Reply #4: I think it depends on your tone. [View All]

of your posts. Arguing is fine, and playing Devil's Advocate is fine, but when you actually will argue on an issue which is, at its core, a D vs. R major issue, you can find yourself in the middle of something you will likely never do again if you fall on the wrong side. It's not "you" personally as much as it is a sensitive issue.

If a new poster lurks for awhile, sees what is being posted, and can respond to a discussion without making it sound like 99.9% of the posters are on the "wrong side," then your chances of succeeding at DU are much improved.

Going around and trying to throw your yet-to-be-proven opinion in people's faces is a sure way to be suspected of being a puke, and being considered a disruptor. Some people just don't have the ability to be diplomatic in their arguments, and will end up on the wrong side of the tracks as a result.

Part of it is timing. Since the election, a lot of freepers and other pukes have been coming to DU to gloat or somehow hold over our collective head that we lost the election. If people showed up before the election, their loyalty can be questions, but they won't be considered freepers in the meanwhile. Only really idiot freepers tried to break through the stronghold before then. But since the election devastated a lot of us, the freepers are finding a lot of us vulnerable and are using that to infiltrate our ranks.

If people want to express their opinion, it's best to wait a little while than jumping in on serious issues in your first day here at DU. That way, if you are a Democrat or liberal, you will be seen more in the best way, and less in the bad way.