oceana

No time to write a real opinion on the sale (but hey, Russia! Now we
can whatever we want, because they don't have reasonable laws! Or a
democracy! - *blinks* - Wait, that would have been true for the US as
well, so, no change there)
// end of sarcasm

Anyway, here's a link to a German article about censorship of
blogging in Russia

Link: http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/0,1518,514472,00.html

I'm at work, so I don't have time to read the whole article, but it
seems that blogs are censored in Russia for political reasons (no
surprise there), that Anton Nossik, according to the article the
"Chief Blogging Officer" of SUP, the Russian company which has worked
with Six Apart since 2006 in Russia and has now founded the Company
that acquired LJ, is one of the most famous Russian bloggers and has
adviced that (this was after the Russian licensing) the server stay in
the US, so that Russian authorities would have to go through US courts
to get to them.

Now, what I would like to know is: where will these servers be from
now on? (will have to ask that question in one of those official
communities), what law will be applicable (on first sight and without
getting deeper into this, for Germans that should be German law, since
the offer is in German language directed to us, but I could be wrong
about this).

The article also states that lj seems to be THE Russian blogging
platform and that ljing is a lot more political in Russia than in the
US. Apparently, bloggers are anti-Putin (oh, I wonder if these words
will get me suspended), but not radically anti. Since anti-evil
overlords with dubious ties to former German evil overlords (I'm so
ashamed of my country for ever having elected Mr. Cigar-Smoking
LookAtMYSuit Schröder) is always good, this makes me feel a bit better
about the sale. Also, that one of the main guys is a famous Russian
blogger could be a good sign. I wish I had some sort of insight,
knowing what famous in this context means. And I will have to find
out, if that guy is still responsible.

This just as a short info, because I stumbled upon it by accident.
There will probably more opinions on Evil Overlords and such in here
shortly: let's carry democracy where it is needed, I say.