rm | LJ Advisory Board

LJ Advisory Board

Well, I've been officially certified as a candidate in the LJ Advisory Board Election and I've been offered the opportunity to talk a little bit about where I stand in a post that will be linked to from the poll.

Four questions were suggested to all the candidates for this post, and since this isn't a format I've pursued before, I decided to run with it.

As some of you know, I will actually be in Sicily for the next week (I leave later today), so my access may be sporadic during that time, but what online time I have will be dedicated to this election process, which I believe has the potential to make LJ a better place regardless of the outcome.

What do you think is the value of LJ?

For me personally, LJ has been a way to stay in touch with friends, hone my writing and document my life for myself, and at least intermittently, for the amusement of others. I met my partner here. I found support when I was diagnosed with a rather unpleasant genetic disease. And I have fun talking about the things I'm passionate about from fencing to fandom.

While those LJ experiences are far from uncommon, they don't even begin to speak to the totality of LJ's value both as a platform for personal expression and a tool for community development. LJ gives the user the unique ability to feel both less alone in the world and more singular, whether on issues serious or trivial.

LJ allows users to experience both the world as they wish it to be, through connections with like-minded individuals, and to witness the world as it is through exposure to those of completely different circumstances and views.

What changes would you like to see LJ make in the next year?

The number one issue has to be better and more respectful communications between LJ and its users. Every other concern (and there are a whole bunch we'll get to in just a second) can only be addressed if this happens. That means LJ has to recognize that users generate the content that brings in even more users that in turn generate the revenue in an ideally constant cycle. LJ's users -- free, plus and paid -- are the building blocks of the revenue model and should be treated accordingly.

What does that mean?

It means we need a clear TOS that is uniformly enforced.

It means we need communication with users whenever the TOS is updated.

It means we need a system for dealing with abuse and other user concerns that is transparent and allows users to present their side of the case -- justice without defense or appeal is not justice.

It means we need an LJ administration that recognizes and is comfortable with the diversity of its users and their interests.

Practically, what needs to happen in the next year?

LJ needs to finally resolve the free speech issues that began with ~~Strikeout~~ and Boldthrough. While as a private corporation LJ has the right to decide what type of content it will and won't allow, my argument is for the broadest range of speech permissible under the laws of California (where LJ is incorporated). This level of free speech should be the right of all LJ users, regardless of location or topic. Political speech needs to be protected. Religious speech needs to be protected. Creative speech needs to be protected. If it's legal speech it should be permissible on LJ.

LJ is a platform. Not a parent.

LJ needs to address disability issues. This includes getting the ALT tag working for our visually impaired users and apologizing to users with mental health/illness issues for essentially erasing their existence from the site in the debacle with the top 100 interests list.

LJ needs to honor its original commitments made to the users. These include the ongoing availability of free accounts and the right of every user to experience an ad-free LJ if they so choose.

Why do you want to be the elected representative?

To be frank, I hemmed and hawed about running at the beginning. This job is going to be hard. It's going to be time-consuming and it's going to be thankless.

But the fact remains that I have a set of unique characteristics and credentials that make me believe I am the person who can most make the LJ powers-that-be listen.

Why?

I currently have early adopter, paid and free accounts.

I am a professional author whose publisher advertises on the site.

I have an extensive professional background in public relations and marketing.

I have the previous experience of working for an on-line community of which I was also an active part.

I already have a good rapport with staff members on several of the current user concerns. At the same time, I have no personal friendships or loyalties to the staff or other powers that be.

I am relentless, clear, and systematic when it comes to problem solving.

I love LJ with all my heart, but I am not a cheerleader. I will call it like I see it, and can be both diplomatic and aggressive.

I am resilient.

I am an active and proud part of fandom (HP, Torchwood/Doctor Who, Riverside, His Dark Materials, Kushiel, etc.)

Everything that makes me not cuddly in most circumstances makes me perfect for this job.

What do you think are the community's greatest concerns?

Communication. Respect. The safety to be ourselves. The right to be ourselves. What the TOS really means. Free expression. A high quality user experience. Features that work. Features that matter. Preservation of community. Preservation of LJ's unique culture. Accessibility. Usability.

vote RM!
Keeping LJ a place we want to be;
Making LJ a place we want to stay.

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Obviously, rm has the "right" to ban anybody she likes from posting in her journal, but the fact that she would ban the leading candidate without provocation speaks volumes about her ethics.

Edited 2008-05-21 21:34 (UTC)

It's been stated, in

jameth's LJ in fact, that the banning happened several years ago.

I appreciate your desire to defend your candidate, but you may wish to do better fact-checking in the future.

The fact remains that it is poor form to post an answer to a question asked of someone else in a forum where one's posting privileges have been revoked.

Last reply, on my part. Feel free to email me if you'd like; I think quite enough bandwidth has been utilized here.

No, we're all certain you painted yourself into a corner. No need to prolong it.

Yes, that's right. She banned him because he was on a list of alleged Friendito users that was floating around, and she dropped the ban_hammer on all of them then, and has not bothered to change that now that Friendito is no longer an issue, and he is the leading candidate for the board. That, to me, speaks even more about

rm's ease in looking down her nose at people.

Now, since this is her journal, and she has not said anything in this thread, nor has she disabled anonymous commenting, why do you feel it is your business to jump down

jameth's throat?

this one?

http://goodtimz.blogspot.com/2005/04/banned-lj-user-meme.html

i'm on there too, but i'm not banned. hmm.

I think that was the fursecution list, because I'm on that one.

I am on the list and I can comment as well.

Gee, I'm just going by the reason she gave. I never assumed that she was afraid of

jameth.

Holy crap, I am on there and I am a boring LJ user!

oh hi buddy *hugs*

I was banned to. But I can post.

This is just a witch hunt against

jameth.

rm made a request to open dialog between candidates with a group exchange, except

jameth was banned, and when he tried to offer up groups and take part via a third party, he was shot down by

rm.

Why she claims to be the "free speech" candidate escapes me, as at every turn she has worked to shut-up other candidates while pretending to want to open dialog.

If she has to resort to banning those she disagrees with, rather than working with them to resolve issue, how is she supposed to hand working with SUP? Obama's statement concerning having dialog with enemy's applies to live journal as well.

reporting in to say, FINALLY I AM COOL ENOUGH TO BE ON A BAN LIST. OMGZ.. Etc.

lol what is friendito, who is that, and why am i on that list hahaha

I am on that list and about the most vitriolic thing i've ever done, apparently, is friend

jameth,

rfjason and a few others.

But hey, I can still comment here, too.

Yes, funny how

rm claims that

jamethwas banned years ago because he was on that ban list, and yet so many of the other people on that very same list can post. That pretty much proves that

rm is a coward and a bold-faced lier. And she claims to have ethics.

Ah yes, the surest sign of a pathetic loser: responding to people in private messages, and then blocking then so they can not respond to your childish behavior. Trust me, that is not an effective way to hide your epic fail.

You are a truly pathetic.

I will happily share with any interested parties the email that resulted in your being banned.

End of discussion; have a nice day.

Um, I'm interested. I have no background in drama or trolldom.

I'm just curious how people get banned from a journal penned by a person who is ostensibly pro free-speech and open debate. Full disclosure: I'm friends with Jameth because I think his cats are cute.

She banned me from messaging her because I basically told her to go fuck herself after she took the cowards route and messaged me privately. She's got a massive load of butt-hurt because her friend has been busted for being a lier.

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boniblithe.livejournal.com - 2008-05-24 02:54 (UTC) - Expand

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rhonan.livejournal.com - 2008-05-24 05:00 (UTC) - Expand

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Please, I can tell there's some major history hear, but I'm in over my depth and cannot understand it at all.

I like rm.

I'd like to know why she's banning another user/candidate.

Can someone please explain?

My understanding is that the banning happened over the Frienditto fiasco in 2005.

Info about what that was is here.

History shows that Frienditto was indeed a huge security risk, and when

rm postedabout it, she was inundated with comments from Friends of Jameth. I don't know exactly what actions were taken in the aftermath outside of anyone using Frienditto at the time being banned.

It's been said before, but yes - he was not banned because he's a candidate. He was banned because of past behavior.

I do not presume to speak for

rm; any other insight or information should come from her. The above is however a matter of public record, which is why I'm sharing it. :)

Wow, thanks for that link to

rm's post. I also had concerns about her banning

jameth. Reading over those threads, I'm seeing a lot of rude people, many of whom have connections to

jameth.

I don't know about the banning, but I'm rather disgusted by how

jameth is running his campaign so far.

Well,

rm says she banned

jameth years ago when the who Friendito thing happened. I see

elionwyr has already given links regarding that. The problem is that many of the people that are on the ban list she claims to have used are able to post here, and were clearly not banned when

rm claims to have banned them all. In fact, the only person on that list who actually appears to have been banned is

jameth.

rm and her minions chose to steal all the worst tricks from the Hillary Clinton play-book, and are working very hard to portray

jamethas a joke candidate. She banned him from her journal and has worked to exclude him from other communities, and refuses to debate him anywhere. Also, when the nominations process started, her buddies over at

ljunited deleted threads right and left when people defended him against the charge of being a troll and a joke.

As for why I support

jameth; he and I worked together in a professional setting. He's smart, and a good problem solver. I've also seen how in interacted with executives, clients, and the people working under him. He gets things done, and tries to do so with win-win solutions. I've also been impressed with the volunteer work he does.

He's smart, and a good problem solver. I've also seen how in interacted with executives, clients, and the people working under him. He gets things done, and tries to do so with win-win solutions. I've also been impressed with the volunteer work he does.

I would like to see some evidence of that in his online behavior. Right now the way he's allowed his supporters to run wild and even condoned their behavior, is not impressing me. I'm sure if a bunch of people showed up in a business meeting and started mouthing off to executives on behalf of jameth the way that they've been mouthing off to ... idk, practically everyone else on LJ ... he'd be horrified, and shut it down immediately.

There is no consistency between your words (no offense meant to you personally) and jameth's actions - there is apparently a disparity in how he allows people to be respected and treated online, vs. in real life.

Formerly leading candidate.

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