Latest LJ drama

[mousme]

Everyone and their cousin has posted about this, and many of them more eloquently than I. I simply state for the record that Strikethrough 2007, as it's been dubbed, is yet another example of several things that have been wrong with LJ for many years:

1- Letting hysterical vigilantes dictate what is and isn't appropriate LiveJournal content. (I refer you back to the Great Breastfeeding Icon Debacle of 2006)

2- Overreacting to the aforementioned hysterical vigilantes' concerns by mass-deleting/banning journals and communities without so much as a case-by-case review process in place.

3- Failing to communicate a) to the people directly affected by the change in policy, and b) to the LiveJournal Community in general.

Doubtless this, too, will blow over, like every single other LiveJournal Drama that has occurred over the past few years. I, for one, don't plan on going anywhere. Still, I find it sad that the LiveJournal and Six Apart staff are consistently caving in to special-interests groups and others who have very specific and destructive agendas. I deplore the lack of basic customer service, which would dictate that they at the very least post an announcement detailing their actions and the reasoning behind them.

Their silence on this topic, and all others like it, speaks volumes.

Comments

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

Especially listing what interests are being considered in deleting journals. The only two I found in mine I might question are children and children's literature, which is a stretch, but, who knows? I haven't changed interests but if I did I'd have to change them to family and, what? Which would be patently ridiculous. All I talk about is kids. MY kids.

[sorceror.livejournal.com]

Well, considering that many of us get ours for free… that doesn't excuse everything, but it makes a difference. How many of the deleted communities/accounts were paid, as opposed to free?

[forthright.livejournal.com]

Hmm ... I see your point, but I don't think it makes a difference. The terms of service state that regardless of paid / free user status, LJ can decide to delete your journal at any time, without any warning, and without any compensation for unused time on a paid account. Accordingly I don't see that that distinction is a key one. Legally, I have no greater expectation of LJ continuing to provide me service than anyone else.

[whiskeygirl8.livejournal.com]

This has taken over my life. I am enjoying way too much looking things up and finding out who that got deleted is really a pedophile and who is just a freakin' perv. Of course, the list I just printed out is HUGE and I don't know if I'll get to it. I will peruse it, though, because I imagine many of them are ones I already checked out from Perverted Justice and those that I know of from the beginnings of this mess.

I don't know why this is fascinating me so much. I don't know diddly squat about fandom and don't really care much about it. Other than I just get all riled up with stuff like this and I enjoy doing the detective work that LJ obviously refuses to do.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

All you need or want to know about fandom can be summed up in the following:

Ron/Giant Squid.

*ducks, runs, hides*

[whiskeygirl8.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what that means.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

You're very, very lucky.

[luvenditti.livejournal.com]

I do. ick.