Those Damn Buttons

[poliphilo]

Numbers of my friends seem to be abandoning LJ- upping sticks and moving elsewhere. For many it seems those damn buttons that link us to Facebook and Twitter were the final straw. Silly old LJ, for doing that!  I mean, did they consult with anyone beforehand? Me, I've always been careful never to put anything here that I wouldn't be happy to see published with my name attached, so you can link me to Facebook as much as you like, and I won't care. Not that any of you would.

I'm sad about what's happening, but I've got a lot invested here, I like the company- what's left of it- and I'm not moving.

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

My experience of these episodes is that people rarely follow up on their dramatic claims to jump ship. Most of us know that most of our friends wouldn't want or be able to follow us - and that's what we're really here for. If people from your f-list really have been moving away this time, I'm sorry to hear that. But I wouldn't worry too much if they are just talking about it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Several have said they'll be moving their main operation to Dreamwidth. I've been over and taken a look and it's a cheap, nasty-looking site.

but, yes, you're right, we've had scares like this before.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

There's something about Dreamwidth that I don't really like either. I feel it's a bit amateurish and while there's not necessarily anything wrong with that, it means you are relaying on the enthusiasm of the founders to keep it going. In fact I'm very suspicious of anyone who says they're "passionate" about anything. Passion can so easily fade away.

Also Dreamwidth is supposed to be so wonderful because it doesn't have anything to do with big nasty commercial companies like Facebook, but honestly, if everyone did shift over and they needed to buy new servers, how are they going to pay for it?

Anyway, I'm not going anywhere and if everyone does desert LJ, I'm more likely to start a blog on Wordpress and keep in touch with friends via that and other means such as email, Facebook and Twitter. I won't be moving to Dreamwidth.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't think LJ is going down any time soon. It may be faltering in the West, but I understand it's huge in Russia.

If Dreamwidth gets big it will almost certainly make compromises and mistakes. And if it doesn't get big it will almost certainly collapse, as so many other LJ clones have done.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I would be very surprised, if LJ fails. The people who say they and their friends leaving will send the service into a freefall towards oblivion are either naive or they have made themselves out to be legends in their own minds. LJ is far bigger than us and our friends/connections.

LJ will more than survive people like me leaving the service; it will thrive. The investors will make sure of it, or they will sell it to another investor who will find a way to make it so. Whether those of us who leave would want to be a part of what LJ is becoming in the process of continuing to thrive is another story.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

A few of my friends grumbled but so far nobody has actually gone away and I hope it stays that way. I trust the people here enough not to click a button if they're commenting on a friends locked post of mine here (most are). I have many years invested here as well and am staying. I rather like it here and the people are the thing, not LJ policy.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're staying.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

I'm staying. Dreamwidth gets on my t*ts. It's too full of the people on feminist who were the main reason why I friended you - and I'm glad I did!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're sticking around.

I've glanced at Dreamwidth. I wasn't impressed.

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

Does facebook link you automatically by e-mail address? Good job I have a veronica e-mail and the one with my real name, and they are separate.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've no idea how Facebook works. I don't have a Facebook account, and I don't plan to get one. The Facebook "culture" repels me.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Not as far as I know. I have a Facebook account, I have not linked that account to my LJ, and so far there is no crossover between the two.

[amritarosa.livejournal.com]

Though I'm moving my art & magick journals over to jackbirdarts dot com, I'm staying here for my regular posts! I'd miss you guys if I moved completely.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're keeping a presence here.

[aellia.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that you're staying.
As I said it's just as easy to cut and pou want paste anything anywhere if you want to. I'm jst ignoring it all
x

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

And I'm ignoring it with you, Penny!

[shullie.livejournal.com]

and me too....

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

LJ suits me. It's a civilised environment and I know my way around. I've no wish to spread myself over a multitude of sites.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I like the people here, too, so I'm keeping my account to keep reading!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Good.

I'd be very sorry to lose touch with you.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I think most of the people on my f-list are crossposting averse.

Nevertheless, I don't want to be up the creek if LJ goes belly up, so every few months I mirror my LJ on Dreamwidth. Suspenders and a belt. (I also build one of those LJbook things periodically. It's nice to have a pdf version of the journal, like a bound volume, on my hard drive.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't want the hassle of having to keep up with a multitude of sites.

If LJ goes down, I'll go down with it- confident in the knowledge that my blog will be preserved on the super-computer at the University of Alexandria

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

I thought LJ is owned by teh great Google? It's possible that they might pull the plug, after assimilating LJ's uniqueness, but it seems somewhat unlikely.

I despise Facebook with a passion. I have an account, unfortunately, and the part with connections to me is populated by Murdock's hysterical peasants, god botherers, teabaggers, neo-Confederates and other white supremacists, the usual lunatics in general, but most are my blood relations and suppose I'm stuck with them.

Your LJ is the clean part of the Internet, the part I turn to each morning for a coherent thought, or a glimpse of something beautiful, from someone I love and respect. If you go, my involvement with LJ will cease to have purpose.

My own journal -- untouched for about a month now, alas -- is on Blogger. I'm honestly not sure why.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I don't have a Face Book. I don't want that kind of drama in my life.

I wish you'd blog more. LJ needs you. :)

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I shall be blogging more. I have spent the past month working as a carpenter's helper, on a construction project in my mother's garden, and being away from the keyboard has got me itching to write, again.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

According to this Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiveJournal) (check the references, as it is Wikipedia, after all), LJ is owned by SUP, a Russian media company that also owns a 10% share in Facebook.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Many thanks for the correction.

[algabal.livejournal.com]

The sites replacing LJ are so inherently vapid. None of them have the interest or appeal this site had at its peak.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

LJ does seem to be fading. It's a shame, but nothing lasts forever.

[internet-sampo.livejournal.com]

I'll still be here.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Very good.

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

I have a Dreamwidth account, but the communities there are so locked down it's impossible to really be read. So, for now, I am staying here. I dislike the buttons, too- but I read somewhere that the same Russian company that now owns LJ is actively working to snag both Twitter and Facebook.

Whatever. I just wish they weren't so ham-handed about the various types of online hangouts. They have no concept of 'neighborhood'.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've looked at Dreamwidth- and wasn't impressed. I want to be widely read- or at least for that to be a possibility- and I've always been careful not to post anything I wasn't happy for the world to see.

It's entirely possible that the "golden age" of blogging is coming to an end. Ah well, it was fun while it lasted- and nothing lasts forever.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

I'm staying here. FaceBook is OK for staying in touch with family, my sister and cousins, etc. and one or two old friends who are afraid of LJ for one reason or another.
FaceBook only lets a person use about 450 characters per post. I am much much too longwinded for that, so I come here and make my real entries.
I do not cross post. Once in a while I will copy and paste something, but no names, no Internet ID,. etc.,and it's almost all paraphrased anyway. Usually I paste from FaceBook to here rather than vice versa.
Example: my last LJ post. I was just so angry at that woman from FaceBook who had that kind of nerve and who obviously believes the drivel that she is spewing. She sent me a personal message on FaceBook and I copied it along with my reply to her and pasted the whole thing here in LJ. I want people to see the exact kind of garbage that is going around. I view with alarm because so many believe this stuff.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I'm here is because I enjoy writing. A site that limits posts to 450 words would be no use to me whatsoever.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[tinceiri.livejournal.com]

I'm not moving either, and I'm just closing stuff off bit by bit.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Good. I'm glad you're staying around.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

I'm not going anywhere either. I have a Facebook account, but I am NOT a person of few words.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Me neither. I want to be able to post long essays when and if I'm in the mood.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

I use FB for a few words of greeting to sister and cousins and old friends -- also to see what is going on with various political factions in the US.
These few words go a long way to cutting down on long-winded phone conversations...

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Yep, I'm with you.

I might post anonymously, but it wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to find out who I am, so...

I think it's all a bit over hysterical. You're at risk being on the electoral register. You're at risk, full stop. The chances of being targeted in LJ or Facebook's are about the same as being mugged, etc. while walking down the street to the shops.

Just minimise the risks, and stay aware!!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

To be honest I don't really understand what all the fuss is about. I acknowledge that a lot of people are upset and angry- and I respect those feelings- but I don't share them.