Uh-oh... Are they calling it normal again?

[byslantedlight]

I've just had an email from lj about renewing my subscription, after several years when they emailed to say that they were extending paid ljs for free, what with the whole leaders-of-their-country-having-attacked-another-country, and clearly deciding that they really couldn't ask us to try and pay them money

Comments

[sc_fossil]

I bought a permanent account when I first came to LJ back in 2007 so I don't get any payment reminders. I'm actually surprised that the permanent account was honoured. I totally understand what you're saying and I sincerely wish we had somewhere else to go. It seems impossible to get anybody to Dreamwidth or even Discord. I have no useful suggestions on what to do. :( I want to keep on enjoying the lads with the few people left and I'm willing to migrate elsewhere. Tumblr isn't a great place to interact and Facebook is horrible for keeping up with anything in a logical manner.

[tinturtle]

Facebook is awful, and I'm also not comfortable using my real name for public fan interactions. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Dreamwidth is a bit clunkier than LJ, but seems like the best alternative, if we have to move. I have been crossposting there since the invasion for the people who don't feel they can use LJ anymore.

[sc_fossil]

You don't need to use a real name on Facebook but it's a horrible platform.

[byslantedlight]

I agree about using Facebook for fandom - total no-no for me.

My trouble with Dreamwidth (apart from similar moral issues about money going to support a government which does things I don't like), is that it doesn't host pictures, which makes most of the stuff I do on lj - including Dialj - almost impossible....

[krisserci5]

do you go back to a free account? that's all I've ever had

[byslantedlight]

Yes, presumably I'd just go back to a free account - but when I do post to lj I tend to post alot of pictures, which I wouldn't be able to do. And things like the Discoveredinlj calendar are going to be devastated of all their images/icons etc. if my ability to use lj's Scrapbook is hugely diminished.

[krisserci5]

AAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[tinturtle]

I got the email and didn’t act on it. Nothing has changed so far.
ETA: Actually, it looks like I do have the low cap on my user pics and photo storage again, but I haven't been seeing ads. Interesting.

[byslantedlight]

Ack - it's that low cap on user pics and photo storage that will destroy me. I could use lj in its free version if only everything I did on it - including the Dialj challenges etc. - weren't so picture-heavy....

[ali15son]

Mine is only up for renewal in july 2024 but i am going to renew it because i want to keep my lj as it is not because i agree with what's going on politically and a) dreamwidth is so boring ( nobody commicates like on lj) b) i'm not on facebook and c) i like it where i am so i'm going to bite the bullet and renew.

Eta.....unless they feel like giving me a free extension *g*

[sallymn]

See my message below, if you get a message about renewal just contact the help people.

[ali15son]

Will do, i am hoping it will be like the last time and things get automatically renewed (fingers crossed)

[ali15son]

That should read communicates ....oooppps

[cloudless_9193]

Please always keep in mind, that the Ukrainian government has been bombing their own people (Ukrainian civilians including women and children) in the Donbass since 2014 and never stopped. If you wouldn't want to give any money to countries attacking other countries, I'm afraid, you couldn't buy any American products. ;-) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_States#20th-century_wars

[byslantedlight]

Yes, I remember that there's been fighting since 2014, when there were protests against the then-Ukrainian-leader Yanukovych trying to take the country back towards Russia and away from trade agreements etc with the EU. The fighting certainly didn't start in 2022, but Russia certainly did escalate it then.

And quite right about the USA and it's long history of attacking other countries - it's by no means the "good guy" that it claims to be, and hasn't been for a very long time. I will yet again point out that people are still being held without trial at Guantanamo Bay, and were tortured there - for all we know they are still being tortured there. That is not the act of a truly civilised country

[cloudless_9193]

I'm with you. As to the LJ payment, I think the sanctions against Russia are still in place, at least for us ordinary people, so it isn't even possible for us to send payments to Russia. Remember that using credit cards or Paypal means also giving the US your money, as I'm sure there are a thousand other ways, as Blackrock and Vanguard have control over a lot of the world's businesses. ;-)