End of LJ as we know it?

[ash48]

I just agreed to the new Russian ToS (they popped up when I logged in) because I can't just NOT sign into LJ, but what did I just agree to? I tried to read it all but *head spin*. Did I just sign away my life away or something? Or is all much the same as before? I do have a Dreamwidth account but I can't even imagine transferring everything over there (or firing up a place I'm not at all familiar with (is fandom even active over there?)). *sigh* it's all just too hard. I have history here. It's where my fandom home was/is. And it really is a journal and therefore it holds many amazing memories that I don't want to lose.

Comments

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

A few people have posted more info about it but it's all goes way over my head. I think people are mostly concerned with any slash/NC-17 content, and also something about spam?

I'm not going anywhere, but I have just opened a DW account as a back up, just in case. You can import your LJ journal over which was pretty easy to do, just a few clicks.

But yes, I've seen a lot of people say that they're staying, but taking precautions. I'm not sure what this means for comms though, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Take care, and I'll see if I can find you on DW, I'm trying to back up the flist too! *hugs*

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

Here's an entry that a few people have re-posted on my flist re. ToS that is very helpful;

http://hugemind.livejournal.com/258494.html

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Hey hun. Thanks for the link. I'll take a read. I didn't know you could transfer your whole journal in a click or two. I'll have to investigate that as well. x

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

I'm completely new to DW, but some aspects are very similar to LJ. And yes, you can import your journal over (entries/comments etc) and it was easy (which is saying something for me as I'm not very tech savvy!)

If you do open an account, let me know, I'd love to friend you as I'm trying to get a back up of my flist too, just to be on the safe side! x

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I already have an account there (ash48 too) but I haven't been there for YEARS! I have no idea what my password is so I'll have to probably change it.

xx

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'll see if I can find you!!!x

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

Honestly I'm not particularly worried. I have a Dreamwidth account and I'm importing everything over there. But honestly, I hate their platform. This is my home.

As for gay slash etc., I've already put 99% of my fics on AO3 and some on The Pit.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I'll look into importing my journal for back up too I think.

[yourlibrarian]

Agree with madebyme, if you have an account there it's extremely easy to back up your content. Right now the completion for the import process is slow because people are doing it in droves, but even so I completed one overnight.

You may find this post helpful:

http://shadowkat.dreamwidth.org/1247418.html#comments

While over time DW no longer works exactly like LJ it essentially functions the same way, minus the photo hosting. And fandom is fairly quiet there, though it really depends on who you follow and what communities you participate in. Fandom's been getting pretty quiet on LJ too, so it's mostly a matter of people actively choosing to crosspost to both places rather than only here (which can also be done simply with the ticky of a box).

[yourlibrarian]

Sorry, amending this to add that they do now have photo hosting, which has a small free amount for all users and then will offer more for paid users:

https://dw-news.dreamwidth.org/2017/02/15/february-2017.html

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the info. I think I'll try to import my LJ to DW for back up - though a lot of my old motel posts rely on photos hosted on LJ. I'll see what happens. :)

[jj1564.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with everything you say here. I am in exactly the same position - I signed the new T&C, although I have no idea what they mean, as I don't want to leave LJ, it is my online fandom home!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Same!

[junkerin.livejournal.com]

I don't even have a DW account.

What makes me nervous is that we are now under russian law and I really don't like that.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

*nods* I've known for a while LJ is a Russian site but never thought about the Terms of Service before. :/

[junkerin.livejournal.com]

I don't even have a DW account.

What makes me nervous is that we are now under russian law and I really don't like that.

[lavinialavender.livejournal.com]

Dreamwidth is really easy and operated by fandom-friendly people who believe in free speech (and are NOT Russians), I do recommend checking it out if you want to back up your journal!

[hugemind.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've been here over 11 years and don't want anything to change, but the problem is that we are using a service and the service can change the rules whenever they like. I don't feel comfortable using a service where laws that ultimately govern the service are mostly completely unfamiliar.

Around the time that lj was sold to a Russian company 10 years ago, things happened (the LJ Strikethrough 2007), and the LJ-based fandom community started to fragment. I guess the people still using LJ are all that's left. I understand not wanting to move and feeling at home here, but I realized that it's the people and the communities that made me feel at home and not just the platform. I want to be an optimist and believe that the active SPN fandom could move to DW if we chose to.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

I think I came onto LJ just after all that. I know over the years there have been migrations to DW and I suppose I hoped fandom would take off over there but I'm not sure it has. And now with Twitter, tumblr etc fandom is pretty fragmented anyway. LJ had always been my favourite hangout though.

[runedgirl.livejournal.com]

I am so upset about this - I cherish what's left of LJ and feel at home and comfortable here. I have a DW but it's cumbersome to use and not set up in a user friendly way, and not everyone will migrate there, so the community will fragment yet again. It really has me so upset I just want to sob :/

[ash48.livejournal.com]

*hugs* It's an issue for sure. LJ is a comfortable place - certainly compared to places like Twitter where you never know who's going to take offence at a tweet. This is still a great place for chatting and for posting fandom related stuff..(I reckon). :)

[lavinialavender.livejournal.com]

Aw! *hugs*

The good news:

1) clicking that you agree to a website ToS is not really legally binding or has any bearing on your life outside the account hosted on said website

2) I would recommend backing up your journal on DW, which is EXTREMELY easy, it just requires a few clicks to check some boxes and type your password here in. Then you leave it alone and it does its thing.

We'll see what happens -- we've had plenty of scares before.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that information. I will certainly look into backing up my LJ at DW. :)

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I think that the terms of services are much the same really, it's mostly just the standard agreements that you will get on other social media sites like Facebook

And regarding the above comment mentioning LJ Strikethrough, that actually happened before the Russian company brought the site, I don't believe that the current owners have ever targeted fandom in that way.