Still can't post on LJ...bah!

I've been reading up on what outside (read-non LJ and non-fannish) bloggers are saying about the Great LJ Strikeout of 2007. I've seen two or three instances where people make reference to my perfect storm in fandom post, which I put up 4 days before the strikeout.

Nevermind that in that same post I had dismissed the "outside pressure group is after LiveJournal to clean up" rumor as not being true. (I did later apologize for dismissing it.) Nope. It's seen as being seen as a good take on the situation.

Ummmm, think I should point out that it was just me shooting my mouth off about just a few fandom trends I saw and that it wasn't particularly well-thought-out when I wrote it?

On second thought, maybe I'll just be quiet over here.

El-Jay is officially pissing me off. Still can't post anything other than very short posts, and I still can't do anything even perform administrivia like backing up my journal.

If you're in the same boat I am, open an LJ support ticket following these guidelines over on LJ. Then check out the support boards and see just how many of us appear to be having issues.

It appears that SixApart/LJ is getting hosed by the DDoS attacks.

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stewardess has done some additional digging on the whys behind the Great LJ Strikeout of 2007, and sees a link between it and SixApart's possible upcoming IPO. (Note: Link goes to the more updated version on GreatestJournal, since she's locked out of editing her posts on LJ.)

Although stewardess is speculating, a quick Google search indicates that there have been IPO speculations about SixApart for awhile now. Plus, having worked for two privately-held small trade publishers that sought venture funding (which isn't an IPO but has similar pressures), I'd say her speculation makes sense, and explains quite a bit about SixApart's behavior over the past week.

Between the Great LJ Strikeout of 2007, which has been bookended by DDoS attacks that prevent many users (like me)from posting entries of any length, backing up our LJs to our hard drive, or even doing basic tasks — I suspect that the migration from LJ that had been sparked by anger is only going to get reinforced as people get "into the habit" of posting on other journaling sites.

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jmthane has some statistics about the Great LJ Strikeout of 2007.

How many journals got suspended, and how many were restored for being unfairly suspended?

Read the post and feel your blood boil

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For people and fandoms looking for altenative homes, bubble_blunder (who has the same username over on LiveJournal), reviews the InsaneJournal ToS and notes that IJ may be the better alternative for fannish activities.

Fan sentiment is leaning toward GreatestJournal right now, but I honestly do agree that InsaneJournal might be the better option, if only for its better interface.

All previous posts related to the LJ Strikeout of 2007 can be found here.

By now everyone's seen the messages from SixApart over on LJ News here and here.

On the one hand, it's a victory. On another...well this was poorly handled from start to finish. While I appreciate the apology, and the fact that the wrongly deleted journals will be restored (and that some already have), I still get the feeling that SixApart really has no clue who LJ users are and why we chose there as opposed to one of their more traditional blog platforms, such as TypePad and MovableType (their business offerings), or Vox (the personal blogging option).




Okay, enough with the think-y thoughts.

The best round up of the Great LJ Strikeout of 2007 is catrinella's post right here. Included are debunked rumors, and links to resources.

While I was typing up this post, djinanna was apparently thinking along the same lines I was regarding the trust issue. Even better, she's included a fantastic set of alternative blogging and journaling sites with comments. Give her a little love for her hard work.

Also, some larfs:

tkp gives us the pictorial history of the Great LJ Strikeout of 2007. (Warning: Large picture post.)

kroki-refur offers up this pictorial of Sam's LJ getting deleted and Dean's reaction. (Warning: Large picture post.)

Finally, in looking over the past week at my comments over on my LJ...*tiny squeak*

I'm overwhelmed, and there's no way I can hope to respond to everyone on my LJ. I only want to say, thank you for stopping by my LiveJournal and commenting. I read everyone's comments, but I didn't have enough time in the day to respond. I also know me well enough to know that I try to be good about responding, but once a couple of days pass I simply can't get to it.

As for everyone who friended me on LiveJournal, also, thank you. Unfortunately, I was already dangerously close to the LJ friending limit. I had tried to rectify it by doing some FList-trimming just before the blow-up, and I only got partially done, so I still had only a little wiggle room. There's no way I can mutually friend everyone over on LiveJournal. I apologize.

However, I'm safely under my limits here on InsaneJournal and at GreatestJournal. So feel free to friend me over here or over at GJ.

That said, 95% of the content of all my journals are unlocked. At most, I've got a very small filter for the rare personal stuff I throw out there. A filter for fannish stuff so I can put on my wanky pants and bitch about something. And a few "for my eyes only" items such as to-do lists and other trivia.

So, even if I don't friend you back over on LJ, feel free to hang out over there. Feel free to poke through those entries. And feel free to comment on any open post. Just so long as the conversation stays friendly-ish and there are no flamewars in comments, I'm cool with it all.





Anyway, poke around. Read the entries. Feel free to stick around if you like what you see.

Let me repeat: I'm putting dealing with my LiveJournal FList on hold, mostly because I've got more people friending me than there are slots available. I figure once things calm down, some people will naturally drift away. It's cool if you do. Every day is amnesty day with me, and I don't take defriending personally as a general rule.

Even if I don't friend you back, you're welcome to drop by and comment at any time. Anon comments are screened, but unless they're abusive or spam, I let them through. It may take a day or two, but the comments will be unscreened.

And again, thank you for visiting my LJ in the past few days, and in the future should you choose to do that.

And also, don't forget, those suspended journals on LJ are back online not because of what a few people did, but because of what we all did. If it wasn't for the ruckus we made, those journals would've remained suspended.

Thank you for standing up. Thank you for fighting.

Just...thank you.

I was just planning to sneak in an LJ post updating the sitch (and explaining why I'm not terribly happy with the "apology" from LJ/SixApart), when everything just kind of went *boom*!

It's like LJ has been wiped off the 'net. I'm getting 404s no matter what part of LJ I try to get into.

It's rather odd. Hunh.

Anyway, feel free to friend me (or drop me a line).

In addition to being liz_marcs here on IJ, I also can be found at:

• LiveJournal as liz_marcs
  
• GreatestJournal also as liz_marcs
  
• JournalFen as scaryfairy Please note: I honestly don't do anything with this journal, other than use it to comment. Feel free to friend it, but there's nothing there.
  

Like everyone else who've descended on GJ and IJ, I'll be using these places as "shadow journals" to cross post everything. Mostly because at this point I don't trust LJ/SixApart, and secondly, it's a good idea to back it up anyway.