Is DU Civil?

[OmahaBlueDog]

Quoted from the DU Rules:

Personal Attacks, Civility and Respect

The administrators of Democratic Underground are working to provide a place where progressives can share ideas and debate in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Despite our best efforts, some of our members often stray from this ideal and cheapen the quality of discourse for everyone else. Unfortunately, it is simply impossible to write a comprehensive set of rules forbidding every type of antisocial behavior. The fact that the rules do not forbid a certain type of post does not automatically make an uncivil post appropriate, nor does it imply that the administrators approve of disrespectful behavior. Every member of this community has a responsibility to participate in a respectful manner, and to help foster an atmosphere of thoughtful discussion. In this regard, we strongly advise that our members exercise a little common decency, rather than trying to parse the message board rules to figure out what type of antisocial behavior is not forbidden.

Do not post personal attacks or engage in name-calling against other individual members of this discussion board. Even very mild personal attacks are forbidden.

Do not hurl insults at other individual members of this message board. Do not tell someone, "shut up," "screw you," "fuck off," "in your face," or some other insult.

Do not call another member of this message board a liar, and do not call another member's post a lie. You are, of course, permitted to point out when a post is untrue or factually incorrect.

Do not publicly accuse another member of this message board of being a disruptor, conservative, Republican, FReeper, or troll, or do not otherwise imply they are not welcome on Democratic Underground. If you think someone is a disruptor, click the "Alert" link below their post to let the moderators know.

Do not draw negative attention to the fact that someone is new, has a low post count, or recently became a member of Democratic Underground. Do not insinuate that because someone is new, they are a troll or disruptor.

Do not accuse entire groups of people on Democratic Underground of being conservative disruptors, or post messages which spread this type of suspicion. Do not post topics that arouse suspicion against new members, or members with low post counts.

Do not say that you are hitting the alert link to report another member. You are permitted to tell someone that you are adding them to your ignore list, provided that you actually do so.

Do not "stalk" another member from one discussion thread to another. Do not follow someone into another thread to try to continue a disagreement you had elsewhere. Do not talk negatively about an individual in a thread where they are not participating. Do not post messages with the purpose of "calling out" another member or picking a fight with another member. Do not use your signature line to draw negative attention to another member of the board.

You are permitted to post polite behavioral corrections to other members of the message board, in direct response to specific instances of incivility, provided that your comments are narrowly focused on the behavior. But you are not permitted to make broad statements about another person's behavior in general, and you are not permitted to post repeated reminders about another person's mistakes.

You are permitted to criticize public figures, who are not protected under our rules against personal attacks. However, if a public figure is a member of our community, that person is protected by our rules and you are not permitted to personally attack that person. (You are permitted to offer constructive criticism of their activities as a public figure.)

If you do not like someone, please be aware that you have the option of putting that person on your ignore list. Just click the ignore icon on one of their posts.

There are no exceptions to these civility rules. You cannot attack someone because they attacked you first, or because that person "deserved it," or because you think someone is a disruptor. We consider it a personal attack to call a liar a liar, to call a moron a moron, or to call a jerk a jerk.

[rucky]

1. As civil as can be expected

for a political forum with thousands of members.

[meegbear]

2. +1

[mountainlion55]

17. Yes

I agree

[Taverner]

35. +1000

[hifiguy]

40. Agreed nt

[MilesColtrane]

3. You should volunteer to moderate during the next call up.

You seem to be really well versed on the rules.

[atreides1]

4. No it isn't

But neither is real confrontational discussion!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. Sometimes. It really depends on the subject. nt

[Modern_Matthew]

6. No. I usually reply and run before the flames begin. nt

[uppityperson]

7. At times, and with certain posters. Overall, it can be something.

[DainBramaged]

8. Call-out thread....

IBTL

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. The CLOSER it gets to elections the less civil it becomes

and it is a pattern now

[OmahaBlueDog]

15. Yes - I remember Hillary versus Barack

Not pretty

[elocs]

29. Yeah, where if you disagreed with one or the other you were labeled a "hater". n/t

[Renew Deal]

10. Yes, for the most part.

People argue and sometimes get personal, but it's usually not mean spirited. DU is a huge forum that discusses pretty much everything. There are going to be disagreements.

[snooper2]

11. ITS A MESSAGE BOARD!!!!

:banghead:

I really am starting to think some people's lives revolve around this website. And I'm not talking about the owners.

[bobbolink]

36. So, therefore, messages need to be cruel, harsh, and hurtful?

If that is what some want, there are plenty of places on the internet tubes to message in that manner.

[Shrek]

12. Who cares?

It's just words on a screen.

Civility within an anonymous communication medium isn't something that should be expected or sought.

[rhett o rick]

22. I agree. That should have been a choice in the poll. Civility is highly overrated anyways. nm

[elocs]

31. Oh, probably the owners of DU care. It's their playground and they get to make the rules.

Any who don't like them are free to play elsewhere.

[bobbolink]

38. If you will remember, that was NOT the consensus when the admins did their survey.

As mentioned above, if some posters wish to have a harsher environment, there are plenty of those on the internet tubes.

The rules are the rules, and should be respected as such, even if some posters aren't willing or able to respect other posters.

[Blue-Jay]

13. Only a moron would think otherwise.

(see what I did there?)
:bounce:

[bobbolink]

39. Yes, impressive.

[Iggo]

14. Too.

[KittyWampus]

16. My DU is generally pretty civil. I say "my DU" cause I weeded out a few very uncivil

participants and it did wonders. I guess one can just skip over loads of crap, but when you have a way of eliminating the biggest pile producers it makes navigating through forums much easier.

[SidDithers]

18. More civil than some boards, less civil than others...

our mods do a great job in deleting uncivil posts and shutting down uncivil threads.

Sid

[leftstreet]

19. If DU is considered 'uncivil,' we'll never ever never defeat the Ruling Class

Good grief

This is nothing

In all my years here I've never alerted on anything and can't imagine why anyone would

[Shrek]

48. +1

I cannot fathom having any kind of emotional reaction to something posted on a message board by strangers.

[Bigmack]

20. Yes, it is civil.... and $%#@ you for asking! nt

[pokerfan]

21. as opposed to criminal?

I suppose it's at least as civil as the War Between the States was.

[lumberjack_jeff]

23. Yes. But I admit I'm tired of playing the part of the confederates.

Can we switch?

[RagAss]

24. Well, nobody gets physically injured !

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rufus dog]

26. Can I call you a Nebraska CornHoler and still vote yes?

Sorry, just jonesing for the College FB season.

[OmahaBlueDog]

43. That depends -- are you Big X or Big XII?

Either way, you're going to get slaughtered

;)

[rufus dog]

44. Pac12

Good luck in your first year. Should be a good time for you guys to join.

[OmahaBlueDog]

46. LOL - I'm actually a Pac 12er as well - I'm a Cal Bear

..but the Cornhusker thing is infectious

[xchrom]

27. Compared to what?

If we don't follow the rules we are deleted or banned. Hmmm some more than others.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

28. YES! Now fuck off!!!

:evilgrin: Kidding, kidding.

[Keith Bee]

30. I certainly hope not!

:grr:

[Aerows]

32. I'm rather new here

and already have an ignore list of people who are incapable of discussing a topic without pissing off not just me, but everyone in the thread.

Thank god for the ignore list however, and I will just go on about my business.

That said, I fully expect to be in other people's ignore list, because I'm not going to sit here and listen to lies without calling them out as such. I will do it as civilly as possible, but I refuse to agree with something I know is total and complete fallacy.

[upi402]

34. I agree

I do the same, the ignore list lets me cool off, and hopefully allows time for the other party to see new information from a more palatable source. But I give up on letting folks put lipstick on a pig too.

Welcome!

[bluestate10]

33. A fight over ideas always leaves bruises. Such is life. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

37. The concept that name calling is about ideas is odd

When a discussion actually is about ideas, civility has wide room to move. When it is just about characterizing another person that is not about 'ideas' that is just schoolyard stooges run rampant.

[Rowdyboy]

41. I've started in 1 thread in 2 months (about great actors of the '30s and '40s) and I got flamed

for that. :shrug: Thankfully the mods deleted the nasty little sub-thread and stopped him in his tracks.

Somebody will find an excuse to be offended by almost everything

[robcon]

42. Only a fucking idiot would think this board isn't civil.

:sarcasm:

[pinto]

45. It is what it is. It is what the membership makes of it.

I've read that internet anonymity, i.e. we post under "usernames", correlates with less civil discourse compared to face-to-face cultural norms. The points made were that people tend to say things they wouldn't say sitting across a table from someone, or in a public meeting and such.

Makes sense in a way, yet my point of view - it is what we make of it. :hi:

[hlthe2b]

47. Yup... and I agree with the impact of anonymity...

Hell, I'll even admit that when I recognize a username as a long term poster, it is in the back of my mind and I probably double check a bit more that my post is "soft" if in disagreement on the issue at hand.

That said, I think incivility comes in waves and is highly correlated with the flammability quotient of the "issue of the moment"...

[ecstatic]

49. Anyone remember "The Best of DU"

Something like that wouldn't be possible now, with all the acrimony and bitterness flying around. We're rarely on the same page about anything.

[nadinbrzezinski]

50. There is more

there was a time when we visited with each other when we went to each other's cities. I did. I would not consider that any longer. (With a few exceptons, fingers one hand) It used NOT to be that way.

[jillan]

51. For the most part - but then and again you get called a liar by someone who doesn't even know you...

which is pretty bizarre!

[DeadEyeDyck]

52. to be honest, I joined DU and FR on the same day

I have admitted this on several posts.

I was told to join both in a PolySci 3.05 class in 2008. I must admit that the civility on FR is of no comparision to here. I have had people throw pizzas at me here just because I disagree, which is funny since I am black. Never happened on FR. People over there seem more secure but I sence that is largely due to the site's demographics. DU ettacts the 'leftish' young whereas FR attracts the older secure.

A;s0=== I am drunk while writing this,,

[SoCalDem]

53. hasn't been for a long time now..

:(

[Raine]

54. Sometimes it's civil but sometimes I think people deliberately misunderstand

so they can make something out of nothing. :-(

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SDuderstadt]

56. There's a big difference between...

"criticizing" the President and cravenly attacking him.

[Name removed]

57. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[QC]

58. Kick!