Ads on LiveJournal. Let's discuss... - Regarding the ToS change

Regarding the ToS change

Apr. 20th, 2006 at 4:11 PM

Many of you may have been concerned about the Terms of Service change that went into effect with the introduction of ads. Here's Brad's announcement on the issue:

Regarding the TOS change to ban ad blocking software:

Totally our bad.

We didn't catch that the ad-blocker restriction made it into the final TOS changes. From what I can make of the series of events which led to its inclusion was that we basically passed off our TOS to some lawyers and said, "Update it for advertising". They then mimiced some other sites' advertising policies (which said no ad blockers), and then all the right people who were supposed to review it didn't and it made it live onto the site.

So this is a pre-announcement that a more user-friendly TOS change is on its way.

(After all, we can't even detect that you're even using ad blockers to begin with, so there's no point in us saying you can't. Plus you might not even have control over what's installed on your computer, etc.)

So, yeah, sorry: we messed up.

He asked me to spread the word. Please do the same, for your friends who may be concerned! Thanks.

Comments

( Leave a comment )

eviltera wrote:

Apr. 20th, 2006 09:19 pm (UTC)

that makes the ads a ton easier to swallow

thanks for the update

Link | Reply | Thread

foxfirefey wrote:

Apr. 20th, 2006 09:33 pm (UTC)

Done.

Link | Reply | Thread

azurelunatic wrote:

Apr. 20th, 2006 11:13 pm (UTC)

I'm going to add it into my summary of events. *grin*

Link | Reply | Thread

dfasgiles wrote:

Apr. 20th, 2006 11:53 pm (UTC)

Thank you for this!

I am very glad to hear this because, first and foremost, this new option is wonderful for people like me who are barely managing to avoid living out of a box; and, second, I have ad-blocking software on my computer for security purposes only because last October I got some horrible spyware on my system that took until last month to get rid of, and in my line of work, there are HIPAA concerns where any resident spyware puts me out of commission until the spyware is absolutely certain to be gone, so....

Thank you for allowing ad-blocking software to be present, as it is absolutely paramount on my system. Other people who view my journal will be able to see the ads, right? So, it's all good? Or...am I missing how this works? (I can be a little slow on the uptake. I have Asperger syndrome.)

Thanks again,
C
DFAS Giles

Link | Reply | Thread

e_richard wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 12:04 am (UTC)

Catching that on Slashdot's front page really soured my opinion of LJ for a while.

Link | Reply | Thread

phyrry wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 01:04 am (UTC)

I really hope somebody learns something from this -- check stuff before you post it.

Link | Reply | Thread

panda_cookie wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 01:40 am (UTC)

I had contacted Brad about this the other night and he had told me that he was going to work on the TOS getting changed. I'm glad he was able to implement that change. :)

Link | Reply | Thread

caviling wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 02:53 am (UTC)

Ha! Neat.

Link | Reply | Thread

lizzie9208 wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 10:10 am (UTC)

ha ha, nice icon!

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

caviling wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 07:17 pm (UTC)

Aw, thanks.

jesspark has the skills.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

ex_shattered767 wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 06:49 am (UTC)

"Read before you OK it/ask a question/post something/etc" is quite heavily emphasized almost anywhere you go on the internet, including on LJ. While I am very glad that this got fixed, the irony of it is hilarious.

Link | Reply | Thread

lizzie9208 wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 10:09 am (UTC)

Wow. I'm grateful that you caught the mistake, but at the risk of sounding bitchy, it doesn't give me any faith in the "right people" if they don't review the TOS policy very thoroughly after the lawyers revise it. While the ad-blocker restriction is a tiny mistake, the fact that nobody read the lawyers changes before popping the new TOS live onto the site troubles me.

Link | Reply | Thread

eighthcloud wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 11:44 am (UTC)

Are we really supposed to believe that this happened over them realizing people were superpissed and deciding to change it?

Link | Reply | Thread

defaultcrush wrote:

Apr. 22nd, 2006 03:41 pm (UTC)

I'll see your Cordy drama icon and raise you a Wesley...

Well, considering they couldn't tell you were using adblocking software anyway, they couldn't have done anything about it anyway, so... yah. The TOS should be clearer about this, but they couldn't have banned you for it in the first place, pissed or not.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

eighthcloud wrote:

Apr. 22nd, 2006 05:40 pm (UTC)

Re: I'll see your Cordy drama icon and raise you a Wesley...

heh... nice icon. :)

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

defaultcrush wrote:

Apr. 22nd, 2006 08:51 pm (UTC)

Re: I'll see your Cordy drama icon and raise you a Wesley...

I checked yours out and you have a ton that are great too- I love that Wash "watch how I soar" one and the "woah, good Bible" one with Mal. Thanks for crediting, I'm off to snag some at those journals. :D

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

skaffa wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 03:47 pm (UTC)

what ads?

Link | Reply | Thread

sewcute wrote:

Apr. 25th, 2006 02:36 pm (UTC)

someone needs to read http://news.livejournal.com

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

gedrean wrote:

Apr. 21st, 2006 10:40 pm (UTC)

Brad, And y'all, are totally tres cool!

Link | Reply | Thread

ngakmafaery wrote:

Apr. 22nd, 2006 03:01 pm (UTC)

...good thing it's nothing like in politics where you make/admit to a small-seeming mistake (invaded the wrong country for the wrong reasons, shot your best friend while trying to kill something else) and then say how bad and sorry you feel about it, to distract from the major thing going on like invading the wrong country or trying to kill other things...people would get so mad about that!

Link | Reply | Thread

sewcute wrote:

Apr. 25th, 2006 02:37 pm (UTC)

yeah, but do they post this to the news post? or an edit to the news post? Where a lot more people read?

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

ngakmafaery wrote:

Apr. 25th, 2006 09:20 pm (UTC)

...I don't know...I just go to the small list here to watch the events roll by, and, interestingly, I keep getting automatically logged out every day lately, from a computer no one else uses...I'm sure it's coincidence, but really, I have to say that this whole ads issue, and the language used in it by the 'officials', comes across like bumbling amateur hour, which surprised me a lot...I used to have respect for them, but now it just feels and sounds like young people working on commission who'll do anything to fool you into parting with some cash, or thinking dishonesty's okay because, um, like Cheney does it, and like, everyone has to make a living and like move with the times, like you know...?

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

thies wrote:

Apr. 22nd, 2006 08:25 pm (UTC)

And why should that denial be believable considering that the site before promised to stay ad free and now isn't?

[quote]Stay advertisement free
It may be because it's one of our biggest pet peeves, or it may be because they don't garner a lot of money, but nonetheless, we promise to never offer advertising space in our service or on our pages.[/quote]

http://web.archive.org/web/20040630002301/http://www.livejournal.com/site/contract.bml

Link | Reply | Thread

ngakmafaery wrote:

Apr. 25th, 2006 09:22 pm (UTC)

...this didn't get answered very quickly, did it...?

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

thies wrote:

Apr. 26th, 2006 07:43 am (UTC)

I'm instead surprised that with the new management style my comment wasn't simply deleted.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

ngakmafaery wrote:

Apr. 26th, 2006 12:08 pm (UTC)

...honestly, me too, about things I say...it's like the smart kids are pointing out that the new teacher is not very bright, and the administration isn't quite sure what to do...oh yeah, like bush and censorship and all...reminders everywhere, actually, and I'm not even obsessed with bush and that bunch...

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

jesspark wrote:

Apr. 22nd, 2006 11:45 pm (UTC)

...and then all the right people who were supposed to review it didn't and it made it live onto the site.

Wow. Can you guys really afford to further damage the faith that users have in this site's management?

Also, why are we being asked to "spread the word" when you could post this "pre-announcement" to

news? If you're legitimately planning on changing the TOS, why not let everyone know in a more public fashion?

Link | Reply | Thread

ngakmafaery wrote:

Apr. 25th, 2006 09:24 pm (UTC)

...agreed...the cutesy approach, on top of the lying approach, is just not inspiring confidence...

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

sewcute wrote:

Apr. 25th, 2006 09:25 pm (UTC)

amen!!

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

firefly1977 wrote:

Apr. 25th, 2006 10:23 am (UTC)

К сожалению я не понимаю по английски.. Буду рада общаться по русски..

Link | Reply | Thread

mamasboo wrote:

May. 30th, 2006 05:41 am (UTC)

I'm going to take a stab at what you said because I only know the Russian I taught myself when I was 13...you said I'm sorry, I don't understand English....I didn't catch the rest but it was something about Russian. I know the "ya nyah paneemayoo pa angleeski" part...hmm. Russian is a cool language:)

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

safiiru wrote:

Apr. 26th, 2006 03:41 am (UTC)

So... I know lawyer-business is not the quickest in the world, but when can we expect these new Terms of Service? For me, at least, what exactly I'm agreeing to by using this site is going to make a big difference as to whether or not I stay a paid user.

Link | Reply | Thread

4grandma wrote:

May. 2nd, 2006 10:20 pm (UTC)

the AD is not good idea for LJ.
it should ask a premision to someone wants it.
just create turn off the crap ad
it is anoying why does that come from comes to messed up my whole thing LJ.

Link | Reply | Thread

foxfirefey wrote:

May. 3rd, 2006 01:23 am (UTC)

Right now you are seeing ads on your journal because your journal is at the Sponsored+ level.

Here is a guide to turn that off.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

4grandma wrote:

May. 3rd, 2006 01:38 am (UTC)

oh thank you so much! I didn't mean I was mean talk. I was sick of it or something having bad luck.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

4grandma wrote:

May. 4th, 2006 01:00 am (UTC)

Wait minute. this is for switch back to free account. I dont want it, I prefer sponsered that have more features suchs as more userpics but expect I hate Ads. is that thing is same way to turn off when I go switch back and go spnsored again and it wont show up the ads?

And I couldn't go change my layout override. still goes there the same messed layout. :(

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

foxfirefey wrote:

May. 4th, 2006 01:07 am (UTC)

Now I'm confused.

In your original comment, you said it should ask permission for someone who wants it. It does. The display of ads on your journal is entirely opt-in and something you explicitly gave permission to have done. Either you make do with less features or you put up with ads in exchange for your extra userpics; that's how the system works. The display of ads to you, Basic users, and nonmembers on your journal is what funds the extra features you get for being Sponsored+.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

foxfirefey wrote:

May. 4th, 2006 01:10 am (UTC)

I forgot; there is another option available to you, and that's to purchase a Premium account. Then not only will you have even more userpics and no ads on your journal, you won't see ads anywhere on the site, period.

Here is a page that will explain getting a paid Premium account.

Link | Reply | Parent | Thread

foxfirefey wrote:

May. 9th, 2006 11:40 pm (UTC)

Any word on when the changes might take place or what timeline the revisions are under?

Link | Reply | Thread

mamasboo wrote:

May. 30th, 2006 05:44 am (UTC)

I don't think I am understanding where any company gets off telling a person what they can or can't do with their own computers and equipment. If you serve ads and I don't want to see them, using blockers is my personal business. It's very 1984 to try and control users to that extent.

It's always about the almighty dollar. Everyone loses their integrity. Everyone (and every company) has its price. :(

Link | Reply | Thread

( Leave a comment )