Introducing a new account level

We're introducing a new account level... In addition to the Free and Paid levels, we're adding a new account level called Sponsored+.  The Sponsored+ account level is an option for users who want access to premium features but would rather have advertising on their journal and Friends page and in the LiveJournal site than purchase a Paid account.

Here's what the new level looks like:

	Free	Sponsored+	Paid
Cost	Free	Free	Starting under $2/mo.
Display advertising on your journal and friends page	-		-
Userpics	6	15	30
ScrapBook photo hosting storage	-	1GB	2GB
Post photos and text to your journal via your web-enabled phone or mobile device	-
Create and customize the look and feel of your journal	Limited	Limited

Who will see ads on LJ and where?	On the LJ site	On Free/EA journals	On  Sponsored+ journals	On Paid or Permanent journals
Logged out users or visitors who don't have an LJ account	Ads	-	Ads	-
Free/Early Adopter users	-	-	Ads	-
Sponsored+ users	Ads	-	Ads	-
Paid & Permanent users	-	-	-	-

There are certain sites out there that are overrun with ads of, let's just say, questionable taste.  That's not us. 

It's important to all of us that we offer users an ad-supported experience that's different from those sites.  We want you to have an influence on what kinds of ads you see.  In this beta launch of the Sponsored+ level, you can set your preferred ad categories and help us deliver the most relevant ads to you by adding to your interests list.  We're being picky about the graphic ads we'll accept and are trying to choose advertisers and sponsors that are appropriate to LJ.  This beta launch will include lots of LiveJournal ads, public services ads and Google text ads until we uncover and select additional advertisers who will bring you information you'll want to see.  You can read the first version of our ad guidelines for details on the ad types we'll accept.  We'd like your help to shape this, so there's a feedback link below each ad.


If you want to try out our beta version of the new Sponsored+ level, click here.  There's no risk, you can switch back and forth.  Try out the extra features and tell us your ideas for improving the level. 

A note about styles:  If you've customized your layout using overrides, your journal might not display properly.  This is because your overrides might no longer apply to the new style code.  If this is happening to you, it's not because ads are broken -- you just need to correct your overrides.  If you need help, please feel free to open up a Support request!

If you're not sure and want to know more, read the FAQs about the Sponsored+ level:

You can read the FAQs about the Sponsored+ level:

• What are the features of the Sponsored+ level?
• Why are there ads on LiveJournal?  Who will see these ads?
• What are LiveJournal's guidelines on acceptable ads?
  
• How do I set my ad category preferences?  Can I give feedback on ads I see?
• How does LiveJournal decide which ads to show me?  What information do you share with advertisers?

The Sponsored+ features and ad customization settings will evolve over the coming months and your participation and feedback will help us make them even better.  Again, there's no risk to trying out the Sponsored+ level -- you can always upgrade to a Paid account or switch back to the Free level.

Brad, the founder of LiveJournal, covered a lot of background about this new level in this post to lj_biz, so if you have further questions or want to understand his thoughts on it, you should take a few moments to read his post. 

How will the new Sponsored+ level affect Free and Paid account holders?

For Free account holders:  You don't have to display ads on your journal or Friends page or view ads in the LiveJournal site pages.  We're committed to keeping the Free account level available to you, and it's your choice if you'd like to opt in to the Sponsored+ level or purchase a Paid account.  When you surf over to someone's journal who has opted in to the Sponsored+ account level, you will see the ads that are powering the premium features on that Sponsored+ journal.  If you'd like to check out what the beta release of the Sponsored+ level is all about, you can do so here.  There's no risk to check it out -- you can switch back at any time.  If you do choose to stick with the new level, your support will help contribute towards LJ's growth and innovation.

For Paid or Permanent account holders:  Your support has kept LJ alive and growing all these years.  We appreciate your continued support and you will get the most features and the highest storage limits.  You'll never see ads as long as you're logged in, and no one will see ads on your journal whether they're logged in or not.  We're not going to double-dip on you.  In addition, you are the only ones who can earn Loyalty Userpics. 

If you'd like to get or renew a Paid account, you can set up automatic payments from your credit card or make a manual payment in the Gift Shop.

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