First, if anyone’s got one and is feeling charitable, I’d love an invite code. If you are being charitable, you can use my malcolm.gin@gmail.com address.
Second, I wanted to just point out that despite Dreamwidth’s promises to support open expression, diversity and open operations, they still have a pretty broad set of rights they’ve reserved for themselves in the Terms of Service. I am pointing this out because I know a lot of folks are probably migrating their journal-keeping to Dreamwidth based on feeling limited in expression over at Livejournal and are moving to Dreamwidth based on their priority on open expression.
I’m not trying to be overly negative or anything, just trying to urge caution. It also makes sense that they would reserve these rights in the Terms of Service. They have to in order to do business in the world (and in the United States – their domain is registered in Hayward, CA). But it also means that despite their other promises, at base, they reserve the right to do a lot of things you may not want with your content.
In my case, even though I don’t publish a lot of crazy things, I chose to self-host WordPress blogs (and thus have my content have my hoster’s TOS apply instead) and use syndication technologies to update my LJ account.
Specific Dreamwidth TOS details follow.
Specifically, I refer to the following from their terms of service (Accessed 4/15/2009, emphases mine):
VII. Account Content
You agree to the following provisions for posting Content to the Website:
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2. All Content posted to the Website in any way is the responsibility of the owner. Within the confines of international and local law, we will generally not place a restriction on the type or appropriateness of any Content. If Content is deemed illegal by any law having jurisdiction over you, you agree that we may submit any necessary information to the proper authorities.
3. We do not pre-screen Content. However, you acknowledge that we have the right (but not the obligation), in our sole discretion, to remove or refuse to remove any Content from the service. You also agree that we may, without limitation, take any steps necessary to remove Content from the site search engine or member directory, at our sole discretion.
4. If any Content you have submitted is reported to us as violating this Agreement, you agree that we may call upon you to change, modify, or remove that Content, within a reasonable amount of time, as defined by us. If you do not follow this directive, we may terminate your account.
And:
XI. Member Conduct
You agree that you will not use the Website to:
1. Upload, post, or otherwise transmit any Content that is harmful, threatening, abusive, hateful, invasive to the privacy and publicity rights of any person, or that violates any applicable local, state, national, or international law, including any regulation having the force of law;
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8. Provide any material that is illegal under United States law;
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10. Allow usage by others in such a way as to violate this Agreement;
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