Nudge, nudge!

[curiouswombat]

This is an info post - the ability to disable the stupid 'Nudge' feature is now available - go to http://www.livejournal.com/admin/console and type in "set disable_nudge 1", but without the " marks.

We shouldn't HAVE to disable the bloody thing - it shouldn't have been foisted on us in the first place, and getting rid of it should be easier than going through an admin console. A lot of people are pointing this out on comments to the recent LJ administrators' post where they crow over how clever they are to think of it, which comments they will doubtless ignore, but at least we can switch it off en mass!

This info was passed to me by someone on those very comments, I've tried it, and I think it worked - but to be honest I'm not the most computer or LJ literate person around!

And I'm 'annoyed' only because it reminded me that this 'cute' little feature is around!!

Comments

[gillo]

It tells me disable_nudge is an unknown command.

Bloody cheeky feature, if you ask me. Though you didn't ask, I freely admit...

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I gather that when they introduced the 'feature' they didn't get around to activating the disable, but sometime during last night it was switched on. Maybe this was either a short term switch on, or the system was overwhelmed with people switching it off, or something. The comment giving the instruction was here -

http://www.livejournal.com/users/news/89916.html?thread=29777212

You could see if it works from there.

[gillo]

Thanks - I followed the link from your other half's lj and have now switched the damn thing off.

[evilawyer.livejournal.com]

You have to type "set disable_nudge 1".

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I'll go back and put the inverted commas around it in my post as well, because it does make it clearer.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

What *is* the nudge feature, anyway? I saw it there just recently but haven't had a chance to go delving into the FAQ to figure out what it does...

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is a way of sending an automatic e-mail to people on your FL who have not posted for a week or more. The e-mail says something like 'be a good friend and post on your journal'.

As far as I can tell more than half the people commenting on the 'news' post last yesterday do not want it.

The feeling when someone on my FL mentioned it a few days ago (janedavitt I think, but it might well have been someone else) was if we are wondering why someone hasn't posted we would e-mail, or leave a comment. If we had not posted for more than a week because of things in RL we most certainly wouldn't want an in-box full of automated e-mails 'nudging' us.

[talesofspike.livejournal.com]

This is the second comment I've seen in relation to the "nudge" feature, both unhappy with it, but I seemed to have missed out totally on where it appears and what it does... other than annoy people who're more worried about whether their post is going to disappear than whatever "benegits" this new service might give.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is a 'new and exciting feature' letting you send an automatic e-mailed 'nudge' to people on your FL who have not posted for a week or more. The e-mail says something like 'be a good friend and post on your journal'.

As far as I can tell more than half the people commenting on the 'news' post last yesterday do not want it, regading it as intrusive, rude, and possibly dangerous.

ffutures gave a well thought out comment explaining why this could be dangerous on the comments, but I don't think I can go back and look for it right now. He explained though that someone, say an abused teenager, might have a journal where he talks about his abuser - say his father. He goes into hospital, is away for more than a week, and although he has disabled LJ comments being e-mailed to him when his parent looks at his e-mails, he finds twenty odd identical ones about the journal, goes to it, and has access to all the stuff the boy wanted kept from him.

There are so many features we actually WANT that this is just a waste of time and coding.

[talesofspike.livejournal.com]

Okay, that is just 'wrong' on so many levels that I don't know where to start... If I write more it's going to turn into a rant, but as you say, rude, arrogant, intrusive, impersonal and potentially dangerous.

[evilawyer.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your post. I had no idea this was happening.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I only cottoned on to it because of an annoyed post on one of my friends' journals. I probably wouldn't have read the 'lj news' post well enough yesterday to notice it, only that knowing about it I read the comments when I realised that it was one of the things they were 'boasting' about.

[spikereader.livejournal.com]

Thank you - the command worked and their 'cute' little nudge icon is gone.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Getting rid of it is my pleasure - hopefully lots of people will get rid of it - hopefully (because hope springs eternal!) LJ will get rid of it - but don't hold your breath...

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the information on the nudge feature.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

My pleasure. Although I'm sure none of our friends would be that rude; disabling it is almost more of a statement of disapproval!

[hesadevil.livejournal.com]

I think I've disabled it. It appears to be disabled for your LJ at any rate.

BtW, I friended you today. I saw those lovely pics of the refuge tower and knew I had to have you on my Flist. I think I may have mentioned that Douglas is the holiday place of my childhood.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Hi - I've just friended you right back. When I was little I thought it was called the Tower of Refuse, and that it must have been built on an island of rubbish!