Shoud DU split up?

[Warren Stuart]

Maybe DU has gotten too big, or noticied. New people who come here may not get the correct impression of what this site is about. I read yesterday where a disruptor called us a bunch of "anti-catholic bigots".

The Wall Street Journal has taken to quoting posts from The Lounge, this is scary. There are serious discussions that take place, to be judged by a few intemperate remarks is disturbing. Especially since the posters are anomyous, they could have been put up by disruptors.

While the mods do an excellent job, they can't do it all, there should be some editorial control over what gets posted. To rely on the alert button, invites trouble. I don't wish to stifle the freewheeling discussions that take place, but the good work that takes place shouldn't be tainted by the silliness that goes on.

I'm thinking that there should be separate web sites for The Lounge, GD and LBN. Otherwise we are gonna bet bulldozed and not have a clue as to what hit us.

[Kamika]

1. listen

conservative papers will find the bad posts even if its one out of 500, just accept it.

And remember no publicity is bad publicity, just look at arnold

[Bandit]

2. No one is stopping you from starting your own site.

:shrug:

[oasis]

3. DU should no split up, shut up or lighten up on kicking right wing ass.

[Rex]

4. NO...they are afraid of what DU stands for

and also the number of people who are registered here.

When DU had 1000 registered - it was just a website.
When DU hit 10000 - it became something more than a website.
At 30000 - that's alot of voters :evilgrin:.

I can't wait to see DU hit 50k! Then 100k!

1 person is a cause...100,000 is a movement...

[La_Serpiente]

5. henceforth the "underground"

That's why this is Democratic Underground...to protect us and provide a safe house from all the freepers out there.

Although this underground movement has been exposed, There is no way I'm giving up on this site. This is our site and no one is going to take it away from us.

[Rex]

10. DU is no longer underground...besides we shouldn't hide from freeps

But I agree, they will have to pry DU from my cold, dead hands!

[Blue-Jay]

19. I see it as a good thing.

Interlopers aside, DU has been a source of entertainment and education for me. I only found the place recently, after someone posted a link on a very popular website.

Perhaps we're no longer "underground", but I think that the good outweighs the bad. Sure, many of the long-timers miss the coffeehouse feel of DU. Sure, it's probably a little less personal than it was in the beginning, due to the current large membership.

The wonderful side effect of that is that our message is getting out to a wider range of voters. We have for too long been led to believe by the "liberal" (HA!) media that progressives represent a small minority of the US. That's a lie, plain & simple. The success of DU in recent months/years proves that we speak for a lot more of the public than we've been given credit for.

So, go DU! The more we band together, the stronger we will be at the polls.

[kentuck]

6. Screw the Wall St Journal !

They should be so open to free speech.

[wuushew]

7. I think quality has suffered recently

Isn't there more in the news than Rush related topics? How about posting more philosophical topics like the morality of x_subject or the effect of Y_subject on foreign policy. Remember back in August when congress was out and the pResident was on vacation? The lack of *news* spurs good posts. Think before you post.

[calimary]

17. Yes, but that comes and goes.

It's like decrying what's happened to this site because the supporters for various candidates can't agree on things and flame each other. I'd be willing to bet that once ONE DEM is settled upon as our nominee, we'll ALL be in lockstep about that. Because whatever we disagree about, we are ALL united in one view: GETTING RID OF THE BUSHIES ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!!

You wait. Once the primaries have shaken everything out and we have one guy left standing (and yes, I think it'll be one of the men. Carole Moseley Braun doesn't have the staying power, as able a competitor as she can be), we'll be a united front. I'm looking forward to that.

[patdem]

8. In fact I think your post is subject to an alert?

As I recall to call for conservative Democrats, moderate Democrats and progressive Democrats to leave is subject to alert and banning? Was that one of the rules they changed? I think NOT!

[woofless]

9. How did you get my name, and

are you using it in a responsible manner?

Woof (Warren Stuart Tobey)

[KoKo]

11. Sometime DU can sound like a left wing Ann Coulter, but it's probably that

which is starting to frighten the Limbaugh and WSJ Editorial Page folks more than anything.

They realize what the Coulter's, Limbaughs and other "mouthies" did for their "Movement" and are worred that once the Left get's a "mouth," their game will be winding down.

They don't like having a "Resistence" on the left.

It's a shame some of our most extreme or frustrated posts are what are getting noticed. And, we need to be wary thatthe attention invites many disruptors, but to split up DU wouldn't work. But you could ask Skinner what he thinks.

[E_Zapata]

12. there wasn't a good god damned thing wrong with the post in the WSJ

Some freeper paper uses a post on a message board as evidence that ALL liberals are a certain way? If that causes anyone to re-think how we do things, then this country is lost, lost, lost. Uh......this thread should be a condemnation of more CRAPPY ass yellow journalism, not a discussion about how we might want to change to accomodate the yellow-bellied bastard.

my!

[laura888]

13. DU exemplifies the best of the web!

I love DU (even if it is overly pro-Israel). I want less control, not more, from the mods! Let's kick this wide open!

[charlie]

14. Point me to a forum, any forum

that's been around longer than six months and I'll dig up some posts that'll curl your hair. Don't worry about it.

[calimary]

15. That would be like saying Dems in general should split up so

we can go separately to our own little factions and get more done that way. Uh, that seems like "Divide and GET CONQUERED!" We're more powerful and effective as a single unit. And as another post put it - SCREW the Wall Street Journal. What else do you expect from them? That's like expecting the Iraqis to shower us with flowers.

[demnan]

16. Hey it's a free country and we advocate free speech

I don't have to agree with all of it to proudly display my DU bumpersticker. Yeah we were invaded by jerks recently but when you are a huge forum some of us are bound to be jerks (even if we agree on political topics, right?) but look it isn't anything we can't argue ourselves around (think Franken vs. O'LLIEly

A guy at work kids me about this site, he says, I'm plotting the overthrow of the government. I say, you bet, Dubya is toast in 2004!!!!!

[Warren Stuart]

18. Allright already, I take it back

I see a problem I speak up, I can't help it.

I'm just making a suggestion, DU is starting to reach critical mass, there are growing pains when this happens. I just see problems down the road.

[Barad Simith]

20. And the correct answer is:

No.

The lounge is a good place for people to vent, or to get the silliness out of their systems. DU is heavily moderated, fortunately, but without the lounge, many of the fringe posts would find their way into LBN, GDF, etc.

[Cat Atomic]

21. *

8

[BigMcLargehuge]

22. Please redirect your question to the Ask the Administrators forum

I am locking this.

Big McLargehuge
DU Moderator