You are being invited to participate in a study entitled "LiveJournal: Critical. Learning from the Layoffs."

By clicking “I Agree,” you are certifying that you are at least 18 years of age and consenting to participate in the study “LiveJournal: Critical. Learning from the Layoffs”.

This project examines the ways in which Internet users select and develop loyalty to particular forms of social media. You have been selected for this study because you posted a public entry to your LiveJournal regarding the company’s layoffs in January of 2009. By consenting to participate in the project, you agree to allow the researcher to read and analyze publicly-posted LiveJournal entries from around the time of the layoff announcement and to participate in one interview, to take place online. Additionally, you agree to allow the researcher to quote from those LiveJournal postings and from the interviews in any publications that result from the study. Your participation in this study will contribute to understanding how Internet users develop loyalty to particular social networking sites.

Participation in this study means that portions of your online writing may be published in the academic literature, exposing it to a wider audience than might have seen it had it remained only online. The researcher will not publish LiveJournal URLs or screen names without express permission of the LiveJournal user.

It is possible that your research record, including sensitive information, may be inspected and/or copied by the study sponsor (and/or its agent) or by federal or state government agencies, in the course of carrying out their duties. If your record is inspected by the study sponsor (and/or its agents), or by any of these agencies, your confidentiality will be maintained to the extent permissible by law.

If you have any questions regarding your participation in this study, please contact Sarah Ford at ford@soc.umass.edu. Your participation is strictly voluntary and you may withdraw from the study at any time.

If you consent to participate in this study, please click "I agree". You will be taken to a web form which will collect contact information from you.