*fades back in again*

I doubt anybody's keeping track, but I'm back, for what it's worth.

I've learned that InsaneJournal actually has some pretty good people and communities. Several people are now on my Friends list over there and I'll definitely be mirroring posts, and probably heading over there for good when my paid account here is up.

beckyh2112 has an interesting post about the Russian business model and how it might factor into the attitude of the LiveJournal staff. Frankly, I'm not interested in cultural differences. And contrary to some accusations that the Content Strike is anti-Semitic... um, no. I don't particularly care what race, color, or religion is involved here. The facts are that the LJ staff couldn't be bothered, or were prevented from, communicating with their user base, and Anton Nosik made some very nasty statements about people who are customers and paying subscribers to the LJ service. That's enough to convince me that my money would be much better spent elsewhere.

In descending order, here are my posts over at IJ during the Content Strike, if anybody cares to read them. There are pictures of Ukrainian Easter eggs, which might be a selling point.

http://prairiecrow.insanejournal.com/1815.html

http://prairiecrow.insanejournal.com/1586.html

http://prairiecrow.insanejournal.com/1366.html

EDITED TO ADD: beckyh2112 made a good point in a comment about cultural relativism and the unreasonableness of expecting Russians to understand us while not being willing to understand the Russian point of view.

What I meant was that if someone is dealing as a provider of service with people in other countries, in my opinion it is up to THEM to deal with their customers in a culturally appropriate way. I do not believe that it is the responsibility of the paying customers to adjust themselves to the cultural framework of the person they are paying.

Perhaps this is a momentary -- and passing -- example of the Russian LJ staff not understanding the cultural context of a large percentage of their user base. If that's the case, then it will hopefully be an isolated incident.

I'm open to other points of view on the issue, but I'm just so frustrated with the actions and inactions of the LJ staff that I'm feeling touchy.

Thoughts on the Content Strike

Was it effective? I don't know, and I doubt I'll ever know. I do know that membership at InsaneJournal has jumped by over 100,000 members in the last several days, and I think that that's a very telling number. If LJ is smart, they're paying attention to it.

I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude right now. Perhaps I'm overly optimistic to hope that LJ will actually get its act together. But I'm willing to give them another chance.

I'll be mirroring posts both here and on IJ until December, at which point I'll make my decision, and I think that's a wise course of action in general. I'd recommend emailing the relevant people at LJ:

marta@livejournalinc.com
feedback@livejournal.com

and letting them know what your concerns are, if you're so inclined. In the end that might be much more effective than the Content Strike.

There's no reason, at least in my opinion, to desert LJ just yet. I'll be putting the next several months to use by forming a solid Friends network over on IJ and keeping track of any LJ friends who jump ship.

However, if they pull another boneheaded maneuver like letting Nosik speak his mind, or censoring interests... I'll probably be gone so fast that all you'll see is a Laurie-shaped blur of dust where I used to be.

Meatloaf, meatloaf, yummy yummy meatloaf

I haven't got a whole lot done today, but I DID make meatloaf, as follows:

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PLAIN & SIMPLE MEATLOAF

2 beaten eggs
4 tablespoons ketchup
3 large dollops of HP Sauce
1 packet onion soup mix

Stir these ingredients together well, and then add:

1 kg (2.3 lbs) lean ground beef
1/2 cup oatmeal

Mix thoroughly. Divide between two 9x5 loaf pans and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.


*******************************************

No MM, and I still have to tag a bunch of pictures in iPhoto so George can do some archiving, but meatloaf makes everything better, oh yes indeed. Especially when served with mixed veg, mashed potatoes, and sliced tomatoes.

Some of the numbers are in from the Content Strike... and oh, my stomach

According to a comment here, LiveJournal experienced an approximately 13% drop in posting volume during the Content Strike.

According to another comment to the same post, marta has officially denied Nosik's statements in response to an email from rightxhere, as follows:

Thank you for contacting us about this matter.

We would like to assure you that Anton Nossik was not speaking on behalf of SUP. He is an employee of SUP, but retains no management or executive role in SUP or in LiveJournal, Inc. The opinions expressed by Mr. Nossik are his own, and do not reflect the opinions of SUP or LiveJournal, Inc.

Marta
LiveJournal.com


On a totally unrelated note, I have a slightly sick stomach and a sore back, as well as a growing headache. Please, dear Gods, don't let me have contracted food poisoning at the restaurant I visited this afternoon. I have to go to a wendo class tomorrow for several hours and then host a ritual in the evening, and get down to work on MM after that. I cannot afford to be flattened by chills and vomiting. I just can't.