blogcutter

Over the next few weeks, I have a decision to make. I've been a member of the Dreamwidth community for nearly thirteen years now. My paid account will be up for renewal in December. I'm wondering if I should renew it and dream on, or drop off into a dreamless, and more importantly nightmareless slumber.

Perhaps I should count myself lucky that in all these years, this is the first time I have seriously considered taking this step. I don't do social media. I'm fortunate that my life and career did not make it a virtual necessity to be on Facebook or Twitter or their successors, as I know how brutal they can be. Unlike a lot of other Dreamwidth members, I never even had a Livejournal account.

I would definitely have some regrets about leaving Dreamwidth, as I genuinely believe in the values they stand for. I love their Guiding Principles and their Diversity Statement. I support their Terms of Service too, though I'm now skeptical of the extent to which they're willing or able to implement and enforce them.

I've had some fascinating and stimulating discussions with so many of my fellow Dreamwidth members. Certainly these interactions could get heated at times but they were generally respectful and often presented me with a new perspective I hadn't considered. I hope I offered the same to some others as well. But recently, I was the target of a very crude, abusive, misinformed tirade from another member. I'm frankly baffled at what this relatively harmless suburban grandmother might have done to deserve such harassment and vitriol. I haven't minded the sporadic rises in heat over the past 13 years but perhaps it is now time to get out of the kitchen, at least for a while.

I still hold out some hope that this problem can be resolved. Maybe by some adjustment to my privacy settings, maybe by enlisting the help of an administrator. Who knows? Constructive suggestions welcomed.