unique.wonders. ([info]uniquewonders) wrote in [info]no_lj_ads,
2008-03-13 00:26:00
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The end of Basic accounts 0_o

Account creation:When creating a new account you're no longer asked to choose an account level. You're only asked if you want to upgrade to a paid account. It is not mentioned anywhere that you can have a free and advertising-free account.

[info]krysaia tells us why: "Basic Account is an option available to accounts which were created before March 12, 2008. No account created after this date can be turned into a Basic Account."

Limit reached: Support volunteer [info]intrepia adds that "the cutoff is that accounts with a userid below 15136000 can convert back to basic." This limit has been reached some time on March 12.

Paid time running out or opting out of Plus: what happens? When your Paid Account expires or when you opt out of the Plus level, your account will revert to the type you had beforehand. If you went from Basic to Paid/Plus, you will revert to Basic. If you went from EA to Paid/Plus, you will revert to EA. If you went from Plus to Paid, you will revert to Plus. If your user id is below 15136000 you will then be able to switch to basic. Your user ID's on your profile. It's the number next to your username.

Not seeing the same text on the FAQ: some of you may see a different version of the FAQ quoted above if they're viewing the site in another language than American English (because volunteers haven't had the time to update the FAQ in their language). So here's a screencap.

Statements from the LJ Staff:
[x] A statement from Jason Shellen, VP of Product Development for LiveJournal.

[x] Another statement has been posted in news.

Reactions from members of the Advisory Board:
[x] Brad "advised against this" but "hadn't heard anything recently about it.".

[x] Esther Dyson, another member of the Advisory Board, says she wasn't consulted either.

[x] danah boyd's reaction: "Needless to say, Brad's pissed. I'm pissed. Not only because we both vehemently disagree with this change, but because they made such a change without consulting us. Or rather, we were both at a lunch a while back where they asked us what we thought and we both told them that this was the worst idea ever, although for different reasons. I had thought it had been tabled until I learned of this. After it had been posted."

Feedback: SUP's contact page and Jason Shellen's 6A and LiveJournal, Inc. addresses if you need them.
Tags: pushing plus level

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[info]tiferet

March 12 2008, 23:41:57 UTC 4 years ago

for serious?

[info]uniquewonders

March 12 2008, 23:50:22 UTC 4 years ago

For serious. I ended up with a Plus account on the first time so I repeated the process a second then a third time to see if I had missed something. I hadn't.

[info]girlfight

4 years ago

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[info]tiferet

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]7rin

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]7rin

4 years ago

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[info]girlfight

March 12 2008, 23:50:20 UTC 4 years ago

...REALLY? :|

[info]uniquewonders

March 12 2008, 23:51:18 UTC 4 years ago

Really.

[info]krysaia

March 12 2008, 23:56:23 UTC 4 years ago

Apparently new accounts will never be able to switch to Basic - see FAQ #38.

[info]trobadora

March 12 2008, 23:58:24 UTC 4 years ago

WHAT.

Okay, that is just... *seethes*

[info]tgies

4 years ago

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[info]trobadora

4 years ago

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[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

March 13 2008, 00:00:09 UTC 4 years ago

This was pretty inevitable.

[info]uniquewonders

March 13 2008, 00:05:06 UTC 4 years ago

Yep but I didn't expect the end of basic accounts to happen so soon.

[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]donutgirl

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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[info]emarkienna

March 13 2008, 00:08:09 UTC 4 years ago

I wonder if they will even announce this somewhat significant change? Especially since this isn't just an issue for new users, because existing Basic users will also see ads on all the new accounts.

This also means that more and more Basic users will be tempted to switch (if you see ads left, right and centre, why miss out on the extra features? It is a bit annoying when you're the one who sees the ads, but only the ones who put the ads on their LJs are the ones who get the extra features...)

Brad's insistence of it'll only be for those who opt-in looks increasingly laughable...

[info]krysaia

March 13 2008, 00:22:41 UTC 4 years ago

I'm sure they won't bother announcing it on [info]news. They just snuck it in to the FAQ - a now-typical LJ tactic.

Thank goodness for AdBlock, because there's no way in hell I'm switching away from Basic.

[info]docjeff

4 years ago

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[info]yakko

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]yakko

4 years ago

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[info]lavendertook

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]lavendertook

4 years ago

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[info]mackenzie

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]lavendertook

4 years ago

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[info]msilverstar

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]theodicy

March 13 2008, 00:08:09 UTC 4 years ago

Shouldn't there have been...oh, I don't know...a WARNING?

Or am I really so busy I missed it?

Grrr.

[info]foxfirefey

March 13 2008, 00:13:38 UTC 4 years ago

No, no warning. Only mentioning that they "streamlined" the registration process. I guess allowing an ad free option was just too confusing.

[info]sabbrielle

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]sabbrielle

4 years ago

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[info]subbes

4 years ago

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[info]smeddley

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]smeddley

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]smeddley

4 years ago

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[info]schnee

March 13 2008, 00:08:43 UTC 4 years ago

Guess I'll have no qualms about telling new people to use Adblock if they can't/don't want to get a paid account anymore, then.

[info]myownsatellite

March 13 2008, 01:45:24 UTC 4 years ago

Oh gosh, I LOVE my ad-blocker. Anything with ad.doubleclick.net or linksys.syngergy.com or anything similar in the address? Totally cut out. LOVE.

[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]myownsatellite

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]entropy_house

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]entropy_house

4 years ago

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[info]schnee

4 years ago

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[info]emarkienna

4 years ago

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[info]schnee

4 years ago

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[info]triestine

4 years ago

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[info]shanaqui

March 13 2008, 00:17:57 UTC 4 years ago

The page I see when I click the link doesn't include that text (or anything to that effect) at all.

[info]grrliz

March 13 2008, 00:24:03 UTC 4 years ago

Yes, me too, I'm also confused and can't find the actual source for this.

[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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[info]shanaqui

4 years ago

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[info]intrepia

4 years ago

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[info]jesspark

4 years ago

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[info]soph

4 years ago

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[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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...and 4 more comments... from [info]jesspark, [info]soph, [info]shanaqui… Expand

[info]polyfrog

March 13 2008, 00:31:07 UTC 4 years ago

Brad promised that we would never be forced to see ads.

And so we are not.

Those new guys, though...they have to see ads or pay.

[info]emarkienna

March 13 2008, 00:47:35 UTC 4 years ago

Remember that we (non-paid/permanent users) do still see adverts on various "official" pages and on plus accounts (which will obviously be increasing in number now...)

[info]sabbrielle

4 years ago

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[info]matgb

4 years ago

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[info]akashattered

4 years ago

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[info]krysaia

March 13 2008, 00:34:26 UTC 4 years ago

Re: 2nd edit - Hmm. Well, the FAQ does say accounts created "after" March 12 and not "on", so maybe that's why? I bet accounts created tomorrow won't be able to switch.

[info]uniquewonders

March 13 2008, 00:35:40 UTC 4 years ago

Oh yeah different time zone here! It's already the 13th. Will add this.

[info]smeddley

4 years ago

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[info]krysaia

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]krysaia

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]catherinefudom

3 years ago

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[info]intrepia

March 13 2008, 00:39:40 UTC 4 years ago

Regarding your second ETA, the cutoff is that accounts with a userid below 15136000 can convert back to basic.

[info]uniquewonders

March 13 2008, 00:45:07 UTC 4 years ago

Edited to add. Thank you!

[info]mskala

March 13 2008, 00:41:13 UTC 4 years ago

I wonder if I'll be able to make money by selling my Basic account.

[info]uniquewonders

March 13 2008, 00:42:33 UTC 4 years ago

LOL. Isn't that forbidden by the TOS?

[info]scryren

4 years ago

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[info]soleta_nf

4 years ago

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[info]tiferet

4 years ago

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[info]dearprincess

4 years ago

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[info]tiferet

4 years ago

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[info]soleta_nf

4 years ago

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[info]akashattered

4 years ago

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[info]loqia

4 years ago

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[info]isiscolo

March 13 2008, 00:41:24 UTC 4 years ago

Swiped from [info]synecdochic, who I believe used to work for LJ:

Feedback about this fucking idiotic boneheaded fucking move goes on an actual physical postcard to:

Jason Shellen
576 Folsom St
San Francisco, CA 94105

Six Apart - Sales Department
548 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

[info]intrepia

March 13 2008, 00:47:23 UTC 4 years ago

http://www.sup.com/en/contacts.html :-)

[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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[info]paper_crystals

4 years ago

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[info]skyshark

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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[info]skyshark

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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[info]skyshark

4 years ago

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[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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[info]sabbrielle

March 13 2008, 00:51:37 UTC 4 years ago Edited:  March 13 2008, 00:52:21 UTC

After seeing your ETA2, I created a new account and went to make it basic, finding myself unable to. I then deleted the journal, and when asked what livejournal can do to improve its services, answered thusly:

"1) Get some morals.

2) Failing that, recognize that happy customers and trust between a corporation and its consumers are the foundations of *long-term* success. These flippant violations of consumer expectations may increase revenue in the short term--fill upper managements' pockets--but will ultimately lead to the downfall of the company. If the person reading this is not upper management (highly likely), I'd advise you to seek different employment if job security is a priority."

[info]mindrtist

March 14 2008, 00:41:28 UTC 4 years ago

nice.

[info]pyrop

March 13 2008, 00:52:49 UTC 4 years ago

Brad hates this too.

[info]uniquewonders

March 13 2008, 00:58:21 UTC 4 years ago

Edited to add. Thank you!

[info]foxfirefey

March 13 2008, 00:53:27 UTC 4 years ago

[info]brad: Well, as an advisory board member, I would have advised against this!

Answers my question. No formal bringing of the issue to the much touted advisory board that was supposed to mediate over these things.

[info]uniquewonders

March 13 2008, 01:00:09 UTC 4 years ago

I've added this. I'm so very glad to see volunteers, ex volunteers and support admins being pissed about this and saying so in comments. Rahaeli's comment on Brad's entry is priceless.

[info]soph

4 years ago

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[info]uniquewonders

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

March 13 2008, 00:55:10 UTC 4 years ago

Here come the suits.

[info]dbaxdevilsfan

March 13 2008, 00:59:34 UTC 4 years ago

Why the hell was this posted here and not in [info]news? This is NEWS.

[info]lorena_bee

March 13 2008, 01:02:14 UTC 4 years ago Edited:  March 13 2008, 01:03:59 UTC

no, it's not "news"

It's Pravda.

[info]donutgirl

4 years ago

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[info]karanguni

4 years ago

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[info]lorena_bee

March 13 2008, 01:01:46 UTC 4 years ago

Sideshow Brad isn't happy

Damn, I need a window dressing userpic.

http://brad.livejournal.com/2368071.html

[info]daluci

March 13 2008, 01:05:15 UTC 4 years ago

"Official" responses starting up over here, 'tho I have a feeling you guys have seen it already.

[info]foxfirefey

March 13 2008, 01:07:34 UTC 4 years ago

It's beautiful, beautiful suit speak. It's like he wandered fresh off of the suit boat and is now morassed in an angry sea of indignity and WTF.

[info]daluci

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]desh

4 years ago

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[info]daluci

4 years ago

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[info]loqia

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]fickle_goddess

March 13 2008, 01:47:28 UTC 4 years ago

...I am suddenly SO GLAD that I have a permanent IJ account. But I guess this means no more joining RPs on LJ for me.

[info]superbus

March 13 2008, 03:18:10 UTC 4 years ago

I'm not. This has me - a permanent user with AdBlock Plus on Firefox - considering leaving LJ altogether.

Fool me once (selling to 6A, who then sold to SUP after initiating the Plus accounts), shame on you. Fool me twice...

[info]sabrinanymph

4 years ago

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[info]icarianbird

March 13 2008, 01:55:35 UTC 4 years ago

Hopefully, my 'freeloading' permanent account is not up next...

[info]foxfirefey

March 13 2008, 02:16:13 UTC 4 years ago

I'm sure it would be last, heh, along with paid users.

[info]foxfirefey

March 13 2008, 02:55:27 UTC 4 years ago

Just as a note, the community create page as of yet still has Basic as an option.

[info]sabbrielle

March 13 2008, 03:02:23 UTC 4 years ago

I love how Plus Account has "(free)" after it while Basic does not.

[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]soph

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]sabbrielle

March 13 2008, 02:57:19 UTC 4 years ago Edited:  March 13 2008, 03:01:05 UTC

Keeping track of [info]jasonshellen's comments.

On [info]brad's post, " ...it's not as bad as all that Brad":
http://brad.livejournal.com/2368071.html?thread=14623303#t14623303

On page 2 of the last [info]news post, "Basic Accounts":
http://news.livejournal.com/106731.html?thread=68484587#t68484587
within the above:
- http://news.livejournal.com/106731.html?thread=68499435#t68499435
- http://news.livejournal.com/106731.html?thread=68510443#t68510443
- http://news.livejournal.com/106731.html?thread=68533227#t68533227

These three are identical:
http://news.livejournal.com/106731.html?thread=68487659#t68487659
http://news.livejournal.com/106731.html?thread=68488939#t68488939
http://news.livejournal.com/106731.html?thread=68491243#t68491243

"Re: Why did you omit the Basic Account change from the news post?":
http://news.livejournal.com/106731.html?thread=68548843#t68548843

[info]paper_crystals

March 13 2008, 03:40:44 UTC 4 years ago

Was it just me or was the abrupt? Warnings? Maybe? Possibly I haven't been reading some obscure community recently to get such news.

[info]foxfirefey

March 13 2008, 03:43:40 UTC 4 years ago

No, no warnings. It's possible there might have been a code change or two in [info]changelog that slipped by the vigilantes, but that's not a way for normal LJ users to get news.

[info]paper_crystals

4 years ago

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[info]foxfirefey

4 years ago

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[info]paper_crystals

4 years ago

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[info]intrepia

4 years ago

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