Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

Okay, I didn't see that coming.

This could change a lot. Or it could change a little or nothing. It could be a good thing -- Six Apart's recognition that they've lost the trust of the LJ community, which will hamper any of their attempts to fix things even if they do have a clue how things need to be repaired, and that they think SUP can fix what they broke. It could be a purely mercenary thing -- they decided that the users were too much of a PITA and saw a chance to run away from it while it's still worth selling. It could be a very bad thing -- the new owners being two steps removed from the original vision and feeling less bound by promises made in 'ancient history', or wanting mostly just the brand name, or hundreds of other ways this could be bad for the communities inhabiying LiveJournal.

Apparenty Brad is involved again -- a positive sign (though his presence wasn't a miraculous source of Clue for 6A while he was still around after the first sale, eh?), and the company that bought LJ has been involved with LJ for a couple of years (they've been running the Russian end of it) and therefore should have a good idea what the heck they just bought (I'm not sure that 6A every quite completely understood what LJ already was). At the same time, I'm seeing some grumbling from folks who've already dealt with SUP and I haven't read enough to know whether these are fair and observant people we need to listen to or chronic complainers who cannot be satisfied outside of their own fantasies. Perhaps some of my friends here already have a good idea what the answer is there? I haven't even begun the research yet.

So basically, I've got no idea where LJ is headed as a result of the sale. I've several notions of how it could possibly go, but not enough information to venture even a silly wild-ass guess as to which of those is a smidgen more likely than the others. (I'm glad I've already got these other accounts Just In Case.)

One thing it does change is the impact of trust/lack-of-trust in Six Apart, and/or desire (or feeling that it's one's ethical duty) to 'punish' Six Apart, on folks' decisions about what to do with their journals. Stay, go, pay, don't pay, etc., now becomes a matter of what we find out about SUP or how hopeful or nervous they make us feel, rather than the hypo-cluific behaviour of 6A this year. It makes some of the 'analysis of the situation regarding LJ/6a' essays I'd planned to write moot, but I may write them anyhow just to explore some of my thinking from the past several months.

So: here's hoping ... and watching carefully.