for everyone else. Harry truly is the saviour of the wizarding world!
00:25. Very well done, Harry! And you didn't even kill Voldemort, really. Expelliarmus saves the day!
00:30. Harry is so wonderfully sensible, putting the Elder Wand out of harm's way.
Epilogue
Monday 23/07/2007 00:30. Nineteen years later? Why, that's even into the future isn't it? 1997 + 19 = 2016? Harry is ... 36?
Yay! Neville's a teacher!
Albus Severus Potter. That's so lovely. And Harry calls Severus Snape "probably the bravest man i even knew".
All was well - what an ending.
I will post some final thoughts later ... :)
I love LiveJournal, but i have absolutely no love for Six Apart. They are arbitrarily targetting Harry Potter fandom, they are singling out individuals for no good reason and with no sensible explanation, and they are making up the rules as they go along. Worst of all, they have overcome the strikethrough fiasco by changing the LJ code so that deleted users no longer appear with a strikethrough! They don't even get a link anymore! The username just appears in bold. Do Six Apart honestly think that removing the strikethrough makes it all okay? It's dishonest, disrespectful and devious.
I've been thinking for a long time that i need to let go of dependence. Any time you let other sites host stuff for you, you're at the mercy of any censoring they may decide to enforce. I boycotted all things Microsoft a few years ago, but moved to Yahoo for email. That's no longer good enough. I'm going to set up my own email address at my own domain, and i'm going to create my own journal that i will host myself. I believe we have the technology these days, with RSS and OpenID, to be dispersed and yet still connected. It just takes a bit of organisation, but i think Six Apart have just kick-started fandom into doing it.
I will finish up posting my comments of Deathly Hallows, i will finish the day-by-day review at deathly_cntdwn and then i will leave for good. As a parting farewell, i may even post the picture that got ponderosa121 banned.
I deleted my Vox account today. When it asked me why, i put something like, "Because Six Apart have ruined LiveJournal and i want nothing more to do with it".
Okay, now to finish up what i started ... with the final most exciting chapters! Unfortunately i was in rather a hurry to finish and get to bed, so i didn't write as much as i wish i had, but at least these thoughts will jog my memory for the future.
Chapter 33
Sunday 22/07/2007 22:30. Oh no! Both Remus and Tonks. And i suspected Tonks of being evil.
Huh?! The password was 'Dumbledore'?!
Ohhh ... right. They were memories that Harry took from Snape. Now maybe we will learn something.
22:40. Oh, i think we're really getting somewhere with these memories. I wonder how far they will go ... will we see Regulus?
22:45. Was Snape involved in part of Harry's protection? Is that why Snape's true colours were only seen when Harry was almost 17? "I shall never reveal the best of you" - what does that mean? That Snape loved Harry's mum?
22:50. Dumbledore was tempted? Tempted by the sign of the Deathly Hallows on the ring?
22:55. Oh crikey. Harry is a Horcrux. You're going to say it, Jo, aren't you? Please make it interesting; i've heard this theory enough times to become sick of it!
23:00. Well, fancy that, it seems Jo has led us so far down the path to believe that Snape is evil, only to turn it right back at the last moment! One day i'll sit down and count how many times my opinion of Severus Snape has been changed! I think Snape has known for a long time that Harry must die to defeat Voldemort. No wonder Snape was so anxious to find Harry tonight. But what of this Elder Wand, now? Dumbledore and Voldemort both seem equally sure of one thing: Voldemort must kill Harry. But then what happens?
23:10. This truth about Snape seems oddly softening. Dumbledore kept Snape in the dark as much as anyone, i notice.
Chapter 34
Sunday 22/07/2007 23:10. I am pleased to see that Harry is peacefully accepting of the fact that the time has come to die.
23:15. Oh no! Colin Creevey! Poor little cute Colin Creevey.
This ending feels somewhat like the end of Titanic in its proportions.
Oh wow! Harry remembered the Snitch! The time has come! Could these Deathly Hallows yet save Harry? Would the wand obey Harry, since Harry took Snape's dying breath???!
23:20. My tears are so close now, as all Harry's loved ones appear, brought by the stone. Ahhh. This is too sad. Death does not hurt. Thank you, Jo, for including that.
Chapter 35
Sunday 22/07/2007 23:25. Is that it? Was that Harry's quick and pain-free death? What happened to Voldemort?
OH MY GOSH! This is so totally ... oh ... what's that film? With Robin Williams in it. Where you create your own afterlife - things happen exactly as you decide they should happen - instantly!
23:35. Oh, hooray! An answer to the gleam of triumph that has annoyed us forever and a day! So Voldemort is still alive, and hence, Harry can't truly die? That ugly thing on the floor, is that the other bit of Voldemort's soul?
23:50. Wow. That was a really good conversation. It explained a lot. What a great concept, that something can be in your head and real. This is very powerful stuff. I'm not sure what all the Christians would think of it ... but they should be pleased with the Jesus metaphor.
It's not over yet, is it? Harry's going to go back. I suppose we'd call this a near-death-experience. It has taught Harry that there is nothing to fear in death.
Chapter 36
Sunday 22/07/2007 23:55. Oh yes! Harry has, once again, survived the Killing Curse!
WOW!!! Narcissa knows Harry is alive! And lies to Voldemort! I'm suddenly remembering that Draco owes Harry a couple of life debts! Maybe the whole Malfoy family will convert to the good side!
Good thing Harry's not ticklish! ;)
Monday 23/07/2007 00:00. I've just got a tiny little feeling that Neville might go and kill Nagini!
00:05. Heheh! Dead Harry disappears and Neville finishes off the final remaining Horcrux! Now then, anyone fancy having a stab at Voldemort?! I notice the Gryffindor sword popped out of the Hat again! Hope Griphook won't miss it! You true Gryffindor, Neville!
00:10. Awww Kreacher!
00:15. Oh that is AWESOME! Lily died for Harry and Voldemort could not kill Harry. Now Harry has died for everyone else. Harry truly is the saviour of the wizarding world!
00:25. Very well done, Harry! And you didn't even kill Voldemort, really. Expelliarmus saves the day!
00:30. Harry is so wonderfully sensible, putting the Elder Wand out of harm's way.
Epilogue
Monday 23/07/2007 00:30. Nineteen years later? Why, that's even into the future isn't it? 1997 + 19 = 2016? Harry is ... 36?
Yay! Neville's a teacher!
Albus Severus Potter. That's so lovely. And Harry calls Severus Snape "probably the bravest man i even knew".
All was well - what an ending.
I will post some final thoughts later ... :)