To my LJ friends: Please consider crossposting to Dreamwidth

September 2nd, 2010 1:31pm by rusty-halo | No Comments »

I don’t have comments enabled on LiveJournal, for which I’m very glad, because LJ has just enabled a feature that allows people to crosspost their comments on other users’ locked LJ entries to Facebook and Twitter.

Although visitors from Facebook and Twitter won’t be able to read the locked post, they will know 1) that it exists, 2) the URL and LJ name of who posted it, 3) its title, and 4) the text of the comment, which may or may not include an excerpt from the post and/or enough contextual information to make it clear what the post is about. Since Facebook has very poor privacy controls, its quite likely that this information may be visible not only to the social circle of whoever crossposted it, but also to the public at large, meaning that someone looking for personal information about you could find it via search engine without even knowing the person who crossposted.

It’s currently impossible to turn this “feature” off–you can hide it from yourself, but you can’t stop other people from crossposting their comments on your private entries to their Facebook and Twitter pages. Needless to say, this is a massive breach of privacy.

I would include here a long rant about how LiveJournal is a cynical and unethical company, desperately scrambling to squeeze every last penny from its customers while regarding them with contempt. But you’ve heard it all before, and honestly, I’m over it. It’s clear to me that LiveJournal is never going to change, but meanwhile, Dreamwidth is out there showing that a viable alternative that develops smartly and treats its user with respect is possible.

Read the dw_news community to see how straightforward and open they are compared to LJ.

Example 1: Dreamwidth is redesigning its posting page. Instead of suddenly unleashing a surprise new posting page full of features that users don’t want and fixing problems one by one as users complain, Dreamwidth has 1) announced far in advance that it’s going to change the posting page and explained why, 2) released several test iterations and solicited user feedback first, 3) fixed problems in advance before launching it on the public, and 4) actually listened to the user feedback and made lots of changes in response to our needs and preferences.

Example 2: One of those censorship groups went after Dreamwidth and reported to their payment processor (first PayPal, then Google Checkout) that Dreamwidth allows legal but potentially pornographic content. Instead of caving and deleting content, Dreamwidth stood up for its users, took a financial loss, and put in a ton of extra work to switch payment processors to one that wouldn’t require that they censor legal content.

Example 3: Read Dreamwidth founder Denise in the comments here promising that Dreamwidth won’t spring any kind of crossposting feature without privacy controls and the ability to turn it off, and clearly getting why users care about this stuff.

It’s ridiculously easy to switch to Dreamwidth. They have an automated system that will import your entire LiveJournal in about five minutes. If you want to stay in touch with your LJ friends, they have an automated crossposting system that allows you to post to DW and LJ simultaneously–you can even edit posts in one place and they’ll be updated at both.

For step-by-step instructions with links, use coffeeandink’s How to Move from LJ to Dreamwidth in Six Easy Steps.

You can set up an account by paying $3, using an invite code, or moving as part of a group.

My invite codes are free to anyone who wants one (let me know if you use one so I can take it off the list):
BQ3J3AEFBJAN6AAABYJB
697RPGE6384DPAAABYJC
NM4CQ7RV52QGZAAAEAWN
F4EED36ZXP3QSAAALGFX

If these are gone, go to dw_codesharing and someone will give you a code.

For groups, their instructions:

Promo codes are a special code you can use to create multiple accounts. If your community or your RP has been eyeing Dreamwidth, but have been not been sure about getting enough invite codes, email accounts@dreamwidth.org with the details.

You might also want to look at the guide to Dreamwidth for LiveJournal users and at their guiding principles.

I’m slowly making DW my fannish home, and it would make me ridiculously happy if more of my friends would switch, or at least crosspost. If you crosspost, you won’t lose any of your social connections on LJ, but you’ll also make sure that your friends at DW won’t lose touch with you. Please consider setting up a DW account and crossposting–I would love to see you over there.

I have no personal or professional connection with Dreamwidth–I’m pushing for them because I respect what they’re doing, and it feels more positive and productive for me to rave about DW than to complain about LJ.

If your response to this is to tell me that you don’t care about privacy and are too lazy to crosspost, please don’t. I have heard it often enough already. However, if you’re interested in switching and need advice, please let me know–I’m happy to answer questions and help however I can.

Dreamwidth Invite Codes

August 19th, 2010 8:25pm by rusty-halo | 2 Comments »

Hey, I got a bunch of Dreamwidth invite codes. Feel free to take without asking, though I’d appreciate if you could comment if you use one so that I can take it off the list.

568PN2JWQJ87MAAALGFW (taken)
F4EED36ZXP3QSAAALGFX
XS5QQRR4JK5RMAAALGFY
F29GVR9HHF89EAAALGFZ
DFRGB2GSES2VRAAALGF2
9WKQJHKDV9J4FAAALGF3
HBZSYYA3Z85SPAAALGF4

My blog also allows comments at Dreamwidth, btw, if you’re not up for commenting at my own site.

My weekend in Chicago (Vividcon in brief, Lollapaloooza, family)

August 10th, 2010 6:41pm by rusty-halo | 6 Comments »

So, I went to Vividcon over the weekend. It was fun. I met many of interesting people and learned a hell of a lot about the history, culture, and aesthetics of vidding. I also had the pleasure of hanging out with the lovely soundingsea for three days. (This is brief–I will probably write up a more detailed con report later.)

And then I went to Lollapalooza and saw Soundgarden–despite arriving late and missing their first four songs, I managed to get to the front, about 15 rows back, without, y’know, shoving anyone or being a jerk. It was loud and muddy and hot and FUCKING AMAZING, you guys, Soundgarden!!! Although I do have to admit that I’m not sure how much of my joy is organic to me at the moment and how much comes from imagining how happy my 14-year-old self would be. But whatever. Soundgarden! They played “Mailman” and “Like Suicide” and “Fourth of July”! And the view of the Chicago skyline was beautiful. I am happy.

Then I walked back to my brother’s apartment and hung out with him for a little while because he was generous enough to let me sleep on his couch. He has a fantastically swanky apartment–one of those condos that was built to sell and has gone rental due to the recession. Huge, new appliances, beautiful view… not that I’m jealous or anything. :P Although he’s going to have to move once the economy picks up, which is not something I’d want to deal with.

His dog, Darth, was the family dog when I was a kid. Darth is now thirteen, nearly blind, totally deaf, and with a funny little white beard. My brother communicates with him in sign language, which is actually pretty amazing to see–Darth clearly understands everything my brother is telling him and is just as enthusiastic and impatient as ever. It’s also funny because even though he’s ancient and tottering, he’s still the same old Darth, sweet and happy and totally opportunistic when it comes to food. I’m glad I got to see him again.

So then I managed to sleep for two hours, got up, went to the airport, caught my 6:30am flight (which due to delays ended up taking fours hours), slept very uncomfortably crammed into a middle seat, came home, slept all day, and am not adjusting so well to the return to work grind. *sigh*

VVC report and recs post coming soon!

Continuing the stream of random posts: a Farscape/Supernatural comparison

August 5th, 2010 8:48pm by rusty-halo | 5 Comments »

I’ve been thinking about Supernatural in relation to Farscape. Farscape is a better show, but SPN pings my fannish radar more intensely. I’m wondering why.

One of the aspects I love most about Farscape is that it captures how complicated, messy, and conflicted human beings are. For a show about aliens, it’s probably the most accurate portrayal of humanity that I’ve ever seen in a TV show.

I read an article recently (now I can’t find it–I think it was in the New York Times Magazine) about how humans don’t have single personalities or single motivations, but we actually contain multiple, competing, and conflicting selves and desires, and our consciousness is what sorts these out and decides which ones we’re actually going to go with and which we’re going to reject/repress/ignore.

( Farscape just kind of instinctively got this. It was *messy*. Supernatural is neater, cleaner, and more conventional. But here are a bunch of things I do like about SPN. )

SPN 5×22 and the peace/freedom question

July 26th, 2010 8:15pm by rusty-halo | 5 Comments »

I finished my second full-series rewatch of Supernatural this weekend. (I actually rewatched the series once already, but stopped at 5×09 because I didn’t want to watch what happens in 5×10. So I went back to the beginning and did a highlights-only rewatch of the whole thing, this time through to the end.)

The show is a lot better when you skip the boring MoTWs and the blatantly sexist moments. (Does anyone know how to edit .mkv files? Because “99 Problems” would be a pretty good episode if it weren’t for the three lines that make me want to puke every time I hear them.)

5×16, “Dark Side of the Moon,” actually made me cry, which I think is my first time crying at a SPN episode? This SPN obsession happened so fast, I think it took a while for my emotions to catch up. The thing that got me was the first memory Dean relives in heaven, setting off fireworks and Sam hugging him. That kid that plays young Sam is fantastic, and just, the simple experience of making Sam happy and being loved by Sam means so much to Dean. (Plus the subsequent juxtaposition of that innocent joy with the flashback of Dean and Sam being shot to death in their beds was such a horrific commentary of how miserable their lives have become at that point.)

The other thing that hit me is that I’m really happy with the ending of 5×22. I’ve been rewatching with Dean’s final scenes in mind, looking at the threads that build up to it, and I think it’s very well-developed, moving, and effective, because:

( spoilers for SPN 5×22 )

In slightly more shallow news, I have been watching this for like five minutes straight. Um.

just venting/rambling

July 1st, 2010 6:36pm by rusty-halo | 12 Comments »

The other day I was so upset by this example of misogyny in Supernatural fandom that I thought I might quit watching the show. Not really in protest, because my watching or not makes no difference whatsoever, but because things like this make me feel so sick that it kills my ability to enjoy the aspects of the show that I do love. (Link via cofax7; more discussion in comments.)

Then today I saw the raging cesspit of homophobia in many of the comments to this doctorwho entry and was reminded that it’s not just SPN fandom that has problems. *sigh* (How can people say “they erased the queer because it’s a family show” and not realize how grotesquely homophobic that statement is?)

I’m almost tempted to watch when Torchwood returns, even though I freaking hate that show. They’re bringing Gwen back and not catering to their fandom misogynists–see SPN? It can be done!

(I want Russell T Davies to run every show ever. *misses him*)

( confused ramble about problematic media and whether to watch it )

Meta: Supernatural 5×09, The Real Ghostbusters

June 26th, 2010 2:10pm by rusty-halo | 6 Comments »

Last night I watched Supernatural 5×09, “The Real Ghostbusters.” You guys, I freaking love this episode. It’s the most accurate and flattering depiction of a fan convention that I’ve ever seen in the mainstream media.

( A long rave about why The Real Ghostbusters is a love letter to fandom )

SPN Fic Rec: The Red Series by Big Pink

June 25th, 2010 6:37pm by rusty-halo | 4 Comments »

I just finished reading big_pink’s Red series. It consists of six stories, conveniently available in PDF form via her website.

I just have to rave, because this is some of the best fiction I’ve ever read, fan- or no. It’s like she honed in on the most profound, emotionally powerful aspects of the series, and used these fics to delve deeper than the show ever went. She writes beautifully about family, loss, grief, and love.

She also creates incredibly well-researched and vivid environments for each story, from loggers and protesters in the Pacific Northwest, to a high school in Niagara Falls, to an old silver mine in Nevada, to a shantytown in Nebraska during the Great Depression. Plus, she writes a variety of fabulous three-dimensional female OCs (if you’re looking for a primer on how to write a female OC without wandering into Sue territory, read these). They are also very well-plotted, well-paced, and snappily written.

I think my favorite was the last one, The New Deal– it’s basically about how Sam and Dean deal (or fail to deal) with Dean’s impending death in S3. It could so easily have fallen into angsty tropes, but instead she uses imagery and symbolism to create something more evocative and thought-provoking than I’ve seen from fanfic in a long time.

(Now I’m off to read her standalone stories.)