The anti-strike protestors

[sparkindarkness]

Y'know I didn't strike, I just didn't post yesterday - I'm hardly a daily poster and I was busy getting hammered and getting laid (possibly in that order, but I have trouble remembering for some reason).

But do all of you people pointing out how silly and childish it is to strike realise that if it weren't for you I wouldn't even KNOW there was a strike going on? Seriously, the only posts I have seen about the strike are from a lot of people rather self-righteously pointing out that they're not going to strike

Y'know what, I agree. I agree that the strike is pointless. I agree that it will achieve nothing. I agree that nothing the user base does is going to change things. I agree that the gesture they just embarked upon is going to be just that - an empty hollow gesture.

But the idea that all the striking people have nothing to bitch about, no real complaints and are just hysterical wank-festers? That's not fair. There have been more than enough reasons to be irritated with LJ. Yes it is their playground and YES they can do what they want - and so can any other service provider but I'm quite sure we're ALL willing to bitch when they jerk us around.

So please drop the oh-so-superior attitude I've been getting in spades from so many people. Yes, you don't agree with the strike. That doesn't make the strikers sillier, stupider, more foolish, more ignorant or more idiotic than you. It doesn't make you better than them.

Ineffective? Yes. Wrong to try and recruit others to the strike? Probably (but hey, you've been doing more advertising for them than they have been doing for themselves). Rather pointless? Certainly. Hysterical and unjustified? No.

Sometimes you make a gesture to make it clear that you don't agree and that you aren't happy, not about getting things done. It's part of what protesting is all about. Protests of any kind hardly ever work, but it is a symbol on behalf of the protestor as much as it is an attempt to make the protestee change.

Comments

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

people are being childish assholes about it, but that's something i've seen on both sides.

i'd argue that the same logic for why the strike is not Wrong can also be applied to the idea that it's also not Wrong for people to state their disagreement with the flounce and why. and i will call it a 'flounce'--because 'strike' has implications that are simply not applicable here.

when i am unhappy with a service in the really real world, i may write an email to the appropriate parties in order to file a complaint, and either way, i either choose to continue using the service or i go somewhere else. that's really all there is to it.

as far as the symbolism aspect, well, i think i already addressed that as far as i'm going to. if people get something out of it, fine. [i did hit a point of *snarl* about some of the wank flying around about race and gender being dragged into this, but that's about me, and that's in my lj.]. however, it appeared that for the majority, the expectations attached didn't imply that at all. the expectations attached was the idea that if we throw a temper tantrum, then we will get what we want-- ie, basic accounts back. this is hardly rosa parks. it's not even anonymous vs scientology. =|

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

|Grrr why can I not popst a response here. LJ keeps timing out on me. Extra grrr.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Oh, so i get to post this? Gah, have I got to break it down into little littel posts? Curse Lj breaking down my wordiness!

Break down reply since it resents longer comments apparently

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Now that's an entirely different flail altogether and one I most certainly agree with.

Yes we get angry at people, yes we flail at them, yes sometimes they are too stupid/ignorant/bigoted/vile for words and yes we oppose and try to convince and fight the good fight - but this idea that our opposition will just throw down their arms and wail "oh, how silly I have been! I see you were right all along" because of what we did/said etc is just silly. It doesn't even happen in GOOD fic let alone reality. Even when it IS a major important issue for all the world and society, it's rare that gestures and protests make a difference except prolonged at at great cost in pain

Re: Break down reply since it resents longer comments apparently

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

i was very aggravated, because, i mean, they said it appears to be a bug, they'd figure out the problem with the search terms and fix it. and people are going "omg! they're only saying that because we yelled at them!" and i'm sitting there going "you fucking idiots, i KNOW people that will say a hateful comment to your face, and if you call them on it, they will tell you "yep. i hate you. now get the fuck out of america."" these guys are actually RESPONDING. the correct response is to stop flailing at them. otherwise, there's manifestly no reason for them to EVER respond again.

i just. wtf more can you ASK, sparky?

Re: Break down reply since it resents longer comments apparently

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Well, i personally was pissed at them for a whole different reason - well, for a whole shed load of different reasons actually, but mainly because they treat us like nucking futs morons

but yeah, there are a whole class of people that are many degress worse, but I do suspect them of weaseling, mainly because they've tried it before.

At least they are responding - which is a good sign

Breakdowsn reply 2 :)

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

I always enter any protest in the sure and certain knowledge that I am not going to make a slightest difference. whether it's bitching about LJ, a political debate or slapping a homophobe upside the head. On all degrees and levels, I CANNOT CHANGE THINGS. But That's never the point for me. The point for me is always to make it clear that The Sparky does not approve of this lunacy. There's a prevailing idea that "those who are silent are presumed to consent" and it's true after a fashion. The Sparky is always very very willing to noisily make it clear that The Sparky does not consent :)

Re: Breakdowsn reply 2 :)

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

but that's the thing, isn't it? something's wrong, yes, definitely point it out. point it out LOUDLY. it just took a very bad turn after that; all sense of proportion was lost. it can't simply be, "lj is changing and we don't like the way you chose to not reveal this" it's "omg you're trying to destroy our community!" it's not "hey, this issue with your search terms has come to our attention, not cool, guys." it's the prevailing sense of hysteria that followed and the very poorly planned retaliation, and the general behavior and attitudes of a lot of the people that were involved were making my brain twist.

Re: Breakdowsn reply 2 :)

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Proportion? Ye gods, people never have that. Everything is always the WORST THING EVAH!!!! OMG AND YE CAT MACROS!

Exactly iot shoudl hqve been "you fail at customer service and are generally pissing us off. Well done you muppets" not "OMG MY WORLD IS OVER!"

Breakdown reply 3: FEAR MAH SPAM!

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

And yes, people do always blow their persopnal dramas out of alll proportion. I remember reading not to long ago a rather silly piece by a woman who compared anti-fanfiction sentiments to homophobia and the closet. Yes, the stupid, it burns sometimes, doesn it? It's just another version of the "anyone who compares their opponent to Hitler automatically loses the fight" because if they've resorted to that ridiculous degree of hyperbole then they're very very silly

Re: Breakdown reply 3: FEAR MAH SPAM!

[klgaffney.livejournal.com]

oh eljay, what is with the signing off? it's been doing this to me, too.

i think i read the crazy you're referring to--one of othercat's friends ended up in a discussion with said drama girl. i just had the most violent "......." moment at that. fanfic, yeah. uhhuh. go grow a sense of proportion and get back to us.

Re: Breakdown reply 3: FEAR MAH SPAM!

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

it irritates it does. i shall have to reach for my cat macroes

Yeah, my jaw just dropped. Perspective people! It's what sanity's all about!

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

:)

[logophilos.livejournal.com]

I hope you didn't think I was calling anyone childish or silly by stating that I was going to post as normal. I *did* see a strike supporter call someone on my flist childish and cruel for posting, and she even defriended that person over it. This was the second defriending I've seen over this issue.

I know people had many motives for observing the protest,some good, some rather nasty as I pointed out. People not observing had just as many motives, some of them pretty puerile.

I'm just glad it's behind us. I find real life so amazingly stressful that this additional issue being talked about over and over by both sides, really was making me quite distressed.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Nope, because your criticism was not directed against the strikers as being inferior but at individual drama queens and the general idea that the strike will achieve anything. Which it won't.

[helbling.livejournal.com]

http://chipotle.livejournal.com/183056.html

<<is a very interesting article on the whole strike, SUP shebang.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Sadly I've come to much the same conclusions. We're not going to change any of this and we're just going to see the beginning of no doubt many more bad things to come. I always knew it was about money - life is about money - and I knew the Russian market was the growth area. I just kind of hoped for a minimal amount of respect for their customers from LJ - I mean, most companies at least try to give the impression of respect even if they don't the reality. LJ doesn't even try for that.

Still, I'm going to make a lot of noise on the way :)

As effective as my icon.

[semiotic-pirate.livejournal.com]

This is why I didn't refer to the strike in my post(s) yesterday. I didn't see the point. I see why the strikers wanted to strike and didn't agree with their method because they wouldn't be doing anything effective. They did something, they needed to do something and that's what they chose to do. I respected their choice by not mocking that choice because I too thought of it more as a symbolic gesture.

I would have chosen to try and DOS the site by posting lots of drivel, like posts filled with nonsense... Or at least drive their daily expenses up quite a bit. That way the part about SUP saving money because the charges for megabytes went down is reversed and SUP actually would feel a bit of sting. Maybe.

[amynnah.livejournal.com]

Huh? There was a strike?

....my PC's been dead in the water for over a week now... if I posted or didn't post, it'd be because of that... besides, it's comparable to the chain email about boycotting gas for one day. ::shrugs::

Ah well. I always miss the good dramaz.