liz_marcs | Alternatives to LJ and Other News

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

Last post before I pass out....

First, Those LJ Alternatives

(Personal account at liz_marcs)

bubble_blunder totally called this one. For my money the best of the alternatives. LJ interface on this one is exactly like LJ, minus the the touches SixApart additions. If you were on LJ before the SixApart bought LJ, you'll find IJ very, very homey. Of all the options presented here, this one might be the best one to migrate to. What it lacks is critical mass. For a full list of what's available, go here.

Pros:

Smooth running site
Clean LJ interface
Easily customizable (S2 is supported)
Ability to PM someone
It's not "communities," it's "asylums," damn it!
We're all patients now
Exhaustive FAQ that's easy to find
Ability to upgrade via a paid account ($20 per year or $10 for 6 months)
Permanent accounts are always available for purchase for $40 (yes, $30)
Active ownership
Syndication feeds

Cons:

Critical mass? What critical mass?
Free accounts are very limited: only 100 friends and 100 user pics allowed, tweaking of some basic designs allowed, ads (Firefox kills the ads, btw)
Paid accounts are significantly enhanced: 800 friends, 250 user pics, fully customizable, no ads, text messaging to journal allowed, polls

GreatestJournal
(Personal account at liz_marcs)
I've had this account for about two years and haven't done much with it. I've backed up some stuff, but as usual kind of lost steam early on. Early sentiment seems to favor GJ as the alternative for fandom because it's somewhat familiar. Also, right now the site seems to be running a little bit on the clunky side.

Pros:

All accounts are free
There are ads, but they are kept off journal pages
2,000 user pics
1G photo hosting
Voice posting
Ability to post "testimonials" on friends' and community user info pages
Ability to PM someone

Cons:

Uses an older version of the LJ software
Can be kind of creaky at times (Let's just say that the site seems to be on a slowdown right now)
User support is somewhat spotty because it's all-volunteer
The FAQ is a bit iffy
No way to upgrade your services through supporting memberships or paid accounts

JournalFen
(Personal account scaryfairy)
This site is run by fans for fans. I've had this account for awhile, mostly so I could comment on the fannish communities there. My own journal is empty. This one uses an older version of the LJ interface like GreatestJournal and the fact that it's overwhelmingly dedicated to fannish pursuits puts it slightly above GJ.

Pros:

It's a site run for fans by fans
Three levels of accounts: free, paid, and premium
Paid accounts available for $25 a year and include: 500 user pics, 2500 friends, text messaging, polls, and customizable styles
Premium accounts available for $36 a year and include: 1,000 user pics, unlimited friends, text messaging, polls, and customizable styles
Active ownership
Very active membership

Neutral:

Only people over 18 are allowed to have an account. Fans who engage in more adult fannish activities might like this fact. Under 18 fans aren't going to be happy.
Much as I love JF, it can get a little wanky over there.

Cons:

If you don't pony up the cash right away, someone with a paid account will have to invite you. Before you ask, no, I don't have a paid account. I got in just before JF made it hard to get a free account.
Getting a free account is like winning the lottery. JF will occasionally open the floodgates and allow for free sign-ups, but that happens about as often as a lunar eclipse.
JF servers have been a little cranky as of late as membership and commenting on the site have exploded.
Can't find out if there are Syndication feeds
The FAQ is...not helpful

In Other News...

The folks over at dark_christian, a journal dedicated to tracking the Dominionist movement, has been all over our friends at Warriors for Innocence (deliberately not linked). dogemperor has been leading the investigation into finding out just who these people are. If you've been following the various links, the answer isn't exactly a surprise.
Firefox News has two news articles on the SixApart/LJ debacle: The Purity Police and Fanfic and Six Apart Deletes 500 Journals, Many of them Fannish

Oh, and we've been BoingBoinged

And Farked

And Slashdotted

And Digg-ed

And before I forget, Perverted Justice just threw up its hands and wondered aloud if SixApart/LJ knows the difference between real life and fiction. (Scroll down to see the rant.) Whoops!

Just an aside: I want to ask SixApart/LJ, "Deleting all those journals...how's that working out for you?"

Over at dw_news, the natives are getting restless and demanding answers. Thus far, we've got resounding silence. The newest post has already reached the max number of comments (5001). The online riot has moved to the next-newest post here and that's looking to reach 5001 posts as well.

Don't forget to be counted at fandom_counts. By showing SixApart/LJ the sheer numbers of people who are in fandom, it's hoped that we can pressure our corporate overlords into addressing our concerns.

fandompays is taking a survey. The main idea: are you willing to refuse to spend money and dump your account down to basic? Enough numbers could mean a chunk of change to SixApart/LJ, so fill out the survey. When I filled it out, I was in a more charitable frame of mind.

fandomuhaul is offering to be a central location where people leaving LJ can leave a "forwarding address" or blog

fandom_lawyers has a really good round-up of legal issues in this post.

For more links and round-ups and information, trawl through my previous posts all tagged for your convenience.

I need to go get some sleep now...

Alternatives to LJ and Other News

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