It's time for Bernie supporters to join MIRT

[Catherina]

The current make-up of MIRT is mostly Hillary Clinton supporting people and a majority of those are known members and admins of that other site. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10134723

This term expires in November and there will be an announcement from the Admins recruiting new members. I highly encourage as many Bernie supporters who donate here to join and balance out the makeup a bit. Please start thinking about that now and don't join if you're not going to show up and take the job seriously otherwise it makes the list look more balanced than it is.

You have to be a donor to serve.

If we don't join, we have no leg to stand on and criticize some of the things going on.

If there's ever been a time to man the barricades, it's now.

The few Bernie supporters there need support.

[merrily]

1. Thanks, Catherina. Not only MIRT but hosting, etc. The inherent contradiction is that the left

is typically more reluctant to censor than is the right. So the left tends not to volunteer to censor speech.

There is also this thread I wrote a while back, when I began noticing supporters of Sanders getting alerted on and hidden more and more.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12778884

[Catherina]

3. Yes definitely! Hosting also. Thanks for the reminder n/t

[peacebird]

2. I am retired now, and would be willing to spend the time....

[Catherina]

4. Wonderful, thank you!

I think the admins will make an announcement that they're looking for new volunteers soon.

[Demeter]

5. Would you believe this thread was alerted on?

On Sun Nov 8, 2015, 09:37 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

It's time for Bernie supporters to join MIRT
http://www.democraticunderground.com/128071059

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

This OP is opening advocating for posters to join MIRT to try and manipulate the process the Admins have set in place by using the forum to advocate against the supporters of one candidate instead of dealing with trolls as is appropriate.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sun Nov 8, 2015, 09:40 AM, and the Jury voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No, the OP is advocating getting some balance on MIRT. Duh.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: the alerter is evidently completely ignorant of what politics is.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: I agree with the alerter.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I read it as wanting a better balance.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[Catherina]

6. I fully expected it but was expecting a more refined complaint

Thanks to a good jury and thanks to you for sharing this. It made my first laugh of the day.

"opening advocating for posters to join MIRT to try and manipulate the process to advocate against the supporters of one candidate instead of dealing with trolls as is appropriate."

Wow. The dishonesty in alerts is getting thick.

[Demeter]

7. I have never seen DU so ugly, and I've been through many an election

I have never seen so many new posters, either. I suppose I must rejoice for the owners of the site, but I worry that the proliferation is not real...sock puppets, etc. Or people trying to reclaim their voice after pizza or gags.

Since you seem to be knowledgeable about how it operates, what kind of action is taken to unblock someone from a group?

[Fawke Em]

8. I hear it was awful in 2008.

I was a member then (under a name I no longer fully remember. LOL.), but I didn't post much because I had a newborn daughter. I don't remember the all-out wars.

I was an early Obama supporter and I'm sure I posted my concerns about Clinton back then, too. I haven't changed my position about her very much. I haven't been able to trust her in years. I did happen to like her as First Lady, but the longer she stayed in politics, the more co-opted she has become.

[Demeter]

9. Not like this Awful

I think the Hillary Group is responding much more violently this time around...they were not willing to cross the race line in 2008. Much too dangerous! It's why Obama won....he wasn't Hillary, and he had better marketing, and he was untouchable.

Evidently it's okay to beat up a nice Jewish grandpa with 4 times her experience and many more actual good accomplishments, though.

[Catherina]

12. Agreed. 2008 was bad but this is much more hateful. n/t

[Catherina]

11. Neither have I. This is twice as bad as 2008 and the harm will be twice as lasting

2008 was still political, barely so but still. 2012 has become very personal because there's such a huge difference between the candidates and the left wing is tired of being shat upon. Just look at the most popular rallying cry "Enough is Enough!"

I don't fully understand your question dear Demeter but I really don't want to answer any questions either. I wouldn't be able to honestly answer why I posted that encouragement to balance out the representation without getting my reply hidden. MIRT seems very touchy about any attention being brought to the fact that its team is heavily populated by posters who openly brag on another site about persecuting Bernie supporters and getting them banned.

[senz]

16. In this case, it's the unabashed hypocrisy! Good Lord.

[senz]

10. Clearly, there is a frenzy of alert stalking today.

I don't know why they would be so unhappy today. Maybe there's something in the news that I missed.

[Catherina]

13. Personally I thank my alerter for reviving a sinking thread.

I posted it late at night and their alert not only saved me the trouble of kicking it but brought the OP to the attention of some jury members who wouldn't have seen it otherwise.

I don't think any day is a happy day in Hillary land, too much victimhood.

[senz]

14. LOL, what a beautiful attitude, Catherina.

You could be a role model for us all!

[winter is coming]

19. Either that, or there's about to be. n/t

[senz]

15. I don't know everyone who posts at DU, but

there are two names on that list that have me flabbergasted. Were the standards for membership on MIRT arrived at with input from the broader DU membership?

I sympathize with the admins. I would not want to have to nanny all this stuff, especially if I were a techie who enjoys pure logic and interesting puzzles (which is what computer programming is). When dealing with people, there are so many behavioral issues, it would make my head swim.

Can we nominate or suggest people whom we trust and respect, just to let them know that we think they'd make good members of the MIRT team -- with no pressure, just a vote of confidence?

I see that you're not a donor and I firmly believe this is an entirely legitimate choice that can be made for a plethora of good reasons, but it you were, Catherina, I'd nominate you in a heartbeat.

[Catherina]

17. From what I understand

The admins make an announcement every 2 months and DU donors their names as volunteers. You have to be a donor so they know you're a real person and not a troll using one of those free email accounts. Then the admins select new MIRT members from the volunteer pool. They extend the term of old MIRT members too.

I could be wrong but my observation after looking at the lists is that people I consider authoritarian types keep volunteering for extended terms and revolving between MIRT and host duties in the main forums.

I sympathize with the admins and think both the idea of MIRT and random juries of your peers are great BUT in order for that system to work well, Liberal Leftists who traditionally have a distaste for authoritarianism need to participate. There's something seriously wrong when there are so many MIRT and hosts who belong to a site dedicated to antagonizing and persecuting Bernie supporters.

I blame us, not the admins.

We can't nominate people. People have to nominate themselves and make a commitment to fulfill the duties and brave the onslaught. From what I've heard for months, the same bullying behavior we see in threads happens in MIRT threads too. I don't see why we can't discuss suggestion of who'd be great in our Bernie forum but the person has to volunteer themselves if they agree. I'm not a donor because I don't have 2 nickels to rub together and all my money goes to helping abused women/kids and feeding stray dogs as any DUer who's ever called me can tell from the background noise lol.

IF I were a donor, I'd do it in a heartbeat too. Thanks for your confidence

But you're a donor and I have the utmost respect for and confidence in your level-headedness and integrity. Would you consider it? I'd like to nominate you!

[senz]

18. I am sorry to hear

that MIRT threads have bullies too. Someone I like and respect is on MIRT this term, and I've noticed a change in her. She doesn't comment as often and a few weeks ago set up a thread in this group advising us to be extremely careful and to ignore any kind of flame bait. She even warned me to stay out of GD-P. Now I'm thinking her MIRT experience has influenced her pov, and seeing some of the people on the team, I can imagine why.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I can think of a number of people who would be great on MIRT, but I myself can't really take it on at present.

[winter is coming]

20. It's every three months, and MIRTers are more or less taken on a first-come, first-served

basis. I've done MIRT before, and it can be a great experience when people do their best to leave their DU agendas at the door.

[Catherina]

21. more or less taken on a first-come, first-served? Thanks for adding that,

thanks for weighing in, and thanks for having served