theljstaff ([info]theljstaff) wrote in [info]news,
@ 2009-09-03 18:15:00
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International voice posting, LJ contests, syndicate to MySpace & new release!
Your number's up

Back by popular demand, we're thrilled to announce that we've brought back international voice posting. We'll be adding other countries soon, but here's what we've got so far:
  • Canada - (705) 805-0069
  • United Kingdom (tollfree) - 0808 280-0740
  • Australia - (03) 8888-5192
  • United States (this hasn't changed) - (888) 840-6189 or (888) LJ-VPOST (558-7678)


Get lucky on LJ

We've got lots of win-win action with some contests and competition this month. Check it out and get in on the fun.

Designing minds: Check out the LiveJournal anniversary theme contest at [info]lj_turns10. Submissions are open until September 14, so there's still time to design the theme of your dreams. Winning designs will play a starring role as our Featured themes, and the theme that takes the Grand Prize will be the default theme for all new accounts for the rest of 2009.

Zazzle bedazzles: Our friends over at [info]lj_promote are so excited about the new LiveJournal store on Zazzle that they're hosting a contest. Comment with a photo of yourself with your favorite LiveJournal t-shirt/pencil/hoodie/hat/thingie (there's lots to choose from at the Zazzle store!), and you could win a $5 LiveJournal gift certificate. Get details here.

Get schooled in giving: LJ’s own [info]ontd_ai_gives has raised serious cash for the Adam Lambert DonorsChoose.org fan group competition. [info]ontd_ai_gives group is at the top of the class with over $25,000 already banked. Donations are welcome through September 20, so you can help support public schools while earning [info]ontd_ai the coveted title of Most Generous Adam Lambert fan group.

Check, mate

A heads up to all of you with checks in the mail. Effective October 1, 2009, we'll ONLY accept payments using a major credit card, PayPal, or Web Money. If we're already billing you online, you're good to go. We're really sorry for the inconvenience, but we won't be taking any new orders with cash, check or Money Order as the payment method after October 1, 2009. If you created your order and mailed your payment before October 1, we'll still credit the order, even if the payment doesn't reach us until after the 1st.


Go bi-postal on MySpace

We know how much you love to share. Now, the writing's on the wall. Install the MySpace widget and instantly syndicate all your LJ posts to your MySpace profile.

To install the widget, log into MySpace, click More (from the upper nav bar), choose Apps Gallery (from the drop-down) and do a keyword search for LiveJournal. Install the widget, complete the quick online form and all of your LiveJournal posts will publish automatically on your MySpace profile. We'll be adding more syndication widgets down the line, so stay posted.


Tag, you're it

We've just released an update that allows Community Maintainers to restrict tag editing to only the author of the post and Maintainers. So, if you subscribe to the philosophy that too many cooks spoil the broth, you now have three restricted options to choose from: (1) Members only, (2) Maintainers only, or (3) Entry author and Maintainers. If you prefer the group soup approach, by all means, change the default setting to Any User, which means any LiveJournal user can edit tags.

To update your tag editing permissions, here's what you do:

  • log into LiveJournal
  • mouse over Journal (on the upper nav bar)
  • choose Manage Tags (from the drop-down-menu)
  • on the top of the page, next to Work as user, choose the community you want to change permissions for; click Switch
  • scroll down to Tag Settings and choose a permission level
  • when you're done, click Save Settings (on the bottom of the page)


LiveJournal is hiring!

If you're smart, driven and passionate about LiveJournal, we want you on our team!

Check out our current openings for a Russian Abuse Prevention Team member and an Operations Engineer:

Other important stuff
  • TxtLJ service through Verizon is still down, but we have been told it should be working shortly!
  • The number of comments has been added to the entry view of each post, so you can watch your comment-count grow.
  • TxtLJ limits remain status quo, but will be increasing in the near-future.
  • Read more details on changes and feature updates in [info]lj_releases.

(Read 360 comments) - (Post a new comment)

Payment methods
[info]kiss_of_rage
2009-09-04 09:22 am UTC (link)
So..."Effective October 1, 2009, we'll ONLY accept payments using a major credit card, PayPal, or Web Money."

--Then I will NOT be renewing my paid account.

How arrogant can you be not to accept a Money Order?

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]pauamma
2009-09-04 01:35 pm UTC (link)
Aren't these things that need to be cashed at some agent or branch office (sometimes with a fee taken off it at that time), then deposited into the recipient's bank account? For small amounts, it could well be that the time expended processing each payment is worth more (factoring in labor costs) than the amount paid. If that's true, they can't afford to keep them going. (Disclaimer: I don't know the cost structure, and I'm not a LJ employee - or their accountant. I'm just speculating.)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]ryf
2009-09-04 01:40 pm UTC (link)
If that's true, they can't afford to keep them going.

They could always add a processing fee for paying via Money Order then. It's sad to see more options for people without credit cards vanish - I only got my first one at the age of 24 because credit cards are rather rare in my country.

*paid her first paid account in cash*

Edited at 2009-09-04 01:40 pm UTC

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]pauamma
2009-09-04 02:19 pm UTC (link)
They could always add a processing fee for paying via Money Order then.
True - although depending on the costs involved, that may not be feasible in practice. Would you, as an example, be willing to pay (pulling figures out of my ass) $5 as a processing fee on top of a $3 payment?

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]ryf
2009-09-04 02:27 pm UTC (link)
No, personally I wouldn't, but I also never bought less than 1 year of paid account time. I just think some people would like to have the option to pay for a 25$ account without having a credit card :)

At one point, my German bank started co-operating with Paypal, so I have been paying that way for Livejournal and Dreamwidth, but I am sure there are still countries where you cannot pay with Paypal and credit cards are not that widespread. At least the cash option could have stayed - from what I hear it's not like Livejournal is currently being flooded by letters with cash in them, so it can't be that much work to keep that option.

Actually, I think my second and third paid account payments were made by friends who had credit cards and who I then paid back. But even that might not be an option for some people.

*shrugs* I just think it's sad to see those options go. I won't be renewing my paid account anyway :).

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Re: Payment methods
[info]kiss_of_rage
2009-09-04 03:12 pm UTC (link)
I also paid for my Deadjournal with cash, and they will be getting my money again rather than Livejournal.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Re: Payment methods
[info]kiss_of_rage
2009-09-04 03:11 pm UTC (link)
No, you just sign them and deposit them into your bank like a check.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Re: Payment methods
[info]marta
2009-09-04 09:06 pm UTC (link)
Over the past many years the amount of payments coming in through cash, check, and money order has gotten smaller and smaller. As of right now, it's incredibly, incredibly small.

The process to apply, deposit, and record those payments (including holding the order and then crediting the account when it comes in) is costly and for quite some time now it's exceeded the amount of payments coming in by a really large number in terms of cost to us and staff time.

This step wasn't done lightly because we know that it really does provide a mechanism for some users who wouldn't otherwise have the method to pay, but accepting payments through the mail wasn't something that we felt we could do anymore. I'm really sorry for the frustration, and we do understand.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]kiss_of_rage
2009-09-04 09:43 pm UTC (link)
You contradict yourself. You say that the number of such orders is 'incredibly, incredibly small,' yet you will not deal with it.

You say, 'We do understand.'

Too bad you just don't CARE.

And no, it doesn't frustrate me because I have many choices of more responsive, welcoming and attractive blogging sites to support with my money.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]danceinacircle
2009-09-04 10:00 pm UTC (link)
She didn't contradict herself - she said that it was a very small number of orders, and that the cost of processing that very small amount of money was vastly larger than the income.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]kiss_of_rage
2009-09-04 10:11 pm UTC (link)
You know, I can read English and interpret it. I do not need you to reiterate what was said.

When a business refuses to deal with normal methods of payment and instead dictates to the users inconvenient terms which many of them will not be able to comply with, they will lose business and engender ill will.



(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]amitabhbachchan
2009-09-04 11:01 pm UTC (link)
You know, I can read English and interpret it. I do not need you to reiterate what was said.

then how come you called it a contradiction when it isn't?

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]kiss_of_rage
2009-09-04 11:15 pm UTC (link)
Because to me she contradicts herself on several levels which you probably just don't 'get.'

When someone says that something to be dealt with is incredibly, incredibly SMALL, and then tells you that they will not bother with it because they can't get their shit together enough to carry on a normal business practice -- and then tells you how much they 'understand' your supposed frustration, what they are saying is that their customer/clients don't matter to them as much as their convenience and they just don't give a flying feck.

If this doesn't bother you because you use the other ways to pay, then good for you.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]bijou
2009-09-09 05:47 pm UTC (link)
Do you expect THE ENTIRE WORLD to revolve around the fact that you're too retarded to even have a debit card which comes free with virtually every checking account in existence? Money Orders are a pain in the ass to deal with, and s company shouldn't have to accommodate the three assholes who actually try to pay with them. Do you think it's really worth it spend $20~ to deal with four $3 Money Orders?

Get off your fucking high horse, you never bought paid time anyway, and LJ isn't going to be missing your hypothetical $20 when they make more money on Plus Users than they do on Paid Accounts.

Every post you write makes me want to punch you in your undoubtedly pudgy, acne-riddled face. Sit the fuck down, bitch. Go back to DeadJournal and enjoy the four other users you'll be able to interact with... on the occasions when their site is even functional.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]kiss_of_rage
2009-09-09 09:43 pm UTC (link)
Hahaha! It's anal asshats like yourself whom I wouldn't miss if I did leave Lj, but then, your kind is to be found everywhere on the net. Thank God at least we don't have to deal with you in real life.

And no one twists your arm to read anything on my journal, here or anywhere else, so stay to your own puny FO-only fortress and enjoy your incorrect assumptions and what you undoubtedly consider to be your immense talent for slinging shit at anonymous users over something that is none of your business.

Fuckwit.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Re: Payment methods
[info]girlfight
2009-09-05 01:55 am UTC (link)
I don't think that cash is as "normal" online as you think. "Normal" online payment methods are the ones LiveJournal accepts.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: Payment methods
[info]kiss_of_rage
2009-09-05 02:00 am UTC (link)
I am not talking about CASH, and that is your opinion, not mine (and several other people I know).

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Re: Payment methods
[info]ryf
2009-09-05 09:02 am UTC (link)
So put a fee on it. Or don't and just call it 'money we spend on our users because we value them'. Or say 'we only deposit these checks once a month'. Taking away payment methods is *not* good. Announcing to take away payment methods that mainly benefit international account holders in the same post talking about how international you are with voice-posts in all of 4 countries, is really not good.

No need to reply to me. I am on my last 4 days of using Livejournal because my paid account runs out then.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

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