DUers, would you use a dedicated area for GOOD NEWS? (w/edit)
Last edited Sat Mar 23, 2013, 01:43 PM - Edit history (1)
I posed this question in the AtA forum, and Skinner said that if enough people want it, he has no problem creating a new sub-forum.
I know the resistance to creating new forums is that people fear those posts will be relegated to a shadow area and never make it to GD, but I disagree. I love having a go-to place for various specific topics, and STILL BEING ABLE TO POST (or cross post) in GD and other areas when applicable.
I don't see it as one or the other when new forums are created. It provides a way to have more dedicated discussion and attention to a certain subject, but it doesn't mean it can't still be shared in GD. In such a busy forum as GD, too many awesome posts are missed. It's the nature of having a busy community
DU's two main forums are reliably full of posts which keep us informed about the many injustices in the world and issues which require our attention, and we desperately need that!!!
In order to maintain my own sanity, I curate good news every day (as do some other DUers), but we don't want to bombard GD with posts.
Yet it occurred to me that having a sub-forum dedicated to positive, inspiring stories (again, knowing they could be cross-posted when applicable to balance things in GD) would be appreciated by members who get worn down by all the negativity. Apolitical news; overt political good news would be posted in GD/Politics.
As I said, I curate such info daily and post elsewhere, so I could post it daily here at DU in such a forum as well. And others could do the same. Maybe people could even share good news they just experienced or witnessed, not only share existing stories we stumble upon.
Perhaps I could also post more regular Wishadoo/Help a DUer updates in such a sub-forum, so DUers can see how we are DOING GOOD and how we can do even more in different ways. I definitely don't want to bombard the bigger forums with this, but I also know many of you want a more reliable way to stay informed about Wishadoo/DUer things.
Would this interest you? If so, please K&R so we can see the level of interest.
Thanks!!!
= new reply since forum marked as read
Thanks. Just replying to give you a 
You're a good human being
for many awesome OPs (good news and otherwise) to be seen and gain traction in such a busy forum as GD.
It's the nature of having a big community. No one's fault.
Plus, many of us don't like to essentially spam one forum with posts we personally like. If I posted the many good news-type stories I would like to in GD every day, I would be accused of just that: spamming.
Hence my suggestion for a sub-forum.
And we're all very different, with different personalities.
I love GD, the main gathering place, but I often want to slink into a room to get away from the bickering and negativity (even though both are often very necessary), and gather with the others who want to escape the same thing and focus on one particular topic. In this case, good.
There may not be others who feel as I do. I just get so frustrated when wonderful, inspiring OPs go unnoticed, especially in the midst of the latest brouhaha in GD, with a frenzy of posts about the same thing. Ya know?
Anyway, we'll see. Thanks, MineralMan.
For some reason it's oddly fascinating to read about the infuriating things in the news, or to get all worked up about the angry debates that sometimes happen in GD, but I don't ever feel better about life or the world afterwards. I think it'd be great to have an only-positive place on DU, as sort of a palate cleanser... I wouldn't want to ignore bad news because it's a bummer, or pretend the world is all sunshine and lollipops because that's the way I want it to be, but the world isn't all bad, either, and it's easy to forget that sometimes.
Great idea!
That's my buzz word of the day, evidently.
We need balance, and I hope this could provide such balance here at DU.
Thanks, renate!
RKP5637!
I was just going to contact you, as you're the Main Curator for Good in GD.
THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THE REASON WE NEED A SEPARATE AREA SO WELL!!!
I assume the realm of good news could range from the macro - world wise, country, newsworthy - to the micro - personal, family, things observed....
Yes, I am an optimist! (which always reminds me of when I had to take some sort of IQ test early on - 6th or 7th grade - when they start to split classes into groupings based on ability. This psych asked me what an optimist is, and what a pessimist is. I told him an eye doctor, and a foot doctor.....somehow they allowed me to stay in school!)
Micro, macro, and all GOOD in between, with the one exception being political good news. That gets good traction in GD and Politics already.
OMG about the eye doctor/foot doctor story...
My first thought is that that is the one exception: political good news. That gets plenty of traction in GD and Politics 2013, as well it should, of course!
This new sub-forum would be for all other types of good news. There's no reason we can't t be cross post on a regular basis, not only with GD but other areas of DU (like the environmental sub-forums in the case of good news re: the environment).
Especially in the case of good news, we need to spread the love far and wide!
Thanks.
Yeah, we'd need fairly clear forum guidelines, I suppose, to keep that to a minimum. If something is posted that seems like good news but can be seen from another perspective, one which isn't so positive, that's a good discussion, imho. Piling on good news because someone hates good news is another story (and, let's face it; online forums are full of people whose sole intention is to crap on anything positive...).
But things do tend to be beaten to death in communities like DU, so it could go off track fairly easily if basic guidelines for the sub-forum aren't established. I agree.
Thanks for being so supportive.
We want to stay informed and aware of what's going on in the world (and I tend to zero in on how to take positive action, not just complain about the injustices and such), but it's easy to get flat-out depressed as a result of doing so.
That's why I immerse myself in finding good news. Balance.
I hear you, nolabear, I hear you.
Maybe the Good News posts can stay in GD longer after being "filtered" via this new forum.
You are amazing, OneGrassRoot.
So simple, but so brilliant, this idea.
Thanks!
aw shucks...thanks, NYC_SKP!
Glad you think it's a good idea.
Any political good news would go in GD/Politics 2013.
This would be human interest stories and such that inspire and show there IS some good in the world.
I just mean that's where any good news that develops of a political nature is posted.
You're right though: it's few and far between.
Yes, we would need to make the guidelines clear. Hopefully others would help me with that.
but thanks for replying anyway.
Hopefully it will be approved. *fingers crossed*
Thanks, From The Ashes.
but, yes!! It would wonderful to have a place for inspiring and good news. I especially like your idea of "sharing good news we experienced or witnessed." Keeping my fingers crossed that it gets approval. Thank you.
Thanks, ChazII!
Glad you agree.
Count me in!
I hear you.
I usually retreat to The Lounge when too much bad news in LBN or GD finally get the better of me.
It would be fantastic to have a dedicated forum for GOOD NEWS.
"Not just yes but HELL YES"
I like to be the glass is half full kinda girl so this sounds Good to me.
It saves my sanity to find and create as much good as I can. I'd lose my mind if I didn't find a way to balance the daily intake of misery all around, and maintain hope.
Man oh man, do I hear you.
There are times when I go looking for good news and it can be difficult to find.
not enough coffee in the world this morning, it seems.
Yes, clear guidelines for the group would need to be established. I hope others will help with that, if we get permission, that is.
I'll bug Skinner tomorrow to see if the 48 recs and many supportive comments indicate a GOOD NEWS Group would be worthwhile for the admins to set up.
I believe so.
I'll keep you posted. Thanks again!
We need a place to go for good news.
-and too often GD tends to fill with examples of destruction on one level or another. Being able to shift away to a forum with examples of progress, kindness and hope would rock.
I agree that having a good news forum would keep these threads available for longer periods of time