If you don't get around much here...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

Last edited Fri Mar 29, 2013, 09:24 AM - Edit history (2)

I joined DU on one of those horrible weeks in 2004 when Kerry "lost". Same night someone else did who had spent 3 days lying on the floor in the corner staring at a dust ball.

And after almost 9 years, I had never ventured into the Forums and Groups until a couple months ago. What a lost opportunity !

There are some really, really great people here ! DU is a one stop place to really talk about anything ! From Photography and the artistic people who share their art and knowledge, to the fun people in Cooking sharing tips and recipes, to the people who were so kind to help me with a computer problem last night. I would name names but think that might be a rule issue (that I haven't likely read).

I just want to say how much I love DU and how really great it is !


P.S. I feel so good about DU today that I want to use this opportunity on just posting my 15,000th post of mostly bullshit, to publicly apologize to William Pitt for taking an argument to the nth degree and finally ending it by PM'in him "F U"

P.P.S. Sorry too to all the Hillary people I may have offended during the primary ! What an ass I was.

[Le Taz Hot]

1. I LOVE the groups!

I have learned SO MUCH from the Gardening group, Frugal and Energy Efficient Living group, Household Hints & Help and Cooking & Baking groups. I now know how to grill my own pizza!

It's nice to go somewhere on DU where there's no snark. People that I FIERCELY disagree with in GD are the same people I've swapped recipes with in Cooking and Baking.

There's only one exception and I'm not going to mention the group. It's not one most would think would be rife with bigotry and geographical elitism but it's there everyday. But it's not one I visit very often as there's too many others that are just too cool.

And I love the Elizabeth Warren group and the new one, The Good News group!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

3. That's funny about fiercely disagreeing and then swapping recipes

I don't know of any other forum that incorporates all aspects of life but here.

As far as geographical elitism, I am totally guilty. I have lived in the north and south and traveled a lot with work. It is undeniable in my mind that the quality of life (for me, anyway, just me) is very uneven. But, it depends on what you value, doesn't it ? I am stuck in Texas now and I would give my eye tooth to get out of here. But, people who live here (most I have met) think it's god's green earth and put much more value on family and simple things. They wouldn't have a clue or care about anything intellectual. They seem happy. If I didn't have an outlet like DU, I'd wither an die here.

Man, I just went to a sad place, huh. Sorry

[Phentex]

5. The computer group is great...

I feel like I can ask them anything and they answer in terms I can understand.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. I know ! Dscnt_Irny_Srcsm even sent me pictures of computer parts and I

know what a pain it is to go to photobucket !

[LeftofObama]

2. I've found that I can learn just about anything I want to know

just by perusing the various groups on DU. Sometimes it's even better than a search engine because you can get an immediate response by someone who knows what they're talking about.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

4. you are so right. I love the ethics here that have been drummed into us. We have all probably had

it happen to us....get lazy, post a response without researching and immediately get jumped on by 10 people who say we are wrong. Seems like whenever you google something now, there's all these questions with just some nobody answering them or someone saying "Ya, I want to know that too". Or Wikipedia which is so abstruse you have to wade through way too much to find an answer.

[Sheldon Cooper]

7. I like the groups a lot.

When I first started here I got some good help from the computer group and the cooking group. I like reading the feminist groups and my state group, too.

[tblue]

8. How cool, Laura!

I don't visit the groups much but now you've got me thinking. I'm gonna do it. Thank you!!!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. Good. The only things I would love to see added, from

a personal perspective is Trials in the News (for courtroom enthusiasts) !

[Little Star]

13. I'll second you on that one. Good idea!....

I wish more people would participate in all the DU Groups. Sometimes I think people don't make use of the subscribe to a group option. I subscribe to quite a few groups and make great use of the My Subscriptions tab at the top of the page.

Besides the one's already mentioned I also like the State groups (MA, here), Ancestry/Genealogy, Gardening, Seniors, Fiction, TV Chat, Weird News and many others.

Edit to add: On DU2 I always liked the True Crime Group but it's pretty dead here on DU3.

Edit to add again: Congrats on your 15,000 post milestone!

[patricia92243]

15. Would the "True Crime" group not cover this? If not, it should - give it more activity.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

16. didn't even see it... COOL !!!

[hootinholler]

10. Subscribe to the groups and then new posts show up on the subscription tab

Go figure. It lets me keep on top of the slower groups I like.

[Patsy Stone]

11. Hi!

Here's to the KOEB! Thanks, DU, for a happy place with some wonderful people. Hopefully Keith Olbermann will land back on the TV somewhere, someday.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. what a waste that most of us lost his mind during the last election !

[Tree-Hugger]

12. I don't

check the groups all that often. I may just have to. I do visit my state group, which I really like.

[samplegirl]

17. I joined D.U. at the same time you did.

My experience came when my cat went diabetic and I had lots of help from D.U.
There are good people here...........with that comes a group of snarky people who will jump at the chance to ridicule, embarrass you, and make you never want to return.
I wish some people would think about the way they answer another fellow D.U.er.
No one walks away here with an award for seeing who can make the last rudest comment.
For the most part there are some great people here who think before they just blast someone with un-needed aggression. Debating is one thing and berating is another.

TO ALL THE Kind people here

[Politicub]

18. I know exactly what you mean

I've been here for about the same amount of time but just started visiting the forums a few months ago.

What a great experience it has been to discuss all sorts of topics with the DU community.

I wonder if other old timers are just now discovering how awesome the groups can be? Or maybe it's just us.

[samplegirl]

19. Old D.U. verses the New D.U.

Last edited Sat Mar 30, 2013, 12:12 AM - Edit history (1)

has been a wide change. The old D.U. seem much more united and less likely to call the grammar police or other small trivial things to the entire bully group attention. Guess thats why they need Jury Duty here these days.

I don't like it I tell ya!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

20. Maybe because it's like we've been in election mode forever. And it has been all-consuming

for some of us. And now you are like "what do I do now?"