Notable Dreamwidth Reading

Expand: This page should link to the most important readings regarding Dreamwidth. Someone should be able to link here and assume the person being linked to can get a good understanding of the project. This can be on wiki or off wiki.

Basics

In short, Dreamwidth is best described as "a bunch of ex-LJ staffers rebooting LJ from the outside" [1].

• Dreamwidth.org: FAQ -- The most frequently asked questions about the platform and service.
• Dreamwidth.org: Business FAQs -- The most frequently asked questions about the business philosophy and operations of Dreamwidth.
• Announcing Dreamwidth Studios. Coming Summer 2008. -- The announcement of DW's conception.
• Dreamwidth.org -- The site itself, now running the actual site code. Links to the Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Guiding Principles, and Diversity Statement are in the footer.
• Dreamwidth changes from LJ -- Things the Dreamwidth project has already accomplished and will accomplish soon.
• Dreamwidth Timeline -- The history of Dreamwidth from conception, which requires constant updating!
• Why Dreamwidth -- Individuals writing about why they are looking forward to Dreamwidth

• three weeks: history with Denise -- xb95 reminisces about how he got to know Denise and the history that led up to the creation of Dreamwidth.

Business

Dreamwidth Specific Reading

• (really, i'm just noodling around here) -- Essay about what kind of business synecdochic wants Dreamwidth to be.
• Keeping the lights on: can we afford to run this service? -- by xb95 -- An overview of the possible costs involved for hosting DW in its different stages. Note: this doesn't necessarily connect with what the DW is currently deciding to do.
• Paid account design (was: RP use cases and styles) -- by synecdochic -- Goes into the details about what considerations there are when designing the features of paid accounts, as well as why a la carte purchases can be counterproductive.

General Reading

These are general articles about factors involved in running an internet business.

• Why Monetizing Social Media Through Advertising Is Doomed To Failure: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 -- This expansive essay by synecdochic details the difficulties and issues surrounding monetizing social media through advertising.
• Internet business numbers for the layperson -- What does all the money needed for an internet business go to? By synecdochic
• Technical debt and the making of payments on it by denise: why we can't have (all the) nice things (right now)
• Incident Management by jennyst: managing code deploys so no one gets hurt
• on the care and feeding of volunteers by xb95: We are all human beings, and we all deserve to be treated with respect.

Flair

• Category: Dreamwidth Icons -- In case you wanted icons!
• Styles FAQ -- Frequently asked questions about styles on DW.

Enlightening LiveJournal Meta

Sometimes in order to get a good idea of where we might be going, it's a good idea to see where we have been.

LiveJournal Culture

• Turn off the radio; turn off the lights: Being a few words of advice to anyone stepping in to a LiveJournal management position. (azurelunatic)
• Signs you might not be from LJ originally (some of LJ's rules, both social and not-so-social) (azurelunatic)
• Friending! (azurelunatic)
• LiveJournal Users: Passionate, Prolific, and Private

People Talking About Dreamwidth

Coverage on Dreamwidth from other sources.

• Ada Lovelace Day: Two ground-breaking open source projects -- talks about women in open source

Commentary from users.

• How to be a filthy seditious Dreamwidth supporter foxfirefey
• Why Dreamwidth? jenett
• What to do with Dreamwidth: a list of tutorials and information stepps
• Top ten popular misconceptions about Dreamwidth liv
• Hello, Dreamwidth spatz