General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Shut Discussionist down!... [View all]LWolf
(46,179 posts)I'm aware of a few other things as well:
1. DU is a censored site. It always has been. There are controls on the conversation. DU owners have usually, but not always, been liberal about keeping those controls to a minimum in an effort to promote healthy discussion.
2. If discussions at DU are to be more than an echo chamber, they have to be transportable. They have to be able to be taken to, and to stand up to, the opposition. Creating a site where that can be done is well within reason.
3. One of the reasons why some DUers participate at discussionist is because they can speak more freely there without DU's partisan censorship. Liberals/leftists who care about issues beyond party appreciate that.
4. There is filth to be found at DU, as well as substance-less fluff, lots of party propaganda, and still some interesting, substantive discussions. The same can be said for discussionist. All human groups reflect their members, and their is no pure, pristine group that has no flaws, no human ugliness.
5. If the point of discussion is to make your points well enough to actually make people think, you have to actually allow the opposition into the room to hear them. If you are going to engage your opposition, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE. That's the way it works. The point is to use reason to drive your conversation, not emotion. That's how you make people think.