So just when I thought I'd have a quiet week, Jerry and Angel both had an adventure of sorts.

Jerry got a tiny lump on her right front leg a couple of weeks ago. I kept an eye on it, but it didn't seem to grow any further, so I decided to just wait and see what would happen, as it didn't seem to bother her at all.

Until last Saturday evening, when I called the dogs inside. It had been reasonable weather, and Jerry loves to be outside, so I had hardly seen her all day. Her entire front leg was swollen, like twice the size of her other leg. ( Read more... )

I took Elmo to the vet two weeks ago for a check-up, as it had been 4 months since the pins went in. The results weren't as good as I had hoped. The vet took new x-rays, and while the fractures did show new bone growth, it wasn't anywhere near dense enough yet. And while Elmo had walked all right with the fractures for a while, a week before my vet appointment he started limping again. And the x-rays showed why. His body was rejecting the pins. The bone around the pins was slowly dissolving. In other words, big infection.

Right. So that was a bit of a problem. The vet couldn't take the pins out yet, because the bone wasn't strong enough yet. One wrong move from Elmo and he'd break his leg again, and then we'd be back on square one. But leaving the pins in was also a problem, since they were weakening the bones in other places.

My vet was rather at a loss of what to do, so he gave me a pile of antibiotics for Elmo (again), and sent the x-rays to a radiologist for a second, more expert opinion. Last Friday I called my vet for the results, and the radiologist had advised to take three pins out and leave two in for the support Elmo still needs. This might also stimulate new bone growth, since the pins were holding his leg together so tightly, the body might think there was no need for more bone growth.

So today I took Elmo back to the vet for the procedure, and thankfully, that all went well. Elmo's doing fine now, though he walks a bit uneasily now that he's got less support on his leg. I also got even more antibiotics to hopefully keep the infection away from the remaining two pins. And I need to give him some physical therapy because his wrist has become rather rusty due to lack of proper use. He can hardly bend it. The vet showed me how to gently manipulate it, to help Elmo regain the use of it.

And now I get to wait for 6-8 weeks. Again. And then, with a bit of luck, the fracture will have healed enough so the remaining two pins can come out as well. By that time Elmo will have had those pins for 6 months, so it's about time.

On top of that my grandmother, who's a whopping 90 years old, suddenly got back problems. She's never had back problems before in her life. A broken hip, minor heart attack, sure, but this is new for her. So there was a lot of worrying about that as well, and since she can hardly get up, some helping out as well.

So between worrying about Elmo and my grandmother, I took a small break from my activities on the net. After the whole LJ fiasco, I seriously needed that. And now I'm carefully going to read my flist again, to see what y'all have been up to.

So LJ comes with a new response.

I'm still not happy. Not one bit. And this is why:

Our process for drawings, cartoons, animation and other non-photographic images is slightly different. An image of this type that obviously violates our policy will be treated the same as a photographic image of child pornography, but in questionable cases involving a non-photographic image we will adopt a "two strikes" process.

And then they fail to explain what is questionable, and what will be seen as an obvious violation of their policy. Meaning that it's still not safe to post any kind of explicit fanart that has characters that might possibly be viewed as underage, because if they feel it obviously violates their policy you'll still get suspended without warning and reported. And since they don't say a word about fiction, we're still not sure if that's safe, either.

Two strikes and out, LJ? Well, let's see...Strikethrough and Boldout...that's two in my book.

Just one more reason InsaneJournal rocks.

Squeaky has raised the friends limit again. Free users now get 1000 friends, and paid and permanent users now get unlimited friends.

Also, he's raised the link limit on S2 styles: free users get 15 links, paid users get 50 and permanent get 100.

*goes to add links to her IJ*

pay_no_more is a community for those of us who are dissatisfied with LJ/6A at the moment.

If you have a paid account, comment here.

If you have a permanent account, comment here.

If you have a free account, comment here.

And then go pimp these links in your journal. This should give us a nice impression of how many people will stop paying LJ/6A from now on.

I'm really excited about Scribblit, just like many of you. But someone just pointed out to me that Scribblit's servers are going to be located in Canada.

Right. Now I'm not Canadian, nor am I a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure that Canada's laws on underage fictional writing and art are a hell of a lot stricter than the US's. I've heard from Canadian friends that Canada's laws are more like the Australian laws: fictional underage characters, anyone under 18, in sexually explicit text or art, are illegal. Period.

And that makes me very uneasy about Scribblit, as you can imagine. I don't want to post work on a site that has its server in a country where it's illegal for sure, unlike in the US where there's a bunch of obscenity laws you have to wade through first before anyone can legally go after you.

So, Canadians on my flist...anyone care to shed some light on this matter? Are those strict laws still in place? How do you feel about this?

Here's a quickie rec: Violent Opposition to Livejournal by beefcake_cop

What if those sweet little boys from South Park got screwed over by Livejournal....

Nuff said. *g*

Thanks to shaggirl, who dug up the link and asked a few questions: GreatestJournal has a history of suspending users over adult content.

In this case it was an adult-rated photograph of two men having sex which was posted unlocked by accident. It wasn't fanart, but given the response from GJ, suspension without question or appeal, I'm not too sure GreatestJournal is the right (temporary) home for fandom. Especially not for all our brilliant fan artists.

That's why I've been doing a bit of research into InsaneJournal. I had some concerns yesterday about the Google ads on the site, but when I asked the owner he gave me a quick and clear answer. A novelty, I must admit, after the months of misinformation from LJ. ;-)

The owner of IJ, known as Squeaky, has been both welcoming and helpful towards fandom. He's already raised the number of friends on free journals from 100 to 250, and he's looking into raising that number even more to match LJ and other LJ clone sites. The appealing point, though, of a free journal is that you get 100 icons (paid gets 250 and permanent 300).

Furthermore, IJ is cheap. A paid account will cost you $10 for 6 months, $20 for a year, and a permanent account costs only $40.

But for me the most important things is that IJ wants us there. Because that is what I am looking for, at least to hold me over until Scribblit or the other new fandom project are running. A place where I can post and rec and link to fic or art as much as it pleases me without having to worry about getting suspended.

And I think it's been made perfectly clear LJ is no longer that place, especially after yesterday's confirmation that linking to certain things can get you suspended on LJ as well. Yes, that goes much further than just fandom content, but honestly, I don't care anymore. I'm done with LJ.

So, for now, you can find me on maeglinyedi.insanejournal.com. No, there isn't much there yet. I've only just friended everyone back, and I'm now uploading some icons. If you have a IJ, feel free to friend me, and I'll friend you back. If you don't have a IJ yet, you can make one for free.

I've seen some concern about the name 'Insane Journal', but I have to say that it doesn't bother me at all. And I say that as someone with a long history of mental illness. If anything, I think the word 'insane' is a perfect way to describe us fandomers. *g*

This means that I will no longer be posting to my GJ account. I will keep it as a backup journal, the way it's functioned for the last 3 years or so. I will continue to post to my LJ for the time being, except for any fics or fandom links (since those can get me suspended). The direct fandom content will be solely posted to my IJ account.

Since I have about a year left of LJ paid time, though, I'll at least keep using LJ to store pictures and to read my flist.

And a big thank you to snapetoy, who was so generous and gave me a very nice IJ prezzie. *smooches*

I asked the owner of InsaneJournal about the Google ads/user conflict, and here is his reply.

Maeglin

I have a question about the ads on IJ. Google specifically states in their terms that they won't allow Google ads on sites that host Pornography, adult, or mature content. A lot of what these new fandomers (myself included) are bringing to IJ will be adult and mature content, if not outright pornography. Can you please tell me what your position is in this ads/user conflict? Thanks.

Squeaky

None of this has caused a problem at all. Even though some users may host this kind of content, the basis of the site is not mature, or pornography. So I have not had a problem with google. If I end up having a problem with them, there is other advertising I can use.

Maeglin

Thanks for your reply! Okay, so let me get this straight (and I'm sorry to go on about this, but after LJ's misinformation over the last couple of weeks, I'm kinda paranoid).
If Google comes calling about adult content on IJ, you will drop the Google ads and go for something else. You will not drop the users.
Am I right?

Squeaky

Correct.

Okay, this put my mind at ease somewhat as far as content goes on IJ. I'm still not too happy about the 250 friends limit for free users (and yes, I know paid accounts at IJ are cheap, but I have a dog to take to the vet next week and only so much money to spend that I'm kinda hesitant about giving any money to a site that hasn't 'proven' itself yet). Also, the IJ layout makes my eyes hurt.

JF is also a viable option at this point, since they're fan-run. People who want a JF invite can go here: leavin_eljay. Personally, I don't mind the 18+ limit for users.

There has been talk that GJ has also suspended a fan artist in the past for adult art, but until I see at least a name of that artist, I'm not sure what to believe at this point. No offense, shaggie, but there has been so much speculation about the various sites that I want to see some proof before I believe anything. Anyone know anything about this in more detail?

A head's up on another ads/user conflict in the making over on InsaneJournal.

IJ has Google ads up on their website. But unfortunately, Google doesn't allow ads on sites that host adult content. From Google's terms on ads:

Sites displaying Google ads may not include:

* Violent content, racial intolerance, or advocacy against any individual, group, or organization
* Pornography, adult, or mature content
* Hacking/cracking content
* Illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia
* Excessive profanity
* Gambling or casino-related content
* Content regarding programs which compensate users for clicking on ads or offers, performing searches, surfing websites, or reading emails
* Excessive, repetitive, or irrelevant keywords in the content or code of web pages
* Deceptive or manipulative content or construction to improve your site's search engine ranking, e.g., your site's PageRank
* Sales or promotion of weapons or ammunition (e.g., firearms, fighting knives, stun guns)
* Sales or promotion of beer or hard alcohol
* Sales or promotion of tobacco or tobacco-related products
* Sales or promotion of prescription drugs
* Sales or promotion of products that are replicas or imitations of designer goods
* Sales or distribution of term papers or student essays
* Any other content that is illegal, promotes illegal activity, or infringes on the legal rights of others

Right then. I'll be over at GJ.

ETA: I asked IJ's ownwer about this conflict, and here is his reply.

Some linkies:

IJ has decided to increase the number of friends for free users to 250. I appreciate the gesture, really, but 250 is still not enough for me. Seriously. My flist on GJ is already 328 and there's still a ton of people I have to friend back. Why not just make 750 like on most other LJ-clone sites? Why this limit in the first place?

So, I'll be sticking to GJ, as I announced yesterday: Maeglin at GJ.

And thanks to gmth for the head's up: Yes, your question is correct. Linking to specific offsite content which would violate LiveJournal's Terms of Service can still be considered a violation of LiveJournal's Terms of Service in most situations.

Straight out of the mouth of Eric from the Abuse Team.

Dude. That is bad. Not just for us fandomers, but for just about everyone on LJ.

First, a few links.

femmequixotic has posted an open letter to Livejournal and Six Apart, which covers just about all questions that apply to fandom.

Here's an excellent post from a former lj user, which puts things in perspective: The terrible secret of Livejournal. I urge everyone to read it, even if it seems this article's on LJ/6A's hand at first. It explains quite nicely why LJ/6A does what it does.

And amanuensis1 made an awesome post which pretty much sums up how I feel about the current situation.

I like reading and writing certain material that puts me at risk of suspension here on LJ. That's the long and the short of it, and that is why I'll, gradually, leave LJ. I'm not packing my bags and storming out the door just yet, but I will start cross-posting to GJ from this moment on, starting with this post.

I've chosen GJ for now, and that will be my official second journal. I'm maeglinyedi there. I also have accounts on JF and IJ (both maeglinyedi), but neither make good second journals, imo. JF is difficult to get into if you haven't an account already: you'll need to fork up cash or get an invite from an existing user. And IJ limits the number of friends of a free user, 100 I think it was. I need to be able to friend more than 100 people, seriously. And I refuse to pay cash for any site until it's proven itself in my fandom eyes.

So, I'm sticking to GJ for now. I'll still post to LJ as well, except for any material that might get me into trouble, meaning adult fanfic. If you want fic updates, check out my GJ. Of course, all my fics are available on my website as well. I'll start reading my GJ flist, just as I'll continue to read my LJ flist. That is why I won't delete my LJ. It's been my online home for 5 years, and even if I'll stop using it in the future, I don't want to lose it permanently.

I sincerely hope that either Scribblet and/or fandom_flies's new fandom project run by atrata takes off, and I plan to move to one of these two in the future. But seeing as Scribblet is still in beta testing, and the other project is only a plan for now, I'm starting with GJ.

And that is how I plan to leave LJ: gradually move things over to first GJ, and hopefully later a more fandom oriented site, until one day I'll no longer post on my LJ or read my flist on LJ.

OMG. So many words, so little meaning.

Okay, let me see if I get what they're saying. Anyone posting sexual explicit art with fictional characters that might in some way be interpreted as underage are basically fucked when someone reports them. Locked/private post or not, you're fucked.

And they say this about fiction:

Written material -- fictional or not –- is also subject to Federal laws. But as we stated in a previous post, over the years we've looked at thousands of reported journals and communities and we rarely have come across a case of creative fiction or fanfic text that warrants review.

Yes, but what happens when you do come across a case of creative fiction that warrants a review? And when exactly does a case of creative fiction warrant a review? Plz to be answering that one!

And what's this artistic/literary merit your abuse team has been talking about so freely over the last couple of days, yet you fail to mention in these clarifications?

Too little, too late, LJ.

An open letter to Livejournal and Six apart, by bubble_blunder

It sums up everything very nicely, so I've added my signature. Please read it, and if you agree, add your signature as well.

Oh, look at that...LJ/6A's fuck up made Der Spiegel, one of Germany's biggest and most influential news magazines Blogs Gesperrt Wegen Potter Sex

My German is good enough to read the article, but it's not good (or rather, fast) enough to create a proper translation, so don't ask. ETA: viridian_magpie has done a quickie translation in the comments. Awesome!

The article's pretty good and objective, though they do mix up Strikethrough '07 and Boldout '07, and Ponderosa is mentioned quite a bit, as is a detailed description of her Snarry art that got her in trouble, and it discusses some of the protest actions people around LJ are engaging in. ETA: They've posted a correction about the Strikethrough and Boldout mix up at the top of the article.

However, this line at the bottom sums things up nicely:

Es sei ein Fehler gewesen, die Betroffenen nicht vorab zu informieren, sondern ihre Journale einfach kommentarlos dichtzumachen.

Which says as much as: It was a mistake to not inform the people involved beforehand, but to simply suspend their LJ's without any communication.

ETA: Cnet article about Brad leaving for Google: Livejournal creator leaves for Google.

Here's an excellent bit:

According to Western analysts, the mentioned departments are difficult to get along within one company, while the management presented by the Barak Berkowitz, the Acting Director, Mena Trott, President and Founder, and Andrew Anker, Head of Business Department, simply do not cope with their duties and are not able to withdraw Six Apart out of a prolonged crises.

Dude, no shit.