More on the evil empire's latest assault on democracy

[avevale_intelligencer]

Okay, going from bemused to outright croggled.

Come on, people. When did blogging become a basic human right? If you're that worried about it, don't do it. Or do it somewhere else, and wait for *that* private company to be sold to someone whose face you don't like. Sooner or later, in this glorious free-market world we have, it happens to all of them.

As I just said somewhere else, instead of a bunch of American strangers reading our personal blogs, we'll now have a bunch of Russian strangers reading our personal blogs. I couldn't have any secrets on here then, and I can't have any now. What's the difference?

Anyway, back when everyone thought LJ was a good thing I bought a permanent account, and I'm not about to throw that money away just yet. It might be a good idea not to post any plans for new stealth bombers, formulae for horrendous biochemical weapons or compromising pictures of senior government officials in my comment threads, though. Just saying.

Note to people who think I'm condoning the eradication of free speech: speech is the thing you do with your mouth. Nobody has free speech everywhere they go--try shouting obscenities in the office, or advertising Sainsbury's in Waitrose, or singing opera in your local library. Writing is different from speech, as libel is different from slander. But, and it's a big but, if, and I say if, the Russian company that has bought LJ chooses to torpedo its profits and waste its money by interfering with the free expression of opinion among its customers, there are at the moment approximately a gazillion other places to go and express ourselves. Our precious freedom of speech (and I agree it is precious) is not harmed one whit as long as we live in countries where that right is guaranteed. (So that's America down the Swanee, then, if the Republicans do that "reexamining" they were talking about earlier in the year.)

Storm. Teacup. Look into it.

Comments

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Another agreement here. If people really think that their contracts with LJ have been broken by changes in the Ts&Cs then they can put their money where their moth is and sue for breach of contract. Nothing else. There is no "right of free speech" on a privately owned website, just as there is no right of free speech on privately owned property (if someone is on my land then I can chuck them off if I find them abusive) except for the person who owns it.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Put their money where their moth is?

Are you implying something about my wallet? (Honestly, I don't know how those two white fivers got in there...)

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

As we seem to say in Potter fandom: *gigglesnort*

[keristor.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about laying up treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt. Or it may have been a typo, but I like my explanation better *g*.

Do you actually remember the white fiver? It was just before my time, went out of circulation a year after I was born so I doubt that I saw one. I do just remember farthings being legal tender.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

No, I just missed them. I did see a current farthing once. It had a robin on it, I think, or some kind of bird.

[aunty_marion]

It's a wren, actually. I have at least one, maybe two, farthings laid by as Relics of Real Money. Along with a genuine silver sixpence and a 12-sided thruppenny bit, several commemorative crowns, and at least one of every other denomination of yer genuine old money.

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

And one of the things that makes Farthing an alternate history where the crucial change occured well before the Second World War is the fact that the bird on the farthing in that book is a robin...