Correspondence

[katiefoolery]

Dear LJ,

Thanks for the good times, but I’m seriously considering saying goodbye to you.  Yes, even with some seven or eight months left on my PAID ACCOUNT.

I have always felt safe here... right up until some no-name, non-government-supported, vigilante group tried to make it even “safer”.  I don’t feel that sense of safety and homeliness any more.  Now I feel as though I should watch what I say; that I should be looking over my shoulder nervously every time I write a post or a comment.  I’ve even removed some of my interests out of paranoia.*

Oh, I added one, too: free speech.

I’m so sorry you felt pressured into doing what you’ve done and I’m sorry you made mistakes in doing that.  I’m sorry that an organisation with an essentially admirable aim has potentially alienated some thirteen million people across the globe.  I’m sorry that I just made a GJ account in case this all gets out of hand.

Communicate, LJ.  Tell us what’s going on.  Isn’t that what your news account is for?

Yours in frustration,
Katie.

EDIT> Want to protest? Here are some suggestions. And if you currently have a Plus account, consider switching back to basic. Perhaps a loss of ad-generated revenue will make LJ and 6A sit up and take notice.

EDITx2> Finally, an explanation from news... from the head of Six Apart. I guess we know for sure that LJ was not responsible now.

Click the banner for more info
(please be aware that this issue covers subjects such as child abuse -
don’t click the link if this is likely to upset or affect you)

* And who wouldn’t be paranoid when there are rumours abounding that simply listing an interest in certain mangas is enough to get your journal deleted?

Comments

[pitkat.livejournal.com]

wha-wha-what?
What happened? I must admit, I'm a bit behind on the times...

[rigel-7.livejournal.com]

*wails*

And yes... I know we are chatting ranting about this right now :P

This just makes me so angry - and I wouldn't touch rapefic, incest or chan with a 10 foot pole - but I'll happily go to war to defend people the right to read and create it.

We'll go to greatest journal if we have to - despite the hideous purple :D

Oh and permanent account? *hollow laugh*

Not a chance, now.

Way to alienate 2/3 of your userbase LJ

[vicky-v.livejournal.com]

It'll probably take me a while to fully understand the story (I don't have any sort of political mind whatsoever) but let me guess. This WfI group, although their intentions seem to be good, seem to think that all writing is a reflection of the author. There are no words. I'll just reunite my head with the desk. Supposedly 'Death Note' as an interest gets you into trouble. I read a certain manga series, therefore I'm going to molest kids ... huh?

Their intentions are good, they're just appear to be going the wrong way about it. That's probably why I roll my eyes and snort in disgust when I see their name.

Anyway, time to keep catching up.

[the-kaytinator.livejournal.com]

*is utterly shocked*

Holy... Crap...

What is WRONG with people? Seriously?

[naelany.livejournal.com]

ok, I went and followed the link you provided, but I'm still hazy on what exactly is going on. I feel like a dunce for asking, but... can you clarify it more for me?

[seagull-fred.livejournal.com]

*rubs temples*

I've been link-clicking for more than an hour, trying to fully understand this entire issue. I've suddenly realised wot a behemoth LJ really is. It's phenomenal!! No wonder it's all hit the fan. Everything's so confused that I can't even tell where the original rumour/problem even started.

Hopefully LJ will pull through alright.

And I've also suddenly discovered the real meaning of fandom, and to be honest, it kind of scares me...

[poisonheadache.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad you posted about this. Because I'm not involved in any fandoms, it had completely passed me by. I spent some time reading the links and getting to know the situation.

I have to say that WFI make me very uneasy. I spent some time reading their blog and I'm not entirely sure that they're dealing with child abuse in a helpful way. They seem to be more about scaremongering than anything else. Whilst I wholeheartedly support action against child abuse, I think it's important to make distinctions between people who are "grooming" and/or carrying out abuse and the people who have written a fanfic story about Harry Potter and Snape having sex.

I can see that LJ might have been influenced by WFI's "everyone is guilty" policy. Reading some of WFI's blog made me feel uneasy about my own interactions with children. One particular post warns against adults who:

"want to lure the child away by offering praise and compliments- “you’re beautiful, you should be in magazines or on television.”"

A few weeks ago I was in a supermarket and told a little girl that she looked very pretty. After reading WFI, I started feeling sleazy reading WFI, when all I'd wanted to do was to be nice to that kid. There's just something off about WFI.

As for the mass deletion of fanfic and fandom in general - I'm appalled. I'm sure there are real life child abusers on LJ, but all this action will have sent them underground. The majority of people who will pay for this are people involved in RP and fandom and that's just wrong. I think it's really sad that LJ has done this, especially when their earlier emails to WFI were straightforward and eloquent about their TOS and policies.

On a purely selfish level, I hope you don't leave. I would miss your posts. I would understand if you decided to though. This whole situation has made me look at LJ in a whole new light.

[elfie-chan.livejournal.com]

*clings to you* No leaving LJ. I would miss you horrifically and, while that's completely selfish, I also believe that LJ will pull through this mess intact.

I completely missed this whole thing, probably because I'm not involved in any fandoms right now.

Darth Vader also disapproves of you leaving. I am going to go and do more research on this issue after I eat something so that my brain will be functioning when I do.

[flippyfrog.livejournal.com]

I had such a panic this morning, I strolled onto my LJ to find for some reason it had been halted. Now, it was probably because all the madness that's been going on things on LJ aren't working smoothly, but I was so panicked wondering what the hell was in my journal that would justify being caught up in all this? Now, the answer is absolutely nothing (unless you think being caught up in Torchwood dangerous... who knows the way things are going) But I'm in such a freaked out state instead of first thinking, "oh, LJ having a hiccup" I think "fuck, have they deleted my account?"
I don't like that feeling at all.

But I told you last night, you go, I go.

[crazedturkey.livejournal.com]

(((Katie)))

If you go, I'll probably go to.

so don't go :(

This whole thing sucks so much. :( :( :(.

[purpletigress.livejournal.com]

Gee, this is a really interesting one, and as someone who isn't involved in the fandoms it completely passed me by too. I think it's very dangerous to link someone's writing to actions. Whenever there's been a school massacre people have pointed to things the attackers have written, and you know what? It's exactly what I was writing as a troubled teen with the isolation of being a troubled teen. It was how I coped, and I can imagine there would be a lot of people writing things that may be misconstrued and banned here.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't be up for scrutiny for what they write online - this is a public forum after all - but I do think there needs to be closer examination, communication between both parties, and certainly communication between LJ and their users. As a proud supporter of freedom of speech, this troubles me greatly.

[bethamphetam1ne.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I survived it and didn't even know it was happening!

Yes, I can see the original intended purpose but FFS! Why don't we go down to the library and burn some Enid Blyton books as well?? Who let this mob onto the premises anyway?

Will I get deleted because I have Spike/Lynda in my interests and their relationship is anything but functional??

Citation as source for fandom linguistics paper?

[lily_winterwood]

Hi katiefoolery!
I was wondering if it would be possible at all for me to cite you as a source in my paper for the OTW Journal on cultural and linguistic differences between Tumblr and Dreamwidth? Please let me know if you are willing, and if so, how you would like to be cited (your username or a different name).
Thanks,
Lily