Been thinking about the recent Livejournal changes. I haven't had an LJ for some months now--I deleted mine after Release 88, for a number of reasons--so technically they don't affect me anymore. I don't have an account there, so I can't even see the changes myself; I have to rely on screenshots and what others are saying. The only reason I visit LJ anymore is for the Avengers anon and kink memes, and LJ's priority system makes even this a pain, so I don't check them often. The only thing I regret is that keeping in contact with certain LJ friends is much harder--I'm in contact with most of them via Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook, but it's still quite different, and I don't interact with them nearly as much. That said, I'm not sure I'd keep my LJ if I could go back and re-do it, because even before R88 LJ activity was slowing down considerably.
Anyway, the point is, LJ's recent changes don't affect me so I don't know why I'm so saddened to hear about them. Part of it is long-time familiarity and nostalgia, I'm sure; I first signed up for LJ in 2001, and seeing it descend into MySpace-esque obscurity while ignoring its long-time and devoted user base is, well, painful to watch. But another thing that bothers me is that I have no idea what LJ wants to become. I think I'm a person fairly open to change, and theoretically, I wouldn't mind being active at LJ again in the future. But what sort of internet niche is LJ hoping to fill once it has finished its' current overhaul?
DW, for example, is very clear with where it wants to go and the sorts of users they have in mind. I'm not sure where the link is, but DW has 4 'types' of users it keeps in mind when developing new features. I can't remember what they are, but IIRC it breaks down to a social/community focused user, a very privacy focused user, a user who mostly posts personal stuff, and...I can't remember the last one, lol. The point is, DW knows the sorts of people it can serve best and tailors its features to serve at least one of those user types. Their focus means that DW may not be suitable for all types of interaction, and it will have fewer users than other social media sites as a result, but it has a business model that can thrive with that smaller base. Tumblr isn't as clear when it comes to its desired user base, but it's pretty easy to see what Tumblr does well: sharing visual-based content, links, and short, informative text entries that aren't intended to generate discussion, such as PSAs or lists of facts.
I use Tumblr regularly; I use Dreamwidth regularly. I use Twitter and Facebook less regularly but they still offer services I need. I do not know what I would use Livejournal for. From what the owners have said, they would like to make LJ more like ONTD, which I think means posting content from other sites and focusing on generating discussion and comments while de-emphasizing personal journal content. Which, okay, sure, but...most of the stuff posted on the various ONTD sites have their own comment sections, and doesn't Reddit already have that corner of the internet covered? In any case, I don't really have a need for that sort of service.
I miss some of the people on LJ, but I don't miss the platform, especially given what the future looks like. Being second-best (or worse) at everything you offer is pretty much a ticket to obscurity in today's climate, and that seems to be where LJ is headed. And it's sad to see a site that was such a major part of my life for so long become unnecessary.
Sigh.
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