Well we really screwed this one up…

[news]

For reasons we are still trying to figure out what was supposed to be a well planned attempt to clean up a few journals that were violating LiveJournal's policies that protect minors turned into a total mess. I can only say I’m sorry, explain what we did wrong and what we are doing to correct these problems and explain what we were trying to do but

Comments

[barakb25]

No. We have said that we were being particularly careful about protecting children. That is a choice we made a long time ago.

[janetmweiss]

It seems like many things can be done in the name of protecting children, depending on just what you're scared is going to happen to them. Child molestation/rape, yeah, that definitely harms children. But incest is not by definition linked to children and I hear you came down on it. Obviously protecting the children is not a black and white issue. If some right-wing group comes screaming that we're turning their children gay by supporting gay marriage, will your reflexive reaction be to start suspending journals again? It would be in the name of protecting the children from gayness.

Then again, not eroding the freedom of speech those children would probably like to enjoy is probably also protecting the children.

[janetmweiss]

Futhermore, since I seem to be harping on homosexuality quite a bit, I will change the subject and say that I would also like to see every pro-anorexia/pro-self-harm community on LJ be suspended (and you might as well take down dieting, exercise and suicide/self-help support groups, too, just based on a massive interest-keyword sweep). Frankly, I suspect the vast majority of their members are children and those communities are outright advocating extremely dangerous things.

Except...the funny thing is, those communities aren't about s-e-x so for some reason humans are still capable of using logic when it comes to them.

[tiggz]

i have but one thing to say. WORD.

[lurkitty]

Your choice has resulted in all of the journals that were suspended being listed on websites as suspected pedophiles. So even if *you* made an error "to protect the children", you failed to protect your customers from fanatics on the web. Even if you restore those journals, they're going to have to hide.

Furthermore, you've just shown other fringe groups how to attack Livejournal sites they don't like.

Nice work!

[alowtimidvoice]

Exactly. I'm a victim of child molestation and rape and now my former journal, onewavebreaks, is listed as a pro-pedophile journal. It makes me feel worthless even though I did nothing to deserve this treatment. I think that free name changes ought to be offered to those affected after their journals are unsuspended.

[autumnyte]

I am so sorry for what happened to you, that is beyond outrageous.

[nistelle]

Fucking atrocious.

[apostropher]

That's terrible, I am so sorry.

[indie_young]

and exactly where is six apart willing to draw then line between a companies responsibility and a parents?

[indie_young]

and on the same lines, is six apart now taking the stance the livejournal is a site geared for children? Should we consenting adults who can fully choose for ourselves what we do and don't want to view go elsewhere so that the kiddies can talk about the teletubbies?

[33mhz]

Quit vomiting up talking points and address the real creeping issues involved in this manner of content-filtering. It's time to drop the hubris and apologize for this, too.

A large amount of LJ's and any other internet business' value is tied up in the perceived "cluefulness" of the people who run it. Along with the dedicated user base, this was LJ's primary asset, and you're squandering it with each too-brief, poorly thought-out response.

If you're truly interested in minimizing damage to your asset, you'll put someone in charge who actually shares the philosophy under which LJ was founded and operated until the acquisition.

[nuitari4pwnage]

IAWTC

These responses, though entertaining, also sound quite rude.

[sciencegeek]

Then why did about 50 or so comms, and more users with pedophila as an 'interest' appear to surivive this? Not to mention all the comms and users with 'incest' in their interests, yet it was cited as THE reason why some of the communities were banned. Were the bannings just...haphazard? Did you draw names out of a hat?
You have many questions still to answer, Big Brother.

[apostropher]

And how exactly did doing this protect any children? Who are you counting as children, anyway?