The new DU4

[AwakeAtLast]

Is currently offline for maintenance. I am thankful that our admins have given subscribers early access. I am hopeful that they will get it up and running for everyone soon.

It is fabulous! It is so easy to read and navigate. I've only been reading it for about a week and a half, and I already miss it.

EarlG and elad have done an outstanding job with this new update! I can't wait until everybody gets to use it!

[WarGamer]

1. DISCUSSIONIST.COM for as bad as the "content" was...

It was AMAZING software.

I mean... it was so good, I think they should have licensed it out just like VBulletin, etc...

TOP TOP quality talent behind the scenes at DU...

[hlthe2b]

3. I get what you are saying but what Discussionist became-- with its ultimate combative audience...

Well, I'll just say that I was quite content to turn the page on that site. It was a courageous effort, but...

[WarGamer]

5. It turned into Twitter, lmao...

But the software, fully coded from scratch by Elad, IIRC... was a thing of art.

[Aristus]

7. I only registered at Discussionist so no one else would take my user name.

I surfed a couple of radioactive threads and then noped out of there pretty quickly.

[WarGamer]

10. Some of us tried to keeps things factual... but there were a handful of hardcore RW'ers

Who just wanted to smear poop on the walls.

[Aristus]

12. Yeah, that seems to be their thing, doesn't it?

n/t

[GoneOffShore]

37. And you can find them on Quora

[mopinko]

38. i love how nope is now a verb.

also, gift, which i hated at 1st, but admit i use. esp on xitter.
love speaking a living language.

[hlthe2b]

2. Change is hard. I beta tested it many months ago and see that a lot of the issues have been

corrected and it feels nearly ready to go. In the past, each time I'd come back to DU3 it felt so familiar that I felt like I'd really missed it. But the refinements to DU4 this time around make it similarly welcoming. Good job to Elad and EarlG.

When it does come up on a permanent basis, I suggest all really look at each of the ways to individualize the features to your liking. That made a big difference for me. And for those who find the change jarring, I'd bet those adjustments will ease the transition.

[Disaffected]

17. I would be happy if

it allows sorting of threads on start time, rather than time of last reply, as the default.

[boston bean]

19. Latest should help you in that regard.

[Disaffected]

20. Ex-x-x-cellent!

It's all falling into place...

[BadgerKid]

25. I use bookmarks to save the time-sorted page URL.

[Maru Kitteh]

4. I miss it too! DU3 is hurting my eyes right now, lol!

Love DU 4, much easier to nav. Efficient, intuitive!

[AwakeAtLast]

32. Soooo easy on the eyes! n/t

[JHB]

6. How do you access it?

I'm a subscriber, but I don't see a link anywhere.

[hlthe2b]

8. Watch at the top of the page that now says "The DU4 beta is currently offline for maintenance"

when it is back up it will include a link with instructions to access it. This was still a beta trial so it may not come back up for some time.

[William769]

9. You can't anymore, they have taken it down to work out bugs.

See this post from EarlG. https://www.democraticunderground.com/101313052

[highplainsdem]

16. Only Star members who donated during the Summer Fund Drive had access

during the early beta test.

[Jilly_in_VA]

11. When will it be back?

[hlthe2b]

13. pssst. See this link:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/101313052

[malaise]

14. It's fabulous

Love it

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. In some ways DU was ahead of the times...

and I think they might have missed the boat on one or two features that Facebook and other platforms have really exploited.

I mentioned my thoughts to EarlG a while back, and although I don't remember his reasoning for why they didn't do those things, I understand it just wasn't practical.

A couple of those items are;

Allow "Friend" type linking so you can get an alert when someone you like puts up a thread or post.
Allow direct linking of photos from your own computer like Facebook does, instead of having to use a photo sharing site. I realize that feature in particular requires access to a massive amount of server space.

There are other features that the likes of Twitter and Instagram have exploited that DU could have used also, but chose not to.


The other features that Facebook was able to capitalize on, if implemented by the founders here, would have made them multi millionaires, frankly. Democratic Underground predates Facebook by 3 years. But I must say that in some ways, I am glad that DU is not a liberal version of Facebook.

[Warpy]

21. I remember what a disaster voting posts up and down was

The alert/jury system is a lot better at getting rid of objectionable stuff and MIRT is fantastic at defenestrating trolls before they can do any damage.

I'm still in the "Who moved my food dish?" stage at DU4, mostly due to my wretched eyesight, but I do find it much easier to read than earlier versions.

[A HERETIC I AM]

23. If by that you mean the "Unrec" escapade.....

I have to say I LOVED the Unrec feature.

It lead to some really funny and entertaining, butthurt posts and actually allowed people to express their displeasure or an unfavorable opinion with a thread/idea.

I've always though that the "DUREC" without a counterpoint was one-sided. Why can I only agree something is great? The options are basically, vote "For" or "Abstain".

Hardly seems fair to me.

But I must say, I look back with great humor at the extended threads where people were determined to say that since I voted "Unrec" I was silencing them, all the while it was replies to the thread that kept it at the top of the page!

Ahhh...the good ol' days!

[Warpy]

27. I think it cost DU some of the decent but emotionally sensitive posters

As for "unrec," we do still have "trash thread," something that is extremely useful during election year idolatry. It's also good that we can trash an entire forum if it gets too cloying.

I've never thought politics, or just cranking about politics, were particularly suitable fare for the gentler souls among us. A few have managed to soldier on, and for them I am delighted "unrec" and its drama are gone.

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. Meh....

You’ve been around here for a long time. It’s a discussion board. Those “gentler souls” you speak of were young once.

I have little sympathy for the ones who demand the rest of us keep offa their lawns and tone it down, lest their pearls be clutched too tightly.

And I’m just as old as most of them.

Bring back Unrec! Let the butthurt be unleashed!!

[Mosby]

34. I miss the old meta group.

What a great idea that was.

[A HERETIC I AM]

35. LOL!

Yup! Too funny!

[AllyCat]

18. Love it too!!

[Hugin]

22. Everyone keeps raving about DU4...

I've never worked out the secret shave-and-a-haircut door knock to get in to try it out.

[A HERETIC I AM]

24. That's because....

You're not a big enough weirdo.

Try dressing up like this and wearing one of these hats while you click the thingy;






Worked for me.

[Hugin]

29. Thanks!

I can hardly wait to find out if the hot tubs are indeed, tubbier in DU4!

[MuseRider]

31. HaHaHaHa!

You are too funny. I would almost kill to see you in that get up.

[A HERETIC I AM]

33. I had to take a nap....

so now that I am no longer napping I can say...


I have an outfit like that. I wear it when I mow the lawn.

[Emile]

26. I like the night screen, it is easy on my eyes.

[Demsrule86]

28. I am a star member why didn't I see it?

[Emile]

36. Did you donate during the summer fund drive?