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

[ex-24cylind.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Stasia
Journal name: 24cylinders
Location(optional): Oakland, California
Comment(optional): I don't even have any triggering interests listed and my communities are not at risk, but that doesn't stop me from being appalled by the actions those on LJ's staff have taken. I don't know what will stop you from deleting anything else that someone may find morally repugnant. Whats to stop anti-homosexual groups from demanding that all people and communities with homosexual themes be deleted? After all, some states consider it illegal. Will you bend to their will or will you stand up for the freedom of expression that you used to tout as a large draw of your site?
When SixApart bought this site many, many people were worried about what the effects it would have on the users, especially those who are here for fandom, and you promised your users that they would not be bothered and we should not worry about it. But all we can do is worry when you obviously have no respect or regard for the users and only focus on what you see on the surface. Why should I continue to waste my money on a site that doesn't care abouts anything but covering its own ass and trying to make a quick buck? I see no benefits for myself in continuing to help support this site since I don't know when I will be the next one turned on and removed without reason. With the slippery slope LJ is on, it's only a matter of time before everything that is keeping me here is banned and then I'll go find a site that sticks to its word. I hope you're happy with your position and what it's costing you, because nothing I can see you doing will win back your users that you have betrayed here.

[jadepj-chan.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: NineMoons, jadesword
Journal name: jadepj_chan
Location(optional): Philippines
Comment(optional): THANK YOU to Warriors for Innocence for once again proving that there are simply some people who are unable to know what is real and what is virtual.

Also, hell, good job - you have just made it a lot harder for ACTUAL law enforcement, not the LE you so blithely refer to, to catch the REAL perpetrators.

[cutekittenkat.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias:Kittie
Journal name:Mmmm Yuhhh
Location(optional):Utah
Comment(optional):
why are innocent people being censored? id like to know a damn good reason, why people who are doing nothing wrong are having to edit thier interests and being afraid of loosing thier journals theyve put so much love and energy into.. there are people who are trained and spend their time taking care of internet preditors.. and i highly doubt these people, these 'warriors'have any idea what to look for.. i mean obviously telling EVERYONE what theyre doing, letting people know hey, change your profiles, change everything so in hope of not getting banned @_@ .. they have not the slightest clue of how to go about this. LJ id hope youd protect your honest and and innocent users, stand up for the freedom weve been allowed here in the past.

[foxdemon-arukas.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna e-mail too but here's a condensted version
Name/Alias: NiK
Journal name: foxdemon_arukas
Location(optional): Greenville, Pennsylvania
Comment(optional): Freedom of speach, 13million users until banfest, intrests don't lead to actions, somethings protected in America but get a death penalty in others, blindly deleteing the innocent just protects the guilty which leads to REAL people REALLY getting hurt instead of just words being put on the internet to entertain without harming a soul.

[madame-maya.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Jamie
Journal name: Madame_Maya
Location(optional): Michigan
Comment(optional): If I get tagged for this, I'm going to LAUGH. Because I'm borderline on the underage line as it is, being 17. You are overdoing it, and doing it in the first place for what? A litle group that most likely isn't even legit in the first place! Please, at least check us out before you delete us. If you can trust them, why won't you trust the people that actually keep you running?

[twirlingleaves.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Kaze
Journal name: twirlingleaves
Location: England

[kinenbi.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Ashley
Journal name: kinenbi
Location(optional): Long Beach, CA
Comment(optional): Wow, LJ. Sure, you may have gotten rid of some really bad groups out there, but you also deleted many support systems, innocent LJ users, and fun communities. Sure, they may have been smutty, but it was all in fandom.

You are allowing real predators to slink into a deeper hole, letting them get away because they know they have to hide more. Shame on you, LJ, for also deleting people's journals for their ICONS. I am using this one because I want to you show that I, a 20 year old girl who had a sexual predatoras a stepfather, support a singer. Oh no, she's 14! I must like children!

Your logic is twisted and you will not be getting my payment for a years subscription again.

[cho-suiyou.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Cayce/ Angst_Girl
Journal name: http://cho-suiyou.livejournal.com/
Location(optional): United States
Comment(optional): This is as appalling to me as as the book bans in the late 80's/early 90's. It's one thing to try to push pedophiles off the net and into jail but they are targeting homosexual communities as well and that is a MAJOR breach of human rights. As a bi-sexual I demand free access to yaoi/yuri fanfiction.

WFI have no right to force their heterosexual beliefs on me. And if they're so worried about the precious children the MAYBE they should go to the source of the problem and oppress the parents who place no boundries on their children and then complain when they learn little Bobby and Susie have found a porn website.

First Livejournal then what? Will WFI break into my home and have me arrested for writing yaoi and because I see the beauty that lies in both sexes?

Freedom of Expresssion: We not only fought for this right, but it's a God-given one as well!

[jlarinda.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Jlarinda
Journal name: jlarinda
Location(optional): Argentina
Comment(optional): Fiction =/= Reality.

[blumchen.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Blu
Journal name: blumchen
Location(optional): Canada
Comment(optional): All I have left to say is that LJ needs our support right now... they were bullied into this situation after trying very hard to protect our right to free speech, and now their hands are tired. So we, their members, need to support them. If we want to keep our rights, we should be making an example of these sandy vaginas by fighting back and not letting them push us around just for listing something as an interest.

Thoughts Are Not Crimes!

[intothedream.livejournal.com]

I have been a Paid customer since 2000! I've been with LJ 7 fricking years and I never thought that there would be a witch hunt on thoughts! I write vampire fiction, does that make me a vampire? Yaoi may have underaged sex but it's fiction! Based on imaginary characters! I have not canceled my account and so far I've not been deleted but you better believe that if this isn't fixed or taken care of, you will be refunding my money. I paid for a place where I could post my thoughts without fear of persecution. This group has link to conservative think tanks and organizations. They have an agenda. I'm sure the next things to go are anything that is GLBT. Last time I checked, this wasn't 1984 where sexcrime was a thought. If I like reading fiction about whatever, it's my choice. It's not real. But apparently, this witch hunt is.

[scandalqueen.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Bons
Journal name: bonnjie
Location(optional): Dorkland, NZ
Comment(optional): Wtf mate?

[xbrat-princessx.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Iwona
Journal name: xbrat_princessx
Location(optional):Poland

[cafpows.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Jamie
Journal name: shimmereys
Location(optional): Illinois
Comment(optional):
I am appalled at this. Not because of livejournal trying to stop child molesters that prowl the internet, but because of the way it's being executed. Do they think that people who actually perform these illegal activities advertise that they do so in their interests? Even if they did, the vast majority of journals being deleted are fandom journals. The real predators would just make new livejournals and dive further underground. I'm ashamed of a website that I've put many thoughts and years into has buckled under the pressure of this organization. They should be concentrating their efforts somewhere else. I am all for going after the rapists, predators, etc... but this is not effective at all. Some rape and incest victims do use livejournal to reach out to others who know what they've been through. Some do not feel comfortable going to group therapy. Some people need help in between sessions. Yes, other websites could be used for this, but livejournal is one of the big ones. Should these communities be taken away from them because they have "trigger" words in their interests? I don't know about anyone else, but I know that friends I've made on livejournal are very close to me. I've put many years into this journal and I do not think it's fair that it is being taken away from people because of someone else's standard, especially without even a chance to correct these things before permanently taking their words away from them.

Livejournal, you are going about this the wrong way. If these things haven't changed and this continues happening or gets worse, I will not be renewing my paid account when it expires. Yes, I understand that you were losing advertisers (which, when put on the site, you promised would change nothing), but pay attention to the accounts you are actually deleting. Many, many innocent people were affected by this and last time I checked, fan fiction was harmless entertainment and does not in any way put anyone in danger. You've really done nothing but make your loyal users very angry and think twice about using your service.

[miss-lumpy.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Aly
Journal name: evil_neko
Location(optional): Connecticut
Comment(optional): I can't believe this is seriously happening. Freedom of speech, what? What does THAT have to do with anything?

[izkariote.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Kae
Journal name: izkariote
Location(optional): Quezon City, Philippines
Comment(optional): The Internet's a vast and dangerous place in as much as it is an area for fun and freedom of expression. WFI defies this with sordid, unguided and wholly unlawful attempts targetted towards the innocent and not the real enemies. I think it's time to stop the bullshit. Don't you?

[keikeiaznqueen.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Kei
Journal name: keikeiaznqueen
Location(optional): Hong Kong
Comment(optional): This has just gone wrong. Fiction really desperately needs to be separated from fact and to LJ who has obviously failed to make that difference clear in their own minds, you really need to understand this difference as soon as possible. Many people's years and years of work have just gone down the drain with this rash, under-investigated massacre of LJs, most of them actually innocent.

This action won't actually help to the very, very basic and core aim to it all; victimising all the wrong journals, communities and people isn't going to achieve your aim, but it's going to hurt a lot of other innocent people. Please stop this.

[anjelchan.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Lacey/Anjel
Journal name: anjelchan
Location(optional): WA, USA
Comment(optional): Shall we too censor our thoughts that they not offend? Shall we cut out of ourselves and our lives so that no one will know how to protect themselves or cope with bad things happening to them? Shall we declare anethema all who we are to hide behind pretty lies of perfect worlds?

Banning books does not stop knowledge from growing, and only teaching abstinance in school did not prevent unsafe sex. What price then, LJ, our truth - our honor? Perhaps the name should be changed from LiveJournal, if we are not to be allowed to use these journals to express ourselves and thoughts. Careful, Big Brother is watching...

[zhoutaisdayoff.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Diane/ZTDO
Journal name: zhoutaisdayoff
Location(optional): Illinois
Comment(optional): Wow, LJ. You stirred up Hell. So you decided to help this batshit insane vigilante group in their witch hunt and go after fandom journals and communities? Nice. Just be sure to wipe up the mess when they're done.

[raikoala.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Line
Journal name: mistoline
Location(optional): Germany
Comment(optional): I have frequently seen warnings about having the word 'lolita' in your profile. Given that it's a name for a fashion style, a singer, a movie, a language processing system and more, I really hope if you think you need to restrict freedom of speech, you at least do it somewhat intelligently.

[chasingthewinds.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Mandii
Journal name: chasingthewinds
Location(optional): Dallas, TX
Comment(optional): User reported? Yes. Take them away, by all means. But by delving with your own hands, you've become exactly the opposite of what's been portrayed. This is a journal community, designed to allow freedom of expression. For god's sake, when you take away fiction and art created with the hands of your users in a community, you've become rapists of literature and imagination, all to bend to one little group's will. I spend money every month in order to buy an account and keep it and use it. The fact that a company I've endorsed would do such a thing sickens me.

[mitani.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Christina/Mitani
Journal name: mitani
Location(optional): Løgumkloster, Denmark
Comment(optional): LJ should keep its freedom of expression!!!! >:(

[twerksie.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Kimmy
Journal name: twerksie
Comment(optional): While I appreciate the attempts to stop sexual predators, the least LJ can do is attempt to do it right -- which means actually stopping sexual predators, and not innocent bloggers. Please look into this.

[hibiemi.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: Hibiemi
Journal name: hibiemi
Location(optional): Philippines
Comment(optional): I've been with LJ for about five years already and have been very very happy with how liberal this space was for me. But now that you've been starting to close your minds, I think I'm going to start respecting you less unless you open them up again. Would you stop being such Puritans and let us continue to breathe? We haven't been doing anything wrong! Hell, if you do a service for these "Warriors for Innocence", you're turning your back to a bigger scene: the scene of people who want the space to think freely. I don't approve of the pedophiles, rapists and other sickos out there, but don't you think striking out those who list these in their interests without investigating who they really are just plain crazy? It's like you're killing all the black sheep who are just sheep instead of the real wolf in sheep's clothing. And I think black sheep are way cooler than all those other sheep, too.

[happyaddict.livejournal.com]

Name/Alias: happyaddict
Journal name: happyaddict
Location(optional): California
Comment(optional): How can countless journals be deleted like this without fair judgment or warning? If those in charge of "purifying" LJ would just LOOK into some of the communities they are deleting, they would see that many of them mean no harm and definitely do not advocate child pornography, rape, or etc. So many of the deleted sites were for the freedom of expressing art, writing, and ideas. Shame on you, LJ, for your misdirected "morals".