LJ Strikeout '07: Support Freedom of Expression!

[ladybrighid3333_archive]

Ok...so sorry if you've all seen this all over your friends list, but compiling two different "action plans". I'm sorry, but i'm screening comments and logging IPs. >>; you will have to wait till your comment shows up.



roaring's compiled a listing of some of the facts,which link to more facts, etc., of what's going on, mostly in relation to the fandom people getting hit by this.
Click the banner above to see that.

this was taken from rosesatmidnight for the same program on a more personal standpoiont, though I edited it for my own words at the end. For the original go take action!
1. Change the end greeting to your username
2 You can tweak the last paragraph so it's yours.
3. Spread it to your friends list by posting it to your own journal or linking here.
4. Also feel free to comment here with the textbox at the bottom of this entry.

Change your user name, personalize your comments in the last paragraph, and email this to privacy@livejournal.com and post it to your journal or profile.

Dear LJ:

I was quite appalled to hear about your mass-deletion of communities and journals with what you deemed as 'triggering' interests. Some of us have survived Rape. Some of us have survived abuse. And some of us wish to speak up and help others. How can we do that if you're taking away what we use to help those in need?

Have you even researched this "Warriors For Innocence"? Now what about the countless others who will not benefit from this deletion? What about the countless molesters who will now be driven further underground?

What about the countless members who have survived abuse, who have survived rape, and are now, finally, proud to stand up and say that they have... only for LJ to tell them that they can't?

Now what will we do? Now what source will we have to share our stories and our knowledge with others, now that your once-valuable source has been so ruthlessly and thoughtlessly taken away?

You were once one of the voices that helped make us strong as a united front.

And now your silence in the fight deafens me. Your silence speaks volumes, as much now as it will ever speak. Your silence is like a slap in the face to those of us who have survived the rape, survived the abuse, and are now, or will soon, learn to stand again, learn to live again, learn to function again.

As the friend of several people who have survived abuse and rape, I, personally, hope that you never experience it. And if that does happen, I hope that this very same silence never crosses your path.

Respectfully,
ladybrighid3333

Edit: Or if you feel uncomfortable sending it. Fill in, Copy and paste the text in the text box below into a comment here.

<b>Name/Alias:</b> <b>Journal name:</b> <b>Location(optional):</b> <b>Comment(optional):</b>

Comments

[moonlightstarfi.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Rachel
Journal name: moonlightstarfi
Location(optional): California
Comment(optional): It's called fanFICTION.

[dark-branwen.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Kerry/Kihin Ranno
Journal name: dark_branwen; kihinranno
Location(optional): Illinois
Comment(optional): While the way this all started is understandable, the way it is progressing is not. Survivor communities and fandom communities were needlessly deleted, and thus far, we have not heard anything directly from LiveJournal. This is an insult and a betrayal, and while I personally have been supportive of LJ through what many other users considered blunders, this has reached far beyond the realms of ridiculous. I am extremely disappointed in this knee-jerk reaction, but I hope that a resolution can be reached.

[hideincarnate.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Jess
Journal name: hideincarnate
Location(optional): USA
Comment(optional):
I don't think the way they are going about this is right. Interests reveal so little of a person's true nature. And it's easy to lie, to cover up the truth on the internet, because it's all text and code. Now people who have never committed these crimes, who might have lived through these crimes, are being punished for it being in their interests.

[geminilove-ca.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Gemini
Journal name:geminilove_ca
Location(optional): California
Comment(optional): Wow - where was the opportunity to fix things before journals and comms were deleted? Was any investigation done at all into the deleted items? How *exactly* does a Spanish language discussion group on famous Russian literature endanger children? (You did know that's what Lolita was, right? Nabokov wrote it... pretty famous book too) Why is their word more important than ours? Especially those of us who PAID to be here? And why are you so silent on your actions? Way to alienate your customer base for the sake of the militant few. I was going to buy a permanent account in a few weeks - guess not now. Not I'm not even really sure I'll renew my PAID account in November. I'm all for assisting with the prosecution of real criminals - but deleting fanfiction is just making up crimes to satisfy the rabid.

[jedipirate.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: JediPirate
Journal name: jedipirate
Location(optional): Mississippi
Comment(optional): Reinstate those wrongly suspended! Apologize! Explain! I have lost faith in the LiveJournal I loved. I'm not going anywhere, but neither will I give LJ another cent of my money until y'all own up to the wrong you did to the innocent users and fandom communities.

[margyydoodle.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Margyy
Journal name: margyydoodle
Location: California

[charashi.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Chara
Journal name: charashi
Location(optional): New Hampshire

[groovy-violet.livejournal.com]

gypsymel:
Journal name gypsymel:
Location PA
Comment: I see all the nazi hate mongering bake-a-jew genocide support groups are still running just fine. Hypocrites. Shame on LJ.

[melindrha.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Sarah
Journal name: Melindrha
Location(optional): Colorado
Comment(optional): Like so many others: rape survivor, abuse survivor, and incredibly disappointed by a company that so many use.

[semirose.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Maia
Journal name: semirhage527
Location(optional): Illinois
Comment(optional): You know, most people when doing something that will antagonize thousands of fans and lose so much money would think about it a little more, it's good you're not worried about things like that Six Apart, that's the mark of a great company.

[fatchocobomom]

Name/Alias: Pix
Journal name: The Mushy Goodness of a new mommy in love
Location(optional): Buffalo
Comment(optional): This really sucks. Have you ever read fiction? Read George RR Martin's books. That's the joy of writing. Nothing is taboo, at least it shouldn't be. If you don't like it, DON'T READ IT. No one from your company has addressed this issue, the outrage many of us feel. I've been a paid user for 4 years now. I won't be renewing if you don't respond soon, and right the wrongs you have committed. Good job playing into the hands of right-winged nut jobs.

[broken-lullaby.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Corie
Journal name: spellbind_ing
Location(optional): California.
Comment(optional): Where are the rights? Freedom of expression through words. What's next? Artwork and fanfiction all together? Or using the journals?

Deleting someone merely because they listed something that is deemed innapropriate, doesn't mean that they support the act. Incest, rape...ect. It's fiction. Some people have lost years of work because they had one of these listed.

You may have the idea that what you're doing is right, but it isn't in any way fair to the users of this site.

[carleton97.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: carleton97
Journal name: carleton97
Location(optional): Minnesota
Comment(optional): Lumping writers, artists, RPGers, and actual survivors of abuse together under the banner of "pedophiles" is a mind-numbing insult.

I am not supporting any person or group who targets or victimizes another, but mass deletions of accounts and communities dedicated to the discussion and expansion of fictional works smacks of the worst kind of Big Brother action.

What happens when WFI's next target is gay teen support groups or gay marriage? Homosexual acts are still illegal in many states and gay marriage has been banned in others. Are you going to willy-nilly delete journals again?

Shame on you, 6A and LJ.

[brittania.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Vic
Journal name: crazyvictoria
Location(optional): Edmonton, Canada
Comment(optional): I actually don't have words. Catch the pervs. That's fine. Just don't punish perfectly innocent people. Don't punish honest, creative people who have done nothing wrong.

[bunnyko.livejournal.com]

b>Name/Alias:Bunnyko
Journal name:Bunnyko
Location(optional):
Comment(optional):you say you can;t do anything about a murderer who talks about murdering someone in real life, but ban those who write fiction with questionable content. i think you have your priorities mixed up.

[stayaround.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Megan
Journal name: stayaround
Location(optional): Calgary, AB, Canada
Comment(optional): I've been using livejournal since junior high and I've remained a loyal user because I've always found it to be a more close-knit community where we can say and be ourselves honestly. Supposedly offensive communities (ie related to fandom) CAN be avoided by conscious users and there are wore things on the internet. At least in this environment users can be monitored by their peers and express themselves in a healthy manner. It seems that as livejournal becomes more commercial, user's freedoms are being steadily trimmed down. I don't think all the glitzy new features are worth that sacrifice.

So now fans are being persecuted, and what next?

The "Private" security option has always been available, so would it still be acceptable if we made everything a dirty secret?

It is one thing to shut down people who are wanting to cause actual harm and people who are just indulging themselves. Fantasy is not unhealthy, it's part of human nature.

[gouache.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Dorothy
Journal name: courteously
Location(optional): TX
Comment(optional):

[stayaround.livejournal.com]

(reposted due to typos ^^;)

Name/Alias: Megan
Journal name: stayaround
Location(optional): Calgary, AB, Canada
Comment(optional): I've been using livejournal since junior high and I've remained a loyal user because I've always found it to be a more close-knit community where we can say what we like and be ourselves honestly. Supposedly offensive communities (ie related to fandom) CAN be avoided by conscious users and there are worse things on the internet. At least in this environment users can be monitored by their peers and express themselves in a healthy manner. It seems that as livejournal becomes more commercial, user's freedoms are being steadily trimmed down. I don't think all the glitzy new features are worth that sacrifice.

So now fans are being persecuted, and what next?

So with the "Private" security option available, would it be acceptable if we made everything a dirty secret?

It is one thing to shut down people who are wanting to cause actual harm and people who are just indulging themselves. Fantasy is not unhealthy, it's part of human nature.

[naraku.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Karasu
Journal name: karasuchan
Location(optional): North Carolina
Comment(optional): =_='

[viridescence]

Name/Alias: Silver Ariel
Journal name: It's a kind of magic...
Location(optional): Idaho
Comment(optional): There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. I'm deeply disappointed in LiveJournal. I was going to purchase a permanent account, but now I will not, and I will not renew my paid account, either. I am an abuse survivor. I am part of a fandom. I am a fanfiction writer. I do not support, promote, condone, or approve of any non-consensual sexual act, child abuse of any sort. Livejournal has been for me, until now, a place where I can talk to friends about my experiences, share my ideas, share my stories, and feel free to express myself without fear. I have loved being a part of Livejournal, until now. But now, now you have suspended, without just cause, investigation, or with rational thought, fandom journals and communities, survivor groups, FICTION journals, role-playing journals, and other journals of INNOCENT people, all in a misguided attempt to shut down real criminals based on the fanatical ravings of a right-wing zealot group. And you haven't had the courtesy to respond to us, we who helped make Livejournal the largest journaling site, we who pay you for extra services. Bad business move on your part. Because I don't want to be a part of a site that stifles and censors free speech, and I know that a lot of other people feel the same way.

[magnet-dragon.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Hannah
Journal name: magnet_dragon
Location(optional): Virginia
Comment(optional): You know, I can't help but ponder the fact that all the journals that got purged--the innocent ones, like fandom communities and paedophilia support groups--are gone, but the paedophiles are still out there. Was anything honestly reported? Or was it just swift Cover Your Ass action?

Bad move, LJ. Baaaad move.

My lengthy response

[olpluvr.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Angie
Journal name: debatification
Location(optional): Canada
Comment(optional):
Below is another complaint that was launched a while back. My community would fit in this category as we never encouraged illegal activity, or giving instructions/ hints how to engage in illegal activity. It was a community for debating life issues but somehow LJ went on a striking frenzy and deleted all communities remotely mentioning interests in something. Debatification was inactive for over a year as well but it doesn't change the fact that this was a mature debating community discussing issues in life that are controversial. As a mod I never came across comments endorsing illegal activities in any country or state, though of course it was discussed as an issue instead of any detailed "plots" or anything.

"Dear LiveJournal user,

We understand and agree that this is very disturbing, we cannot take action against a user for admitting that they have committed illegal activities or are thinking about committing illegal activities. It is not illegal to discuss illegal actions. We can only take action if the user is actively encouraging others to commit such actions, or if they are soliciting or providing information on how to do so. Because this is not the case here, we regret that we cannot take action.

Regards,

Ella
LiveJournal Abuse Team"

It disappoints me that the US has laws that forbid freedom of speech, while LJ is hypocritical (see above statement) by banning communities that are harmless and also don't encourage any illegal activity. I am enraged that LJ didn't take the time to actually read through these communities, but rather suspended accounts based on controversial terms. I've been an active member for 3 years and was beginning to answer LJ Support inquiries but I will no longer support a site dedicated to destroying the right to voice their opinions.

[falldownnight.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Falldownnight
Journal name: Falldownnight
Location(optional): Ny
Comment(optional): What ever happned to the freedom of speech?

[scullyish.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Brigitte
Journal name: scullyish
Location(optional): Melbourne, Australia

[chase-glasslace.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Lauren
Journal name: chase_glasslace
Location(optional): Central Coast, Australia
Comment(optional): LJ, this is just nuts. I hate paedophilia, but I love fandom and I don't want comms deleted because you can't see the line between fiction and reality. That, and the fact that you've deleted SURVIVOR groups just shows how ill-thought this entire venture has been. I was adamant that I was going to stay on LJ because my journal wasn't going to be touched by this idiocy, but now I'm rethinking it. Why would people want to hang around on a site where the creators are arrogant enough to shape people's interests and control their posting to support only the kind of community some BUSINESS wants to build? I'm checking out GJ right now, thank you.