Does anyone know what the difference is?

It's based on the LJ codebase and built by former LJ staffers, but they actually have things like users and accessibility in mind. Check out dreamwidth.org for the full details.

Am I the only person who does a double-take when people say 'DW' and are talking about an lj-replacement rather than a fandom?

I know! I think I have to say DW.O

Is there likely to be a mass migration of users from lj to dw?

Absolutely no idea. I see a lot of people signing up for both, but even those who are planning to make DW their primary journal are planning to keep up with things on LJ. It's a very high priority for the devs to enable crossposting between the two sites (in a few weeks), to allow people to link to their LJ identities and keep their content, and to make it as easily possible to let LJ (and other sites) users comment, track comments, keep flists, etc. on DW. The whole idea is to make it possible to connect with people wherever you want to hang out, unlike previous movements to try to leave LJ for somewhere (which never worked because you'd immediately lose all your LJ friends and content).

But what that means in terms of mass migration? Absolutely NO CLUE. It could be anything from "everyone ends up liking DW better" to "a few DW fans move over and crosspost to both sites, but most stay on LJ". I'm thinking it'll be big, because they've really thought hard about how to build a community and not just a something-that-isn't-LJ, but then I'm a needs-disclaimerishly big fan of the place.

Am I the only person who does a double-take when people say 'DW'

Am I totally brainfarting on an actual fandom? Or is it just the casual tossing-around of initials?

(I keep thinking of the DW that is short for Dear Wife. But I also have issues with Dollhouse fandom, and worrying about people's husbands -- will DH be shitcanned? Can you believe how sexist DH is?)

Doctor Who.

Wow, a fandom I'm in, even! Man, I need this semester to be over.

I'm thinking it'll be big, because they've really thought hard about how to build a community and not just a something-that-isn't-LJ, but then I'm a needs-disclaimerishly big fan of the place.

It feels more like a migration this time, and we're not even into open beta season! That's a gut-level response.

It feels more like a migration this time, and we're not even into open beta season!

That's how it feels. There seems to be a consensus that DW may be more fandom-friendly.

Right now, I just hope I can snag my LJ username over there when the time comes.

I've gone through Open ID and set up a profile. I "have" my LJ name, for whatever it's worth, that's tied to my profile, although my login is still my OID address, which actually includes my LJ username. I was auto-subbed to DWdev, and have subbed to one other com familiar from LJ.

I never managed to set up filters for my flist on LJ. DW is even MORE confusing to me because I'm not at all conversant with the building and coding side of things. I just glom onto things that sort of work for me and push them in the direction I want them to go, until they snap into place or, you know, just snap.

I hate the LJ changes, but I really love my userpage, my stunning (well, I think so) and painstakingly accumulated collection of userpics, and I'm reluctant to pay for DW too (I'm paid up through 2009 at LJ) until I see whether it flies.

I'm reluctant to friend people I already have friended at LJ--heaven knows I'm hesitant to ask to friend people I read on comms but have never actually friended. I'm petrified I'm going to lose track of my favorite authors, as well as some non-fannish friends.

In short, change terrifies me. I don't like it, no matter how shiny something new is. But DW does feel like it's going to be a Better Thing than LJ has become, so. Somebody hold my hand!