For several weeks now, the Fark Politics Tab has been farther to the left than I've ever seen

[krispos42]

http://www.fark.com/politics/

I've been watching it a couple of years now. They didn't have it when I first joined; the admins put it in to dispell allegations of political bias. It's non-partisan, and they basically post anything that a Farker can create an eye-catching headline for. Even during the presidential election in 2008 and the midterms in 2010, I can't recall the pointer moving more that a few pixels to either side of the center.

But ever since the Wisconsin Republicans tried their anti-union bullshit a couple of months ago, it's moved and stayed way over to the left. It's damn-near on the 2nd tick mark, which is huge, and the 30-day history is impressively to the left as well.

I take this as a very positive sign indeed!

[hootinholler]

1. I like the scale

commie to fascist

Makes me wonder what their methods are.

-Hoot

[jtrockville]

2. I think they take the "tag" into account when ranking articles.

I can't find anything about it on their website, so I'm going from my (somewhat foggy) memory from when they instituted the scale. For example, if they post a left-leaning article with a "dumbass" tag, it could change the rank from "commie" to "fascist".

[krispos42]

4. When you submit a link in the "Politics" tab...

...one of the options is something like "Commie/Neutral/Fascist"

IIRC; I haven't submitted many.

[On the Road]

5. They Have a Pretty Broad Specturm of Opinions

I like arguing politics on Fark better than DU sometimes. On DU I end up arguing with posters who are either self-defined socialists or farther left than I am. Disagreeing with your own is usually dipiriting.

Fark has a good subset of Ayn-Rand and Freeper types who are much more fun to play with. Some of them are pretty well educated. But they're not a majority by any means. And regardless of political persuasion, there are some pretty damn funny people on that site.

[jtrockville]

3. The comments have become much more left-leaning as well.

I also use fark as a sort of barometer for attitudes of the "general public" - I'd say things are taking a decidedly leftward swing.

[socialist_n_TN]

6. See, it's not just DU that going socialist..........

:) It's the WHOLE WORLD! :rofl:

[MedleyMisty]

7. Hey, I like that idea!

Marx did predict it, and I think we might have hit the point where wealth has become completely divorced from welfare.

[socialist_n_TN]

8. Well, I've always been an optimist Misty..........

And DU has CERTAINLY become MUCH more socialists than when I first started lurking about 18 months ago, so....