annoyedOn March 12
news posted a We are so great post to commemorate their 100th day since SUP took over. Unfortunately for LJ, that same day (in that same thread) someone noticed that the option to create a free (basic) account no longer existed (going against the express advice of lj creator
brad. Because, you know, he wouldn't know anything about the user base.)The user base's response to this was an emphatic WTF???!!!
LJ's explanation was that having three account styles (Free, Plus and Paid) was just too darn confusing for new users! And the reason that they didn't officially announce this change was, um, well, hold on... no, we got nothin'.
On March 13 there was another post in
news. This one basically said that taking away free accounts was a business decision. But they didn't apologize for being sneaky about it in the first place. Then someone uncovered an interview with SUP blog guy Anton Nosik where he basically says that there was no point in informing the lj user base about the policy change. The huge, gigantic policy change that leaves people opening new accounts with two options: have ads, or pay up.Then a whole new can of worms was opened: some folks on LJ and IJ discovered that LJ is now censoring the most popular user interests.
Now missing from said list: Sex, Boys, Guys, Girls, Fanfiction, Yaoi, Hardcore, Porn, Bondage, Faeries, Pain, Depression, and Bisexuality.
Now the gay/mental health activist types are absolutely livid. Not to mention the fanfiction writers. And the faeries.
Meanwhile, there has been not a peep from LJ/SUP. Even the crickets are silent.
There is a community
ljcensor2008 where you can join to protest all this crap. I don't know that it will actually do anything, but I joined anyway. 