people have stated we are down on DU because we discuss racism, sexism and back our president.

[seabeyond]

i do not think that progressive democrats need ever apologize for discussing these three things on a progressive democratic board.

right here. right now. racism is a huge, what i might say, the biggest issue we face in this nation today.

people may disagree on the degree this is an issue. i would also think that most everyone on du would see it as an issue. du has always talked about current events. a duh. current events change from day to day. hence the word current. when a current event happens, there will be many threads addressing the issue, that most certainly is not black and white.

i do not see the problem here.

[gollygee]

1. As if discussion of racism and sexism and support of the president

started in September. LOL.

[seabeyond]

2. oh golly. lol. ya. nt

[gollygee]

3. That chart would seem to prove that the decline is NOT about racism, sexism, and support

of the president because they have been so common in discussion here for such a long time. You'd have to find something that just started in early September to explain it. What changed then?

[seabeyond]

5. i know what did for me. i also know that in the past summer slowed, and as kids got back to school,

activity increased.

ok. maybe i do not factually know. it seems, over more than a decade, that is what happened.

[hfojvt]

59. you know what changed in September, or about that time

discussionist began.

As such, trolls and other DUers who would be posting on DU started instead, posting more on discussionist.

As such, that should decrease the quantity of posts, BUT also increase the quality.

[gollygee]

60. Oh, good point.

That makes tons of sense. Why are people looking elsewhere when such an obvious explanation exists?

[Capt. Obvious]

62. If by September, you mean May

then sure.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1013&pid=3832

[hfojvt]

72. May, how time flies

Still, the impact of it probably would not be immediate.

[MADem]

69. The chart proves that ALEXA is no longer a viable way to count site visitors.

Do you have an Alexa toolbar?

If you don't, they don't count you.

Who has one, here? Anyone? Beuller?

[gollygee]

73. I'd never even heard of Alexa before this thread

[MADem]

74. They aren't important at all, but that's where this bullshit "definitive" chart came from! nt

[Baitball Blogger]

15. Well, the topic of racism began to take hold on DU with the killing of

Trayvon Martin. Before that, many of us who tried to bring the issue up were viewed as troll suspects. Might I add, that I am happy that DU has adjusted with the changing times.

[gollygee]

20. It's bigger now

but even Trayvon Martin's death and George Zimmerman's trial were before September.

And there have been threads about racism and white privilege for years.

[seabeyond]

23. i think it is bigger now, also, hence my decision in the here and now,

that it is the biggest issue we address today. racism, the escalation and decrease of, is cyclical. the pendulum swings. i think now we are at a height in societal racism.

[Baitball Blogger]

26. I think what we are seeing is a reaction to the next evolution of the Southern Grand Plan.

Last edited Thu Dec 4, 2014, 03:36 PM - Edit history (1)

Once they militarized the police the seams began to come apart in our society when we began to see definite indications of inequality in our country. The US really is a dichotomous society and the fact that Thirdway Democrats reinforce inequality issues by capitulating to Republicans, (who are essentially promoting a racist agenda that supports a White Privilege society), it may be the reason why the Thirdwayers weren't received well by Democrats in the last election.

[seabeyond]

27. militarization with connection to KKK. what knocked me on my ass, was law enforcement

backing away from white people pointing guns at them when they broke the law.

just simply walking away.

a white man on a bridge scoping the cops for death. and they fuckin walked away.

[RKP5637]

53. I never cease to be amazed. I spend most days in a sea of WTF's. n/t

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

61. If those were AfAm protesting injustice they would all be dead

[seabeyond]

28. btw. good post. i do not read this whole battle thirdway shit, cause for me.....

there are elements i do not want to participate in. i am gonna vote dem simply cause of the supreme court. lol

where ever that places me, lol

but, your info interesting. thanks.

[heaven05]

42. lot of truth

[el_bryanto]

4. I agree - I think people come to DU for different reasons but . . .

I think if you are coming to DU to see people who always agree with you say things that you agree with, than you are likely to be disappointed on a regular basis. While I do believe that we generally agree on a more liberal course and we all agree that Republicanoids are tools or worse, there are a lot of areas we disagree. So we discuss those things - that's what makes it a discussion board.

We are more mature than our conservative friends - we should accept that we aren't always going to agree, and that's OK.

Bryant

[seabeyond]

6. that being said. there are lines between rw comment about racism, sexism, homophobia

that we all know and hear repeatedly. and mere degrees of differing opinions.

as mature adults, we can recognize this.

there are just a few more rw views i have. not as left as most on this board. i recognize that my opinions do not really fit on du, a progressive democratic board. i keep them to myself.

there are going to be democratic racists, sexists, and homophobics.

their opinion really does not belong here, you think?

it is not up for discussion. that takes place on other sites.

[el_bryanto]

7. Well I agree that RW Comments or blatant bigotry doesn't belong at DU

But there are other shades as well. Sometimes someone says something insensitive because they haven't really examined their position or thought about the other side. If someone is genuinely trying to understand, than further discussion is great because it might well lead them to examine their beliefs. On the other hand if they are just futzing around or trolling than, well it'd would probably be better if they did that somewhere else.

Bryant

[seabeyond]

8. i keep coming back to the mature adults. i think most on du are willing to listen, discuss.

give the info to allow a fluid conversation of understanding and education. i do not think as a whole we have a problem with that. i do not. i like to listen and understand. i often ask questions for that very reason.

i also acknowledge and recognize the degree one may feel about issues. that is a given. i do not do animal rights, or conservation or other areas yet, i am very thankful for those that focus on those issues, and are educated giving us information.

that is not what i am talking about, i will say oh... 3, 4 times in the few posts i make.

we must also acknowledge there are trolls, we watch skinner ban them. we also must recognize the reality that there are racists, misogynists and homophobics within our party. that is something for conversation alone. we want their vote, i do.

[1StrongBlackMan]

35. I think it's not so much people disagreeing with them ...

so much as, having people constantly calling into question their fidelity to Democratic values ... day after day ... not because you disagree with value; but rather, the prioritization of the value.

The fact that I place a higher value on racial/gender parity, than shutting down TPP, makes me no less true to Democratic values than anyone else.

[el_bryanto]

41. That's true

I'll note that it happens across the board - no matter what position you take it seems to me, there will be someone on DU calling into question your fidelity to Democratic values.

Bryant

[1StrongBlackMan]

47. I try really hard to NOT do that; but ...

I blanch, and no doubt react, when someone tells me, in a discussion of racism, that TPP, the NSA, Drones, or "standing with rand" in opposition to war is more important than race ... doubly so, when that post's entire contribution to any discussion of race is to say, "Well, it's important; butttt ..."

Now, that person will likely get me to question their "fidelity to Democratic Values" and suggest there is just a mere intersection of values.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

63. It is easy for some folk to say TPP or Climate Change or Income Inequality is more

important, because they have the luxury of going through life with the complexion with the protection.


I stole that from Paul Mooney

[Capt. Obvious]

9. That's exactly what that 500 post thread said

[seabeyond]

11. lol. cause really, i said ALL 500 posts said....

[Capt. Obvious]

13. Some people say

you just decided to start a new thread for your ink blot

[seabeyond]

14. anyone can go into that 500 thread and read the posts capt. this is not a hard one.

[Capt. Obvious]

18. Some people say

you could have posted in that thread to describe what you saw on the Rorschach test.

[seabeyond]

22. again. all your little self has to do is read the thread you referred to.

[Capt. Obvious]

25. I obviously read the thread

[heaven05]

44. what is the 500 post thread?

[seabeyond]

46. this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5904116

[heaven05]

49. thank you

[snooper2]

10. and porn, porn drives traffic

[Blue_Adept]

45. Those are the best threads ever.

So much fun to read.

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. Every few weeks, some long-time poster (ca. 2012) claims that DU is not what it used to be...

While it is somewhat true that DU is not what it used to be for me (I don't spend any time in the Lounge and that's a huge change), we have been a group that DOES tend to focus on the ISSUE at HAND.

Right now, that is racism. Sometimes it's misogyny. At still other times, marriage equality. There will always be 50 or so posts on a trending topic, and this is NOT something new, no matter how much these "old-timers" want to make it so.

When Ronnie Reagan died, there were eleventy billion posts about it, and that was 100 years ago or so...

As a group. we latch on to the important issues and discuss them. As ALWAYS. As it SHOULD be. (not that Reagan was all that important in death )

But this stupid made-up crap about some basic change in GD posting is pure story-telling.

Once upon a time, there were hundreds of posts about how much Lieberman sucked.

Thank you.

[seabeyond]

17. very good post. i agree, well stated. ah woman.... tis the season. nt

[gollygee]

19. Yes

There have always been issues that have generated tons of threads, and they've frequently been racism and sexism for years and years. Obama support has obviously only been since he's been part of the discussion.

We've also always had monster threads about things like Olive Garden, how to fry chicken, breastfeeding, children in restaurants, etc.

None of this is new, so none of it can explain a recent decline.

[JI7]

90. yes, that's one thing DU has ALWAYS been like, THE ISSUE of the moment has ALWAYS

filled up the boards and of course we would always get multiple people complaining about how there are too many threads on that issue.

[ismnotwasm]

16. There is no problem discussing with these things

In fact, it's a required discussion for progressive Dems. And not everybody-- by a long shot-- backs the president. I do. I'm not delighted with all of his policies, but I have his back. I look askance at types that do nothing but criticize.

On Du I tend to stay out of unproductive conversations, and currently I'm kind of on a sort of mini vacation-- not totally gone but posting less. I decided to involve myself in the monitoring processes. I've learned a lot that way.

If participation is down, it's due to competition--- they're are many places to express ones opinion, from FB to your local news. But Du is my ace in the hole--my place I go to get away from all that. A splendid resource for info, discussion, and yes argument. Where it has fallen short, I have other places to go. But I always come back.

[seabeyond]

21. see, i am with you on your post. another, i agree. yes.

when i want to dig into a meaty current event, i come here. i also use it to simply stay abreast with many issues. sometimes i merely read the title, with no interest of reading more. inevitably, my son will come to me and ask if i know about? and i will know just enough to have a conversation with him.

then facebook? where i am accepted and loved, unconditionally. when i want more gentle, lol

[BlueCaliDem]

29. + 1000. I agree with everything in your post and feel the same way, except -

DU being my "ace in the hole". I don't post much (see post count despite being on DU since 2004) but I read a lot before I form an opinion or on occasion change the one I had. DU used to be my numero uno, but it isn't anymore although it's definitely in the top three of sites I visit daily.

I am and always will be a paying member of DU and the other sites I frequent (does not include FB or Twitter, but other progressive blogs that are out there) so I'm no "fly-by-night" member. I wouldn't feel comfortable gleaning so much information from the hard work by Progressive writers without doing what I can to keep the site they're posting on going.

[madokie]

24. There is no problem

DU is my first source of whats happening today
Wouldn't want it to be any other way

[1StrongBlackMan]

30. Oh, OHHH ...

right here. right now. racism is a huge, what i might say, the biggest issue we face in this nation today.

Why'd you open that door?

[seabeyond]

31. why? cause for me, right here and now, i think it is that important? lol.

luv you guy.

[1StrongBlackMan]

37. Well ...

I just thank the Universe that those most likely to post responses saying, "It's Classism, Stupid", all have you on ignore already ... so the thread will likely remain civil.

[seabeyond]

39. you are TOO fuggin' funny. thanks for the laugh. and now...

stuff to do. thanks strong.

[gollygee]

48. "It's Classism, Stupid"

equals "We can't talk about racism until there are no more poor white people."

Then, supposedly, the discussion of racism can commence. Or maybe they think racism would magically go away if no white people were poor? It's just dismissiveness.

[1StrongBlackMan]

56. Actually ...

I had that discussion ... and REALLY tried to understand it.

From what I gather, it goes like this:

Black folks (woman) will benefit from eliminating income equality (EQUITY, damn it ), too!

And when I asked about inter-racial (gender) income inequity ... CRICKETS.

So I guess that tells me all I need to know.

[gollygee]

58. That very specifically

has been a problem in feminism circles since probably the beginning of feminism. Every progressive cause can fall victim to ignoring racial equality or thinking it doesn't really matter.

[1StrongBlackMan]

65. "Ain't I a woman?" ...

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E151FA9D-6017-4556-981F-CD076D731A72/0/SecondaryTextGuideAnswerKeyAintWoman.pdf

[gollygee]

68. Thanks!

Feminism has always been way too much about white women's rights instead of about women's rights. I think it's changing but it takes work and requires us (white feminists) to be really conscious and think beyond ourselves.

[seabeyond]

70. yes. nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

82. But come to think of it ...

I'M on their ignore list, too!

It's safe to proceed.

[seabeyond]

85. No we aren't strong. They read our every word....lmFao. Nt

[ismnotwasm]

51. LoL!!

[justiceischeap]

32. Are people complaining about the amount of "Hands up, Don't shoot" posts?

That gets much more tiring than the actual amount of posts on the subject.

[seabeyond]

33. i am hearing complaints but really, they roll off like the.... you are a manhater, posts. lol.

others are more aware, i am sure. i just no longer take that on.

MOSTLY

[TomCADem]

34. I Think The Opposite Is True

What turns me off is the blame the Democrats, give Republicans a free pass type posts, which insists there is no difference between the two, as well as the threads arguing that so and so is a DINO, so we should just stay home. See all the threads on Hillary Clinton.

As for racism, sexism and backing our President, this is why I go to this Board to get a fair discussion of such topics.

[seabeyond]

36. tom....

What turns me off is the blame the Democrats, give Republicans a free pass type posts, which insists there is no difference between the two, as well as the threads arguing that so and so is a DINO, so we should just stay home. See all the threads on Hillary Clinton.

i agree.

[calimary]

43. THIS^^^^^^^

[Maedhros]

55. To be fair, there is maybe one (?) poster who advocates not voting.

Those who are against DINOs and Hillary Clinton do not advocate staying home - they just advocate not electing DINOs and Hillary Clinton.

[Android3.14]

38. Visits are down because others will not allow us to discuss the issues

You see it in the sockpuppets who have "gerrymandered" the Jury system during low traffic times.

You see it in the Super Duper posting sockpuppets who rally their avatars to attack anyone who questions the condemn-police-and-all-white-people silliness.

You see it in the virtual provocateurs who keep us fighting along race lines.

[seabeyond]

40. lol. uh hu. gotcha.

[noiretextatique]

67. silly

what a ridiculous post.

[AverageJoe90]

81. I hate to say this, but this is definitely true to some extent. However.....

From my experience, most DUers are generally willing to have a genuine conversation, even if they disagree on some issues. For example, I'm not a fan of "white privilege" theory, and I certainly don't believe it exists in the most literal interpretations that are out there these days. And a fair number of the most avant-garde DUers do seem to believe in it. But, to be honest, I have only ever had a problem with maybe a couple of dozen or so individuals who truly have been hard to deal with, because of their usage of personal attacks, and false accusations, etc.; I'd wager that about 90 percent of the others are fine, though, and I've only rarely had serious issues elsewhere, with the exception of the very occasional misunderstanding(a few of which have been my own fault, for one reason or the other, I'll admit).

The troublemakers may be out there, but they're only a small portion of the population, and, from what I've seen, at least a few of them have recently been dealt with by the Admins, so some progress may have been made.

[seabeyond]

86. I beg to differ. You do not hate to say this. You live to day this and say it often. Hey, from your

First day. And too many of us know just how much you live to say this, and often.

[AverageJoe90]

88. I'm sorry to hear that you feel that way.

But in fact, I didn't even really get all that involved in too many, if any at all, of these debates until some time after the 2012 election, and I'd been here for a year and a half, almost, prior to that; it was mainly thru attempting to debunk some of the extremism that was being thrown around(all white people are at fault for racism, all men are potential rapists, etc.), when that started becoming an issue.

Of course, I'm sure you may want to just dismiss that out of hand because of your own personal feelings, or whatever, but I'm afraid that's not my problem at this point.

[bettyellen]

94. link to the "all white men" and "all men" or give it up already!

[seabeyond]

102. all men? one. give me one or it did not happen. hell, we already know, it did not happen.

which brings us back to point.

[AverageJoe90]

105. *eyeroll* 'Fraid Google says otherwise.

Despite Google being a tad wonky, I've been able to find at least a FEW examples.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021925405
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=190935

And that's just a cursory search, with folks coming out and just saying it straight. There are probably numerous other examples out there in which such may not be stated directly, but is implied, perhaps strongly so; I know I've seen at least a few of those.

[jwirr]

50. I'm not too worried about being down. First of all it tis the season. Elections are over for the

moment and there are other things to do. Secondly yes, some do not want to discuss those issues or they just think we have talked enough. Finally - they will be back - we just elected a bunch of rethugs to the House and Senate and we are going to be angry any day now. DU is always at its best when we have a House and Senate to tear apart. I predict that in Jan 2015 we will be back in business on DU.

[bobthedrummer]

52. My experiences here since 2001 are my own. K&R n/t

[RKP5637]

54. Agree! n/t

[zappaman]

57. When someone who has only been here 2 years starts that kind of thread

and bemoans the "good old days", I tend to ignore it.
You better believe it!

[savalez]

64. Why not state your concerns in THAT thread?

Starting a new one with the sole purpose of bashing that one seems a bit odd.

[seabeyond]

71. i did not bash, i stated my opinion.

[StoneCarver]

66. Problem?

I see a big problem here. I post with quotes from the NYT and Huffington Post with uncomfortable but true facts about race and being black in America and I get allerted on and voted 6-1 to hide my post.

I've been a member since 2009 and reader for longer than that. I see DU devolving into an echo chamber. I don't see how facts can ever be seen as racist -they just are. This isn't the good old DU I remember and miss.
Stonecarver

[Igel]

75. There's discussion.

Which aims to get at the truth, to possibly change opinions, to bring out facts. It tolerates dissent.

Then there's demagoguery. Which has as its objective to win the floor and be the One True Voice and present the Truth.

Things changed a bit over a year ago. The relative popularity looks to do as much with search engine results as with other factors.

As time's gone on, more and more "news" is in General Discussion, is very narrowly focused, and isn't so much discussed and debated as shut down. Part of this may be Discussionist-related. However a lot of it is simply that people who used to be active posters in Breaking News have fled because of people who just want to be validated, confirmed in their faith, and otherwise find emotional support that they and only they are True Progressives with the Only Correct Perspective shut down wider discussions.

(There are also "lawfare" folk, who seriously police Breaking News and such groups for meticulous compliance with rules, but only for OPs that they want gone.)

The result of these two things is that search results that might have pointed people to DU for discussion of news brings in not so much those who want to discuss news but those who want to discuss a very narrow slice of the news. Once those people are here, the demagogue wing makes sure that only the Only Correct Perspective is held by the newcomers. Even some of those might find some of the atmosphere here a bit toxic.

It makes DU ridiculously and increasingly homogenous and non-diverse.

DU has had cycles of this from time to time, usually over some hot-button issue. HRC and PUMAs versus Obama folk. The incessant "we're about to attack Iran, the date's been set for 3 weeks from Thursday" rants that went on for years and years. The occasional civil rights suit or environmental issue. But it's gotten worse as some groups almost have openly colluded to use the MIRT and jury system to "weed out" those people who aren't making DU safe and comfy for themselves.

[Milliesmom]

76. It needs discussing more!

[Paper Roses]

77. We are down because so many posts turn nasty.

We are here to discuss, not fight. My posts are down because I don't feel the need to argue with anyone. We are all entitled to our opinions but when we attack, not discuss, it changes the whole picture.

[seabeyond]

79. i agree. i think this is a big part of it. i know it is with me. nt

[MadrasT]

83. I agree.

Too much nastiness, and too many personal attacks.

Mods kept a lid on that shit on DU2.

I hate it and rarely post anymore.

[Cali_Democrat]

78. K&R

[AverageJoe90]

80. Seabeyond, nobody has ever said that discussing racism, sexism, etc. is a problem on their own.

On the contrary, actually, it's a great thing, at least when we can have some actual conversations amongst one another.

However, though, since you seem so concerned, I will say this: there *have* been some issues with the way some folks have been approaching things; how statements are phrased, how far certain things are taken, the occasional escalation of arguments into name-calling, false accusations(implied or otherwise), etc.

You may not see this so much, perhaps, due to your own particular worldviews(and do realize this isn't meant as a personal attack on your person), but more than a few *have* noticed, and some of us just happen to be more open about pointing this out than others.

Let me re-iterate: There is no problem with discussing racism or sexism, by itself, period. Most DUers would, I suspect, agree that these are important things to talk about. But again, the issue *does* lie, however, with how some folks are conducting themselves.

[XemaSab]

96. Thank you, white man, for telling women and people of color that

we're doing it wrong.

We would never have figured this out without you.

All hail the white man!

Hail white man!

[daredtowork]

84. I don' t understand why all the threads discussing DU are allowed

When I tried to write an educational post about Gamergate, and I placed it in the context of tricking the Jury System, multiple mods ordered me to edit my post because it was supposedly against the TOS to discuss DU. Then after I obeyed these requests, my post was locked as "irrelevant to DU". =.=

Now there is scads of meta on DU. But if there is ever a problem, it boils down to mods not doing their job. Between the mods, MIRT, and the Jury system, I'm sure the real trolls get booted eventually. The rest of the drama is mere difference of opinion, which tends to happen in a Democracy that permits free speech.

I think sometimes people forget it is better to see opposing opinions, evev assinine ones, than be surprised by surpressed feelings on the day of a vote. DU reveals some strong divides even within the left wing of the Democratic party. Raising issues of sexism, racism, immigration, and "poor white populism that doesn't fit into any categories" is like dropping a bomb around here. Mentioning Edward Snowden is going nuclear. Economic solutions are controversial. Health care solutions are varied. There is no platform we can all get behind. Thus, we disagree on potential Presidential candidates as well. Oh I forgot our varying levels of war hawkishness.

Uh, so people are fighting. Some people are marching off in a GBCW huff. Sometimes that means the mods weren't doing their job. Sometimes it means clashing egos made drama. That's just the way of the Internet.

I don't see the problem. Let's get back to our regular programming!

Go go go anti-police profiling/militarization protesters!

[seabeyond]

87. Roll the dice.

But then we have talk about this.

This is what I said in the thread this spawned off of.

We have been well taught to have no expectations. That is what we live by on this board now. We hope for the better if us. I still think we have more chance here than any other message board I have experienced.

Yup....

[Number23]

89. I just consider the source, in all honesty

Mainly because I have NEVER thought it was a coincidence that the ones screaming and frothing about the Third Way are hardly ever in the threads about sexism and/or police brutality.

Shit, at this point, we'd all faint if these people DID do something here besides scream about the Third Way and involved themselves in these conversations because if they did that, they'd actually make themselves relevant and Lord knows we simply CANNOT have that.

[JI7]

91. the same ones

that suddenly seem to not be around much when there is some rare positive news on the president or other democrat as a top news story.

more recently it was immigration reform where du was mostly positive and the negative was mostly about republicans attacking him for it. certain ones suddenly were not around for this major story.

[Number23]

92. You got it. Them and the "I HAVE to agree that racism is not that big a deal, TBH" crowd

are as transparent as wet toilet paper and half as smart. They fool no one and are so easy to spot.

Like we've said, dig out that magnifying glass and look for threads that either talk about sexism or racism or feature some semblance of unity and cohesion here. The ones that AREN'T in those threads are exactly the ones we're talking about and I bet if you asked them, the reason so many black, Asian and Hispanic posters couldn't be paid to post here again is because they're all "fascist lite conservadems" who support the "Turd Way" and have been run off by the Liberal Lions of GD.

[bettyellen]

95. #notallwhitemen- and don't we forget it, again and again, TBH, without end...

[XemaSab]

98. Can we at least be thankful for all the progress made since then?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5913233

[Major Hogwash]

101. TBH?? What the hell does "TBH" stand for?

I think there's going to be a purge sometime in January.
Were you here in 2008 when so many homophobic commentators were posting here, and then in January 2009, after the election was over, there was a purge of the worst of the bunch of them?

I think that's going to happen again, when the worst of the bunch of racists that post here will be purged from DU.
As you say, their comments are transparent, as are their agendas.

I could be wrong, but I doubt it will continue very much longer with no reaction from the admins.

Putting trolls on ignore only exacerbates the problem, it seems.
They grow bolder over time and then before you know it, they are the new "stars" of DU, with dozens of followers recommending all of their threads.

DU is at a crossroads in history.
Either we identify hate speech for what it is, and ban the use of it, or DU will lose its ability to grow and shrink even more than it already has.
With Facebook now giving their users of social media more privacy and more control, i.e. members can select who can even comment on their personal pages.

DU may have to go that route eventually, giving the authors of threads the ability to block other DU members from commenting on their material.
That may sound authoritarian at first glance, but I am tired of some members threadjacking some of the Obama supporter's threads here.
When the Rand Paul for President crowd kicks into gear sometime next year, that would be a useful method that could also help to point them out to the admins sooner.

[Number23]

107. TBH stand for To Be Honest though lately, alot of posters here have been using it to identify what

is easily the most deliberately clueless race/gender troll that this web site has ever seen and he uses that phrase quite a lot.

DU has been at a crossroads for a long time and its inertia and inability to grow has been its downfall. DU is kind of like Microsoft in 2007 -- a strong presence for a long while but its inability to evolve and expand has resulted in its better days being far behind them. The site's well documented free fall in rankings, visits and use reflect this irrefutably as does your comment about the trolls getting all of the attaboys and recs.

In DU's case, it's inability to respond adequately to the racism and misogyny that the Internet has unfortunately become known for is its problem. And what makes all of this so sad is that DU seems to be the only place on the net going BACKWARDS on this issue. The mods used to do a pretty decent job of keeping the idiocy at bay, but the juries -- full to the brim with trolls and disruptors -- are all too happy to allow personal attacks from people that they "like" and sexist/racist idiocy under the disguise of "just talk it out."

So I don't think there will be any purges. The site will keep limping along until the admins eventually pull the plug.

[DonCoquixote]

93. I agree

the one thing estremists of the left right, and yes, sadly what used to be the center forget is that discussion is messy,just liek demcoracy is, but it is the onylway to prouduce anythign owrth reading or doing.

[cherokeeprogressive]

97. It's not that... It's the daily affirmation that "You belong to Group X and enjoy their privilege."

And how I suck because of the groups I belong to due to the birth lottery.

[seabeyond]

103. on a daily basis women are insulted, degraded, humiliated in jokes and shows and so much more.

lighten up, laugh, dont be a prude would be the answer.

blacks, gays and women know what the day in and out, year after year, a history of insults is by the privilege groups.

yes. it sucks.

and all we ask is the privilege group stop.

but asking the privilege groups to stops... is a daily affirmation how bad they are.

this is interesting. see. we could have a whole OP on this.

what you are angry about, is what we are calling out regularly that you do not want to hear. and it is just us insisting it stop. so we too do not have to have a daily, in our face, insults and told we are suppose to laugh it off, cause it is just a "joke"

i would really like to know the difference in the many men that can talk white man privilege and not take it personally, from those many men that are offended by that conversation. the intent, is not to have privilege group feel what you are expressing. i wonder how that is done.

[AverageJoe90]

104. That's been a problem for a while now.

And it would be nice if more people stood up and addressed this issue.

[Tsiyu]

99. Pandas, Penguins and Pirates

are responsible:

http://moz.com/google-algorithm-change

It's been a big source of controversy in the web content circles.



But also, what you said.

[Enrique]

100. those things are often discussed badly here

I don't know if anyone has actually left because of them, or even if people are really leaving.

But I could easily imagine someone attempting to participate in a discussion about any of those subjects, and after a while concluding that the thing that makes the most sense for them is just to drop out.

[Bluenorthwest]

106. I can remember when some who are now 'supporters of LGBT equality' were opposed to LGBT equality

and spent months ranting about civil unions and half loaves and how the perfect is the enemy of their religious dogma.....
In this thread, there are people affecting a great liberality whom I can remember being opposed to equal rights for some others. The fact that they now affect this state of perfection indicates to me that they never really understood how shitty it was of them to be opposed to the basic rights of other people.

Can you think of anyone who posted on DU in opposition to equality? I sure can.

[seabeyond]

108. Years ago. 4? 5?, maybe more. Maybe back with Kerry when the was discussion if civil marriages.

I do not say this often but I am to your post since you directly called this out. I may have been relatively new. But, I learned a powerful lesson that has stayed with me to this day. I often bring this up in real life, a lesson learned. A valuable lesson learned.

We were discussing civil marriage. To me, that would have been a step forward. I was resoundly put in my place. I shut up. I listened. I learned.

It has stayed with me for years and not only with gay issue, but with AA issues also.

So, yes, I am sure there are people that hold a different position than yrs ago. And if the lesson was anything like what I experienced, then good.

But, it was a major brain shift for me. I have always supported lbgt voice. But I learned I stand with, I do NOT speak for.