MOD ANNOUNCEMENT -- LIVEJOURNAL VS DREAMWIDTH DISCUSSION

[singularitymods.livejournal.com]

In light of the recent changes to LJ's user interface, we feel that it's time to have a discussion about the potential of moving Singularity from LJ to Dreamwidth, a journaling service that is a fork of earlier LJ code. Of course we mods have our opinions, but we would like to hear our players' thoughts before making a decision.

We're aware that either option will make some players unhappy, so please be careful to keep this a discussion and not an argument.

Some information to consider: LJ will not be rolling back the changes made with Release 88. See the proposed new site design here and the lj_releases post about R88 bug fixes and future design plans here. (That link goes to a comment explaining that subject lines are gone forever in default comment pages.) LJ is planning to offer an S2 style that mimics the old S1 style within a few weeks. Not directly related to R88, but definitely something that should be part of the discussion is that LJ has had some questionable dealings with users. The linked post is very anti-LJ, but we provided it despite a lack of neutrality because it has a great deal of factual information on how LJ deals with its users.

Dreamwidth was founded in 2009 after some LJ users became concerned with how LJ was interacting with customers, resulting in a less-commercial set of operating principles than LJ. They will be implementing community imports within the next few weeks (scroll down), and description of the RP-relevant differences between LJ and DW is available here.

Edit: If you can't comment because of the style changes to LJ, please feel free either to contact the mods through another channel, or ask another player to post on your behalf. Just make sure it's clear who's speaking, please.

Edit 2: Son of Edit: If you're having difficulty loading the page, appending ?format=light to the end of the URL has helped some people.

Comments

[heterochromiia.livejournal.com]

Some people are currently having problems with inability to comment to new entries, so I'd say include a note of where they can IM the mods to add their voices to the discussion.

Personally I'm in favor of moving. I've had enough with LJ.

[theuserabides]

Ugh, seriously?

k, let me edit in a link to the Contact page. Just a sec.

[needs_answers]

I will probably stay with the game at either location. I love dreamwidth and have absolutely nada against moving, but if if moving is too much of a hassle, I can deal with LJ, at least in the near future.

[hulk]

To put it frankly - I'm done with Livejournal. Entirely, 100%, dust off my shoes done. Between the poor design choices, the lack of apparent concern and care for the user base, and the general horrible treatment from the staff, I'm just seeing no reason at all to stay with the site. And I'm saying this with paid time to spare on Bruce's journal here.

I really do love this game even though I've just come in recently, and I love the people and CR I've gotten through it, but. I'm going to have to seriously consider dropping if it sticks on LJ. Even with the stopgap custom comments you mods came up with (which is an improvement over R88, don't get me wrong), threading has become a hassle and I've lost all motivation to tag over here. I'm going to stick to my guns on this because I'm not going to keep up with a service that tells me to bend over and get used to it. So I really hope the game switches over to DreamWidth because of the benefits I've experienced over there thus far as opposed to LJ. And hell, I'll be (one of?) the first to offer a paid account for the comm just to get the import ball rolling.

On another note: I do appreciate you guys as mods for taking the time with this decision, and opening it up to the player base as a discussion. I know this has been rough on you, and kudos/snaps/props/cookies to you guys for handling it like pros.

[theuserabides]

Thank you.

Worst Xmas prezzie ever, LJ.

[selfgovernance.livejournal.com]

I am super duper ambivalent. I'll stay in the game in either location. At this point my personal preference is canted somewhat towards dreamwidth, but staying on LJ wouldn't hash my pretendy fun times, either.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[hisoldgirl]

I'm staying with the game no matter where it goes and have no issue moving to Dreamwidth. My only concern is toward paid time, especially since the anon paid time fairy gifted out a bunch recently.

If we do move, are we going to give enough time for those on vacation/hiatus to see/respond?

[theuserabides]

DW comm importing won't go live for a week or so, and I'm certainly not up to getting everything set up on a new service overnight. If we do move, it won't be for at least a few weeks, barring catastrophic LJ failure.

[truthwontrest]

I plan to stay in the game regardless of the final decision, just for the record, but I am strongly in favor of moving to Dreamwidth. I love the site, and I'd be a lot more comfortable there than on LJ.

[speedyasshole.livejournal.com]

My personal preference leans towards staying on LiveJournal, but really, that's only because I was gifted a million months of paid time to a couple of my accounts, which is, as previously noted, a completely personal reason.

As to LJ vs. DW, I really don't have an opinion one way or the other. Singularity is the only journal-based game I'm in. I'll go where it goes.

[howkickassiam.livejournal.com]

Another vote here for Dreamwidth, because just agsjgsgh. /ELOQUENCE THY NAME IS CHII

[fight4theusers]

Bah. My Tron account is running out of paid time soon and I already have an account set up on DW. I used to be dead-set against it but. I'll deal if that's the way you decide to go.

[theuserabides]

HEY TRON WE'RE MOVING YOU TO A NEW SYSTEM

FEEL FAMILIAR

[ironhowdoesit.livejournal.com]

I would prefer working on DW, but I wouldn't drop the game if it didn't move. My motivation to tag on LJ has dropped quite a bit, but that's more of a combination of 'no one's really tagging back' and 'god this layout is terribad'. The biggest issue I have with the currently layout is the sheer ugly, and the fact that pages don't refresh with the same speed and consistency I'm used to. LJ's making it difficult to keep enthusiastic, and enthusiasm really is what drives my desire to RP.

TLDR (although it really isn't so much), I'd majorly prefer DW, but I wouldn't begrudge the decision to stay on LJ.

[ironhowdoesit.livejournal.com]

oh a 2nd read through shows me my terrible mistakes and grammar and I'd edit but I just wanted to throw out a minor helpful tool for those who have been getting migraines from LJ?

FLUX (http://stereopsis.com/flux/) is an amazing tool that will change the 'temperature' of your screen, colour wise! It's definitely not the best fix since it cycles through blue and warm light, but it'll help if the bright blue glare bothers you greatly at night (and I'm sure you can change the settings to cycle through the day too)

[cryovengeance.livejournal.com]

I'm in favor for moving, but if we don't, I'll deal.

[articletwelve]

I am entirely for moving to Dreamwidth, and would far, far prefer it over staying here. I'm willing to stay with the game either way, but LJ's recent actions have been the last in a long string of decisions I don't agree with, and even if they were to roll back the changes, I simply don't trust the site to respect its existing users or their needs, much less communicate site-wide changes before they happen. All other things being equal, Dreamwidth's customer service alone is enough to make me move.

[theuserabides]

Thanks so much for your help getting a readable style. ♥

[destinist.livejournal.com]

i will stay with the game no matter where it winds up. thanks for opening the discussion, mods ♥

[theuserabides]

You're welcome. It's our job.

[twotailmechanic.livejournal.com]

Like with my other game, I will go if the game goes, and I'll stay if it stays. I personally say we should go. I've already imported this account, my main one and a few other muses as well over there.

[fuckinfeelins.livejournal.com]

Sucks that I got paid time for Eridan, but I'll be SO GLAD to move over with the game to DW. I'm fed up with LJ overall. lmao.

[derpbert]

John will get you a couple months of paid time, babby.

>:)
> :)
>:)
> :)

[notsoloyal]

While I do have some "ehhhhh" feelings about DW (mainly paid accounts), and I'm kind of awww about the fact that max icons is 250 while I have 251, I can certainly survive with one less icon and having to pay more for a paid account. I would much rather move and spend more money than stay on LJ and attempt to deal with all the issues release 88 is causing. I will follow the game where ever it goes. But basically another vote for move to DW.

[heterochromiia.livejournal.com]

Actually there's a price comparison floating around and while LJ costs less for a straight up paid account, for a paid + 70 icons DW is cheaper unless you have the once a year autopay thing, if I remember right. For a premium it's exactly the same as a 240-icon paid on LJ over a 12-month period, and over a 6-month it's cheaper.

[featheryasshole]

I am strongly in favour of moving to DW and think it's very much the better option in the long run, but I'll stay in the game either way.

[curbstomping]

If the game stays, I will stay of course, but I'm much in favour of moving to DW.

[usavatar]

This is a placeholdery response since I'm traveling today, but I'm for moving. Lot's of reasons why, many already stated, but bottom line is I would be very happy to see Sing move.

[mirthful]

Man, get me out of this hellhole.

All I want for Christmas is all my games on DW.

[fuckinghubble]

I'll go where the game goes, but I'm bias and leaning more towards moving to DW like the others. My paid time is running out, anyway, and I have no desire whatsoever to give LJ any more of my money. I just can't justify it; not when their userbase is forced to look for workarounds to make up for their failures.

[a_perfect_end]

Is there anything we can do just as playerbase to make the move easier? 'Cause I'm going wherever Sing goes.

[theuserabides]

Okay, this is going to sound like a kindergarten teacher, but if the move goes through, just, everyone please read announcements carefully and follow directions? And the spirit of the law instead of the letter, Clu. I don't mind explaining things multiple times if I've genuinely been unclear, but we're gonna have so much organizing to do that we'd really appreciate it if people could take an extra few minutes to read things twice and check to see if questions have already been answered.

Of course, redundant "you are great and we love you" comments are always welcome. /cough

[manipul8trix.livejournal.com]

Nthing the "wherever Sing goes, I go" sentiment!

[fuknfreelancers]

Same deal as probably everyone else is saying: hate to move because of loss of paid time, hate new LJ style period, will move with the game because paid time eventually runs out but shenanigans... last a lot longer?

Iunno, tl;dr if Sing goes, I go. LJ couldn't pay me to stay on with their crappy, standoffish attitude.

[namesnotprowl]

If the game stays here, I stay here, but I'm strongly for the move to Dreamwidth. Not just because of style changes, but because of how LJ Russia has been treating customers (I can't speak of how the American division has behaved, since they've been surprisingly polite throughout this change).

I realize that I have a lot of paid time left on a couple of accounts here, but the changes that have been made to the site make the reasons I got paid time more or less null and void. It would be wasted money either way.

I'd also like to throw out a thank you to the mods here; you've all been great about everything and handling what's going on.