New news on the fandom front

So some of you are probably sick of hearing about this.

But I don't particularly care! Skim over, don't following the links, or unfriend if you must.

Anyhow, after TWO DAYS of questions, and after taking to Cnet and to metafilter, lj has finally talked to lj. http://news.livejournal.com/99159.html

The apologize. Or at least say "we're sorry" a lot, but in my mind they're apologizing for the wrong things. There's no mention of advertisers. There's no mention of panic. They talk about looking just at interests, and taking down communities whose interests didn't make it obvious that the included interests of lolita or pedophilia or incest were anti- or literary in nature.

I call BS. I CANNOT imagine that the Spanish literature group didn't have something in their interests that made it obvious they were a literature group! Of course I can't look at their interests, because they're still banned. (And, in fact, I can't even find them. Where on earth WAS the post that listed them by name? There's like 20 pages of this stuff on my f-list now, sorting through it is impossible. Anyhow.) Lj does say they will be fixing those obvious mistakes. I want to know where they'll draw the line though. The survivor journals will be back, of course, and the outright literary stuff, but what about the Potterfic? What about the role playing character villain journals?

We'll see.

Yep, more fandom.

cussedness Just put up a lovely post summing up why fandom 'cest and other squicky subjects should be allowed.

It really covers some great historical and philosophical ground, I highly reccommend reading it.

THAT right there is why I care. Yes, I also care because of the slippery slope problem, because if them now, how long until I'm next? But mostly I care because of what being able to write has done for me. I have written things that probably would seriously squick out some of you reading this. I never did post them publicly, but I did write them. And I wrote them instead of doing them. I purged those things from me by acting them out, to the point where my YinWolf was tame, and these days only growls when we're all angry, and no longer wants to do many of the things shi once wanted very much to do. (Honestly I may never have done them. Physical violence doesn't come easily to me. But then again... I might have. This time last year I was perilously close to snapping, and heaven knows what could have happened if things had been otherwise.)

Banning the posting of such things doesn't prevent the writing, this is true, but for many people who work through these issues, the posting is part of the process, and the feedback they get on the writing is important.

So even if you disagree with their content, you may want to consider your thoughts about their ability to post it.

Probably over

Well, there's still a lot going on, and a lot of discussion and argument, and the "other side" has finally found the fandom protest communities, and is trying to convince us of the error of our evil, porn-spewing ways. They're not having much luck, because it's not about the right to porn so much as it is about the right to discussion.

But as far as I'm concerned, unless lj does something really unexpected, it's over.

They've posted a pathetic "apology." When they answered questions and tried to clarify it, they used more of the same corporate double-talk, and haven't clarified anything to my satisfaction. I doubt they ever will, though I'd love to see it.

They've started restoring journals and communities, and promise that all fan journals will be back. I think I believe them on this one, a lot of them are back already. (See post here for a decently comprehensive list of what is and isn't back.) They've put back the major rallying point, which is pornish_pixies, as well as the literary and fashion folks.

What they haven't done is earned my trust back. If they'd admitted to the real reasons behind their mistake, they might well have. But while they're falling all over themselves to say "we screwed up, we're sorry," they haven't let out a peep about threats to their advertising sponsors. So nope, I don't trust 'em.

In fact I don't trust them any further than I could throw them, and given my smallish stature that's not very far.

If I had a better option, I'd be leaving lj. But I know that a lot of you, my friends, who are reading this, don't feel the same way. For whatever reason, this doesn't tick you off like it does me. That's fine. We're all different, and that's part of why I love you guys. But if I moved to Greatest Journal or some other service, I'd be leaving most of you behind. And I suppose I could petition you all to come with me, but then you'd all have to try and get your friends to come, and they'd have to get theirs, and it just wouldn't work. And even if it did, the communities wouldn't go either. I doubt Greatest Journal has any places where I could reach so many of my fursuit-wanting customers, or plush crazy people, or any of that. And I also doubt they have such fun groups as dot_bdsm_snark, or any of the several comics I follow through lj.

In short, I'd lose too much, and if I really want to express my rights to free speech, I have my own forum to do it on, so I don't feel the move would be worth it, satisfying as the statement I'd make by doing it would be.

So, the next best thing. Livejournal shall never see another cent of money because of me. When my paid account expires, I shall just let it go, and I ask you folks, my friends and readers, to please not buy me any lj time, or extra icons, or anything else that lines the pockets of those who have just demonstrated that they care more about such pocket lining than they do about their community. (Which is darn stupid of them. If they lose the community, the pocket lining goes too!)

*sniffle* Goodbye, lovely icons. I shall miss you greatly when you expire!

*Cries*

The UPS truck hasn't come today. It's nearly 5. I was promised Windstones! I was expecting shinies! WOE is me, for UPS has failed me!

Other things accomplished today.

http://bladespark.topcities.com/costume/silverblack.jpg Shiny dragon tail with velvet spikes and horns.