rionaleonhart | Think About What You're Saying, And Then Don't Say It, And Then Just Run Away Somewhere.

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Think About What You're Saying, And Then Don't Say It, And Then Just Run Away Somewhere.

Merry Christmas! Lightning has a present for you. It's a punch in the face. You can have it now, or on the day itself, or both. You don't get to decide. She's thinking.

(I wrote this yesterday, and now I think it may be addressing Livejournal rather than You, The Reader. LIVEJOURNAL. I can happily put up with a lot, but the new font on the default entry pages is really difficult to read! Reading is sort of the point of this website. And I don't want to switch over to Dreamwidth, because, the fuss of uprooting aside (this is my home! all my fandoms live here!), I find the default pages there difficult to read as well. All I want is to be able to read things! I didn't realise this was so much to ask!

Is there some sort of magical scripty thing one can employ in Chrome to make the font on Livejournal default pages change itself to Verdana? I - I don't understand magical scripty things, as may be apparent. If not, I suppose I might have to find the most easy-on-the-eyes custom layout I can and enable custom comment pages.)

Ahem. I really do hope you all have a wonderful Christmas or other seasonal holiday! Except you, Livejournal. Coal for you.

So this entry isn't too negative (because, hey, it's nearly Christmas), how about a fun meme? Here's one of my favourites.

Ask any character you think I might be able to manage a question, and I'll reply in-character as them with an answer (or possibly reply as myself going 'WHAT THE HELL, I CAN'T DO THIS'). Feel free to ask either as yourself or as another character.

Ask away!

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I don't know how you'd change it for every page, but you could possibly put your entries in Verdana with a bit of HTML.

Let me see if this works...

Few more tests and if I see a more visible result I'll tell you the code xD

Okay. If you want YOUR entries in verdana (like I said, dunno how to do it with other people's) you should use this code: (replace square brackets with < and >)

[font face="verdana"]Text here[/font]

You can also change the font size like I have on the second example. My tests go like this:

[font face="verdana" size="1"]Text here[/font]

The number of each 'test' is the number I specified as size.

Don't know if that's any use to you, but that's all I know.

Thank you! I've actually been experimenting with this - font face=verdana size=2 looks like the old font to me - and I've considered setting my fanfiction entries in that (as it's particularly important to have a readable font for fanfiction), but I'm afraid it might screw over people who view entries in their own style. What do you think? Maybe I should post a test entry (when I next write a fic, maybe?) and get people's opinions.

(Also, how annoying is it that you had to actually post comments to check because there's no 'preview' function any more? I really don't understand this change; all it's done is make the site uglier and less functional?)

Edited 2011-12-21 13:01 (UTC)

The custom layouts are still functional as the old style, so for now at least, they're probably your best bet.

Question for Rinoa, asking as Seifer: Where's my copy of The Thousand Tales of Sorceress Alteris? You said you were only borrowing it!

How do you do the custom layouts? I really want something less ugly and annoying.

Go into:

Journal > Journal Style > Customize Selected Theme

Under Basic Options, you change "Disable customized comment pages for your journal" to "No", then save.

This obviously will only work if you switch to an S2 theme!

Sweet! Apparently, my stuff is already set that way?

Yeah, looks like it. :) But they are planning to change the S2 comments to this crappy style next year, too, so it's only a temporary solution. : /

Why? Do they have any reason for this weird new ugliness?

I don't really know/understand their reasoning, per se, but I would guess it's an attempt to keep livejournal "fresh" and new to try to acquire new users in a market where a lot of people are going for pithier sites like twitter and facebook at the moment. The thing is, I think they aren't considering that the market they have is people who like to talk at length, in text, and prefer not to have to swim through walls of macros and soundbytes and crap. Additionally, I suspect that they probably think they're making the site 'easier to use' by removing some of the choices. It is true that when you can't do anything, it's very easy to use a site.

I know Tumblr is a big draw for Livejournal users. Possibly they're assuming that people really like it when it's incredibly inconvenient to comment?

Probably. I HATE Tumblr. You're probably right though. Gah.

I have tumblr, and I do like but OMFGSOMETIMES I JUST WANT TO COMMENT. FFS.

Yeah, it's the basic mistake made by social networking sites - if something new pops up that's different and popular, everyone starts copying that instead of doing their own thing well. They're apparently under the illusion that they can get people to only participate in one service for everything, instead of grasping that people usually want different kinds of social networking for different things.

Blast, really? I suppose I may as well just wait and hope they come to their senses rather than buggering around with custom layouts, then.

I know. : / hopefully, but who knows.

You actually have custom comment pages on your journal already! I don't have them on mine, which is why my entries display in the default scheme, which used to be fine but is now hideous.

Cool! (I am bad at computer stuff.)

Right, I've now customised my own comment pages, so hopefully my journal is now less ugly. Even if LJ implement the stupid commenting system on custom comment pages, they can't take my font away! ...presumably!

Ooh, nice! (I have to admit, I don't notice the font issues.)

You mean the copy you lent to me before we broke up?

Um, Seifer, you tortured Squall and kidnapped me and nearly helped an evil sorceress destroy all of existence. I guess it never really seemed like a good time.

Plus I'm not sure books about sorceresses are good for you. You can have my copy of Good-bye Pupurun.

Oh, that's good, Raijin's been wanting to--

Wait, no, HEY! Gimme my book back!

Besides, I'd think you of anybody ought to understand what it was like to have Ultimecia in your head. Nasty barely begins to describe it.

I was actually in the middle of loading a comment page when they changed it over last night and UGH UGH UGH SO ANNOYING. Why did they change it? There was nothing wrong with the old one! (I DO like that I have a grid of my icons to choose from rather than trying to remember which keywords I have applied, but that doesn't mean that they had to go and change the whole layout! And get rid of certain REALLY REALLY GOOD THINGS like subject lines and preview functions! WAY TO GO LJ.)

Question for Twilight Sparkle: What's the best book you've ever read?

Question for Lightning: Please don't punch me. (Possibly not a question? Please don't punch me anyway.)

Lightning

Sometimes we can't get what we want. Brace yourself.

*squeaky wimpery noises*

re. Dreamwidth: change the default to 'Lynx' style, which looks more like the old format=light here?

Thank you! Not sure about Lynx, but I'm trying out the purple scheme over there, which I like more than the red.

Question for Fluttershy - when did you learn how to out-fly Rainbow Dash?

Ugh, I hate the changes they've made; part of this might just be my normal deep-seated dislike of change, but I do think i's objectively worse.

For looking at other journals, this (http://userstyles.org/styles/25941/livejournal-modern-customizable) has just been updated if you have Stylish (I dunno if it installs as-is on Chrome as I use Firefox) I use a variant of it (Modern Sky) but the new code is well flagged up and easy to transfer over. It's not perfect, but it's an improvement.

There are ways to set up LJ styles on Dreamwidth!

I've been sporadically watching the explosion on the release announcement post (http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html), which is closing in on 7000 comments, the vast majority extremely angry. This latest release has crippled a lot of RPs and anon comms, anywhere which relied on subject lines (especially for things such as trigger/NSFW warnings), mobile browsing, and reading comment threads on the default style. Meanwhile, Russian-speaking LJ users have been translating the head of LJ Russia laughing at the people who are complaining, calling English-speaking users "mice", and just generally being a jerk. This not to mention the complete asshattery of the "WE'RE GOING TO GET RID OF COMMENT SUBJECT LINES AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN SAY TO MAKE US RECONSIDER THIS" in earlier discussion of the changes. And, yeah, they got over 1000 comments beging them not to, and true to their word, completely disregarded them all.

So, yeah. I already have a Dreamwidth presence, but I know I'm going to let these paid accounts expire and probably only maintain an LJ presence via crossposting. LJ has given every indication that they either don't care about or actively disdain their userbase – their English-using userbase especially. And my patience for that sort of thing was already wearing thin.

Unless things get even worse (or everyone here just disappears), I'll probably hang around here until my paid time expires, but if the font is still that visual nightmare by then I imagine I'll be making the move. Certainly Dreamwidth seems a much more considerate, professionally-run site; the only disadvantage it has against Livejournal by now is the shortage of content, and that's presumably changing by the day.

I am the most stubborn Livejournal user in the world! I can't believe they've actually managed to make me consider leaving! It's almost impressive.

the head of LJ Russia laughing at the people who are complaining, calling English-speaking users "mice"

Aaaaaand we've just found the straw that broke this camel's back. :(

By the way, Riona, you have done an excellent job getting the old comment style back. Thanks!

If you want a few more straws:

http://gehayi.dreamwidth.org/438621.html On a scale of A to F, LiveJournal has a score of D- from the Better Business Bureau. This despite not being officially accredited. It's also been reported that their listed phone numbers have been disconnected. ( Also in that post: this release was beta-tested, and the beta-testers said NO, and they ignored them: http://gehayi.dreamwidth.org/438621.html?thread=4255581#cmt4255581 )

http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=5958834#t5958834 How the removal of subject lines is affecting people with legitimate, serious issues.

http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=7496882#t7496882 Public Twitter conversation between the head of LJ Russia and some unidentified other person.

On a less ragey note: someone's going through and remaking the original comment style. http://stoppedhiding.livejournal.com/1903.html

Also, I'm an idiot: is it okay to quote you in a post that I've, uh, unfortunately already made, but seriously if you'd rather I didn't I'll take that bit out.

Nah, s'cool.

(Also, better source on the comments

igrick has made: http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=7243954#t7243954 . Especially this subthread: http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=7257522#t7257522 . There's also some confusion as to who igrick actually is, but consensus is that he's either head of LJ Russia or head of the design firm LJ hired for the redesign.)

Oh, wait, here: Igrick's own words (in translation) about who he is. http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=7655090#t7655090

[ETA] Better, better source: http://sf-drama.livejournal.com/3311572.html

[ETA] Mice: http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=7290290#t7290290

"comments don't have the subject field anymore, and complaints regarding the matter will not be accepted" : http://news.livejournal.com/140511.html?thread=97943263#t97943263

Edited 2011-12-22 03:09 (UTC)

Via

gypsy_sunday at http://lj-releases.livejournal.com/71858.html?thread=7668146#t7668146: "There is a userscript for Dreamwidth (http://emiri.dreamwidth.org/8232.html) that gives you the same blue-and-white look of the old LJ comment pages, for those interested."

SORRY I'M USING YOUR JOURNAL TO AGGREGATE LINKS OF INTEREST, RIONA. IT'S, UM, CONVENIENT.

Edited 2011-12-22 02:31 (UTC)

Oh, my goodness, that skin is amazing. I hated the way everything hovered in the middle before. Thank you so, so much!

I have been away from LJ too long, and have no idea of what's going on in the slightest. All I know is that everything looks wrong :<

SO. Let's get down to business - from any of the MLP:FIM characters, what are you looking forward to this Christmas?

And, Miss Lightning? Why are you going to punch me in the face? Does it have to be the face? Can't it be somewhere that, like, isn't my face (I'm rather attached to it)?

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Think About What You're Saying, And Then Don't Say It, And Then Just Run Away Somewhere.

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