Fuck LiveJournal (lame rant)

[RTFirefly]

It doesn't help that I really don't like LiveJournal anyway. But somehow they find ways to make it worse.

A number of posters here are increasingly discussing the ups and downs of their lives in their LiveJournals, rather than in MPSIMS or the Pit. That's fine.

It's also their way of sharing info with others. And the only way to be a part of this little world, it seems, is to be a LJer yourself. Whatever.

At any rate, I keep on being told by a number of posters that I need to get a LJ so that I can keep up on what's going on in their lives. One such poster (whose name will be left out of this post, because the rant's not aimed at her) has gone so far as to give me a LJ code, and has kept after me for months to set up an LJ account with it. I'd meant to, but just hadn't gotten around to it.

So I saw her this weekend. She got me to promise to set up a LJ account by Monday morning. Fine.

So a few minutes ago, I was making good on my promise. Only I mistyped my intended username. I'm "RTirefly", having apparently left out the 'F'. And apparently it's too late to do anything about it, unless I pay them $15. I quote from their FAQ:

Usernames of personal journals...can be changed for a $15 USD fee. The process has complications and can create confusion for other users, so a fee is charged to discourage people from doing it lightly.

Anyway, I give up. I managed to screw up my account before I even started. I'm NOT going to be "RTirefly". Period.

In the confirmation email I got from them, they said:

Our goal is to make LiveJournal totally rock... if we can do anything to
make it easier, more powerful, more customizable, whatever... let us know.

Yeah, I'll tell you what you can do: don't make me pay to get out of permanently sticking me with a typo in my username. If that's your definition of "totally rock"ing, you guys are fucking nuts.

Like I said, it was a pretty lame rant. I wouldn't be bugged by this, but said friend REALLY wants me to have a LJ account. And every time I have any contact of any sort with LJ, I wind up getting pissed. Like right now. I just want LJ to either work, or stop being something that friends want me to get involved with. Either alternative is acceptable. Really.

[UrbanChic]

I don't know. Tirefly has a certain ring to it.

[Drastic]

And the only way to be a part of this little world, it seems, is to be a LJer yourself. Whatever.

Unlocked entries can be read by anyone, but some folks lock a lot of their entries, in which case only LJers on the approved list (typically "friends only") can get at them. Likewise, anyone can comment on open entries--unless they've disabled that option so only LJers can.

[sugaree]

Perhaps you can get a new code and delete "RTirefly."

[XJETGIRLX]

Um, dude, you know you can always generate new codes with your wonky account and set up a new one. Problem solved.

[XJETGIRLX]

Sorry, I should elaborate. The rename token feature is only necessary in the instance that you have an already established journal that you wish to change the username for. Since you haven't really used your journal, all you have to do is generate a new code and set up a new journal with it.

[Geobabe]

I just sent ya a new code. Get a new journal and delete the first one.

[Geobabe]

Originally posted by XJETGIRLX
Sorry, I should elaborate. The rename token feature is only necessary in the instance that you have an already established journal that you wish to change the username for. Since you haven't really used your journal, all you have to do is generate a new code and set up a new journal with it.

Problem is, with a free account, you have to wait a week before you can generate a code.

[RTFirefly]

Originally posted by XJETGIRLX
Um, dude, you know you can always generate new codes with your wonky account and set up a new one. Problem solved.

No, I didn't know that, actually. (Care to show a LJ newbie how I do that, btw?) If it's that easy, then what's the deal with the $15 all about?

[RTFirefly]

Talk about a fast-moving thread! Thanks for the code, Geobabe - I'll try again. And I'll be careful with my typing this time.

[dantheman]

I would have loved to have read LJ entries by "RTirefly." I'd assume them to be the mirror image of RTFirefly, so each entry would be disorganized, ill-mannered, and completely ignorant. Oh, and would have no knowledge of Groucho.

[iampunha]

RT, I thought this info might interest you:

My LJ username is iampunha. But my "name" is "Bisexual like Carbon". The directory is http://livejournal.com/iampunha. The title of my journal page is "Bisexual like Carbon's Journal" or however they phrase it. You can easily make yours "RTFirefly's Journal". It's in your profile.

I'd have to pay to become "punha" there in their directory, but it could be "Punha's Journal" in about a minute. That's how long it'd take me to log in there and click through to make it so

[d_redguy]

I dunno, RTirefly seems sorta appropo for these purposes...

[Geobabe]

Still, it makes it easier for people to find you if your username is spelled the way it should be. And I'm sure it would irk me to see a misspelled name every time. So RT has gotten a fresh start. And he's already on my friends list. Mwahahahaha.

[lel]

Welcome to LJ this time, RTFirefly

[RTFirefly]

Speaking of which, how do I locate the people who I'd put on my friends list? Do I have to email them one by one to find out who they are on LJ? Geo, I know you're there because you gave me the code. But I seem to have no way of finding others. I've looked through the FAQ and turned up nothing. I can add whoever I want as friends, but right now it's like being in a hallway with not just no names on the doors, but no doors even. I can see me and you, but I can't see anyone else.

punha, I get an error message when I click your link.

d_redguy, that cracks me up! And I needed a laugh, after wrestling with LJ.

dan - you're probably right.

I think I'm going to bed; it's been a long weekend. Thanks, all.

[JavaMaven1]

Originally posted by RTFirefly
No, I didn't know that, actually. (Care to show a LJ newbie how I do that, btw?) If it's that easy, then what's the deal with the $15 all about?

That $15 charge is for those that have had a journal for a while and wants a new name for it, but have months (or years) worth of entries that don't want to be lost. People tend to take that option when they're getting stalked or something. If you have a brand new journal that you haven't used at all, then you can just delete it and start a new one, now that you've got another code.

[Anita Vacation]

Porgy!

[Geobabe]

One way to find people is to look at your own profile and see who's friended you and go to their profiles to friend them back, if you wish. Another really good place to find people is the SDMB community. I've also found a lot of friends through other LJ friends, via either their profiles or comments in their LJs. To add a friend: on the top of the profile page, there is a row of four buttons. The leftmost of those has a little plus sign; click on that to add that person to your friends list.

[Surreal]

What's the deal with needing a special 'code' in order to use that site?

It sounds to me like a marketing ploy, rationing out something that doesn't need to be rationed in order to make it appear more scarce, thereby attracting more users via the 'herd mentality'.

Is this correct?

[XJETGIRLX]

Originally posted by Surreal
What's the deal with needing a special 'code' in order to use that site?

It sounds to me like a marketing ploy, rationing out something that doesn't need to be rationed in order to make it appear more scarce, thereby attracting more users via the 'herd mentality'.

Is this correct?

Well, moreso I think it's to keep a sense of community between users, rather than having random unrelated journals floating about in the oblivion of space and time. If you make it necessary to have a code for access, then you're assured that you know at least one person - the one who gave you the code.

I've used some other blog and journal type things out there and by far, I enjoy LJ the most because of that inter-connectedness between users.

[Angel of the Lord]

I agree with the annoyingness of not being able to create an account on LJ whenever and however you want to. I think, though, it serves a purpose. Places that just let you register--like FreeOpenDiary--tend to get really crowded, which slows down the server. Incidentally, those also tend to be the places that delete you after a certain amount of inactivity, which is rather annoying when you lose internet access or are using the account to keep up with your friends. With LJ, you pretty much have an account for as long as you want.

As for finding friends. . .you might want to try checking out interests. When you make your profile, they make you list a bunch of your interests. They can sometimes lead you to good communities, or to communities that you're already involved with in other ways. I found the sdmb group by clicking on the interest "straight dope message board," for instance.

Have fun!