Yes, this is another rant on the LJ Pogrom.

Censorship is something that *really* gets my goat (pun intended). I've only skimmed the various posts about LJ's new policy of semi-arbitrary censorship, but it really pisses me off.

I don't intend to give LJ more money. I have automatic payments and I'm trying to figure out how to cancel them. I've looked in some of the "obvious" places, but I haven't yet found it. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. [ETA: Hawk gave me the link.] I don't yet know what else I might do. I have the feeling that maybe this is no longer the place for me to be. The only possible reason to stay is for all of you, but right now the management of this place makes this feel like a hostile, unwholesome environment and I'm sure I don't want to pay them for being assholes, but I am also debating whether I should go away completely rather than support the assholes even indirectly. If I do go away, then I'll still be reachable through my gmail account (lugonn@...), but I don't think that will happen anytime soon. I'll ponder further and continue to watch developments over the coming weeks before I make any final decision.

The news is spreading to other web news sources. Something I found in this Cnet.com article Mass deletion sparks LiveJournal revolt has really set me off which is why I'm no longer sure simply ending my financial support is enough.

The chairman and CEO of SixApart said, ""Our decision here was not based on pure legal issues. It was based on what community we want to build and what we think is appropriate within that community and what's not."

So they are no longer claiming that they "had to" delete these accounts because the laws forced them into such action. They are saying that they are actively making editorial decisions about what content is or is not appropriate based upon their personal values. We know already that they aren't carefully examining these groups to determine if the content is really a pedophile group (consider their elimination of a discussion group of the novel Lolita) - they simply find certain broad topics objectionable and they are shouting, "Off with their heads!"

This isn't a case of terminating communities which are committing illegal acts. They've decided they have a duty to set the moral compass for this site and then enforce their chosen morals when and where they see fit. I have a huge problem with this.

Anyway, I'm quite unhappy and disgusted with the whole LJ thing right now. I was angry, but more and more I'm just sad about what is happening. Just another example of religious extremists trying to become the thought police and set the standards for what others should be allowed to see, hear, or say.