The LiveJournal Advisory Board election is underway. It's really just started... but I think most of my readers will agree... the initial figures are not merely disturbing... they are very disappointing.

I'm going to make some comments that in an election are probably damned inappropriate. They could seriously affect my chances. But then, what is LiveJournal if not a blog that affords social networking over shared topics of interest.

The voting has really just started... but I think most of my readers will agree... the initial figures are not merely disturbing... they are very disappointing. I'm not talking about my electability. I feel competent for the job. I feel there are other candidates just as competent.

What I shouldn't comment on (but will) is the number of strongly supported candidates who really aren't working to add any value to what this position is for.

LiveJournal has become (to some) a rather poor joke. It is the trappings of the depressed teenager who wishes to unload the confusion and (dare I say it? Dare! Dare!) drama of their lives in an exhibitionistic manner to the world at large. Is this untrue? No. Is it the only truth? No.

Sadly, many users are not in this class. If you look at the statistics the bulk of our users (who actually put in a birthdate) are between 20 and 30. Interestingly the number of under 18 users is almost identical to the number of users in their 30s.

So, why does the user base treat this election like a joke? Why is it a game? One could suppose that the company knows the user base as a whole better than the user base wishes to admit. A user base that is comprised of thousands of small independent voices that are too apathetic to care. One that is more interested in the shiny new meme, than caring about the service they play on. People want to go on complaining about frivolities rather than seeing the tool survive and climb to the next level.

The voting has made this clear. Currently jameth carries 1622 votes. This is over 18% of the votes cast. This is frankly shameful. And I don't think it's shameful because Jameth is making the election into a popularity contest about having fun. There are loads of people that I personally don't think really care about helping the users to have the best voice they can as a whole.

What makes me feel horrible is that in the first 24 hours of voting there have been (by those numbers) just shy of 9,000 votes. Go check that stats page again. That is barely 1% of all the 19 year olds. And it's barely .02% of the active users. Let me spell that number out for you. .02%, not 2%, Point zero-two percent. That means jameth is likely to win because only 2 of every 10000 users cared. To put this in perspective... The US Election gets a better turn out.

I made it very clear in all my posts. Don't just vote. Read what people are hoping to do in the position. Don't just vote. Make it clear to everyone who reads your journal how you feel about having your voice heard on the Advisory Board by the Company. Don't just vote. Make sure everyone who uses LiveJournal votes.

Sure, I want to be that voice for people. But I'm more than happy to see someone like rm do that as well as her convictions and platform are admirable.

But if we as LiveJournal users let this process be turned into a joke... Then the inevitable laugh is on us. The company will very easily learn that the users really don't need a voice. And then... you can simply accept what happens to the LiveJournal as a service. Because... your voice won't matter.

I don't want to politic. I don't want to slam candidates. (Well, no.. there are one or two I really want to slam. I mean... one person was under 20 and planning to travel to Istanbul from Canada in her 8th month of Pregnancy..... Don't get me started)...

It's not my job to say who is good or bad in the position. It's my job to hear the voice of the end user and act on it. And right now the end users are 'upset' because more people are playing a game than trying to find a good representative.

For the sake of everything you hold dear. When someone puts the reigns to your future in your hands... pick them up and ride the horse.

It's your job to not merely vote, but to get others to vote, and get others to get others to get others to....

To repeat:

My platform is here.

The most important thing you can do besides vote is to pass this along and make sure that everyone else passes it along.

Consider this the most important Meme LJ has ever had.

-------

No snappy pictures, no sexual innuendo. No joking ribbing along with groups I don't participate in.

I'm a LiveJournal user. And I intend to continue to be one.

Tags: advisory board, lj, meta, social networking
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: angry

Well, this is it.

At 3pm PDT today, the poll will be posted. It will be open for a week.

The poll will be posted in lj_election_en

I ask that everyone consider reading each candidates platform. Carefully. Some are doing this strictly for fun.

I also ask, that if you find someone you support, you not merely vote for them, but ask everyone in your readers list to also pass this along. We need as much of the LiveJournal readership to vote.

This really isn't meant to be a popularity contest. This is meant to get the voice of LiveJournal heard and acted on by the company that runs it.

If you think that I'm the worthy candidate for this. Thank you.

You can find support graphics: here

My platform is here.

The most important thing you can do besides vote is to pass this along and make sure that everyone else passes it along.

Consider this the most important Meme LJ has ever had.

Tags: advisory board, lj, meta, social networking
Current Location: FreePeople House: {Classified}
Current Mood: thankful

<div style="background-color:#fff; color:#213368; padding:10px; border:1px solid #213368; width:23.31em; height:7.88em; font-size:16px;clear:both;"><img style="float:left; width:6.25em; height:6.25em;"src="http://p-userpic.livejournal.com/74327005/15133486" alt="" /><div style="margin-left:6.88em;"><p style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em;">LiveJournal Advisory Board Elections</p><p style="font-size:0.75em;">I support <lj user=""> to be my representative on the Advisory Board.</p><p style="font-size:0.75em;">Show your support at <lj user="lj_election_en">.</p></div></div>








<div style="background-color:#000; color:#fff; padding:10px; border:1px solid #fff; width:23.31em; height:7.88em; font-size:16px;clear:both;"><img style="float:left; width:6.25em; height:6.25em;"src="http://p-userpic.livejournal.com/74330601/15133486" alt="" /><div style="margin-left:6.88em;"><p style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em;">LiveJournal Advisory Board Elections</p><p style="font-size:0.75em;">I support <lj user=""> to be my representative on the Advisory Board.</p><p style="font-size:0.75em;">Show your support at <lj user="lj_election_en">.</p></div></div>

Tags: advisory board, lj, meta, social networking
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: cheerful

I want to thank everyone who has commented so far at the LiveJournal Advisory Board Nomination link.

Within nearly 2 hrs. I received over the necessary 100 comments to officially put me on the ballot in 2 weeks.

I do invite you to read the following posts on the Advisory Board:
    The purpose of the Advisory Board: http://community.livejournal.com/lj_2008/2303.html
    The appointed members and the mandate: http://community.livejournal.com/lj_2008/3384.html
but especially-
    The process of the election to the board: http://community.livejournal.com/lj_2008/4233.html

While I will be making web banners to help people spread the word when elections come... I really want this to be an election where you vote for the candidate that will best represent your views on the board to LiveJournal.

In as much, I want to strongly also congratulate rm who was also approved today. I invite you to read her platform for running.

Because to me this isn't a popularity contest. This is giving the right voice of the users the power to speak to the company that runs, maintains, and develops a tool that a lot of us have grown very attached to using.

In the meantime, please continue to spread the good word. Post in your journals, invite others to post. Educate them about the board, the process, and what we're trying to do.

I will open this post to anyone who has any questions.

Thank you!

Edit: Additional candidates that have been approved and their platforms:
mrflagg - Nomination link

Tags: advisory board, lj, meta, social networking
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: pleased

Hello all,

I've been posting about this for quite some time. The nominations for the Advisory Board are posted.

I am looking for the support of you, my readers, the readers of your journal and as many people we can link to from there. But of course, only if you think I'm the candidate to do the job.

My platform and your chance to support me can be found here:
http://community.livejournal.com/lj_election_en/2641.html?mode=reply

I ask that you take a moment, read my post, and post a comment (at the link, not here) of support:
Preferably, "I support this nomination"

And more importantly, I ask you to re-post the link above and a similar message in your journals and encourage your readers to do the same. Regardless of the overlap that you think our readership may have.

Thank you very much for any and all support.

-Andrei

Tags: advisory board, lj, meta, social networking
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: hopeful

Hello readers.

Tomorrow is the nominations for the LiveJournal Advisory Board. I ask that you keep an eye on my journal tomorrow and be willing to post to your journals and ask your readers to do the same.

I think I have a very strong background to represent users well on the board and your support is really what is needed.

As always... (relevant) questions are welcomed.

Tags: advisory board, lj, meta, social networking
Current Location: FreePeople House: COUCHES REARRANGED! MUST RECLASSIFY! ZOMG!
Current Mood: anxious

I'm going to keep this one short:

I'm intending to run for the LiveJournal Advisory Board. Nominations open May 5th (Monday)

I'd like your support. If you'd like to support me; here's what you can do.

1) Post in your journal that I'm going to run and request your readers do the same. (Link back here)

2) Read:
-- the post about what this actually means
-- My original statement of intent

3) On May 5th, I will post the link to my nomination; I need at lest 100 different user comments that say, "I support this nomination"

4) Question me, question the process: If you have any questions, concerns, advise, etc... Please feel free to comment here.

I think I am qualfied, motivated, and passionate enough to have a positive effect on LiveJournal and be a fair representative of the different types of users that LJ has.

Thanks

By the way: If anyone would like to help me with graphics or badges for this endeavor.... I would be very appreciative.

Tags: advisory board, lj, meta, social networking
Current Location: FreePeople House: Bed
Current Mood: determined

I've spent several weeks thinking about this since the initial announcement.

LiveJournal, Inc is in the process of assembling an Advisory Board.

This board will have elected two members from the LiveJournal user membership.

The reasons leading up to this decision were based on my qualifications:

1) I have been an active user of LiveJournal for over 5 years. I established my account in October 2001.
2) I have been researching and developing in the technology area of "Social Networking" for about 20 years.
3) My net based experience actually goes back 30 years.
4) I am for the most part... sane

Interestingly, I don't consider myself the average user. But I consider myself a typical user.

If you have any questions, suggestions, reservations, etc... please feel free to ask.

Granted, there isn't a whole lot of details yet on the position or the election process. So... Once more information comes out, I will either elabourate or withdraw. My guess at this point will be that it will confirm what I believe they are looking for.

Okay.. that's my two cents. Back to work at the office.

Tags: advisory board, lj, meta
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: contemplative

6 Apart and LiVEJOURNAL (I hate the capitalization from the logo) announced new child safe policies and tools for the site.

The full post (and 3800+ and growing comments) can be found in lj_biz

New functionality opens up a big can of "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" these factors once again feed into an innate problem of LJ.

( opinions, analysis, and so forth... )

P.S.: Yes.. New default icon to distract you from the actual content of this post.

Tags: child protection technologies, lj, meta, social networking
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: contemplative

Though mind you.. the pop up 'toast' dialog in the posting window...

A bit disturbing.

Tags: facebook, lj, meta
Current Location: BUS ride home
Current Mood: impressed

It looks like the November News is in:

Comment editing now works
Facebook connection.

See the link for more.

Tags: lj, meta, news
Current Location: Bus ride home
Current Mood: pleased

i won't make this one of the official Blogathon posts because it'd be cheating in my opinion. Especially since this way leads to filtered posts that are not world viewable and thus not really blogathon valid.

But.. I have added a whole slew of new journals... So before I make 'other' posts... I wanted to add this note again...

Usually, when I make this post, it means I'm intending to (though as is my nature, likely not to follow up with a) post to one of these filtered groups I have.

Unfortunately if you want to be on these filters you have to do 5 things.

1) Have a livejournal account.

2) Go to my Administrivia posting which describes my filters (at least the ones I want people to know about)

3) Check off the ones you would like to be on. (Or off if you're a bored old timer.)

4) Make a comment to that post that you've made selections. (You don't need to say in the comments which ones you've chosen. Actually for privacy, you probably shouldn't. I can read it in the poll) But commenting tells me to look at the poll for your current list.

5) Important: Don't be disappointed if you don't see anything. Some of the filters are used rarely. Some you won't be put on despite asking. (OTO for example requires me to know that you're an initiate.)

Sounds like a lot.. But it keeps me just that inch further away from insanity.

Thanks! **Waves**

Tags: administrivia,