LJ is still a little relevant

[sabotabby]

I'm consciously avoiding Facebook these days. I don't even want to look at it. I gather there are probably some features on it that I need to disable.

Facebook's effect on social networking reminds me of what happened with Chapters-Indigo in Canada. All of the small publishers and bookstores went out of business, and everyone had to go to Chindigo, and then Chindigo realized that it was much more profitable to sell a small number of popular books and lots of diaries and scented candles. So everyone ditched and started buying books on Amazon. I don't know what the SNS equivalent of Amazon is.

I'm avoiding G+ because nymwars have resulted in practically no one I know using it for anything other than posting about nymwars.

I'm trying to like Tumblr but there is not a convenient way to comment. It doesn't feel very social or interactive to just click a heart. And I'm not sure that there is a big audience for pictures of pulp sci-fi covers that look like they have dicks on them, which appears to be the theme I've fallen into.

So I'm glad LJ is still here.

And also because I love you guys.

Comments

[bcholmes.livejournal.com]

It has a more Google+-like interaction model, but without all the "real name" crap. It allows one to crosspost to other platforms (if you want to), and it has this idea that there's no "one" Diaspora -- it's a collection of Pods that might be hosted by different orgs/groups.

It's still beta-ish.

[lienne.livejournal.com]

having just joined, I submit the following first impression:

it is like G+ with a slightly more understated interface, and it has a gender text box

let me repeat that

IT HAS A GENDER TEXT BOX

EVERYONE SHOULD USE DIASPORA

NO MORE FUCKING DROP-DOWN MENUS

NO MORE FLIPPING A COIN TO PICK MY LIE

NO MORE IDENTIFYING AS "OTHER"

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[ironed_orchid]

It's like you are channeling my brains!

And the brains of all the right minded people out there.

I thin it will appeal to the sort of people who prefer DW to LJ (e.g.), it has all the functions of other networking sites, but the politics are better.