What annoys me about Democratic Underground.

[TheWraith]

The fact that in between (and sometimes encircling) the intelligent and productive dialog, a sizeable number of people here use DU only for two things. One is loudly preaching to the choir, while pretending that they're doing something somehow bold and challenging. The second, and corollary, is the people who come here only for the purpose of being angry, cynical, pitching temper tantrums, and generally trying to tear down anything and anyone that doesn't 100% support their exact view of the world.

Even so, I'm not particularly inclined to ditch this place. But it would be nicer if rationality prevailed more often.

[LWolf]

1. I can agree with that. nt

[graywarrior]

2. You mean like logical?

[Oregone]

3. So.....Is this you preaching to the choir or having a temper tantrum?

:)

[scheming daemons]

5. +1000

[Tan Gent]

10. I've noticed that frequently they are the same thing.

:D

[tridim]

A temper tantrum now that gungeon posts aren't all over the greatest page.

That'd be my guess.

[TheWraith]

22. Damn, somebody's got a one track mind.

As well as a complete lack of knowledge about my history here at DU.

[tridim]

29. Well yes, there were way too many pointless gun posts on the greatest page

Most of us can multitask, that just happened to be one aspect of DU v1.5 that I couldn't stand. I don't want to hear about people being shot by gun freaks every freaking day, especially on DU. It was embarassing, IMO of course.

[Paladin]

36. Bulls-Eye....... (n/t)

[omega minimo]

31. Both!!

:bounce:

[spiritual_gunfighter]

34. It appears to be both n/t

[medeak]

4. I stopped reading posts to threads

only read the original post and it's made my days much more pleasurable. ;-)

[Oregone]

7. I only read the first 4 words and skip to the 4th reply

It normally sums it all up to me.

[medeak]

49. DU is and always has been terrific source of breaking news

thanks to some very dedicated old and new members...am grateful for them and that's why I come here.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. And then there are the people who post

about how DU is letting them down, not being exactly as they would have it, that people are posting things of which they do not approve, and that, in a broad sweep, there are two groups of people who are DOING IT WRONG.

It's very gracious of you to announce your decision to stay with DU. It would seem to be an effort on your part, and I commend you for your courage and perseverance.

May blessings rain down on you ......................

[Javaman]

8. Welcome to the internet. It's not just a series of tubes.

Although I completely understand your frustration, your point is nothing new and I believe something like what you just wrote was voiced about 5 minutes after the Internet first went public many years ago.

In other words, nothing has changed and as long as it continues to be free forum for expression, you will continue to be frustrated.

[Skink]

9. I heard there was going to be free beer.

:beer:

[mike_c]

16. the beer dispenser only works for donors....

Get your star, then click on the beer icon in the bottom left corner of each page. Be sure to hold a glass under your computer's CD/DVD drawer before clicking! The first time I forgot the glass I made a mess on my desk!

Cheers! :beer:

[WilliamPitt]

11. "Signal to noise ratio" is the phrase you're looking for.

And you're right.

It's what happens in a very crowded room.

:toast:

[LeftHander]

15. Eh.....??

[WilliamPitt]

18. Meh.

:P

[TheWraith]

17. Well put, and you're exactly right.

I need a better directional antenna. :D

[WilliamPitt]

20. Try "Un-recommend"

Kidding kidding kidding.

:P

[LeftHander]

12. I am here for the free food....there is a buffet somewhere...right?...nt

[lamp_shade]

13. I've notice a HUGE reduction in the number of posts from category II.

[TheWraith]

19. One advantage of unrec--hopefully it'll cut down on that sort of thing. nt

[PretzelWarrior]

14. what are some examples of preaching to the choir?

and doesn't the choir need preached to every now and again?

[scheming daemons]

24. "Rec this thread if you think Cheney should be castrated with a meat cleaver"

That would be one example.


;-)

[TheWraith]

26. Yeah, that'd work. :D

I was more thinking of the people who make impassioned speeches in favor of things like pro choice and gay rights that basically all DUers are in favor of. Usually ended with "And I don't care who disagrees with me!"

[Control-Z]

30. Oh, if only all DUers

really were pro-choice and pro-gay rights.:)

[omega minimo]

33. Well if they ain't all uppity, in yer face and on Greatest, more folks can pretend that they ARE

and just not think about it.

[Control-Z]

39. And for that very reason

I think a lot of pro-choice threads should be posted in general discussion rather than in forum or group. It exposes the forced-birthing, anti-women members for what they are. This is supposed to be a progressive board and it should behoove us to know which members don't belong here.

[omega minimo]

41. Well maybe we can be advised

by some of those who this week know what "nearly all of DU thinks" and who the "real Democrats" are. I am NOT trying to be sarcastic. This is what has emerged as a result of the new Un/Rec policy. These sort of attitudes. Is there a handout for this or are we to sort it out ourselves?

There is a women's issues thread at the top of Greatest today. An excellent OP and good discussion, started by MadFloridian.

I agree with you. I have resisted marginalization of various topics on DU. And with the recent "real Democrat" majority rules attitude exhibited lately, who knows? This OP thinks that support of certain issues is a given, so why have to talk about it? Sorta like, yeah we're Americans, why haveta talk about our rights being violated?

[Control-Z]

40. Dupe n/t

[omega minimo]

32. So those issues being marginalized works out better for you and "nearly all DU"

and better for the guy who hates political correctness and thinks blacks shouldn't be called African Americans...... and his little buddy who was TSd

[hfojvt]

27. doesn't have to include 'rec this thread'

A simple rant about what a racist a$$wipe Rush Limbaugh is would automatically get 30-40 recs. As would a rant about single payer or prosecuting Bush-Cheney.

[elocs]

37. Yet a well-written and thought out OP might get only a fraction of that number of Recs. n/t

[Jennicut]

21. Yeah, I agree with those two points. Maybe its the very nature of what a message board is though.

To see if people agree with you or not and sometimes then debate on an issue,article, etc. you post about.

[Starry Messenger]

23. I'm annoyed by this:

There are two types of people in the world: those who divide people into two separate groups and those who do not.

[scheming daemons]

25. There are 10 types of people in the world...

Those that understand binary, and those that don't.

[wroberts189]

28. Singing with the choir is one of my favorite things here. nt

[dionysus]

35. without those two groups there would be noone left.

:rofl:

[TexasObserver]

38. It takes all kinds of posters to make a site work.

Half of the arguments here are nothing more than "did too!" Did not!!"

[kimmerspixelated]

42. You're right.

It's human nature to share, plus people also like to take their oral diarrhea dumps in public the most, mostly because they feel useless at home.

[defendandprotect]

43. What are you posting these days . . . ???

[TexasObserver]

44. It's like the George Carlin bit about other drivers.

"Ever notice how everyone that drives slower than you is an idiot, and everyone that drives faster is a maniac? LOOK at THIS idiot! Look at that MANIAC go!"

DU has plenty of people unlike me, and plenty of people just like me, and people from both groups can piss me off.

[McCamy Taylor]

45. Don't look now but someone has responded to your thread with a new thread....

[Rex]

46. I don't think it is possible to have rationality on an anonymous forum

of 100k+ people. Maybe two or several rational people can have a meaningful thread - see it all the time here. It is just the big changes throw everyone around for a loop for a few weeks, then back to normal.

[Toasterlad]

47. Your Indifference to the Injustices Suffered by Others Is Not Indicative of a Problem With DU

But thanks for being willing to stick around to tell people to stop whining. We DEFINITELY need more of that around here.

:hi:

[question everything]

48. And, now they can use the "U" to show their passive

aggressiveness. I think that if someone is going to U a thread, he should at least have the balls to explain why. When a thread becomes "less than 0" within a few seconds and with fewer than 10 views, and the post is, say, about the recession, you know that whoever hit the U has an agenda.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

50. Um... welcome to all political websites? Seriously.