Let Go Or Be Dragged

I have used LJ for a decade and I have had so many paid journals and all the bells and whistles- extra icons, rename tokens, v-gifts. If I added up the amount of money I've given this site $25 at a time I think I'd probably weep. But at the time it was worth it. I loved this service and I didn't mind paying for it even a little bit.

But ever since Six Apart bought LiveJournal this service has steadily gone downhill. The site I use now is not the site I was using in 2002. The customer service is atrocious, the service in genral is terrible. I realize LJ can't predict or do anything but go on the defensive with DDoS attacks, but they happen SO OFTEN you'd think they'd find a better way to deal with them.

I think a huge problem with LJ right now is the schism between LJ.ru and LJ in America. These users have different ways of using this site. Where .ru seems to be more a social etworking site and political platform, America uses this for community interaction, roleplay, and fandom. America, in my opinion, has needs that are infinitely more simple to fill the Russia.

The latest symptom of the ongoing problems is this new comment format that rolled out today. IT IS HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE. It is ugly, not user friendly, it's like a graphic design double dog dare to get people to go to Dreamwidth. And the developers who interact with users in the News posts is EMBARRASSING. You should be embarrassed. Those developers become the face of the company and, frankly, users believe your company is run by douches.

Right now I'm trying to decide if I even want to stay with LiveJournal. It's been my home for a decade and it's where all my friends are, but the nature of the internet is such that my friends are on AIM even if our platform becomes something other than LiveJournal.