LiveJournal Votes

LiveJournal Announces Winner

2008-05-30T18:13:02Z

LiveJournal has announced that the winner for the LiveJournal User Representative election is legomymalfoy. Congrats and good luck to legomymalfoy! A more detailed post on the results can be found here.

Message from ljvotes

2008-05-30T00:51:52Z

No matter how titular the position will be or how ridiculous this election has been, ljvotes believes that the LiveJournal User-Representative Election is important, not only because the representative will be in company of some of the greatest movers and shakers of the Internet, but also because s/he will represent us. ljvotes believes it is important to appoint the best and most suitable representative, one who will argue for our needs and one who respects his/her fellow candidates and users.

Please consider exercising your right as a LiveJournal user and vote for a LiveJournal User-Representative.

The candidate are cambler, daniidebrabant, deathboy, fuzzface00, imc, jameth, jette, jj_maccrimmon, jmaynard, legomymalfoy, lizyd, lordandrei, lostcosmonaut, mrflagg, primitivepeople, qfemale, randomposting, rm, sollitaire, squeaky19, rebelsheart, twirlandswirl, and vichan.

Their original platforms are listed here; however, please check out the candidates' journal before voting as many candidates posted additional information and statements regarding their candidacy.

We were also honored to have daniidebrabant, jj_maccrimmon, rm, and sollitaire responded to ljvotes's 10 questions regarding LiveJournal and the LiveJournal User-Representative Election - and thank you to the candidates for indulging us:

So please read their platforms and choose your top three candidates. The election will end today @ 9:00 P.M. PST. To vote, go here. To edit your vote, go here.

Thank you and good luck to all the candidates!

Answers and rm

2008-05-28T05:02:41Z

rm sent the following answers in response to ljvotes's e-mail:

1. Why did you decide to run for LiveJournal User-Representative?

There was a lot of hesitation involved, to be frank. I knew that the process and probably the job were going to be ugly. And I wasn't sure (I'm still not) if the user representative would actually be able to make a difference. But I'm hard-headed, articulate and linked in with a lot of the key issues the LJ community has faced and I realized that if anyone could make this position useful, it was probably going to be me.

2. In which way do you think you are qualified for the position?

I've been on LJ since nearly the beginning. I was an early adopter and currently hold that account, as well as my main, paid account, and a free account. I am also a community moderator and generally get how the site works.

I am an active member of fandom, a large constituency on LJ and one that was negatively affected during the Strikethrough and Boldout issues.

I am also a professional writer and my publisher advertises my book on the site. This may give me some credibility with the powers that be because I can also look at LJ with an outsider's business perspective.

I have an extensive background in public relations and marketing. I think we can all agree that LJ needs some serious help on the PR front, especially when it comes to balancing communications with the users and communications with the media.

I know what it's like to work for a community and also be part of that community. I've plays that role before and I think I've learned some valuable lessons from it.

I'm relentless, clear and persuasive. I'm not the sort to let issues get tabled.

3. What are your expectations for the LiveJournal User-Representative election?

Well, as we're nearing the end of the first round of voting, I've got the advantage on this question don't I?

I think it's been about as ugly as I've expected. I also wish more people would participate in the process and that everyone could manage to keep this thing in perspective.

But as to what's next? Who knows!

4. What is your current strategy?

I don't think it's strategic to share with the class in that way. Seriously though, there's been some big upheaval in the situation in the last several hours of my writing this, so I think that's something that's in flux right now too.

5. If elected, what are your hopes for the position and for the Advisory Board? What do you think being a LiveJournal User-Representative and on an Advisory Board entails?

Ideally, I'd like to serve as a translator, helping the powers that be achieve greater understanding of the LJ cultures that bring in their revenue while also trying to make sense of LJ policies and practices to the user base. Once everyone is actually speaking the same language, then we can start fixing stuff.

Additionally, I want to make it clear that I think it's not my (or whoever wins) job to be a cheerleader. I think it's a position that really requires constant skepticism, both in terms of what LJ puts on the table and what users want. Sorting out competing interests and half-formed ideas and incomplete information can be really hard.

6. When LiveJournal announced the discontinuation of Basic accounts - no new Basic account can be created - they were criticized by LiveJournal users for not consulting the current members of the Advisory Board. What do you think of this event? And did it affect how you view the Advisory Board and the LiveJournal User-Representative positions?

I think it sucked, but it also didn't surprise me. It was entirely indicative of the types of problems the users have been having with the powers that be for a while now. And of course it makes me skeptical about the position and how useful anyone who gets elected can be. But that's fine. I was already skeptical. If the best I can do is say to the users, "Look, I tried to have input on this and they wouldn't even tell me what's going on" -- that's something -- it's not what we want, but it's information. Anything I can do to aide the transparency around here, even if the news is bad, has to help.

7. What are your thoughts on privacy and security on the Internet?

If you say it online or in an email you should expect it to get forwarded somewhere you don't want. However, that doesn't justify other people's actions of that nature. Personal responsibility is key, but a lack of good judgment can never justify the unethical actions of others.

8. What are some new features you would like to see LiveJournal developing?

I'm in the fix the existing woes before building new stuff camp.

9. What are some improvements you would like to see LiveJournal have?

short list:

Better communication with the userbase. More transparency.

Increased TOS clarity. We're still not there yet. Further review (and I believe broadening) of what is permissible speech on the site.

Implementation of the ALT tag for the sake of our visually impaired users.

The ability to change privacy status on all posts with a certain tag.

Improvements in LJ Support and Abuse procedures; the volunteers are valiant, and should stop having to take so much flak for the lack of guidance coming down from the top.

Restoration of military field schools to the accredited institutions list. If LJ lets us have our imaginary schools, it should allow our users who are in the military or veterans to connect with each other in the same way that those who attended civilian institutions are able to.

10. And lastly, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

I'm 35-years-old and live in NYC with my partner. I work as a writer and an actor, neither of which is as glamorous as I thought it would be when I was small. My academic background is in journalism, and I've been on the Internet since 1990. My responses to all of this are incredibly delayed as I've just gotten back from a trip to Sicily with my fencing school.

You can read rm's original platform here.

Notes: ljvotes encourages readers to comment with questions and/or endorsements for rm and for the candidate to comment with their responses in kind. However, please do not leave any disparaging remarks toward any candidates or endorsements for other candidates in the comments.

Answers from daniidebrabant

2008-05-27T17:31:16Z

daniidebrabant sent the following answers in response to ljvotes's e-mail:

1. Why did you decide to run for LiveJournal User-Representative?

I decided to run because the welfare of this website is something I'm very personally invested in and I thought that I could be a worthwhile addition to the Advisory Board.

2. In which way do you think you are qualified for the position?

Having been a member since Sept 2001 is nice, but it's not really a qualification. For qualifications, I have my working knowledge of the website through extended and varied use, as well as networking capabilities throughout the site. I also have, as said in my original post, a position as a member services representative at another social networking site that currently boasts 15 million members in many countries; if there is any question of clashing priorities, I'll just point out that the company I work for and LJ have completely different base products and at the moment, different markets (as well as different target markets, from what I can discern). I work for who I work for, but a lot of my time is spent on LJ. But to go on from the original point, it is my JOB to convey the wants and needs of the membership to the appropriate people in the correct manner to see these changes accomplished to the memberships desires. I have experience in product management, as well as in writing product specs and understanding technology limits, expectations, and systems. I also understand many of the underlying principles and ideas behind monetization of websites, etc, that give me a unique understanding. While, obviously, I won't be DOING any of this for LJ, the fact that I have the working knowledge will help me to communicate with the LJ side of things.

3. What are your expectations for the LiveJournal User-Representative election?

I can't say that I have expectations; what happens will happen and while I will try my best, I will support and assist (if asked) whoever should win for the greater good.

4. What is your current strategy?

I don't really have a 'strategy'. I've stated my piece and people will vote. I haven't really campaigned other than in my own journal (and that was more posting a link than anything).

5. If elected, what are your hopes for the position and for the Advisory Board? What do you think being a LiveJournal User-Representative and on an Advisory Board entails?

My hope is that this Advisory Board could be the start of something amazing and worthwhile, that it could be something to truly revolutionize some of how social networking, personal publishing, and even to some extent how internet companies function. User generated content sites have been, in the past, a place where users fill in the frames provided by the architects but hopefully, with something like this, LJ will be able to build something that could be more than that and the membership can help.

As for what I think this will entail? A lot of work. And a lot of clear communication (and making sure that communication is clear).

6. When LiveJournal announced the discontinuation of Basic accounts - no new Basic account can be created - they were criticized by LiveJournal users for not consulting the current members of the Advisory Board. What do you think of this event? And did it affect how you view the Advisory Board and the LiveJournal User-Representative positions?

First of all, I'd like to say that I don't really want to discuss my opinion of LJ policies too deeply. It's not because I think I'll upset someone or that they'll think I'm not worth voting for because they disagree with me... but because I don't think that would be my JOB. Having an opinion is not the JOB of an elected official. My job would be to do my very best to express the needs, wants, and opinions of the membership.

That said, I personally found the action executed poorly; deciding to add advertising is a reality of many websites, but there should always be clear communication when it comes to these kinds of decisions and taking away such an option without discussing it with members before they had to be ASKED about it was a very bad move. As for the actual removal of the free accounts, I agree with many who pointed out that free accounts were a gateway for most and getting rid of them was a bad idea.

As for ignoring the word of the Advisory Board, the action made it look very much like the Advisory Board was just for show. And that is an even worse idea because there is very little that enrages people than a 'puppet' body used to keep people placated. We are too savvy, have seen the results in much more serious matters in the past, to find this a good sign. And it was disappointing because, as I've said, I think the Advisory Board has the power to make a better user experience for the members as well as produce better revenue and product for the company.

7. What are your thoughts on privacy and security on the Internet?

This question is too vague and I don't feel comfortable answering it as it is. I think that people are entitled to their security and their privacy just as they are in RL, but beyond that, I don't think this is something to be covered by even a few paragraphs as the question goes quite beyond that length if you seriously consider it.

8. What are some new features you would like to see LiveJournal developing?

Some sort of linking for people with multiple accounts, more icons available to buy, better tools for designing your journal for those without CSS or HTML skills, better integration of the Scrapbook.

9. What are some improvements you would like to see LiveJournal have?

Better communication.

10. And lastly, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Uh, what would you like to know?

I'm 24, a Capricorn, and my iTunes playlist includes everything from ICP to classical music to the soundtrack to Monty Python's Holy Grail.

You can read daniidebrabant's original platform here.

Notes: ljvotes encourages readers to comment with questions and/or endorsements for daniidebrabant and for the candidate to comment with their responses in kind. However, please do not leave any disparaging remarks toward any candidates or endorsements for other candidates in the comments.

Answers from jj_maccrimmon

2008-05-27T05:10:25Z

jj_maccrimmon sent the following answers in response to ljvotes's e-mail:

1. Why did you decide to run for LiveJournal User-Representative?

Entry into a campaign like this should never be done on a whim and I sometime wonder why I would expose myself to the harassment, ridicule and frustrations involved in this 'election.' Over the past 4 years I've been a paid member of Live Journal, I've seen a steady evolution in the community. I've always believed in social responsibility and that the only way a community can grow and change for the best is to get involved in it directly. In the last year, I've seen changes to LJ that worry me and indicate that the service may be moving towards some forms of censorship, increased commercialization and in being less responsible to the members that make up its diverse communities.

2. In which way do you think you are qualified for the position?

I have qualifications for the position based on my education. I have a BS in Computer Science (Information Systems specialty). This educational background positions me to know what is possible and what isn't realistic to expect in the management and development of Live Journal. Any representative to the Advisory Board should have a good working knowledge of how the system works. I'm qualified for the Advisory Board based on my career experience also. As a former US Air Force officer, I've had both extensive functional experiences in the operations of a large organization; and I'd gained substantial experience adapting to the needs and concerns of diverse cultures from around the world. Lastly, my experiences here on LJ as a moderator of a number of local and international communities, I understand that when a decision is made, it should be made with fairness, firm resolve and reason. You aren't going to please everyone all the time, so you have to be able to absorb criticism with either grace or exceedingly thick skin.

3. What are your expectations for the LiveJournal User-Representative election?

At this point, my expectations are guarded both due to the previous history at Live Journal and with regard to how some of the candidates have behaved.

As noted in my platform post, this election could be nothing but eye-wash for the regulatory authorities, or a joke. Live Journal's parent company has had advisory councils in the past and has chosen to not consult them or ignored their advice when it ran counter to the interests of the company. In this case, the only way to know that the election and advisory board isn't a farce is to actively seek a position. Perhaps if I can help to influence, nudge, nag or cajole the organization into taking actions that with benefit the membership of the greater LJ community and to keep that community informed to the greatest extent possible.

For the election itself, I have been lowering my expectations. In a number of cases, I've heard allegations of phony (sock puppet) accounts being used to rig voting. I seen other candidates having their friends and supporters to enter communities to bash or flame the opinions of other candidates. I've noted conflicts of interest where at least one candidate actually works for LJ as a member of its dispute resolution team.

Despite all the negatives, I'm hoping that the users of LJ will do two very basic things in voting. I hope the members of LJ who vote will select a candidate that is taking this election seriously and who are conflicted about who they will be representing – the membership. Secondly, I genuinely hope that the voters and the ownership of SUP will realize that there is room to improve LJ in a number of ways that don't compromise profitability or user content. The trick is maintaining balance. I believe I can do that is given the chance.

4. What is your current strategy?

My current strategy is to continue inform people of my candidacy and associated platform. Many folks see the entire election process as obtrusive and interrupting their little corners of LJ. There's a fine line between annoying and informing, and it blurs every step of the way.

I'm resolved to keep my campaign and the activities of my supporters clean honest and overboard. The goal is to stay above the name calling, mud slinging and try to remain respectable to my fellow candidates and to the voters.

5. If elected, what are your hopes for the position and for the Advisory Board? What do you think being a LiveJournal User-Representative and on an Advisory Board entails?

As noted in my platform, I have clearly defined goals should I be voted in. Those are:

If elected, I will work to keep the new owners of LJ from heavily commercializing the community and maintain the character that LJ has attained.

I'll try to suggest ways to improve the friending system so that dead accounts or abusive accounts can be removed from your friends list.

I'll suggest improvements in which moderators can manage their communities better including ways to edit or hide posts.

I'll suggest improvements and means to report abusive or absentee moderators in communities.

I'll suggest improvements to Live Journal Gallery system which has so much potential and has been neglected as a mere afterthought.

6. When LiveJournal announced the discontinuation of Basic accounts - no new Basic account can be created - they were criticized by LiveJournal users for not consulting the current members of the Advisory Board. What do you think of this event? And did it affect how you view the Advisory Board and the LiveJournal User-Representative positions?

Over the last year, the owners of LJ have been nothing less than heavy handed in how they've approached the users of the service. Notice the choice of words? Live Journal is owned by a company and we are user of a service. At some point LJ stopped being a community and became a business. The question is now whether the ownership of the business we use can be convinced to listen to the customers – us! I feel the owners should have consulted with the users and the existing advisors more directly than they did. It would have provided them with a bit more understanding of concerns and sensitivities. Conversely, communications go both ways and decisions such as the account changes aren't made in a vacuum. As an Advisory Board member, I would make it my business to keep abreast of program and system changes. If they aren't offering the info I plan to be asking – often!

7. What are your thoughts on privacy and security on the Internet?

As a freelance photographer and writer, I am always concerned with the censorship and internet privacy. I have already had to deal with issues of cyber stalking directed at me by an obsessed acquaintance and had the content of my journal used as grounds to terminate an employment.

I genuinely believe that the membership should have a reasonable expectation that their content of all types should be free of censorship. I believe that should a member decide they need to take their journal private, they should be assured a way to switch all their entries to a friends only mode in one easy action. Personal information should NOT be subject to marketing and data mining by LJ or any entities it elects to share the info with for commercial purposes.

8. What are some new features you would like to see LiveJournal developing - and – 9. What are some improvements you would like to see LiveJournal have?

As mentioned above, there are a number of improvements that are available in various other systems that should be expected here in LJ. A user should be able to change their entire blog to a private setting with the flick of a switch. The LJ Gallery system is cumbersome and very user unfriendly. Community users should be able to have a means to address abusive situations in large (civic) communities especially when and if the abuse is coming from the moderator in the form of an arbitration/dispute team that can take action. I'd like to also see better management tools for community moderators such as Java enabled controls to remove dead accounts, and to know when a member joined the community.

10. And lastly, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Wow aside from what I've noted already I don't know what more there is. I'm a single parent with two wonderful kids. I've been a security cop, insurance salesman, Air Force officer, flight test engineer, writer and freelance professional photographer. I'm published both as a writer and photographer so the issue of censorship and freedom of expression means a lot to me. I play in a worldwide historical group dedicated to studying the Middle Ages and Renaissance, so chivalry, courtesy and personal honor mean quite a bit to me as well. History is one of the things that also drives me as an abandoned site (Urbex) explorer.

You can read jj_maccrimmon's original platform here.

Notes: ljvotes encourages readers to comment with questions and/or endorsements for jj_maccrimmon and for the candidate to comment with their responses in kind. However, please do not leave any disparaging remarks toward any candidates or endorsements for other candidates in the comments.

Answers from sollitaire

2008-05-25T05:11:18Z

sollitaire sent the following answers in response to ljvotes's e-mail:

Why did you decide to run for LiveJournal User-Representative?

My decision to run for LiveJournal User Representative was based on the fact that I am passionate about this community. I firmly support the ideals this community was based on. I also understand that to be sustainable communities have to be able to grow and evolve with their users and the world around them. Also, in order for users to be heard they need to be properly represented. I want to be that person that allows those who have made homes here the ability to be noticed, to be heard, and most importantly to be understood.

In which way do you think you are qualified for the position?

I am qualified for this position not only because of the length of time I've been a member, the fact that I'm a community moderator, or a long time paid member - but also because of my unique position as someone who studies online communities from the users perspective.

To better explain, my academic and work focus is on online communities - their participants, their purpose, their design, their user's needs and their ability to fulfill them, what it is about them that makes them successful and what can be done to make them better from the user perspective. This includes content, features, accessibility, usability, user experience, rights, privacy issues, and more.

I've focused my grad school studies, my external studies, and my job on this. I am entirely dedicated to using these skills in what ever way I can to help LiveJournal focus on the reason why it exists - the people who use it.

What are your expectations for the LiveJournal User-Representative election?

My expectations are that while the most qualified people may not be elected, those that are elected will rise to the challenge set before them as they wouldn't have come this far if they were not passionate about some aspect of the community at large. It is my hope that the people elected recognize that they represent a large body of constituents from all over the world, all walks of life, and with very different voices all needing to be heard.

It is my expectation that those who are elected will make an effort to engage the community in their decision making process and won't forget that the reason why they are where they are is because other people believed in them to make a difference. That they will be our voice, and that we want to not only be heard but also be understood - and only a User Representative can truly do that.

What is your current strategy?

My current strategy is simply to see that whomever gets elected has the backing of the community and is willing to do what is necessary to properly represent the rest of us.

If elected, what are your hopes for the position and for the Advisory Board? What do you think being a LiveJournal User-Representative and on an Advisory Board entails?

My hopes for the Advisory Board are that they put out an effort to be involved in every decision concerning the community at large. That they do it for the benefit of the community members, and that they collaborate with each other, the community, and LiveJournal's parent company in an open and engaging way.

I think being a User Representative and being on the Advisory Board entails representing the LiveJournal community to the best of my ability. To truly listen to the community, to stand up for them, and to be their voice. It will entail making hard decisions on things such as terms of service, censorship, abuse, account status, community improvements, accessibility, features and more.

I always strive to have sound backing for any decision I make based on research both on community members and on best practices / standards, however I seek out new and innovative ways to approach any problem. No community can remain stagnant and continue to be sustainable - it is a living breathing being that needs continual nourishment and attentiveness or else it will disperse to find homes elsewhere. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the rest of the people who are here as well. It should be the Advisory Boards goal to see that the LiveJournal community receives the nourishment and attentiveness necessary to continue to grow and evolve.

When LiveJournal announced the discontinuation of Basic accounts - no new Basic account can be created - they were criticized by LiveJournal users for not consulting the current members of the Advisory Board. What do you think of this event? And did it affect how you view the Advisory Board and the LiveJournal User-Representative positions?

At first I was very upset about this event. Not only does this effect new users, but it also effects all current users in various ways. From my personal point of view, I've used LiveJournal for so long it is a major point of contact for me and allows me to keep up with a great deal of real life friends. It is because of this I have continuously brought many people into the LiveJournal fold. I did this not only because I value them, but also because I value this community and have always seen it as having a great deal of worth for those who use it.

With the inability to create new basic accounts, people I value as friends will be less likely to want to be a part of a community I hold very dear to me. This means that not only will there be fewer people coming to join the community, potentially becoming paying members, but also that paying members will be less likely to stay if their growth is limited due to the inability for their personal communities to grow and evolve.

A second point of view is from that of a community maintainer. I help moderate a very large community based on a game that has over 9 million users. We have new people join LiveJournal every day so that they can be a part of this community. Where for any good community this should serve as an entry point that then allows these new users to experience what it is like to be a part of not only this specific community on LiveJournal but also the LiveJournal community at large - users are now less likely to use LiveJournal for anything else thus truly diminishing the context of the community they are a part of and their ability to be able to participate in it in the same way long times users will. This in turn can have a downward spiral effect on the community making it less valuable to all who participate. When the value is gone, the community is gone too.

This very much affected the way I began to view the new parent company of LiveJournal. It seemed that in an attempt to monetize their user base they failed to realize how this decision would reverberate throughout the community affecting everyone in the long run. The lack of foresight to engage the current Advisory Board in a decision as important as this made me realize that they perhaps did not value the Advisory Board as much as they should.

As a user elected representative with with background and skills I can bring to the table I have the ability to add great value to the Board which I hope would make it hard for the parent company to overlook again. If they make proper use of the Advisory Board it can do nothing but good for them. I not only want to show them how important the Advisory Board is but also how to use it to best serve the community which in the end serves them as well.

What are your thoughts on privacy and security on the Internet?

Privacy and security should be the top most priorities of any site on the internet that deals in any personal information including content. LiveJournal is more than a collection of blogs. I would go so far as to say that a Journal on LiveJournal in all its essence is a lot more personal than the average blog you find online. Many of us have been here since before blogging was the 'in thing' to do. Many of us have Journals that are set to 'friends only' giving us a buffer between those who use this community and Internet users at large.

LiveJournal is our refuge, our family, our best friend, our shoulder to cry on, our sounding board, our rant space, our news outlet, our adviser, our entertainment, a place where we can be alone or choose to have an audience, - this is our home online. We should be able to close our windows, to shut our blinds and to lock our doors when necessary - or to let the breeze blow through, the sun shine in and to have a party when ever we want.

We need to feel safe and comfortable in our homes or else we will leave to find another. I would do what ever I could to help perpetuate these ideals into any decision being made on how LiveJournal approaches privacy and security.

What are some new features you would like to see LiveJournal developing?

As I stated in my initial bid to become a candidate I have a post dating back to 2003 of features I wanted to see incorporated into LiveJournal. (http://sollitaire.livejournal.com/159792.html) The amazing thing is a lot of this has come to pass! I think that some of the most important places to focus on in 2008 are making LiveJournal more accessible from wireless handheld devices.

The ability to access our journals from where ever we are within what ever situation we find ourselves in, and in what ever way is easiest for us to do so will only continue to add value to LiveJournal both for current and new users. We want to be able to take our world with us, fit it in our pockets and access it in any way we can.

I have tons and tons of ideas on how to incorporate new features that will help build, maintain, sustain, and grow our community. This is what I do, this is what I thrive for, this is what I love.

What are some improvements you would like to see LiveJournal have?

I think this relates a lot to the previous question as features are generally considered improvements as well. However, one improvement I would very much like to see is better communication between the community members and those who make decisions that affect them. Every uproar I have witnessed has been due to this lack of communication and consideration for LiveJournal members.

And lastly, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

I am a 30 year old newly wed, step mother, graduate student in cyber anthropology who is employed as a usability and interface engineer for a global company who creates HR software. I love my family, my academic life, and my career. I'm a blogger, podcaster, gamer, photographer, and writer. I've been on LiveJournal since January of 2001, before which I posted my thoughts to my own site. I specifically came to LiveJournal for the community and it is the one reason why after 7 years I am still here.

I have been a system administrator, graphic artist, web developer and information architect in past careers. I am also an active proponent of net neutrality, and gamers rights. I'm an avid gamer both console and computer. I've played World of Warcraft since day one and I run the site for our guild of over 250 members. I'm a geek. I love gadgets. I was practically born into fandom. I'm very open minded and have a great sense of humor - especially in the fact that I don't take myself too seriously. However, I do take my commitments in life very seriously. I'm very passionate and my excitement can become infectious especially when it comes to things I study. I take pride in my work and never do things half assed. I love collaboration and debate with well informed people. Most of all - I love LiveJournal, everything it is and everything it can become.

Please feel free to ask me questions, or to comment on what I've said. I welcome any and all feedback.

In the end, I'm just excited to watch how all of this is unfolding - to see where LJ has come from and where it is headed. Being a part of the process is icing for me.

You can read sollitaire's original platform here.

Notes: ljvotes encourages readers to comment with questions and/or endorsements for sollitaire and for the candidate to comment with their responses in kind. However, please do not leave any disparaging remarks toward any candidates or endorsements for other candidates in the comments.

Statement from cambler

2008-05-25T00:55:56Z

cambler sent the following statement in response to ljvotes's e-mail:

With the revelation that the voting is allowing sockpuppet accounts to cast valid votes, I no longer feel that any of this matters. Should LJ outline how they will prevent this abuse, I will gladly re-engage. Until then, and in the absence of any statement on behalf of LJ, my faith in this election is essentially lost.

ljvotes would like to note that LiveJournal is trying to keep multi-votes by the same user at the minimum by:

Not allowing votes by users whose journal was created after March 11, 2008.
Tracking votes by e-mail, i.e. users with multiple journals registered to one e-mail are only allowed one vote; users with their e-mail not validated are not allowed to vote.

And that should cambler changed his/her mind, s/he is welcome to e-mail ljvotes with his/her answers to our questions.

Notes: Please do not leave any disparaging remarks toward any candidates or endorsements for other candidates in the comments.

About ljvotes

2008-05-24T20:34:07Z

When SUP acquired LiveJournal, Inc. in 2007, it established a LiveJournal Advisory Board as a part of its 100 Day Plan to create a more "open dialogue" with LiveJournal users. According to lj_2008's FAQ:

[LiveJournal Advisory Board] is a new group which will oversee issues relating to privacy, user policy and security. It will be independent of the LiveJournal, Inc. management team and will be able to represent users on specific issues. It will include two members from the LiveJournal community who will be elected by the users.

For more information on the Advisory Board, please read these posts:

LiveJournal User-Representatives for the Advisory Board will consist of one delegate from Russia and one delegate from the English-speaking world and the election for those representatives have started at lj_election_ru and lj_election_en, respectively. The elections will last until May 29, 2008 and the winners will be announced on May 30, 2008. Their terms will start June 1, 2008 and will last one year to that date.

ljvotes was created to open dialogue with the candidates for the LiveJournal User-Representative in the English-speaking election in hope that LiveJournal users will learn more about the candidates and be able to make an informed decision. As such, ljvotes is planning on sending all candidates an e-mail with the following questions - and posting their answers - to learn more about their motives and plans for this election:

Why did you decide to run for LiveJournal User-Representative?
In which way do you think you are qualified for the position?
What are your expectations for the LiveJournal User-Representative election?
What is your current strategy?
If elected, what are your hopes for the position and for the Advisory Board? What do you think being a LiveJournal User-Representative and on an Advisory Board entails?
When LiveJournal announced the discontinuation of Basic accounts - no new Basic account can be created - they were criticized by LiveJournal users for not consulting the current members of the Advisory Board. What do you think of this event? And did it affect how you view the Advisory Board and the LiveJournal User-Representative positions?
What are your thoughts on privacy and security on the Internet?
What are some new features you would like to see LiveJournal developing?
What are some improvements you would like to see LiveJournal have?
And lastly, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

The current candidates for LiveJournal User-Representative are listed here along with their platforms. You can vote for an candidate here and edit your vote here.