Thank Goodness for DU!

[MineralMan]

Seriously. It's one of the few political forums I've been on that lets a wide range of opinion be heard, as long as posters stick with its simple rules and avoid attacking other users or directly attack elected Democrats or Democratic candidates in extreme ways. That's a rare thing. Despite some people's statements to the contrary, I see every facet of Democratic philosophy here, from middle-of-the road Democrats to on-the-edge socialists.

That wide range of opinion helps all of us solidify our own perspectives and provides us all with food for thought. We're all in this together, so we all might as well talk it out. And that's what I see here every day.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear MineralMan!

I could not agree with you more!

This place has saved my sanity, and at other times, threatened it! But it is indeed the best place on the internet...

Recommended!

[MineralMan]

10. Thanks very much!

I visit many websites, but DU remains the only one I'm currently posting on. I've left all the others.

[NYC_SKP]

38. K and Arrrgggg!

Feelin' my Pirate Groove.

[saracat]

69. Du is a regular stop for me but I post on many. I post on many local Democratic blogs and

on news blogs both national and local. The local news blogs give a lot of bang for your buck since they hit both sides of the aisle and target local issues in election years!

[Cetacea]

2. Im looking forward

to the new mineralman 2.0, kinder,gentler. No more attacking OPs for "whining" about record breaking heat, yes?

:hi:

[MineralMan]

3. I'm always the same MineralMan. I have many facets, just like

a fine gemstone. :rofl:

[Cetacea]

4. With a few hard edges...

:applause:


:hide:

[MineralMan]

6. Indeed. They can scratch glass, too.

[Cetacea]

5. K&R

Good Op.

[MineralMan]

9. Thankee, kindly!

[BeFree]

7. Discussing, not just cussing

DU is. And I hope will always be.

[MineralMan]

8. Exactly. We may not agree, but we can speak to each other.

Sometimes, we actually do agree, besides.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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

[Spazito]

15. Wow! "outstanding site that can't be named"....

The only sites I know that "can't be named" on DU are rabid right ones and a few rabid anti-DU ones. I would hardly describe them as "outstanding" by ANY measure.

[sufrommich]

18. God, there is nothing as pathetic as a Forum Warrior. nt

[Call Me Wesley]

28. They have five members, but lots of RSS feeds ...

If you line them up in a row, that makes fifty miles, doesn't it? ;)

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

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

[WillyT]

12. K & R !!!

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

:applause:

:hi:

[MineralMan]

13. Thanks! Another vote for variety.

[Scurrilous]

14. K & R

:thumbsup:

[MineralMan]

19. Thanks!

Every time I visit other sites, I'm grateful for DU. That's why DU is so successful and has so many active members. Here, you can state your case without being attacked personally. Your case may be attacked, but only with reasonable discussion.

That's a rare thing in online political forums.

[janx]

20. An interesting couple of days, eh?

:rofl:


Wow.

[MineralMan]

25. All days are interesting. Truly.

[janx]

27. Yes.

Indeed they are.

[blondeatlast]

16. I've had my mind changed here by thoughtful, reasoned arguments. That's the beauty of this place.

Thank you to lots of thoughtful, reasoned DUers.

[MineralMan]

17. And thanks to you for all of your participation.

We're all still learning, I think. I hope we never stop.

[librechik]

21. I need my Radio Free DU every day, or I would probably

just hide in the house with the tv off.

[MineralMan]

24. I do that anyhow. The TV is scary. Even my cats think so, except

when there's a show about birds on Discover. :rofl:

[janx]

22. Why do you call yourself MineralMan?

Does it have anything to do with the evil, corporatist mining industry? :rofl:

[MineralMan]

23. For about 10 years, until 2005, I owned a web site that sold

reasonably-priced mineral specimens to individual collectors. It was modestly successful, and I enjoyed it very much. However, I had to shut it down for about three months to move to Minnesota. The environment for selling mineral specimens online was changing dramatically during that period, and when I fired up again, it was too late to recover, even though my website was among the first three in that business online.

Thus it goes. I sold my remaining stock to another dealer and moved on.

There is a mineral dealer who started after I went out of business who uses the name MineralMan. But, I started using that name in online forums in 1996, and I just haven't changed it since.

[janx]

26. Would you be so kind as to post pics of your minerals,

please? Do you have any left?

I am glad you have nothing to do with the evil and corporatist mining industry. :rofl:

[MineralMan]

29. I certainly could, but that would be off-topic, really.

And I only have two specimens left. Neither is particularly beautiful, but both mean something to me. Thanks for asking. Maybe I should start a thread in the Science forum about mineral collecting. There might be some people here interested in that.

[janx]

40. The science forum? Now why didn't I think of that?

:rofl:

[MineralMan]

44. Indeed. To that end, I've started just such a thread in DU's

Science Forum. We'll see if there's any interest.

[MineralMan]

31. Well, both of my grandfathers worked in a copper mine in

Arizona. Does that count? They're dead, now, and the mine is closed, so maybe not. I still have a stock certificate from the mine they worked in, the Magma Mine in Superior, AZ, but it's stamped "Canceled." So I guess I won't retire on the proceeds it selling it.

[Call Me Wesley]

30. Well said!

:hi:

[MineralMan]

33. Thank you. It took me a long time to get here, but there's no way

I'd leave. I need someplace to post, after all.

[inna]

32. K&R. DU is the best news/information source I can think of, anywhere on the net.

:kick:

[MineralMan]

35. It is that. If there's important news, you can be sure it'll show

up here soon after it breaks. Particularly political news. And, once it does show up, you know there will be a lively discussion about the story, along with links to more information.

Plus, we have DUers living just about everywhere in the country, so we even get important local stories, with a unique perspective. I just love what happens when there's an earthquake somewhere. Within minutes, people who felt it are posting and someone posts links the the USGS earthquake site. You can't find that kind of depth anywhere.

We even got to hear about some has-been young actress who had nasty words on her fingernails. You just can't beat that! :rofl:

[Riftaxe]

34. I do not see many of the middle of the road democrats here,

They are actively discouraged from posting. In addition it is not unusual for the DNC to come under attack on this board, a bit to often to think that all of the posters are confusing them with the DLC (especially during primary season).

The thing that DU really shines at is keeping people aware of current issues, letting the inquisitive go off and research them and form their own opinions (the less inquisitive will just grab hold of a talking point and repeat ad nauseam).

[MineralMan]

36. Actually, I see lots of them here. They're often posting in support of

President Obama. Accusations are often false. The entire range of Democratic thought is visible on DU, from the center, clear to the point where a few Democrats fall off the Western edge of the planet into the vasty void that is there.

As the old map says, "Here, there be dragons."

[seabeyond]

47. amusing. one feels isolated and overwhelmed by the other. there are duers that see nothing but dlc

conservative dems and middle of the roaders and nothing of the liberal and the left.

i have watched this argument often on du. from all groups

[Spazito]

37. I agree!

It is the place I go while drinking my morning coffee to read the LBN (THE best forum, imo) then I meander over to GD and GDP to read threads that catch my eye and prepare to either: check my blood pressure after reading; do a search based in what I read in various threads; post my thoughts on the subject matter or type a response to a post that thoroughly pissed me off and then walk away for a bit, come back and read the post and promptly delete it instead of hitting 'send', all in all feeling better for having vented if only in a draft, lol.

[MineralMan]

39. I've learned that everyone has a unique way of using DU.

I tend to watch just the Latest page, clicking on threads of interest. Others use the Greatest page as their portal into the site. Some never venture far from individual forums or groups. There are very active posters here whose names I don't even recognize.

We even have our own little hidey holes for really, really special interests and the Lounge for wacky zany topics.

As the song goes, when played on a faulty old record player, "You can get anything you want, at Skinner's Restaurant."

[Boojatta]

41. "I tend to watch just the Latest page, clicking on threads of interest."

If you ever change your DU user-name, will you consider replacing it with "EarlyBird"? (Why does asking that question suddenly make me feel like a worm?)

[MineralMan]

43. Can't imagine why I'd change it. I'm trying to maintain

some continuity.

[BootinUp]

42. Yes.

This must be why I stick around,



even though sometimes I feel like I am in the smallest minority. lol.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

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

[SidDithers]

46. Good post...

:applause:

Sid :hi:

[MineralMan]

50. Thanks, Sid.

[HughMoran]

48. The reasonable folks gave you 27 unrecs thusfar

Point made.

[MineralMan]

49. Ha! I wasn't really paying attention to that.

Thanks for the calculation. The Just Recs list shows 62 recommendations. I never check that stuff, but looked because of your post.

[spoony]

68. You google yourself but you don't keep track of recs?

Riiiiigggghhhhtttt.

[MineralMan]

72. Everyone Googles their own name occasionally.

If you don't, you should. Why, some people even pay to have a service monitor how the Internet sees them.

I don't pay much attention to recs/unrecs, because I rarely ever use the Greatest Page, which is the only way they affect a post.

[Violet_Crumble]

55. What point? I unrecced it as it's a rather silly OP...

Also, I don't really get the fixation of some folk with keeping a count on how many recs or unrecs an OP gets and getting all judgy on those who don't do what the poster thinks they should...

[HughMoran]

56. As I said...

[Violet_Crumble]

57. Care to explain what you mean?

I'm not at all sure what point you think yr talking about, or why whether me unreccing or reccing that OP should bother you at all...

[HughMoran]

58. Unrecing this thread is childish IMO

Have fun with your power.

[Violet_Crumble]

59. That's a rather silly opinion, IMO...

Here's a bit of a newsflash - not everyone has to fall into lockstep with you and yr opinions on what deserves to be recced or unrecced. I have my own opinion about the OP and I unrecced it. Big deal. There's no power involved in reccing or unreccing anything, and as you clearly seem to have major issues with the rec/unrec system, I suggest you complain to DU admin about it rather than get all snarky at me about it.

[HughMoran]

60. Well, at least your real motives were drawn out now

...and I was more right that I thought.

[Violet_Crumble]

61. Is it possible that you could answer the question I asked you?

I'll add the question 'What real motives?' to the list. I've got absolutely no idea what yr talking about, and I really would like you to explain what you've meant. I don't understand what's with the hostility coming from you....

[HughMoran]

62. Never mind, I was just messing with you

I just think that your jumping in to criticize me for pointing out that a rather harmless thread was unrecced 30 times simply because it mentions the 'rules' on this site is silly. I wasn't the one who butted it, so I thought you were being hostile for no particular reason. And yes, I think unreccing a perfectly harmless thread like this is an act of hostility.

[Violet_Crumble]

63. Okay...

Just so you know, while I found the OP very harmless, I didn't unrec it because of a mention of the 'rules', but because I just found it a bit too sickly sweet for my liking.

[HughMoran]

64. Interesting...

I would suggest that you don't post often and missed some of the 'rules wars', but you did get into it with Skinner in a popular GD thread questioning the 'rules', albeit over enforcement in a subforum - perhaps you post there more than in GD.

[Violet_Crumble]

65. I wouldn't call it 'getting into it' with Skinner...

I asked a question about something that didn't seem right and he got it sorted.

And, no, I don't post often at all lately. I used to post regularly in the I/P forum, but no longer post there due to issues very similar to the one I raised with Skinner in that other thread :)

[saracat]

70. Hostility? Thats a pretty loaded word for a simple unrec. Geez, in that case multiple acts of

"hostility" are committed everyday on DU :sarcasm: Sometimes posters just don't agree. :shrug:

[HughMoran]

71. You of all people

& your band of organized unreccers from afar would find my comment interesting.

[saracat]

74. What ? And I don't find your comment interesting.It find it an overstatement.

but then I don't live my life online. War ,hate crimes, and bigotry are hostile. An online unrec? Not so much.:shrug:

[MineralMan]

76. I have to agree with that. Unrecs are just unrecs.

They're meaningless, except with regard to DU's Greatest page. I've never seen them as any sort of hostility, just an attempt to keep a thread off the Greatest page.

[Name removed]

81. Deleted message

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

[saracat]

85. Not at all. I seldom unrec. I often rec. But non of it is hostile

Unreccing is the equivalent of not agreeing in my opinion. Not everyone agrees. Nor should they.

[NJmaverick]

78. The hostility comes from what is being unrecced

not the unrec itself. To disagree with OP implies that DU is not a good place. That begs the question- why the Unreccers are here?

[saracat]

87. Not necessarily. A poster could disagree with different aspects of the OP.

They may appreciate different things about DU. People have different reasons for their opinions and unrecs. One can never be sure why a poster unrecs. Did the posters who unrecced my Happy St. Patrick's Day post to DU not want DU you wished a Happy St. Patrick's Day? Not ncessarily. It takes all kinds and we cannot know all the reasons. Only when posters explain an unrec do we know.

[Cha]

80. Ah yes, Skinner Rules.

:)

[KonaKane]

82. It's bewildering, why anyone here would unrecc a "Thank you DU" thread

After all, we're here - at the behest of DU and the site administrators. A little thank you doesn't seem to be that outrageous.

[saracat]

83. Hey I posted a request for a memorial wall for our deceased DUers and many folks unrecced it.

Many more folks recced it .What can ya do? Some folks unrecc anything. Some rec everything. I don't often use the unrec feature. Its a personal preference. I often am stunned by what some folks will unrec. Some unrecced my Happy St. Patrick's Day wishes!

[KonaKane]

84. Unrecced a Happy St. Pats day wish??

Good lord.

[saracat]

86. Yup. I wished DU a Happy St. Pat's and got quite a few un recs.Seriously.

In my opinion, a lot of recs and un recs are more personality than content based. Certainly not ALL. There has been a lot of very good content, even some I didn't necessarily agree with but worth learning , but sometimes it is just nanny nanny boo boo.

[Violet_Crumble]

88. I haven't unrecced a 'thank you DU' thread, which would explain yr bewilderment...

I don't unrec genuine thank you threads, and not sure why yr pretending to mind-read and know *why* I unrecced anything or why you think it's any of yr business...

[KonaKane]

89. Is there something disingenuous about this thank you thread? I dont think so.

But if you know of any particulars, I'd love to read about them.

[Violet_Crumble]

90. I don't think it's genuine at all...

Which is why I unrecced it. I don't need to explain anything to you, as what I rec or unrec isn't any of yr business, and I'm not sure why you think it would be...

[HughMoran]

91. It was "rather silly" earlier, now it's not "genuine"

So I was more right than wrong earlier.

[Violet_Crumble]

92. I didn't realise the two were mutually exclusive...

As far as I'm aware, they're not. So, are you going to explain what you were talking about earlier?

[Bonobo]

51. MineralMan...

Although I perceive you as being to the right of me sometimes, I have always appreciated your thoughtful posts. You always consider any reasonable arguments that people back and (usually) reply back with a well written, considerate reply.

Thanks for helping to keep the DU tent big and friendly.

[MineralMan]

52. Thank you very much. I try to maintain an even keel here, although

I know I sometimes fall into a bit of a snarky mood from time to time. If we can't talk sensibly about issues on our own side of the political spectrum, we're in real trouble. DU is proof that such conversations can go on, even if they sometimes get energetic.

Keep posting. Keep reading. That's what I'll do, too. We'll all learn something.

[Mojeoux]

53. Getting ready for bed and one last check and DU makes me burst into tears of joy at 2:30AM

Joy and gratitude that their are kind, intelligent and science loving critical thinkers in the world. Maybe some people forget DU is all over the world. :toast: :bounce: :dunce: :hi:

[MineralMan]

54. Sleep well.

You're up too late, I think. :toast:

[Peacetrain]

66. A big K&R on that one MineralMan...

[NYC_SKP]

73. Kick!

Thanks again, MineralMan, for identifying the good that is DU.

:toast:

[MineralMan]

77. Not a problem. It's how I feel about the site.

Compared with all other sites of its type, it reaches a larger audience and has fewer angry exchanges. That's a good thing.

[NJmaverick]

75. K&R

[Silent3]

79. Goodness...

...had nothing to do with it!