Dreamwidth

[lavendertook]

That dreamwidth crossposter works like a charm--I'm impressed. I just set my DW journal to crosspost from DW to LJ and IJ without having to work with any client at all. It even crossposted the tags. The only extra step I need take is to edit my LJ and IJ entries if I want other than the default icon to show with the entry--if they can find a way to allow us to choose icons through the crossposter, then it will be perfect, but what it does so far is most of the way.

And the import function for reproducing my LJ worked without a hitch, as far as I can tell. The only lack is it doesn't import all the icons from the comments.

So the inter-operability functions of DW totally rules--which was one of the main differences from LJ they were hoping to achieve. Whether I consider my DW or LJ my main journal, I'm still backed up effortlessly to both, and IJ to boot, if I post from DW. So no one is forced to choose. I'm not leaving LJ--I'm just being in more places at once. And now I'll be updating my IJ too without extra effort.

In any event, you can find my dreamwidth account here where I'm happy to have many icons again, since I went with the premium. I haven't paid LJ in years because I haven't been happy with a lot of their choices since Brad sold it, so I've really missed having more than 6 icons. And though I can have a lot at IJ as well, not enough of my flist plays over there to make that satisfying. I'm hoping DW pans out enough for me to have multi-icon fun again. So if you have a DW journal and cross post with LJ, I'm going to want to comment on your DW entry with my full icon battalion in tow. I'd rather you comment to me on DW if you have a journal there for the same reason, but I won't be funneling comments on LJ and IJ to DW in the foreseeable future--I'm OK with being scattered--it's my usual state.

If you need an invite code to DW, I have some--just drop a note in my LJ inbox if you want one.

Comments

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

I have to say I am also impressed by DW's interoperability and their policies. Did you see how they handled the community-name squatting?

I'm not ready for a paid account there yet, but we'll see how it goes.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they did great with that.

I'm optimistic about DW's staying potential as it offers something none of the LJ clones have offered. I don't want to see LJ fold--I want to have both places be lively.

i don't get it :(

[tomatobredie.livejournal.com]

So, wait, what's so good about DW compared to LJ specifically?

Re: i don't get it :(

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Firstly, when you post entries at DW, you can set your journal so that it automatically also posts to LJ, JF, IJ, and some other places too, so it makes keeping a back up journal effortless. Since I do prefer to keep back up, that's important to me. You don't have to worry that any service will go down and you'll lose all your posts.

Secondly, the import function is very good--I had to use an outside service for importing my old LJ entries when I set up my IJ to be a back up journal (and I needed a friend's help because I'm on a mac). But I haven't been keeping up my IJ because double posting involves a little bit of time with copying and pasting, and I haven't found the time to mess with a client yet that would do it--I've heard that Semagic doesn't work for everyone, and so that left my techno-trepidatious self avoidant of taking the time to learn to use it.

Thirdly, I'd rather have my journal in an ad-free site, and DW does that. DW is planning to make their money by selling subscriptions, by making it a service that people will want to pay for. Additionally, some people think that plastering ads on journals really doesn't help advertisers very much and once the market figures that out, it may dry up as a source of revenue for journal sites anyway.

Fourthly, I'm acquainted with one of the 2 people who are running DW. I've seen her posting around fandom on LJ for years, so she knows the issues that run in these circles and is part of the community of interest. I think she knows what she's doing and what she's getting into, has realistic expectations, and is not hoping to make big profits off of this. I don't expect to agree with all her decisions as I've heard she took some stands in the past when she was working for LJ that I wouldn't have been happy with, but we'll see how it goes.

Fifthly, once Brad sold LJ and it was bought by companies more interested in profit than techno experimentation and community, LJ has handled all kinds of social issues badly. I think having some good competition from a journal site with a slightly different model might keep them more honest if their business sense kicks in. I think DW has a better potential for doing that than IJ, which is the next biggest danga-platform (LJ-style social network site, as opposed to facebook/myspace social network type sites) journal site, because DW offers features that LJ doesn't, as I stated above. IJ and all the other LJ clones, like blurty, never tried to improve on the model LJ set, and so had nothing to offer in competition to it except an appeal to those of us who got pissed off when LJ would do something stupid.

A lot more of my flist is also setting up journals on DW than has happened at IJ, so I'm hoping it will take. As yonmei on IJ reminded me, decentralization is a good thing.

Does that help?

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

I tried the crossposting feature yesterday, too, and it worked great. Also transferred all my posts with comments flawlessly (which I gather hasn't been the case for everyone). So far I'm very impressed, although LJ will be my main journal as long as it is for the majority of my friends as well. I may upgrade to a paid account at DW, though, just to support them in remaining ad-free.

Oh, and if you have an invite code, I'd love to be able to set up a journal there for Patchwork Family! Thanks!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

One day I will have time to catch up! That pic of the whippet you posted on the last one was so sweet.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

*makes a note*

(I'm not Browngirl over there -- this icon is a clue. *wink*)

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

You with the mysterious clues! *hugs*

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I haven't even had time to play around with dreamwidth! I thought I would have time this past weekend, but er...not to be! And now it starts another work week! :D Eh, I'll try to grab some time here and there...

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

You haven't set one up yet, have you?

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

*waves tiredly* Meeting you at WisCon was awesome! I know I wasn't at my best conversation-wise whenever we did, though. Next year I need to do less panels and more mingling!

Your icon is so me.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

It was delightful to meet you! You were terrific company. I never quite found my submerged extroverted side this trip, but maybe next time. I almost always rally in one on one situations, but group scenes often stuff up my speech centers. And I was going to friend you so thank you for friending me first. (-: