Dreamwidth

Name:	Dreamwidth
Date(s):	April 30, 2009 (open beta) -
Type:	Social Networking Site, Blogging Platform
Fandom:	Multifandom
URL:	http://dreamwidth.org/
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Dreamwidth is a fandom-friendly LiveJournal code fork site (rather than a clone), which implements some changes to the LJ codebase to offer improved and new features. Launched as invite-only, after a period of closed beta^[1], it entered 'open beta' on 2009 April 30, offering paid accounts for the first time.

Dreamwidth is staffed by experienced former LiveJournal employees and has Guiding Principles, a Diversity Statement and an Operating Agreement publicly visible.

A few of the many implemented changes include ^[2]:

full import of an account and its contents from any other LiveJournal-based service
splitting the friendslist into 'access' and 'subscribe' functions
increased length limits on entries, comments and usernames
more control over adult content warnings without site-forced adult content settings
additional post formatting and content warning controls for community maintainers
reworked journal style system and user icon interfaces

Currently there are lists, a wiki and an IRC channel to discuss Dreamwidth and its development.

Fandom on Dreamwidth

Kink Bingo moved to Dreamwidth for the 2009 challenge.

Scans Daily moved to Dreamwidth in November, 2009.

Controversy

Dreamwidth has been a source of both widespread squee and significant controversy within fandom. Some of the arguments within fandom have touched on the following points:

Arguments against Dreamwidth:

Fandom should not abandon LiveJournal altogether in favour of Dreamwidth as some proponents suggest.
Dreamwidth is "elitist" (an invite code was required to set up an account during closed beta; various BNFs have moved to, or plan to move to, Dreamwidth);
Dreamwidth users are "forcing" LJ users to comment on their posts on Dreamwidth, rather than on LJ;
Subscribing and granting access on Dreamwidth is more hurtful and confusing than LJ's "Friends List." ^[3] ^[4];
Some fans argued that importing comments from LJ to Dreamwidth is a copyright violation. ^[5].

Arguments in favor of Dreamwidth:

LiveJournal is not a safe space for fandom thanks to events like Strikethrough; Dreamwidth is more fan-friendly because one of its founders is a fan;
Dreamwidth has taken pains to be interoperable with LJ and other journaling services, and also to be accessible to those with disabilities;^[6]
The initial invite code phase is not a sign of elitism, but was a natural way to keep account growth reasonable, and a variety of invite-code-sharing communities and opportunities are available;
With OpenID, DW users can easily give access to those who choose to remain on LJ.^[7]
For some fans, the language of "access" is less fraught than "friending" and "de-friending," and it's good to be able to separate between who one wants to read and who one wants one's locked posts to be read by;
On the comment-importing issue, some fans argued that there's value in keeping conversations intact when journals are moved; also that once someone makes a comment in someone else's journal, the original commentor no longer "owns" the comment (the person in whose journal a comment was made can choose to delete the comment, lock down the journal, and/or move the journal to a new journaling site without disturbing fannish norms of communication.)

Various fans have pointed out that the backlash against Dreamwidth is similar to that experienced by LiveJournal when (parts of) fandom first began to shift over from mailing lists and message boards.^[8]^[9]

Some fans have asserted that the presence of Dreamwidth is helping to "save" LiveJournal, by providing a stable and workable alternative for those who'd been wanting to leave LJ or mirror their journals elsewhere, and also by their commitment to interoperability.^[10]