The Basic option used to be ad-free as well, but users didn't get advanced search options, additional storage space and many other features that came with Plus and Paid accounts. In other words, LiveJournal wasn't really making any money off of Basic account holders. You know, unless you count the fact that Basic account holders were adding value to the service by creating a community of active users that was so popular that some people were even willing to pay for advanced features.
When LiveJournal management announced the change earlier this month, LiveJournal users didn't exactly keep their concerns private. As of this writing, there are 68 pages filled with comments, most from users who are critical of the change. But since the new policy affects new users more than existing users, it will probably take a while to determine what impact the change will have.
[via ReadWriteWeb]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-24-2008 @ 4:47PM
spamdrinker said...
*sigh*
Ethical guidelines for Social Networking sites...
1. Reel 'em in.
2. Let 'em get comfortable.
3. Lean 'em over a barrel.
4. Let the arse rape begin.
Really, if we didn't submit to the desire to flash our virtual privates at the rest of the world, we'd probably be healthier, less neurotic and certainly richer.
And we wouldn't be walking like John Wayne anymore.
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3-24-2008 @ 6:51PM
BdgBill said...
Ahhh the death spiral begins.
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3-24-2008 @ 9:16PM
justin flood said...
People still use Livejournal? oops.
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3-24-2008 @ 11:02PM
Loren said...
You also missed the site-wide Livejournal boycott carried out on March 21 in response to the strike. This news has been the talk of Livejournal for the past week.
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3-24-2008 @ 11:02PM
Jonathan Harford said...
Oh, *man*. This is some epic assholery. I hadn't even realized until I read this here.
Check out what the founder has to say about it:
http://brad.livejournal.com/2368071.html
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3-25-2008 @ 12:12PM
R said...
It seemed pretty obvious that LJ was gonna wither away after Six Apart released Vox. What they really need to do is offer free accounts on TypePad. Six Apart is getting killed by Wordpress and their free blogging accounts.
But hey, what do I know? I'm just random guy that has some common sense.
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3-25-2008 @ 8:10PM
NyaR said...
RIP Livejournal
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3-26-2008 @ 9:10PM
Doranwen said...
Bah. Good thing they haven't phased out the existing Basic ones--I'm holding onto mine. :P
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3-28-2008 @ 1:27PM
James said...
Am confused: the way I read this, they basically stopped letting people create accounts that "opt out" of advertising.
What's the problem again? Step 1: install Adblock Plus (you *are* using Firefox, right?). Step 2: there is no step 2. Stop your bitching.
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