This is ...spooky. (Brace yourselves. Ads on LJ?)

[azurelunatic]

This hasn't hit news yet, but it has hit lj_biz. It's not exactly a done deal yet, but they're already coding for it. So now is the time to give feedback.


bradfitz a couple years ago: "OMGWTF NO ADS NO ADS NO ADS ADS BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD WRONG BAD!"
Users, friends, random strangers: "Um, chill, dude. Some people aren't the anti-ad Nazi you are."
bradfitz: "BUT I HATE ADS AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE THEM!!"
Users, friends, random strangers: *break out into wild babbling debate* "Dude. You're, like, the extreme end of the scale. Trust us."
bradfitz: "Really? Most people sort of tune out ads like I tune out other petty things that would annoy me if I really paid attention to them?"
Most People: "Yup. Plus we use things like AdBlock for the ones we can't ignore!"
bradfitz: "Well, holy crap. Plus, we are sort of running on fumes. But I personally still never want to see ads, ever!"
LJ Geeks: "I think we can do that."

bradfitz: *ahem* "OK, this is something that I had to say myself, instead of letting the people who are really good with words and PR say. We're getting towards broke. So. How 'bout a new ad-supported user level, with more features than free, but less than paid?" *disables comment e-mails*

Early Adopters: "What about the Early Adopters? (OMG FIRST COMMENT!!11!)"
Average LJ users: "OMG. You have got to be kidding us. Who replaced bradfitz with a pod person?"
Average Users of the Internet: "Guess it was kind of inevitable. Nice while it lasted, though." *coughwhorescough*

Paid Users: "At least we have more userpics features than the rest of you schmucks. And we don't have to look at your ads. Ha-ha. (OMG, please say we're still better than them. We are the elite! We have to be measurably better!)"
Free Users: "I'm too noble to whore myself out by putting ads in my journal, and too broke/young/cheapfrugal to get a paid account!"
Ad-Supported Users: "You don't understand. Nobody understands. When you're where we are, you've got to do what you've got to do to get extra userpics get extra features survive. ...Will that Christian bookstore whose ad banner I have now care if I post graphic pictures of tentacle rape in my journal? I know Ghastly kept losing sponsors... "
Random Ghastly Fan: "Um, he actually lost them over the 'Jesus having sex with his wife' comic, not the tentacle rape. (OMFG, what has become of LJ?)"
Permanent Users: "Still the prettiest!"

Paranoid Users: "Sellouts. This is just the first step to making EVERYBODY have to look at ads everywhere on the site! Next think it'll be pop-ups! And our firstborn!"
bradfitz: "This is the sound of me QUITTING LJ if that ever happens. Seriously. I still HATE ADS!!1!!"
Paranoid Users: "You quit LJ when you sold out to Six Apart. Traitor."
Cash-Strapped Users: "Um, can we put third-party ads in our journals now?"
LJ Abuse: "Third-party ads? Oh, fuck no. Brad, say it ain't so."
LJ Geeks: "Slow the hell down, guys. We're not even done designing all this yet. AIIIGH! FEATURE CREEP! FEATURE CREEP!"
Paranoid Users: "It's a slippery slope, and you're sliiiiiiiding!"
Average Users: "OK, explain this whole thing to us, with smaller words?"
ursamajor: "Look! A handy chart detailing who sees ads where!"

Random Trolls: *offensive images* "I love it. Way to go Braddy-boy!"
Average Users: "Why is it that LJ Abuse can banninate Evil Security Crackers and people who don't think they're breaking the rules but actually are, but can't kick this asshole the hell off the Internet?"
Random Trolls: "Ha ha you noticed me. I winz!"

New lj_ads staff: *braces for the comment storm and the mass defriending*
Support Volunteer: "Goat, green."
frank: "INCOMING!"
Support Volunteers: "Agghhhhh!"

Comments

[bekijane.livejournal.com]

bekithewitch: Advil! Getcher Advil here!
paid users: OMG! That's an ad! I shouldn't have to look at it!
bekithewitch *headdesk*

[azurelunatic]

Exxxxactly.

I'm just curious what kind of ads they're going to want! I want to be part of the "Um, no, that would go over exactly WRONG!" and "Hmm, that might work!" staff.

[ursamajor]

Dude, I got a mention! :D *preens*

bradfitz: *disables comment e-mails*

Hee, I hope pmmarcov has done the same ... *grin*

[azurelunatic]

You made a most useful table there!

[gameboyguy13.livejournal.com]

Again, you win at life, the Internet, and everything. ♥

[azurelunatic]

:) Thanks.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

<--- still the prettiest!

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

<--- still capable of metooing!

[christine.livejournal.com]

i <3 you

[azurelunatic]

*grin*

[gweniveeve.livejournal.com]

Awesome. :)

[azurelunatic]

Thanks. *grin*

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

Oh, and:

Random Ghastly Fan: "Um, he actually lost them over the 'Jesus having sex with his wife' comic, not the tentacle rape."

This made me giggle extensively.

[azurelunatic]

I periodically re-read the archives of that comic, and a lot of the commentary on it is hysterical.

[amanda.livejournal.com]

♥

Ok, you have made me giggle on more than one occassion, I add you to my friends list now, k?

:D

[azurelunatic]

'k! *grin*

[tefkas.livejournal.com]

Impressive. Most impressive.

:D

[azurelunatic]

Thanks!

(:

[tjousk.livejournal.com]

*grin*

[azurelunatic]

 

[stretfordditto.livejournal.com]

Hysterical. :D

[azurelunatic]

Thanks. :)

[snark2]

Very, very funny! :D

And reading "We have to be measurably better!" as "We have to be masturbatorily better!" was just an added bonus for me. ;)

[azurelunatic]

*grin* The wank! Oh, the wank!

[jennifer.livejournal.com]

You've also made me giggle enough times I'd like to friend you, if that's all right. (Plus, IIRC, you moderate note_to_cat, which is one of my favorite comms.)

[azurelunatic]

Quite all right. :) And yeah, that one's mine. (Active moderators these days are some of my crew rather than me, but I'm still maintainer.) My auto-friend-back is disabled due to sheer volume of the friends page, but you're very welcome to wade into the fray.

[elfy.livejournal.com]

Hahahahahah!
Permanent Users: "Still the prettiest!"
That was soooooooooooo my fav!
*gigglesnort*
Great, great, great!

[calliste.livejournal.com]

Mine, too!

[bookwormmel.livejournal.com]

This entry was linked from gothicautumn03 journal. I have to say i love it. I was here rofl.

[azurelunatic]

Glad you enjoyed! *grin*

[inkandalchemy.livejournal.com]

*topples out of her chair in a fit of wild giggles*

*proceeds to add it to her Memories so she can laugh at it six months down the road when LJ is obsessing about the next drama and has completely forgotten this happened*

[azurelunatic]

I have a few more of these hanging around somewhere. My "lj" post tag collects all my LJ posts that I remember to tag.

[ljablogger.livejournal.com]

too broke/young/cheapfrugal to get a paid account

Add "disenchanted" and "pissed off" ;D

[azurelunatic]

Those too.

[dzurlady.livejournal.com]

Permanent Users: "Still the prettiest!"
*dies* *in a very pretty way*

This is fantastic.

[azurelunatic]

*grin* Thanks!

[some-kat.livejournal.com]

As ashamed as I am to say, I rarely ever read up on any of the lj news things (you know, the important stuff). But I must say, after reading this, I am far too amused. I may actually start paying attention to what's going on from now on. *laughs*

[azurelunatic]

Make sure to read the comments. That's where most of the comedy shows up...

[7rin.livejournal.com]

Hehe - linked to! :)

Y'know, I reckon when LJ do these OMGWTF kinda things, they just oughta get you to do a write up and post that instead, it'd save sooooo much confusion. <g>

[azurelunatic]

It wouldn't have half the funny of the typical reactions, though; I depend on them to throw the whole thing into context.

[spyder.livejournal.com]

You know I like reading these posts. It saves me having to wade through news

[azurelunatic]

Thanks! *grin* Have posted the summary for the latest.

The Next Summary:

[azurelunatic]

http://azurelunatic.livejournal.com/4978991.html