Oh, wait, creeping featureism strikes again. Apparently while I wasn't looking LJ did indeed turn into a chat site.
If I can't get to LJ from public computers it's well-nigh useless to me. That was kind of why I got into it in the first place, so I could keep in touch from places where it was difficult for me to get my email. I suppose the best solution will be to just haul my laptop with me in the future, oh well. Grump. Better buy a longer life battery...