Mind you - this comes from an LJ user who hasn't even heard about the problem you're talking about. It has not appeared in substantive form on my Friends list...
Much as many people would argue, I think we are customers, and, "who owns LJ as a social entity?" is confusing the issue. The fact that we provide the content is not particularly relevant - there's a great many places where the size of the customer base is part of the selling point of the product, but that does not change the business dynamic. The issue at hand isn't the source of the content, but the fact that it is primarily a subscription-based business model.
Then, it is pretty much as you say - anyone who is primarily subscription-based has to react to the desires of the customers, as they are the basic future revenue.
To use the term "rights" in this context is, in my opinion, applying an emotionally charged concept where it does not belong. LJ users do not have "rights". They have an account in a computer system. They have agreed to a Terms of Service, and get to use features so long as they keep within the ToS. The only appicable "right" is to take your money elsewhere.
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Date: 2008-03-18 08:42 pm (UTC)Much as many people would argue, I think we are customers, and, "who owns LJ as a social entity?" is confusing the issue. The fact that we provide the content is not particularly relevant - there's a great many places where the size of the customer base is part of the selling point of the product, but that does not change the business dynamic. The issue at hand isn't the source of the content, but the fact that it is primarily a subscription-based business model.
Then, it is pretty much as you say - anyone who is primarily subscription-based has to react to the desires of the customers, as they are the basic future revenue.
To use the term "rights" in this context is, in my opinion, applying an emotionally charged concept where it does not belong. LJ users do not have "rights". They have an account in a computer system. They have agreed to a Terms of Service, and get to use features so long as they keep within the ToS. The only appicable "right" is to take your money elsewhere.