LJ etc

[tadorna]

So I've been seeing various reports that LJ is censoring various search terms from the 'most popular interests page', including the following: Sex, Boys, Guys, Girls, Fanfiction, Yaoi, Hardcore, Porn, Bondage, Faeries, Pain, Depression, and Bisexuality.

Obviously this, if true, is a valid cause for concern -- particularly for someone who writes Christopher Biggins slash. It's also pretty damn weird, if you ask me, but then I write Christopher Biggins slash, so it's probably best you don't ask me. So, anyway, I just went and looked at the most popular interests page to check it out. But all those search terms appear now to be included.

Were they gone at some point? Did they get put back? Or am I missing something (always a distinct possibility!)

Anyway, I just thought peeps might like to know, as I haven't seen this particular development (if it is a development) mentioned anywhere else yet.

Comments

[clara-posts.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what's going on either. But then I've been traipsing round Scotland and generally not paying much attention to anything. It seems like one person posted something and then the Chinese Whispers started and now it's the end of the world as we know it. Well, I definitely feel fine. And I'm posting more times than ever today which says something about me... probably something including the word apathy as several posts have told me. It's to do with the free accounts thing being got rid off thing too (I'm not sure that's good grammar) but then, as someone pointed out today, it wasn't so long ago you had to have an invite to join so it's not unprecedented. Ho hum. I'm rambling. And sort of carrying on as normal. These things have a comfortable habit of just blowing over, ya know?

[yellow-oranges.livejournal.com]

Faeries?! What are they getting up to?

[justwolf.livejournal.com]

I think the interests thing has something to do with how there were lists of Top Interests (given to companies? or displayed to new users?) and from these lists, these interests even though they're Top Interests, were removed. Or so I read but I don't fully understand the intricacies of the issue.

I still want to stay firmly off any kind of high horse and hope it all blows over. But that's probably because I have no morals.

Why do these people with frowned-upon-interests spell "fairies" wrong?

You keep talking about the Christopher Biggins slash, but I have yet to see any evidence! I'm impatient. Want. Want.

[mirabile-dictu.livejournal.com]

They were gone, but they were just added back in, apparently due to all the hoo-hah though there is no official word.

For details about the removal of these interests, see Stewardess (http://stewardess.insanejournal.com) over on IJ; she has several posts, some with documentation.

For the first news I've seen of their return, see rm's post (http://rm.livejournal.com/1312151.html); she links to the announcement of the code that returns them -- though the coder who posted carefully refused to comment.

It is all very very weird, but it definitely happened.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Hah.

I looked a few days ago and all of these terms were GONE. The list of interests looked about as inviting as a yawning toilet bowl. But you're right! They're all back!

I tell you what it is. 96,000 people suddenly and convulsively discovered fanfiction over the weekend and all added it to their interests.

My god, has this been reported in the national media?

I note that 'Christopher Biggins' doesn't appear in the top 100. CENSORSHIP!!

Also, why so few interests in Cyrillic? Given the demographics??

It is all very very weird, but it definitely happened.

[purple-hazed.livejournal.com]

Honestly, all this censorship is rediculous - i have nothing to hide!! except christopher biggins lust lol lol!!