I am fed up with the nastiness here!!

[Francesca]

Am pretty new (2 months maybe) and the meanness of one particular member here has so thoroughly turned me off am thinking of writing this site off completely.. Forgive me and others for not being familiar with certain abbreviations and acronyms.. of all the reasons to be an asshole that is not one of them.. Until today I was very impressed with the members here and have been spending more and more time here since the election trying to feel better... Today I feel worse and no longer feel like part of a community.. I wish some of you would think before being so testy and so elitist (some of the "new people" you are insulting have been working their butts off for what they believe in while you racked up posts and sat on your ass...)... sorry I am sure I will get thrown off for this..probably would be a good thing for me as I need to stop wallowing in this collective misery and actually do something productive....

[Starlight]

1. under "options" you can set up an ignore list.

Then you won't have to read whoever-it-is' posts. :)

[PretzelWarrior]

2. I remember a couple of your posts from yesterday. DON'T GO!!

this forum is representative of the USA. A lot of good people..but some assholes as well.

You've already said you saw so much good from this site.

Don't let a couple of tired, cranky, and probably mentally unbalanced people throw you off.

We need more new people to join our fight.

[Francesca]

11. I feel better already

your a sweetheart

[PretzelWarrior]

28. good!

:loveya:

[Mizmoon]

3. Like any other place,

some people here are nicer than others. I know how it feels when someone gets down your throat around here - sometimes it makes it feel like it's not worth it. But I find myself coming back because I really want this party to live up to its potential. Maybe together we can help move things to a better place.

[kanrok]

4. Hey...I love you!

I've stayed away since Tuesday. I ran out of energy. Now I have it back. Sorry if your experience has become negative. It'll get better.

[Francesca]

29. Hey I love you back

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. I'm sorry you've had a bad experience here.

I hope that none of my posts have made you feel bad. Please know that there are people here who try to be nice to everyone.

[Francesca]

43. no none of your posts! thank you

[Walt Starr]

6. If a poster bothers you, use the ignore feature

Works wonders!

:)

[teach1st]

7. Take heart...

...in a forum as big as this, as open as this, there are bound to be some jerks. And there are! There are also bound to be some who have just had a hard day.

I look at it like this: If I honestly did nothing offensive and I get flamed, who cares. If I do post something offensive, or easily misconstrued, I apologize, fix it, and move on.

I hope you stay. We need all the dedicated truth-seekers we can get.

[mike_c]

8. welcome to DU....

I'm sorry, we've all had the experience you've described. We'll all likely have it again. You're right-- there is a hot-head element that frequently wants to "blame" problems on "lurking freepers," "newbies," and etc.

My advice: learn to use your ignore list and the hide thread link. They help tremendously.

[NMDemDist2]

9. bookmark this handy DU glossary

http://dug.seattleactivist.org/

and use the "ignore" feature

[Francesca]

19. thank you thats very helpful

[NMDemDist2]

31. glad to do it, and hope you stick around. many of us are tired and

heartsore but mostly a pretty good group.

welcome to our little corner of insanity :crazy:

[ClassWarrior]

10. Francesca, please hit "Alert" on this person and explain to the mods...

Also, post your comments in the "Ask The Moderators" forum. Let them handle this person. I'd hate for you to leave us based on the actions of one or several.

And welcome, by the way... :hi:

NGU.

[txindy]

12. Click on the sleeping figure and 'Ignore' the poster who bothers you

You can also hide entire threads.

[The_Casual_Observer]

13. Please let us know what you are planning to do that would be productive.

[Francesca]

27. I have been writing letters

I more diligent and persistent than clever or eloquent, would love to volunteer (there were so many opportunities before and so many people asking) basically would love someone to give me a task as I am a little fried and other than complaining via a letter or email am not sure what else to be done.. no one to campaign for at the moment...

[The_Casual_Observer]

34. Try Catholic Worker, ACLU

Food banks, volunteering at the hospital.

[Francesca]

37. I donated to the ACLU yesterday...

[Cha]

14. Why should you let "one member"

turn you off the whole Board. We all at certain times have gotten crap from various "members". Some have turned out to be Freepers of the highest order..others are not.

I had major disagreements with many in the Primaries but that went away when we got behind Kerry in the General.

I don't care if it's a new person..it's what they say that's important..but sometimes you can tell what someone is up to and they do have a low post count.

[TrueAmerican]

15. Don't go

Some of these people gave me a hard time and I had been a member for awhile. They were mad because I didn't think Nader, Kerry and Dean had a chance. Well, Kerry suprise me, but same results.
Just put them on ignore.

[hlthe2b]

16. Frustration is boiling over, Francesca... Please don't take it personally

You have plenty of like minds here and I, for one, welcome you! Hang in there with me and others, ok?

[PunkinPi]

17. here's something to help you with "DU speak"

http://dug.seattleactivist.org/ ;)

[Career Prole]

18. Click on the little sleepy guy to the right of the offending poster's name

and the offending from that person will stop. :hi:

[Cuban_Liberal]

20. Please, don't leave.

Use the ignore function, instead.

:hi:

[JNelson6563]

21. You make some damn valid points!

I wish some of you would think before being so testy and so elitist (some of the "new people" you are insulting have been working their butts off for what they believe in while you racked up posts and sat on your ass...)...

While I have been here a very long time the "newbie" thing doesn't involve me. I can however relate to the issue of getting shit from someone who played armchair warrior throughout election while I worked my ass off. WTF?

Don't go. Instead, share your experiences here from the real world. I have done so and gotten replies that tell me they are inspired, some ask for advice on how to achieve stuff in their area.

Don't let the folks who offer only negative, counter-product posts to the discussion deter you. There is good dialogue to be had here and a lot of helpful info gets posted here too.

Hope to see more from you...

Julie

[Piperay]

22. Hang in

don't let anyone drive you off the board. This is a good place the majority of people here are wonderful don't let some tiny teeny percentage make you think otherwise.

:hi:

[seabeyond]

23. dont take it personally, just the funniest, someone

reads a few of your words and think they can decide who you are as a person. silliness. use the internet to learn not to take something personally. the person that was a pig to you, does this person really matter in anyway to you. is this person even close to deciding who you are as a person. not even. dont allow someone to take your power away from you, they win you lose. the silliness in that

so have fun and enjoy and you want to know what any of the things mean. ask. only a small fraction would critize you, most of us would embrace and give you the answer in kindness

[jrthin]

24. Hang in there.

There are always going to be smug a$$es wherever you go. Many of us here are good people fighting for a good cause, let's not get distracted. Stay.

[DuaneBidoux]

25. If it is just one person put them on the ignore list.

Hang in the baby!

[snippy]

26. Nastiness is just one of those things you run into on the internets.

Since the election I have noticed a little more nastiness here at times but I try to not let it bother me too much. Given that there has been much more nastiness emanating from the GOP since the election which is likely to get worse over the next few years, I think you should consider using the ignore function and staying at DU. We all need to stop wallowing in collective misery and get to work doing productive things. Like winning in 2006 and beyond.

[leftofthedial]

30. how can 1 out of over 55,000 people have that much effect on you?

Maybe you should try finding some balance.

[Francesca]

36. your right and I feel silly

but just was not expecting anything like that here... I have not posted anything even remotely controversial.. all the same I should toughen up...

[The_Casual_Observer]

41. There are some really difficult people here, including me.

:D

[PotatoBoy]

32. DON'T GO!!!

No. don't let someone scare you off. I've been accused of being a freeper more than once.. I say fuck them. I don't have to prove anything. Stand up against whoever is giving you a hard time. We need as many people fighting for our cause as possible.

[autorank]

33. Given events, people here have been very civilized! No gripe from me.

Corporate America controls the media and we get manufactured news.
Corporate America now controls the voting machines and we get manufactured elections.

http://www.blackboxvoting.org/

[Paradise]

35. glad you're staying!

everyone has a bad day, now and then. :hi:

[dennis4868]

38. please dont allow a masty poster....

to get you down....welcome!

:-)

[American Tragedy]

39. You know, this isn't exactly a good time for most DUers

What you see may be a reflection of the time. All of us have been grieving, most of us are mad as hell, and many have no outlet for that frustration outside of here. I can only express myself here because few people around me understand the pain that I am going through right now, since they remain secure in their own relative political apathy, and that manifests itself in my posts. Possessing an overwhelming political conscience in a red state has never made me feel so helpless and so alone as it has this week. For others I'm sure it is similar.

[Edmond Dantes]

40. People are frustrated and angry over the election. That is no

excuse of course, merely an explanation.

Ignore the jerks. There are plenty of us trying to figure out what would be most effective in terms of "next steps."

I didn't post too much prior to the election, but have posted quite a bit in recent days. We need a game plan, and activism. I refuse to mope.

[No Mandate Here.]

42. The vast majority are civilized,

although I recently found myself asking someone to not post... Oh well.

[donco6]

44. Take a little break, if you need to.

But don't give up completely. Yeah, there are some numbnuts here, but mostly they're good folk.

Me, I'm going on vacation for a little while! Just have to get my head on straight again - ha! little play on words there.

[bigwillq]

45. Hi Francesca

Please don't go. Don't allow those select few to chase you from this awesome, progressive website.

We need you right now. So stick around.:hi:

[saracat]

46. Please don't go! I have been battered around too,

but I 'll tell you, when I was really depressed ( now I am in the anger phase!) Only DUer's understood. Hey , right now I am pissed at more than a few that want to lean more consevative! That alone almost drove me away! Hang in there. We need each other!

[Edmond Dantes]

51. Hey, even I was accused of being the opposition! :-)

I can't be depressed or angry--perhaps I am too old. But I do understand the sentiment from previous presidential campaigns I've worked on. I flailed around quite a bit and later realized that I had only succeeded in wasting time and energy. At this point in my life, I wish I had used my time/energy more wisely.

I know you didn't ask for my advice, but I will offer it anyway in the spirit of friendship:

Anger is good if it is brought under control and then focused on achieving a carefully-defined goal supported by a well-thought out plan.

I certainly agree that leaning conservative is NOT the answer. Resistance is NOT futile.

[Kahuna]

47. Make good use of the ignore feature. And stay put.

:hi:

[foreigncorrespondent]

48. While I understand your frustration...

...I still have to say something.

I wish some of you would think before being so testy and so elitist (some of the "new people" you are insulting have been working their butts off for what they believe in while you racked up posts and sat on your ass...)...

That is a little unfair. How often do I need to state to people not to put all their apples in one basket?

Some of the people here with high post counts have been here since DU first began back in January of 2001. And those very same people were out working their asses off for what they believe in as well.

Don't lumber everyone into the same box. There will always be bad apples with any group of people, but remember, the good nine times out of ten out weigh the bad. There are plenty of GREAT people at DU who hold LARGE post counts, and then there are plenty of GREAT people at DU who hold LOW post counts.

Your post is totally unfair. Taking your bummed mood out on an entire forum, when you say in your opening sentence that the "meaness of ONE particular member here has thoroughly turned you off." That's a pretty low blow to entire DU community, and the work the admins and mods of this forum do to keep us going.

[Francesca]

49. I know I am sorry

I am a hot head and tend to make sweeping generalizations. The reality is I was talking to 3 specific people only.. I apologize and am sorry I insulted you (I wasn't thinking..just venting).

[foreigncorrespondent]

50. No need to apologize.

An apology wasn't my intentions on posting in your thread in the first place.

And you didn't insult me, either.

Like I said in the title of my post, I understand your frustration, and I truly do.

One thing DU has tought me over the years that I have been coming here, has been to show me that I can actually make a good bloody argument with someone without actually getting myself worked up and hot under the collar. I used to be a wild one when I first began posting here. And even though some on the right have nicknamed me a lesbian militia, I really aren't so bad. I just jump on bigots who make stupid remarks about gays. My point to this is that I hope you can come to a newbie in three years time and tell them what DU has tought you. Don't let one bad apple drive you away from a place that does have so much to offer.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

52. I'm Nice!

:hi:

[niwi]

53. Don't go!

If everyone leaves because of a few assholes, assholes will be all that's left. Stick around and we'll outnumber them!