Happy LJ-versary to me. On this date in 2004 I made my first bewildered post on LiveJournal. The online world has changed a lot since then, hasn't it
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I think LJ has made "LJ-destroying" changes at least once every two years since I've been on it... I bought a permanent account a million years ago, so I haven't had to contend with the proliferation of ads and whatnot. It's definitely a quieter place these days, but I blame AO3 for that -- there's less need for fic-posting communities now, which split the fic-ing from the commentary/discussion, and made it harder to get to know authors and other fans on the more personal level besides.
That's a very good point, about the AO3. I mean, the AO3 is an almost unmitigated good for fandom, as far as I'm concerned, because the ability to download, read on Kindle, get long works in a single chunk, subscribe, search, etc. etc. etc. have made finding and reading fanfic so deliciously easy. But the loss of conversation--which seems to be the loss everyone feels the most in all these changes--is very real. It no longer feels safe/obvious/correct to go follow the journal of a fanfic author you liked on AO3--at least, it doesn't to me.
I'm sort of annoyed by the Tumblr-ization of tags on the AO3. I get them as an art form, but they don't do a thing for what tags are supposedly for.
Oh yeah... it's so much easier to find things, first of all. There's always something to read. So I do like AO3. I feel the same way about feeling weird about finding an author that I like and randomly following him or her, too, though. And the tags issue.
One other thing LJ (or DW) is better at than AO3 is reccing things. I used to lean heavily on LJ recs communities, many of which have dwindled or disappeared... then I was using delicious, which is no longer usable... I haven't found a good replacement for that sort of thing. Is that what people are tumblr-ing for? Whatever. Off my lawn indeed.
There are some good rec tumblrs, I think. But unless I save a specific link, I have no idea how to find them again.
My participation in Teen Wolf fan fic reading-dom is dependent on the kindness of friends. We exchange recs by email, of all the weird old fashioned things to do.
LJ does seem to be moving further and further away from what works for the US fanbase, doesn't it? I miss the fannish feel LJ used to have. I like AO3 for fic, but it's harder to find what I want to read there and the tags annoy the HECK out of me.
Yeah, the tags are annoying, and the search function, though good, is far from Google-rific.
I took some heart from the fact that SUP wants to recapture some of the US market it lost. They probably won't do it "right" by our lights, but, IDK, it at least they haven't just given the American market up for dead. Maybe some good will come of it.
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I think LJ has made "LJ-destroying" changes at least once every two years since I've been on it... I bought a permanent account a million years ago, so I haven't had to contend with the proliferation of ads and whatnot. It's definitely a quieter place these days, but I blame AO3 for that -- there's less need for fic-posting communities now, which split the fic-ing from the commentary/discussion, and made it harder to get to know authors and other fans on the more personal level besides.
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I'm sort of annoyed by the Tumblr-ization of tags on the AO3. I get them as an art form, but they don't do a thing for what tags are supposedly for.
Sigh. Get off my lawn, etc.
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One other thing LJ (or DW) is better at than AO3 is reccing things. I used to lean heavily on LJ recs communities, many of which have dwindled or disappeared... then I was using delicious, which is no longer usable... I haven't found a good replacement for that sort of thing. Is that what people are tumblr-ing for? Whatever. Off my lawn indeed.
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My participation in Teen Wolf fan fic reading-dom is dependent on the kindness of friends. We exchange recs by email, of all the weird old fashioned things to do.
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Congrats on your anniversary!
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I took some heart from the fact that SUP wants to recapture some of the US market it lost. They probably won't do it "right" by our lights, but, IDK, it at least they haven't just given the American market up for dead. Maybe some good will come of it.
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