brillando | (no subject)

LJ never fails to piss off its users, lol

This time around, it's about Sponsored Paid Accounts, which, to my understanding, are basically paid accounts that you don't pay for, but advertisers do. The catch is that there'll be a banner in the userinfo, a subtly-branded layout you have to use, and they get to "screen" your public journal.

Naturally, many people are pissed about it, but personally? I'm not. I got pissed at the removal of basic accounts, but for a different reason than just ads. Forcing your new users to either have ads or PAY is fucked up.

BUT, I'm actually all over this sponsored paid account idea. xD;; You mean I can have a paid account without having to actually pay for it?!?! SIGN ME UP! I mainly pay for an account for all the icons (and now the edit and expand comments feature; well I think they're only for paid accounts), so seeing a banner in just MY info and layout? Doesn't bother me.

And I actually think that subtly branding layouts is a much better idea than just ugly ads. o.O At least, when the layouts are done right. They had some example layouts and there was one I wouldn't mind using right now! Haha.

Basically I'm not too anal about actually seeing ads... because I recognize that LJ is a business. It was a pretty fail move though when they said the removal of basic accounts was because it was "too confusing" to have 3 options and then GIVE US ANOTHER OPTION. Really, LJ? >___>

But that's just what I think; what do you all think of the development?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The other two account types are staying, so I'm not sure what the problem is, really.

The problem, supposedly, is that except for style?=mine, paid users are not exempt from seeing the sponsored layouts. And apparently seeing even a HINT of an ad is a huge problem? Whatever, I think it's an overreaction.

yeah, I'm seeing that now that I'm reading further. The problem is paid users aren't supposed to see ads, though. That's one of the reasons we're paying...and for more features, which now we don't actually have more features than the sponsored accounts.

That being said, seeing these ads in someone's journal who has it set as their layout should be...interesting. If they're fugly I plan to adblock those images.

Oh I know it's a problem, I just personally don't find it too big of a problem, so am a little bewildered at some of the scathing comments. But scathing comments shouldn't surprise me. xD I hope they do find a way around it.. maybe automatically making the sponsored layout look like the LJ default when a normal paid user looks at it? Unless that's way too complicated or something, I'm not that advanced in web development. xD

But if it is REALLY about making paid users see ads, like some of the more paranoid people are saying, then I'd start to actually get annoyed. >.>

If those Gwen Stefani/HD layouts are examples of the kind of layouts you'd have, I'd actually be pretty happy! They're cute, and the ad isn't incredibly obnoxious.

it reminds me a bit of the idea behind awesomestart.com. Which would be cool, except I don't really want a sponsor reading my journal, so I'd have to pass.

You know, that bothered me at first, but since they just read your PUBLIC posts, I don't have a problem with it. I mean, since they're public, anyone can read them anyway, including corporate sponsors. *shrugs* If they had included friends only ones then my reaction would have been COMPLETELY different haha!

once in awhile I want to post something publicly that I wouldn't want a sponsor reading, though... and yeah, anyone can read public posts, but this sounds more like "are actually going to" read public posts. And why?

That's a good point. I'm mostly friends only though, so I could just post less random public posts (why do I call myself friends only when I have random public posts...? *facepalm*) I find it hard to believe that they'd be ALWAYS reading your posts though, maybe just during the trial period, because when THOUSANDS of people could take up this option, that's... a lot of reading. xD

It does make me wonder about the accounts that are PURELY friends only though... would they even qualify? o__o

Because friends only should be... friends only. >.> I wouldn't trust a sponsor enough, and personally it'd feel like a breach of privacy. Though I know that since I'd give them the consent to read it, it's not REALLY a breach but I don't know, it just doesn't seem right. At any rate, no way would I want a sponsored paid account if they did. ^^;;

This is the internet so I do not see the big deal in seeing adverts. "Oh no banner ads this is clearly a web travesty." I'm here mainly for the communities so the number of ads I'll see because of this is next to nil anyway. How often do I go cruising around peoples' journals looking at their layouts? Not often, I tell you.

The only thing about gettting rid of basic accounts that pissed me off was that they did it without warning and didn't even inform the existing users that it had been done until someone actually pointed it out. That is just slimy dealings, LJ. But making advertising mandatory on all new free accounts? That is not the hugest deal. Lots of blogging sites have advertising on them. IJ does. GJ does. DJ does. Etc etc. No one gives them flack for it. But because people have been getting a free ride this whole time, they're pissed that they have to give it up. Oh poor babies.

Haha yeah people do seem to overreact to ads on LJ. I don't like ads either, but when you have a paid account and the ONLY ads that you would EVER see are basically just on sponsored layouts...? I mean, come ON. You even mentioned how uncommon it is to actually look at people's layouts anyway. AND you can even style?=mine it! Seeing an ad for 30 seconds is NOT going to kill you, Jesus Christ. >.>

Yeah, that is really the main reason that I didn't like it... though I'm still annoyed that they took away the basic accounts anyway. xD Now that I think of it, I'm actually impressed that they didn't automatically convert all basic into plus! Maybe they were trying to be considerate after all lol.