fandomsecrets | (no subject)

The new commenting system on LJ sucks, I think we can all agree (and all the other prospective design changes seem to be speeding it down the path of no return). Knowing LJ, it's probably not going to change no matter how much anybody complains, and as this comm is heavily based on user comments, it's probably time to consider moving. Dreamwidth is the closest to LJ's old format and has a large fandom base, and seems the best alternative for now.

So -

[Poll #1804842]

Other thoughts?

(As a note, I'm completely willing to either stay or move. Updating the comm is easy enough for me either way.)

ETA - It's not only about subject lines. Others have written up potential problems better than I could:
http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=7005874#t7005874
http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=6261682#t6261682
ETA 4 - http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=7952050#t7952050

ETA 2 - For those worried about possibly needing to make DW accounts to comment, if a move happens: you don't need one! OpenID will let you comment as an LJ user (in the same way Facebook users can comment on LJ).

ETA 3 - For those worried about missing updates: I can crosspost to LJ to let you know a post is up, I don't mind that (it's like a minute of extra work, no problem) - if the DW move happens though, the comments would be over there.

ETA 5 - Apparently, this is what we're getting next year.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It only changed, what, yesterday? Talking about a move this quickly seems a little...knee-jerky, doesn't it? Doesn't seem like the subject line thing is intentional. Maybe give them a week or so to sort out the kinks? Personally I like certain things about it, like new comments being marked.

The subject line thing is intentional, apparently the guy LJ hired for the redesign thought it "looked ugly" so he got rid of it. And apparently in his journal, he's making fun of the English-speaking users for complaining about the changes.

lol, really? that's classy of him. yeah, those people getting triggered are just fucking whiny.

But they are whiny. If this change gets them to turn off the damn computer and go get some damn therapy, that's just a bonus.

Well that sucks then. As I responded to someone else below, I didn't really know about all this since I don't spend a lot of time on LJ anymore. Apparently I also forgot about the WTFery they like to pull, too. Thanks for the update.

Really? What a dick bag.

It should be about function not aesthetic, and I really don't think this looks any prettier. The new commenting section should have been adding things not removing them.

It always amazes me how some admins of large sites seem to think that because they own it/work there, it's a good idea to make really stupid changes that make it harder for the users because of what they deem to be aesthetics.

I mean, I think the underside of my car isn't very appealing, but I'm pretty sure that's what makes it move down the street.

Well it's not just the change. It's the fact that for days leading up to the change, people were commenting in DROVES saying that they flat-out DID NOT WANT the changes and that they would move if LJ took away those functionality aspects, to which LJ apparently responded that the changes were "non-negotiable" and went right along with them anyway.

It's the disrespect for paying customers that has a lot of people pissed. It's insult to injury on top of the fact that the changes are ugly as all get out and makes many comms, like kink memes, unusable.

This.

OK then, admittedly I don't spend as much time on LJ as I used to, so thanks for the update.

I'm getting kind of sick of companies that say "screw the customers" and go along with unpopular changes anyway. I've been watching it go on for years in the online game I used to play too. Unbelievably frustrating.

i think the problem is that lj doesn't seem to care much for the particular type of costumers that are complaining (mostly fanfolk).

it seems to be focusing on appealing to potential clients dropping in to check on communities like ontd.

I've lost count as to how many times this has happened with LJ. It might even be over 10? I literally will not pay for an account any longer because of it, and I am sooo glad I never bought a permanent.

I've never paid for LJ but I assume that the reason they give you the options of being free and then upgrading is because they expect you'll love it and want to give them your money. And then they go and take away exactly the things that will make a person willing to upgrade in the first place! It doesn't make sense. If that wasn't their plan, they would have just made it a flat-out pay site from the jump. So I don't understand how upsetting TONS of users, paid and otherwise, will help with continued profit, as well as new profit. It just baffles me.

Well, I don't know how much you know about the history of the site, so a rundown is: there weren't originally any paid accounts, but it was for perks if you wanted it, added waaaay later. I think

brad (creator/original owner) even promised to never have ads on LJ. After he sold it to Six Apart, that all went to hell. :[

Also I love your icon. This is normally something I would put in a subject line. UGH.

PS: I imagine that's what our Russian overlords are doing now, though. (Six Apart eventually sold it to them.)

I have NEVER understood why companies, especially social blogging sites, do such dumb shit. It's so crystal clear what is going to happen when you piss off the users.

The subject line thing was very much intentional.

In fact, people only found out about the change before it happened thanks to someone who translated the post of the designer from its original Russian and posted the translation on a roleplaying anonymous community, and people from there started spreading the word.

The last news post was the first time the English side of Livejournal officially let everyone know about the change, and if youread it (http://news.livejournal.com/140215.html), you'll see that it mentions nothing about the changes that they were going to do and were very vague about the whole thing. The promised updates never came, they just went and made the change last night a little before midnight.

People protested, both in the journal of the guy, and on the news post, but the designer guy was only condescending and rude, and the news post was ignored. People are even angrier for that dismissal.

http://igrick.livejournal.com/528687.html#comments

The last paragraph in the post (the one in English) was added after the many complaints, but as you can see it is pretty much skirting the issue that people brought up).