This is strictly for the newbies, lurkers, and the terminally shy on DU

Salutations! :hi:

Back in the days when the BBS reigned supreme and baud rates higher than 19.2K were almost unheard of in the civilian market (God, I loved my second-hand Hayes 9600-baud modem), I often used Salutations as a first-time greeting in the pretty much the same way the Japanese use Hajimemashite. When the World Wide Web finally gained a foothold, my old greeting pretty much went by the wayside, but not by design. It was just one of those things.

So, here's the deal about me in case you've been reluctant to start participating in the DU Forums, especially General Discussion, because I know many of you have heard stories in the Lounge by now.

I'm a Texas native, lived in the Dallas area my whole life, married, no children. Back in 1994, I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life - I voted for Republicans who helped usher in this nonsense we've had to deal with since 2000. For that, I am truly sorry. I never believed that things would get this bad. I honestly thought that this time, here, in America, we would all learn from our mistakes together and make this an even better nation. The final straw came when George W. Bush got the 2000 Republican nomination for President. Not that I was sold on Gore (I thought he needed people skills), but I voted for him anyway because I was really scared of what Bush would do to America.

I stopped being a Republican long before I actually became a Democrat. And I have Howard Dean to thank for that. Whatever you may feel about Dean, his stand against the invasion of Iraq and his take on social policy in America made me an actual Democrat. Today, I'm a precinct chair, and I just attended my first Democratic state convention as a full-fledged delegate. I even got my picture snapped with our next Senator, Barbara Ann Radnofsky. Here's proof:



But I get my bouts of shyness just like a lot of you do. Sometimes I'm a bit unsure of myself. That hasn't stopped me, however, from sharing my thoughts on DU and learning from everyone else here at the same time.

I can honestly say that Democratic Underground is my home on the Web. Without the encouragement of my wife and everyone on DU, I probably wouldn't be where I am today.

So, if I can take the first step, so can you. It's a lot easier than you might think.

Welcome to DU!

I'm pretty sure honest and thoughtful thought will always be welcomed here. No need to be shy. I have a brother in Keller and he feels much like you do.

mike here in VA. I love the DU shout outs! Thanks!

I still prefer shouting at my monitor because that way, nobody has proof! Ummm, oh yeah....I forgot the walls have ears.

:argh:

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

Welcome to DU! :hi:

It's empowering, isn't it? Nothing fights the blues and sense of helplessness like rolling up one's sleeves and diving into the task of being part of the solution.

We are stronger together. Everyone has something to offer. Find your niche and be a part of the efforts which will save AND RESTORE America!

For the very shy, try starting with writing letters to the editor (usually referred to as LTTE here). If you are nervous about how you write, DU is a great place to brainstorm with others. There are a lot of good teachers here.

State forums are good haunts for novices. For some, easing into political action at a local level works well. Take a look. If you don't find threads which address you concerns or ideas - POST SOME and ask questions. Most folks on DU love to jump in and strut their stuff when there are questions.

When someone else posts for info or help and it is right up your alley, jump into the fray and offer up some of your knowledge, observations, ideas. It really isn't that hard once you dive in.

Sure, you will have to work on growing thicker hide. This ain't no echo chamber, but that can be a good thing too. A bit of adversity will hone your skills and keep your critical thinking tuned. You will make allies here and find you are not as alone as you thought you were. Building little networks of people who can help you and you can help is most gratifying. Those networks help us grow stronger and wiser. You will find friends here given time and a bit of effort on your part. Choose wisely and they can be most educational and rewarding.

Come on in. The water's fine. If ya happen to have any trouble with a shark or two, well, you will find some lifeguards here. And the buddy system works well.

but thanks for the note. Here is response #1! I'll make it out of my shell sooner rather than later.

:toast:

Keep clicking that "Post message" button!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

:hi:

I've been signed up since the beginning but I've only really been posting for less than a year. I was kind of intimidated by the place for a long time, but you know what? Once you start posting, you will find your groove and your group. Don't worry about it and just start posting.

:hi:

I lurk here more then logging-in because, well, I'm shy. But, this is the absolute best place to get the news, you know, before they chop it up on the tee-vee.

Welcome to DU and good luck on posting. :hi:

:wow: I had a 2400 baud at home but at work we had a 1200!!! Wish mine had been that speedy!! :rofl:

BTW, I'm in Arlington. Hi neighbor! :hi:

I really became active when my son was sent to Iraq the first time,came back screwed-up,and got sent back again!If it wasn't for DU,I would have lost my sanity back then.I grew so tired of these patronizing Ellis County Republicans..."thank your son for his service"...SCREW THEM-he's screwed up so your kid didn't have to go........anyway-welcome to all the new guys,shy guys and others-you'll find your voice-and there will almost always be a kindred spirit here....:grouphug:

Were you able to make it to the state convention a couple of weeks ago?

Oh yeah, about that 9600 baud Hayes - remember the sidewalk sales they used to have in downtown Dallas on Ross Avenue? Showed up there once at 3 in the morning, before most of the vendors had set up their wares. Found this one guy with a Hayes 9600 V.32 SmartModem. No manual, and the power cord was some jury-rigged thing. It could be mine for $100, the "red-eye" special. This at a time when those modems were still like $400 or so brand new in your local computer shop.

How could I resist? I paid my money, took the modem home, plugged it in, and surfed BBSes in total bliss without any problems at all. I even found an actual Hayes SmartModem power adapter a few months later for $10 - again, at the sidewalk sale. I was in on-line heaven. Ah, those were the days...

:hi:

DU has been my go-to news source for the past two years...keeps me sane. Cheers to you all.

:hi:

Way to go, derby378!

:toast:

:hi: :hi: :hi: to all who post here :D

:patriot: thanks for sharing your story .

I registered Democratic when I learned about
Howard Dean too .. I was a green party member
before that .

You and I come from completely different perspectives
yet we found common ground through Dean's vision of
the party . :hug: thanks for all the hard work you are
doing for America .

I hit the information superhighway riding a skateboard... I was using a 1200 baud modem when 28.8s were the big thing. What does THAT tell you?

As for the rest... It's all about the community. If you're hearing horror stories in the Lounge, maybe you should stay out of the Lounge. ;) Aside from a few terminally obnoxious types, GD isn't a bad place at all.

and really just a small percentage post. Wish it were more.

Thanks for your thread - and I hope more people will jump in!

member of DU since a few days after democracy died (November 2004). I wasn't really a republican before....I wasn't really anything and didn't have a clue about what was really going on in the world or in politics. It was after the bombing and my disbelief that we could actually do that that I discovered the net as an alternate news source.....really the only news source where I could find out the truth. To this day I'm in shock that Shrub could get elected after all the lies.

This is a great place for news and lately I've been moved to participate a little more. I live in Cornelius NC (my county was blue) and I have a 20 year old son who fortunately has issues with authority so didn't join the service. I use to worry about this quirk in him but every day when I see a picture of one of those poor kids over there, I don't feel so bad about letting him watch South Park at a young age which I'm convinced aided in developing his rebellious attitude.

You are a great group of people and it helps me stay optimistic by coming here everyday. Thanks DU

I've been a lurker for nearly 3 years and have finally decided to get involved in this forum. I used to be what I consider a 'moderate democrat'. The current republicans have made me rebel completely from their ideology and I'm about as liberal as they come nowadays.

The primary reason I've stayed away from posting is that I saw the vast amount of intelligence, wittiness, and amazing ideas of this board and was throughly intimidated. But hey, I just graduated high-school today and am going to school for engineering so I cant be THAT big of a dummy. Hopefully in my ignorance I wont embarrass myself as bad as the morans do.

Posting here will make you more intelligent, witty, and amazing in no time at all. You will become a great lover and win the lottery. The rest of your life starts now...:)

--IMM

the Sea of Tranquility formally called the Kenai Peninsula. :)

DU keep me sane.

While on the other hand... posting on Freerepublic will make you slow minded, Moronic, and dull in no time at all. You will lose all bodily functions associated with being a lover and actually play the lottery. The rest of your existance starts now... :)

I'm already maxed out on my love skills.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

the very best to you with your engineering future. My son is a computer engineering student. I admire those of you who make this commitment. Just looking at some of the math he has taken makes my head hurt.

We are such a diverse group here. Sometimes I am so shy about posting that I'll type up a post & think "aw nobody wants to read that" & delete it, when it was actually a good contribution.

My first post on DU was to a Mopaul thread. He fired me up about something. I don't see him posting anymore, but boy is he smart (and sassy).

I'm thinking all the Calculus, Probabilities, and Physics should be really fun. Can't wait to start. :7

I lurked for three years before even signing up for a username, hehe.

Even after I finally got around to that, I haven't posted too often. Usually by the time I get to a thread, someone else has said what I would say. The benefit of being around like-minded people! :)

Edited to see just how long it took me to get an ID.

I'm definitely a newbie, and that was a wonderful way for me to get started here! Thanks for the inspiration! :party:

and this makes me feel good about it too! What a welcoming thing to do.

Thanks for this! And welcome to all the newby posters too! :hi:

George Bush and his policies have done great harm to America. I regret having supported him...Every time I buy gasoline.

There are many independent liberals and progressives. When Clinton was in office, I sent him many messages about policies I disapproved of. I would send many more to Bush, but I can't afford to wind up on a no-fly list, or in Guantanamo.:scared:

I think that if you believe in the Constitution, this is home.:patriot:

--IMM

You seem like a really cool person.

Maybe we need more of these type of posts now and then.

:hi:

"Today, I'm a precinct chair, and I just attended my first Democratic state convention as a full-fledged delegate."

These are the most inspirational words I've read on DU in a long time! Thank you for the great post!

I lurked here from about November of 2001, but didn't sign up and post until about a year and a half ago. Yes, eighteen months and not even 100 posts yet, LOL!

I'm not so much shy as rather I agree so much with many of the posts I read that I don't feel I have anything to contribute beyond "me too." And at times it's honestly not worth the effort to start an argument with someone with whom I virulently disagree.

I love DU as an information source, but I was never much into Usenet and other boards that turned into flame fodder and a source of stress for me, and I'm glad that the mods here at DU keep the peace.

Thanks for this WONDERFUL post, and for your remarkable journey through this political evolution and awakening!

I'm watching Military Families Speak Out holding a press conference in Washington - on CSPAN. It's actually a rerun from Thursday. THIS is why I could NEVER, EVER be a republi-CON - or, out of respect to you, derby378, a Republican. I'm crying over some of what they're saying. They are SO correct, and derby378, so are YOU! THANK YOU for this. THANK YOU for your commitment. Try not to let your shyness overcome you. You have a LOT to say, and ALL OF IT is worthwhile!

HUGS! (Yes, I'm SHOUTING!)

In my early days online, I was connecting at 14.4K. I've been an internet junkie for 11 years now. I remember that there were very few websites with forums like this, and people posted on good old Usenet instead.

We're old-timers on the internet, aren't we? :)

I head Veterans For Progress IL

:yourock:

Much appreciated.

Mostly, my reticence is because the issue most important to me isn't one that gets responses.

Yes, I know.. people keep saying it doesn't matter whether you get responses, just post your thoughts. But, that isn't really it. Getting no responses eventually ends up in losing interest and energy.

It's all very discouraging.

Thanks for the call-out... very hospitable!