Gayle Madwin ([info]queerbychoice) wrote,
@ 2008-03-16 14:25:00
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Current mood: angry
Current music:Angels/Cubs baseball game on Susan's TV

LiveJournal Users vs. SUP
SUP is currently publishing a false list of the Most Popular Interests on LiveJournal. Someone called "Stewardess" at InsaneJournal.com has determined that SUP censored at least twelve interests that should rightfully be included on the list of most popular interests: sex, boys, girls, fanfiction, yaoi, hardcore, porn, bondage, faeries, pain, depression, and bisexuality. [info]belenen suggests that you click on the LiveJournal feedback link and send them feedback something like this:

I just discovered that SUP has removed the interests "Sex, Boys, Girls, Fanfiction, Yaoi, Hardcore, Porn, Bondage, Faeries, Pain, Depression, Bisexuality" from LJ's daily popular interests report, and I am outraged by this censorship. I want LJ to reflect its users, not the prejudices of its owners. I have seen a large number of my friends moving to another journaling site, with more threatening to do the same, and I think that LJ needs to pay attention to this before it loses a large chunk of its paying customers.

I am a _______ (plus, paid, permanent, basic, early adopter) account holder, and if I left, you would be losing the revenue I bring in by ________ (viewing ads, paying yearly, inviting new people to join LJ).
[info]belenen adds: "If no one speaks up about this, they assume that no one cares, and the next time a censorship issue comes up, they are far more likely to act in favor of it because they don't see any negative consequences. If, instead, they face outrage at this, they are less likely to censor in the future."

In addition, [info]beckyzoole recommends (in protest not only against the censorship but also against the recent removal of the "Basic" account option for new journals created from now on) that everyone should avoid using LiveJournal in any way on Friday, March 21, from midnight GMT to midnight GMT. I don't know whether SUP will really pay any attention to a boycott with so little likely financial impact on them, but it can't hurt to try.

Also, if you are a member of Digg.com or would be willing to sign up, you can also help "digg" the news article "LiveJournal vs. Fandom: Again" to the top of the news headlines.

(Post a new comment)


[info]heron61
2008-03-16 10:39 pm UTC (link)
I'm not convinced that this is censorship as much as a bug, since many other popular interests, including that names of various religions are also missing. The list of things mentioned as missing is both large and very random-looking.

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[info]queerbychoice
2008-03-16 10:50 pm UTC (link)
There are only twelve interests known to be missing, and they don't look random to me. Are you misinterpreting the list of interests still there as being a list of the interests censored?

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[info]esk
2008-03-16 10:58 pm UTC (link)
might be helpful to link to stewardess's original entry here...

interesting. unfortunately, i can't say i'm surprised - i've been pretty cynical about LJ's ownership.

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[info]queerbychoice
2008-03-16 11:01 pm UTC (link)
Oh, I thought I had! I must have pressed the wrong key or something and it didn't paste when I thought it did. Thanks for pointing that out!

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[info]q10
2008-03-16 11:06 pm UTC (link)
can you link to stewardess's remarks or some other discussion of the methodology. i'm pretty convinced something questionable is happening here, but having a little more of the data would be helpful.

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[info]queerbychoice
2008-03-16 11:20 pm UTC (link)
They are linked, both in the entry and in the comments. Her remarks are here.

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[info]q10
2008-03-16 11:31 pm UTC (link)
thanks so much. sorry for the post delay. i wrote this before [info]esk commented but didn't hit ‘post comment’ right away.

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[info]cacahuate
2008-03-16 11:47 pm UTC (link)
I think you typoed the code for the Digg link.

Argh LiveJournal.

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[info]queerbychoice
2008-03-17 05:26 am UTC (link)
Ack, I can't seem to type anything right tonight. The link is fixed now.

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[info]rhekarid
2008-03-17 12:27 am UTC (link)
Horrific to be sure, but the fact that yaoi beats out Jesus is infinitely entertaining to me. Regardless, this is a word I'll spread.

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[info]belenen
2008-03-17 10:49 am UTC (link)
actually, I suggested the feedback thing. ;-) not that it matters, heh.

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[info]beckyzoole
2008-03-17 01:12 pm UTC (link)
Thank you for posting about the Content Strike! Please feel free to friend me for updates, and defriend when the strike is over.

We are notifying SUP that the strike has four terms:

1. Restore basic accounts for new account creation.

2. Inform users before any change to the site that affects how we use the site or demands on our resources.

3. Run change proposals by the Advisory Board and take their advice into account before implementation of any change.

4. Homophobia, misogyny, and racism must not be a part of the decision making processes about appropriate content of the site, including what user interests are deemed appropriate.

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[info]dzuunmod
2008-03-17 03:02 pm UTC (link)
That's all pretty upsetting. I imagine I'll link to your post later today, and given that I'm going to be traveling on Friday it should be easy for me to participate in the strike.

Off-topic - I'm surprised that there was a baseball game on, even just in your vicinity. Is Susan a fan?

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[info]queerbychoice
2008-03-17 06:39 pm UTC (link)
Susan is a Cubs fan, and I'm an Angels fan - or was, until I gave up baseball when I moved out of my parents' house, because it was eating up too much of my time and not giving me very much happiness in return, since the Angels kept looking like they were going to do well and then collapsing terribly at the very end of the season. (So of course the Angels won the World Series the very next year, when I was no longer paying any attention.) Anyway, we decided we had to watch because our teams were playing each other. Susan is into sports though, and always has season tickets to the Monarchs women's basketball games. She has coached high school basketball and softball.

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[info]dzuunmod
2008-03-17 06:42 pm UTC (link)
That's right - now that you mention it, I do remember mention of some of that in your posts.

since the Angels kept looking like they were going to do well and then collapsing terribly at the very end of the season.

It could have been worse. They could've toyed with you for decades and then moved to another country. :(

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[info]queerbychoice
2008-03-17 06:53 pm UTC (link)
True, that.

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[info]spreadsothin
2008-03-18 04:19 pm UTC (link)
I like the idea of the strike, and of writing.
Thank you for providing clear, concise, action!
I was so mobilized. I'm glad it's been restored, though.

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