Social media trends are interesting.
I say that, because reading my Livejournal friends list, you would think LJ was collapsing. Everyone and their sibling seems to be jumping over to Dreamwidth, either because they don’t like the corporate overlords, or they don’t like ads, or they think it is better, or they just want to reserve their name.
Now, me, I don’t feel the urge. Sure, if someone was to drop me an invite code, I’d probably reserve the name, but I have no plans on leaving LJ. It has been my blogging home for four years now. I have a permanent account, and I don’t see ads. I’ve built up the reputation of my writing, and I have no problems with LJ’s policies. Perhaps that’s because I’ve never been the heavy fandom, fan-fic writing type.
I’ve been here through from the brad era through the SixApart era into our current Sup Overlords. I’ve seen improvements, and I’ve seen bad communications. For those who believe Dreamwidth will be better, it probably will be… for some period. But no idealistic utopias remain that way — eventually they all degenerate. As some say, better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. But if you feel the urge to go, then go. What will kill LJ is not Dreamwidth itself, but the loss of sufficient community mass.
Social media is changing. It’s becoming mainstream. I just friended someone on Facebook who is a senior in my field (translation: his beard is greyer than mine). I’ve had other folks who were my parent’s contemporaries friend me there. Facebook is now where AOL was 10 years ago: the in-place for adults to meet. Soon, the kids will find another hangout: once it was LiveJournal, then MySpace, then Facebook (and probably Twitter). What’s next? Dreamwidth? Wouldn’t that be a funny circle.
I can keep chasing the cool kids, or I can stay where I’m comfortable. As I’ve gotten older, comfort has its appeal. So I’ll reserve my name if someone sends me an invite code, but I don’t see the urge to move my primary blogging over there yet. Hopefully, many of you I’ve grown to consider as friends feel similarly.
