Some Comments About DU

I'd like to say something, if anyone is still listening.

I can understand the wisdom of not allowing RWers to post here. This is, after all, the Democratic Underground. RWers would do nothing but interrupt discourse and insult us. We don't need that; we need a place where we can discuss politics with like-minded people.

But listen: to just ignore someone who posted an opinion outside the DU mainstream ('Give Up') is more like how I'd expect RWers to act; not Democrats.

Maybe I'm wrong, and if I am, forgive me - but it's like ever since that one post, which was just expressing doubt, not a promise of my eternal support for the Republican party, I've been black-balled.

If we can't tolerate ideas with which we disagree, then how are we different from RWers? That's how many of them act; black-balling people that don't kowtow to right-wing talking points. I thought that we were different.

Maybe I've been acting like a troll lately, posting random stuff that doesn't have anything to do with the discussion. But it's like nobody - or hardly anyone - is listening anymore. So who gives a crap? And this is in the wake of threads I've posted that have gotten positive votes from people, such as the 'We Can Do This' and 'No, I Won't Shut Up' threads. After one fairly controversial thread expressing doubt, I'm getting a freeze-out? Thanks a whole bunch, DU.

And it's not like I expect a round of applause or anything like it when I post. But even a "great thoughts" would be preferable to nothing at all. Please don't mistake this post for arrogance. It doesn't have to do with ego as much as how ideas - especially those that may not be in the DU mainstream - are perceived here.

If I'm wrong, tell me so. I'll apologize and we can get back to discussing current events like as though nothing happened. If I'm not wrong, well.... I'll find a place to discuss current events elsewhere.
Ringo

ACT like a troll, then expect to be TREATED like one.

Cause and effect.

redstone

Well, maybe if I wasn't treated like a public enemy for one post, I wouldn't have acted like that. I figured that nobody was listening anymore. Who cares?
Ringo

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

You got me all wrong, Wonk. If you knew me personally, you'd know that.

I'm sorry you feel that that's what I'm doing here. You're entitled to your opinion.
Ringo

But do we react to those hostile reactions by "acting like a troll?"

Is that the right way to respond?

I don't think it is. But that's just my opinion.

Redstone

Something about a Norwegian guy name Kristen.

We really are like a family. The little spats come and go, but we're on the same side in the end.

As long, that is, that we understand that these things happen, and don't overreact to them.

Right?

Redstone

Though I did just start a thread for you in the Lounge.

when I do.

Redstone

:D

Redstone

You really are one of my favorite posters.

See my reply. And again, thanks. I'm still smiling.

Redstone

I know. I've pissed off RWers on the ICQ Current Events board. But it was not like this. Even the trolls were more forgiving.

You're probably right about the trolling. Maybe that's what it was. I suppose I compounded a mistake (posting those concerns here) with another mistake (not speaking up immediately/not having thick skin).

This is as much an exercise in speaking out for myself than addressing a growing concern, by the way. Maybe I spoke out too much. I've done it in the past too.
Ringo

As have I.

Redstone

You're not so bad, Redstone. I'm beginning to like you. You give good advice - sounds like advice my Dad's given me.
Ringo

But trust me on this: I've found my own way on DU, as with so many other aspects of my life.

And if you do the same, and find your own way, you'll understand that there will be people who don't like you, and others who do, and that's just the way of any community.

It's the way of the world. Live with it, or bitch about it, or do without it. It all ends up the same in the end. We are each of us who we are, and others are as they are.

Can you tell I'm an Indian?

Redstone

I expect to be called on it and I appreciate it when it happens as its another learning experience, never any hard feelings on my part. If I knew everything I wouldn't need to come here in the first place. In my mind I have learned more about whats is important and what is happening in the world than I have in my whole existence.
DU:yourock:
just call me old thick skinned mad assed okie

I am a Gay Moderate and the things I have been called! I just consider the source & move on.

If I took to heart everything that has been said to me on DU I would be rolled up in a fetal position.

Don't get me wrong, DU is a great place, but I seem to rub a certain crowd here the wrong way & you know what? Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

Thanks for the advice. I do tend to have a thin skin.

Not everyone here is like this. But just recently, it's like I could post the lyrics to 'Freebird' and nobody would notice.
Ringo

I'm not a fan of that band. And am sick to DEATH of that song.

Redstone

I'm old, you have to understand. I've heard that song about 127,000 too many times.

Redstone

:rofl:

Redstone

One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small

When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said:
"Feed your head
Feed your head
Feed your head"

:yoiks:

You must have, or you wouldn't have posted that.

Whoa.

Redstone

But I still like it. And now that you have brought it to memory it will roll around in my head for a while.

:popcorn: :popcorn:

Redstone

Sorry. :)

Here's another example: the complete lyrics of 'Happiness is a Warm Gun'. Better?
Ringo

Sorry. :)

Here's another example: the complete lyrics of 'Happiness is a Warm Gun'. Better?
Ringo

:hi:

Thought they were funny - even if they were out of place - well, sort of. Ann Coulter IS like a head of lettuce: she'd be better chilled and just sitting there. ;)

Yeah. I really shouldn't have posted it. But maybe I turned it into something moderately funny.

I absolutely agree with Coulter, by the way. I wasn't going to say this, but it was her appearance on Leno (and the subsequent lack of any challenge to her BS) that put me in this condition. She's highly corrosive; worse than even the strongest acid.
Ringo

Unfortunately, you don't have posting privileges there yet. So we must continue to freeze you out. Sorry 'bout that.



Of course I'm kidding. You really do need to grow a thicker skin.

Oh, and chances are pretty damned high that this thread will get locked.

You're right, of course. I probably do need a thicker skin.

Why would the thread get locked? I'm not sure I understand the reasoning behind that.
Ringo

I love it when we talk about people in Forum X.

Go ahead :) I feel a lot better now.
Ringo

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...some just go Plop.

It's a big, big pond here at DU, and most of us are just little fishes in it. Hundreds upon hundreds of posts sink without trace every day. Don't think there's an agenda behind them all. It's just the nature of a fast moving board like DU.

Grow a thicker skin, have patience, and go for quality rather than attention. The attention will, in time, take care of itself.

You may be right. That may be one of my biggest errors here: thinking that DU's like ICQ.

This is a bigger forum. It may be that only a few people really reacted negatively to that post. But no one else has just happened to respond to my responses yet.

I've probably been spending too much time on the smaller forums.

Thanks for the advice. If the moderators let me stay (I hope they do), I'll try to take it to heart.
Ringo

listen, i understand what you're saying, sometimes we need to feel like we're being heard.

On a big place like DU, though, you're gonna get passed up sometimes. I should've realized that. I'm so stoopid sometimes.
Ringo

:popcorn: :popcorn:

Did I miss anything important?

Unless you consider navel-gazing important.

If you want to involve youself in discussions, then do. If you don't, then don't. But don't expect whatever fine words of wisdom come from your mind to be subjected to the mass praise of the community just because you happen to think they are so fine.

I've been posting here for over two years. I'm sure less than ten percent of DU regulars even recognize my name. I've written what I personally consider brilliant pieces that never got a single response. The other day I wrote a brief, off-the-cuff, sarcastic comment that got 9 responses and generated an entire sub-thread. I didn't even pay attention to it. Such is the life of a discussion group. Live with it or don't.

If your ego needs recognition, you're in the wrong place.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but this comes across as nothing but "poor me for not being paid attention to" whining. You're basically engaging in a passive-aggresive attempt to get people to tell you you're okay. I don't know whether you're okay or not. Only you can answer that question.

So you posted something unpopular. (I personally have no idea. Didn't see it.) Who cares. I've posted tons of unpopular things and a very few that were quite popular. I don't really care either way. My life doesn't revolve around how much attention people in one corner of the Internet pay to what I say.

I understand what you're saying. I have mistakenly thought that DU was like the ICQ message boards. They're much larger.



No. Please don't get me wrong. While it's true that I guess I do need an ego boost (because I'm not very self-confident. It's probably not the type of boost I can really get here), it's NOT arrogant whining. If you knew me you'd agree; I'm like the opposite of one of these self-righteous, arrogant people that need attention all the time. In fact, I don't even like being in the spotlight; it makes me uncomfortable.

But I felt as though I was being frozen out because of a few controversial comments. I see now that I was wrong. I'm glad I'm wrong; I was pretty sure that DUers weren't like RWers....at least most of them.

What you're saying isn't exactly wrong. The type of recognition and boost I need probably can't be acheived here, as I said earlier. As wrong as I am about DU (and as arrogant as I have apparently come across), I'm not sorry I stood up for myself. It was good for me.
Ringo

I'm just interpreting how this comes across. Call it a critique of the writing.

To be clear, I know how you *feel* but it really doesn't matter. To use a recent example, I only rarely post in the Lounge, thus people who frequent that forum almost exclusively hardly know me at all. I posted a link in the Lounge the other day that led to a site I thought was incredibly funny. It got one response. Later the next day, a self-described Lounge Lizard posted the same thing, and the last I checked, it had over 30 responses just to the original post.

Should I be offended?

Bottom line: you're not being frozen out. If you post something incredibly unpopular, it may land you on certain people's enemy's list. Take it as a badge of honor. I do when I engage someone on subjects related to the South. But, despite what some whiners say, this really is a big tent. There's room for all sorts of commentary here. Go with it.

No, I appreciate your interp. I'm definitely no Great Writer or the next John F. Kennedy. I'm wrong more often than I'm right - believe me.

As for your advice, I will. Thanks.
Ringo

I read everything, just usually post in the lounge though. Anyway, half the time my threads get ignored and half the time I look away and I have fifty posts in it. It's a total crapshoot with everything in DU.

One problem I have is that, for whatever reason, the Lounge appeals to me more late at night than during the day, and I tend to post there more often late at night when fewer people are reading it. Naturally what I post isn't going to get noticed as often except by the late-night crowd.

If I may be so bold, the best things I've ever posted have been in the sub-forums. Those don't get nearly the same level of traffic and so aren't noticed as much.

But it's truly no big deal. If whatever I write hits the audience I want it to hit, that's a success, whether they respond to it or not.

And I recognize you too. I think you actually responded to one of my Lounge threads that didn't get much response. :-)

That's all I have to say.

Well, I guess I came across as more arrogant than I meant to. Of course you all don't have to respond to me every post. Please - don't feel like you are obligated to because of this thread. I'm not one of those people who needs constant attention. I swear.

This was probably more my problem than anyone else's. I probably stirred up more shit than starting this thread than staying quiet and festering. But at least I know that DU's a pretty tolerant place.

Damn it! I do this all the time.
Ringo

Point's been made. Thanks.

disrupting the flow of the discussion.. that is fine and dandy. Do it on a site that was built for a mixed audience and a mixed discussion. This is democrat to democrat talking. And issue by issue - there are some differences. Some people are for or against guns... and those discussions go on because it is a very democratic one. You will not find yourself booted off for saying things that are open for discussion. But something completely alien to democrats? Find a mixed board.

Wow - these posts trying to change DU foundations are becoming more and more freequent. WHAT EVER DU IS DOING... IT IS DOING A GOOD JOB TO ATTRACT SUCH CONSTANT ATTENTION.

Thanks