May 14, 2013
-
Xanga Suggestion Box (Update)
Dear Xanga and the sister sites (Lovelyish, Momaroo, Datingish, Revelife, Autistable, etc),
When I visit your site for the first time, am I wrong to assume that there is an automated generator that detects my presence and then visits my blog, subscribes to me, and requests my friendship? Here's my problem with this process, it's invasive. The most invasive part is the subscription that you now have unless I block you entirely.
When I visit a business, I'm not giving them my home address and an invitation to my next party. Ya dig? That doesn't mean I don't like your site or what you can offer. But I shouldn't have to block you in order to stop your non-consensual subscription.
I have now had to block most of your sister sites. I didn't want to, but I also didn't want your eyes and ears plugged into my site, receiving notification of my updates without my knowledge. No, my site is not friend-locked (but it is footprint-locked). When people look, I want to know. That includes you.
I hope someone who can take this into consideration will read this. It's a turn off to more than just me. Everyone appreciates even a modicum of privacy. Yes, even on the internet.
*Edited to add:
Maybe part of the problem is that people (anyone) can sub without your approval. Why don't you add an approval to the subscription process? That doesn't seem like a hard thing to program in. I think it's weird in Xanga beyond the sister sites, that users can sub you without your permission. And the only way to "say no" is to block a user entirely.It's a flaw in the subbing process altogether.
Comments (8)
I have done the same and only visit these sites when someone I am already subbed to recs it.
I have so many problems with xanga right now. So far, none of the problems is as important as the people that I talk to here. But it's like nobody really gives blankety blank and so on.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
I am not sure I want xanga to have sub approval. We are closed enough as a community.
I always thought that xanga was a bit spammy with the ish sites but they should have used some of that spam to bring traffic to ordinary users. I think most sites like this do better if there is a focus on the user base instead of all the staff focusing on other websites like the ish sites.
@TheTheologiansCafe - "We are closed enough as a community." I think that should be my right though, to choose who gets to see my site and updates without my knowledge. What's the point of footprints at all if subscriptions give the same access silently?
One of the reasons I'm here rather than any other social network is because I get to choose the security of my site. I don't want to block users simply because they subbed and I have no idea who they are. But it forces my hand, because I actually do care about security. So for me, unauthorized subscriptions DOES close off the possibility of a more open community.
I think that should be my right though, to choose who gets to see my site and updates without my knowledge.
You can choose by going on friends lock.
@musterion99 - Yeah I get that, musterion. The rest of what I said to Dan still applies. To force friends lock closes off the community. It is, especially for someone who has not amassed a large friend list yet, isolating. Don't forget this isn't my first trip around the 'ol xanga block, I've been here for over 8 years. I know how this works.
I didn't understand the difference between having someone as a friend vice having them as a sub. I'm learning as I go and agree with you very much.
Comments are closed.