Fandom stuff

[sumbitch]

For those of you who are not primarily fan-oriented, there is both hue and cry at the moment over LJ's recent summary execution of several fan journals.

Comments

[traveller]

if either of you would like journalfen accounts, I'll be happy to arrange that. just say the word.

[sumbitch]

Thank you! I do appreciate your point that JF is the logical place for people who are primarily motivated out of fear of the Grim Censor. But when I think "Journalfen" I think of three things
1) FW
2) RPGs
3) Servers that go down like Dom Monaghan on prom night.

Of course if all of my bestest friends moved there then I might eventually generate other associations to layer on top of 1-3, but right now I just can't imagine setting up a happy home.

I know you like it, though, which gives it points. I dunno, I'm going to wait and see how things shake out.

[traveller]

welllll, like i said to someone else that broached those same objections, it's the people who provide the content, not the server, right? there are rpgs and nasty comms on LJ too (i spent three headsplitting hours the other night trying to convince someone who was involved in a mockery comm that userinfo that says "omg let's trash these people up and down behind a lock but remember they're people too!" is an all new height of absurdity). also, if one is taking a principled stand on freedom of expression, then the service which hosts a community that the owners personally abhor is the one for me. they DO find f_w disgusting, but it's a matter of principle. and the mods pay. which dovetails into point the third -- you SHOULD get what you pay for, and right now LJ isn't doing a very good job of it. but if enough people invested in JF then the funds would be there to upgrade their software (i have it from robin that it's the software, actually, not the servers, but what do i know, i connect to the internets with dental floss and dixie

[sumbitch]

I do get that, and agree that it's a logical place to go for people who are concerned that their fandom activities might be borderline. But I'm not sure that I, personally, am primarily concerned with freedom of expression -- which I actually think is in very little danger on the internet right now. I'm more concerned with crappy customer service/lack of transparency.

Apart from that, there is for me a difficult-to-define social dimension of services that's outside of any given user's content. It's the reason Myspace feels like Claire's Accessories, and Wikipedia feels like a giant middle-school science fair, and Livejournal like a college cafeteria, and Journalfen like the college cafeteria where mostly people you don't like go to eat. It's just hard to imagine being at ease there.

[bateleur]

Out of interest, is there a decent summary of the issues somewhere you could link to? Why were the deleted journals considered bad, in particular?

[mother2012]

http://www.darksiderainbow.net/dr-weekend-edition-080507-livejournal-arouses-the-ire-of-its-usersagain/

[bateleur]

Cool, thanks.

[sumbitch]

Ah, well done finding a non-LJ source. You can get a pretty good sense by skimming that article.

I'm personally not involved with HP fandom in any way, and none of the characters in my fandoms have age problems. I simply think that LJ has provided some terrible customer service, and there's no indication that they realize this. I'm actually sympathetic to their desire not to have that stuff around (I, too, would like to avoid it) -- but the way they've decided what has artistic merit, and the way that they've shut down journals without notice, leaves a lot to be desired.

[cindyjade]

*clings to yr wee iguana ankles*

[sumbitch]

COW.

*curls up between your horns*

[ex_absolutef238]

the word of gotten is that most people are getting both greatest and insane journal accounts and then waiting around to see which way fandom goes.

[kissing_athelas]

Gosh. It's such a hullaballoo, isn't it?

[ex_absolutef238]

totesa hellabaloo

[spillingvelvet]

i have all journals ever except dead which still makes you use a code. so, i'll just use one more often, i guess.