The LiveJournal Advisory Board election is underway. It’s really just started… but I think most of my readers will agree… the initial figures are not merely disturbing… they are very disappointing.
I’m going to make some comments that in an election are probably damned inappropriate. They could seriously affect my chances. But then, what is LiveJournal if not a blog that affords social networking over shared topics of interest.
The voting has really just started… but I think most of my readers will agree… the initial figures are not merely disturbing… they are very disappointing. I’m not talking about my electability. I feel competent for the job. I feel there are other candidates just as competent.
What I shouldn’t comment on (but will) is the number of strongly supported candidates who really aren’t working to add any value to what this position is for.
LiveJournal has become (to some) a rather poor joke. It is the trappings of the depressed teenager who wishes to unload the confusion and (dare I say it? Dare! Dare!) drama of their lives in an exhibitionistic manner to the world at large. Is this untrue? No. Is it the only truth? No.
Sadly, many users are not in this class. If you look at the statistics the bulk of our users (who actually put in a birthdate) are between 20 and 30. Interestingly the number of under 18 users is almost identical to the number of users in their 30s.
So, why does the user base treat this election like a joke? Why is it a game? One could suppose that the company knows the user base as a whole better than the user base wishes to admit. A user base that is comprised of thousands of small independent voices that are too apathetic to care. One that is more interested in the shiny new meme, than caring about the service they play on. People want to go on complaining about frivolities rather than seeing the tool survive and climb to the next level.
The voting has made this clear. Currently Jameth carries 1622 votes. This is over 18% of the votes cast. This is frankly shameful. And I don’t think it’s shameful because Jameth is making the election into a popularity contest about having fun. There are loads of people that I personally don’t think really care about helping the users to have the best voice they can as a whole.
What makes me feel horrible is that in the first 24 hours of voting there have been (by those numbers) just shy of 9,000 votes. Go check that stats page again. That is barely 1% of all the 19 year olds. And it’s barely .02% of the active users. Let me spell that number out for you. .02%, not 2%, Point zero-two percent. That means jameth is likely to win because only 2 of every 10000 users cared. To put this in perspective… The US Election gets a better turn out.
I made it very clear in all my posts. Don’t just vote. Read what people are hoping to do in the position. Don’t just vote. Make it clear to everyone who reads your journal how you feel about having your voice heard on the Advisory Board by the Company. Don’t just vote. Make sure everyone who uses LiveJournal votes.
Sure, I want to be that voice for people. But I’m more than happy to see someone like rm do that as well as her convictions and platform are admirable.
But if we as LiveJournal users let this process be turned into a joke… Then the inevitable laugh is on us. The company will very easily learn that the users really don’t need a voice. And then… you can simply accept what happens to the LiveJournal as a service. Because… your voice won’t matter.
I don’t want to politic. I don’t want to slam candidates. (Well, no.. there are one or two I really want to slam. I mean… one person was under 20 and planning to travel to Istanbul from Canada in her 8th month of Pregnancy….. Don’t get me started)…
It’s not my job to say who is good or bad in the position. It’s my job to hear the voice of the end user and act on it. And right now the end users are ‘upset’ because more people are playing a game than trying to find a good representative.
For the sake of everything you hold dear. When someone puts the reigns to your future in your hands… pick them up and ride the horse.
It’s your job to not merely vote, but to get others to vote, and get others to get others to get others to….
To repeat:
My platform is here.
The most important thing you can do besides vote is to pass this along and make sure that everyone else passes it along.
Consider this the most important Meme LJ has ever had.
——-
No snappy pictures, no sexual innuendo. No joking ribbing along with groups I don’t participate in.
I’m a LiveJournal user. And I intend to continue to be one.
