Do you feel like you're part of a community here on DU?

[Lucian]

If so, why? If not, why not?

I joined DU back in 2005 under a different username and I was glad to find a place where like-minded progressives like me hated Dubya. I also liked the fact that people here helped each other out during fundraisers, even when they didn't know the person IRL or offline. I also liked seeing news I wouldn't see on mainstreem media websites. I still like all of those things.

So how about you?

[Renew Deal]

1. Yes

Why? Because we are a group of mostly like minded brothers and sisters that enjoy the camaraderie and the arguments.

Although people come here to learn, they also come to fight. DU wouldn't be half the fun without the arguments. In fact, it would just be Huffington Post.

[el_bryanto]

2. There are a lot of things to like about DU

But the Community thing has always been problematic. We are mostly pretty passionate and focused, and willing to describe those who disagree with us as immoral or stupid. Usually immoral.

Bryant

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Oh, yes indeed.

One huge, massively dysfunctional extended family.

[tekisui]

4. I agree.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. i only feel part of the lgbt du community

not the extended du community

[mitchtv]

13. Likewise, sister

I've been here since 01, and have developed a bond with many of the lgbt posters here.

[Lucian]

23. How come?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

39. prevalent heterosexism and tolerance of homophobia

minimizing issues of the lgbt community etc

and some attitude differences (like whenever there is a sex related scandal, i think straight du'ers live on a planet different than the one i do)

that is not to say there are no straight du'ers i like or have become friends with but as a whole i dont feel part of the straight du community

[sabrina 1]

74. I feel like I live on a different planet

also whenever there is a sex scandal here. I just can't for the life of me see why someone else's sex life is any of our business. And I'm sorry you feel that way about not being part of a community here. That is sad.

[Name removed]

77. Deleted message

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

[dembotoz]

6. yes

[Marrah_G]

7. Yes I do

During my banning it was painful to not be able to communicate with people I had felt so close to, even those I disagreed with. Like with all communities, you have those you like and those you dislike.

[Solly Mack]

8. I'm still here (2001)...that's gotta mean something.

[H2O Man]

9. Sometimes yes,

sometimes no.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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

[Renew Deal]

11. Do you think it's a perception problem?

Because I doubt you notice the stuff you agree with and I think there's a lot more of that.

[LynneSin]

12. Who is to be the one that holds the Democratic Yard Stick that measures who is right and who isn't

I might not agree with every DUer and without a doubt not many agree with me. But I feel there's alot of bull with this so-called 'conservative movement' meant to move the party to the right.

The one thing I don't want to be is a party where everyone has to think 100% in line with the leaders. That's what the republicans do and if you don't think like they do they'll turn against you. Democrats have always been the big tent party. And although I'll turn against a few who go way over the line (like Joe Lieberman as the best example) for the most part I'm a pretty accepting person.

If I got all my democratic news from DU, I'd think that the Democratic Party was on it's last legs. Then this past week we held voter registration and volunteer sign up for Obama's campaign and we got 30 new volunteers in a 3 hour period (my porch was 2 blocks from the event so it was good numbers for the traffic we got). I worked with 8 other volunteers who were all eager to get out support and met with many voters who stopped by our stand to talk about how they were excited for the next election. Point is this - what happens on online and what happens in the Real World very rarely match. If it did Howard Dean would have been the nominee back in 2004.

[Peacetrain]

14. Depends on the day.. As an avowed Democrat.. Some days

can get pretty hairy in here.

[DevonRex]

15. Of course.

Even the people I argue with want more liberal policies to be put in place. And I have some really good friends here.

[guitar man]

16. Yes

I'm the crazy old guy who wanders around talking to himself most of the time, but hey, every community has one of those lol :spray:

[DevonRex]

17. Hahaha.

I've been meaning to ask if you're lost. :evilgrin:

[guitar man]

20. I probably couldn't answer that

wait...what was the question?... hey, there's pudding, yay!! :silly:

[astral]

65. +1.

I feel both a part of and apart from here. I do not like how there is a right point of view and a wrong point of view on things so much, and the name-calling when I am on the wrong side of the fence. Hence I come to read much more than to post and don't really care about my popularity or lack of it here.

Diverse opinions and intelligent discussion are a plus.

The playful back and forth of the Lounge is a plus.

The fact that it can be addictive to come here and read every day can be a plus, and part of what makes it feel like an online community.

I do think too often here we fail to respect the differences, and I don't like seeing people being pushed out for being different, if they are being respectful about it.

So, yeah, I wander around here talking to myself a bit and seem to be a thread-killer, too, but hey, I must like it here . . . . or something . . .

[Hubert Flottz]

18. I'm generally much too shy to express myself.

But Bye Gawd I try! :hi:

[CreekDog]

19. not anymore

:shrug:

[Bluebear]

50. +

[REP]

21. Not really, but that's not a complaint or criticism

I've been here over 9 years and have under 12,000 posts - I'm not a high-volum poster, and few people "know" me. But that's not why I'm a participant here; if I wanted to feel like part of a community, it'd be incumbent upon me to do something about it. I speak only for myself.

[astral]

66. Well, I'm going to have to +1 that remark, too.

It is exactly my sentiment. (Although I haven't bothered to see how many posts I have, I don't have many for my time here.)

[BlueIris]

22. There are one or two forums in which I feel I am part of a community.

But not in the big forums. Not anymore. Very sad. I know the mods and Admin did what they could to stop it from getting to this point, but I think it's past the point of no return.

[Lucian]

24. What was the point of no return?

And what caused it?

[BlueIris]

26. Primary wars of '08.

Caused by the...primary wars of '08.

The divisive nature of the "dialog" in the Democratic Party and progressive community that began during that time created too many rivalries, too much hatred and too many irreconcilable differences. It created factionalism on this site.

[EFerrari]

29. Before the primary debate was allowed to get completely out of hand

people didn't start threads here with the intention of hurting other people very often.

That has died down to an extent after the admins and mods worked on it but it's not gone as a feature of this site.

[Lucian]

35. That it did.

I thought when Obama was chosen as the man to run, everyone would unite behind him. It didn't happen.

:(

[Bluebear]

49. Changing GD:Politics to GD:Presidential, fracturing people into subgroups

And a 2008 infiltration of pony poutrage people.

[Zorra]

25. Absolutely. When

we got the news about blondeatlast, I randomly teared up for 2 days.

[ImNotTed]

27. I'm new here, so--

--I'll have to get back to you on that one.

[femmocrat]

48. Welcome to DU, ImNotTed.

Hope you feel more a part of things as you post more often.

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

28. I very much do feel part of this community...

I have many good friends here, and some are now friends off line...

I've had incredible support when I needed it.

And I've been able to help several people when they needed my support.

DU is home.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

30. No, because of the state I was born in and live in.

You know the one. The big one that used to be a Republic.

It's sad that we are slammed by the rest of the folks at DU who tell us we can only be approved by liberals if we live in Austin. No place else is liberal enough. And we should never ever shop at wallyworld. If we live in the country, and can't ride the subway and live in high density housing close to Whole Foods, well then we just don't meet the liberal criteria.

We're not supposed to live in the country where I have family connections, and I inherited a house that I live in. Family connections aren't supposed to matter, only liberalism and being around other Democrats.

I am trying to be sarcastic but I am not.

[hfojvt]

31. you gotta know that Kansas comes in for its share of slamming

and so does Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Utah and Idaho. Perhaps not as much as Texas, because they are not big enough to make as many waves as Texas, but there are a few DUers from all of those states too.

[REP]

41. Well, Kansas deserves it*

*from a native Missourian. Cross-border rivalry that's not red/blue in origin.

(My brother was born in Kansas at KU Med, went to KU and still lives in Kansas ... same for my husband, except he moved. That's how much I 'can't stand' Kansans!)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

60. I went to music camp at KU back in high school.

Lived in one of those giant cinderblock dorms (McCullough? Lewis?) right by the expressway, went down the hill to the music building, took the bus to the Student Union, saw Comanche of the Seventh Cavalry stuffed, walked by the gothic castle that is the William Allen White School of Journalism, and made my first visit to a head shop known as The Campus Madhouse. Saw the college drama department's production of As You Like It.

Had a great time, performed in ten concerts in 5 weeks (one each week for orchestra and choir).
What an education!
Lordy, that was only forty years ago this summer!!!

I still have Jayhawk stickers on my violin case. Good times.

:D

[EFerrari]

45. Yeah, too bad you don't live in San Francisco. We never get any grief.

:)

[Mimosa]

75. Most DUers aren't like that, MoL.

I've been around a looong time. I notice occasional snooty out of touch posts but I don't believe they are indicative of how the majority think or feel.

For a good example, notice how the majority of members posted on this topic:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1327727&mesg_id=1327727

[KamaAina]

88. I support transit in both the city and the country.

And there are (or should be) a lot of options somewhere in the middle between Sprawl-Mart and Whole Paycheck (of which, by the way, I also disapprove, because of their corpporate attitude twoards unions and healthcare).

Then again, as a confirmed progressive, I probably don't meet the "liberal Criteria", either. :-)

[hfojvt]

32. that's kinda tough

when you want to be a dentist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xqACmJvqaU

[WilliamPitt]

33. I do, and I'm lucky to be here.

[politicasista]

34. No. Just watching from the sidelines now n/t

[QC]

36. Used to, but not anymore. n/t

[MilesColtrane]

37. Not really

I used to feel that way.

I feel strongly about many posters here now, but DU seems to be missing a collective spirit that it once had.

(Your mileage may vary, of course.)

[Rex]

38. Since I've been here.

Must be the reason I like DU so much.

[annabanana]

40. Yup. I wish you were all my neighbors and we could hang out over

coffee at least every other day.

[Mimosa]

76. That's sweet.

Me, too. I bet in person there'd be less squabbling. Or so I dream. ;)

[Texasgal]

42. No.

I can't post much without being castigated.

It doesn't bother me though, I can deal when annoy mus people don't agree with me.

I have many friends and family that love me for ME. Don't need DU to do that.

[TransitJohn]

43. Nope, never have.

Been here a long time, never had anyone on buddy list, very very rarely get engagement on my posts, and get dismissed out of hand often (but that last bit is common all over the internet). It's not much of a community, and even less so now that it used to be.

[RagAss]

44. No...feel like 90% of this place has me on ignore.

[Odin2005]

64. I don't!

:hi:

[astral]

67. Ha Ha! Plus TWO!!!

; )

[WillyT]

46. Sure... Black Sheep Of Course...

:evilgrin:

:hi:

[femmocrat]

47. Not really.

Of course I don't even feel like I'm part of my own community.

I think DU has so many posters that it is easy to get lost in the shuffle.

[lonestarnot]

51. LOL

.

[SusanaMontana41]

52. Yes, I do.

This Web site kept me sane during 43's reign of error, and I love the exchanges of ideas here.

[TBF]

53. No. I do like reading the news here and the various opinions -

but my views are not the norm here so sometimes it feels a bit uncomfortable. But there are a good number of posters here I really like and/or admire even if it doesn't really feel like a community.

[RB TexLa]

54. I feel like I'm reading and posting on an internet message board

[Codeine]

56. I would agree that you're not part of a community here. nt

[flvegan]

58. LOL!!!

:rofl:

[Name removed]

81. Deleted message

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

[Boojatta]

62. What about me?

If you start counting the people here who aren't part of a community, then it soon adds up to enough people to start a community.

[Blue-Jay]

61. I don't post with you.

[Codeine]

55. Most people don't notice me. Most that do think I'm a dick.

But I've made a few people laugh and that's good enough for me.

[Stevenmarc]

57. Well if your definition of community

Is a plethora of typing on a screen that occasionally pisses me off other than completely pisses me off, then yes.

[jillan]

59. Not at the moment. There has been times in the past when I did. I've made online friends on DU that

I will probably keep in touch with forever.

But mostly DU is a place where I come to catch up on the news and engage in political conversation.

[Odin2005]

63. Yup. I've been here 2002, been a member since 2005.

So many knowledgeable people, unlike some boards that are full of idiots.

[Kurovski]

68. I do.

I'm alienating more and more people, but that's also happening outside of DU as well. I'm just not as polite and patient as I once was.

Very tired of waiting, very tired of seeing the same crap kept in place for all the same crappy reasons. A little short after 30 years of same/same.

Crabby old gay guy here, but it's not only gay issues.

I can't fucking believe that we're in a third war, just to name one fucking ridiculous goddamn thing.

I'm sick of how activists are treated. activists by nature are not going to settle for less and I wish we could remember that and give them a bit more leeway. Activists move us forward instead of settling. i'm not an activist but I appreciate them, and learn from them. They work their asses off to educate themselves and actually DO things to affect change. They step out in advance.

EDIT: member since 2001

[Morning Dew]

69. No.

[Major Hogwash]

70. Sure.

A lot of people have slowed down the rate that they post here due to political burnout, but I still feel like a part of this community.
I'm on the outs with a few people who don't agree with me on a regular basis, but I don't put people on ignore or alert on anyone anymore because it was a waste of energy and it wasn't their problem anyway.

Rather, I have learned to master the art of zen, mostly by watching others deal with troublemakers or whatnot.
Grantcart taught me a lot about buddhism by example, instead of by lecture, so that was cool.

I have also learned a lot about people from interacting with some really brave and intelligent people that post here.
H2O Man is a great example of a really good writer to read here.
Will Pitt adds to the "Derp" factor quite often, as well.

And I am on a first name basis with the admin of the forum, Skinner.
Whose first name is Skinner.

And looking around here I often see a lot of news items from kpete or some other newshound, and it feels kind of communityish but not like a clique.
I don't have a beef with anyone who is in a clique, it's just not my thing.
We all have our own roads to travel down and the roads of some are not as high as others, so I don't mind it if some take shortcuts.

[Blue_In_AK]

71. Not really.

There are some people here I'm quite close to, and I suppose in that respect I feel like part of a community, but there are other people here I probably wouldn't want to know in real life.

I think there was more of a sense of community here when we had a common enemy in the White House. Since 2008 the views of some of us here are so diametrically opposed to those of others that we may as well be in two or three separate parties. It doesn't feel the same.

[Raine]

72. Yes, pretty much

though sometimes it gets ugly here. I think when people are like minded overall it finally gets down to nit picky things and that's where the arguing comes in. One time I got so mad over a personal attack I swore I would never come back and I left for a some weeks. Due to the death of a close love one I started lurking again just to try and take my mind off my grief. One day I mentioned the death and people were so kind and understanding that I started posting regularly again. DU is like a big disfunctional family that fights but when it comes down to it supports a member of the family.

[WCGreen]

73. Yes I do...

I feel at home here, that I can write and post what I think without having to worry about being censored or worse, chosen.

[raccoon]

78. Yes. nt

[Javaman]

79. Sometimes, yes. Other times, I feel as if I'm in a stuck elevator with

a bunch of really angry people late for a meeting.

[ProfessorGAC]

83. Good One!

Thanks for the chuckle.
GAC

[Lance_Boyle]

80. Not so much.

Or at least not in a desirable way. The community here, unless you are an admin (or to a lesser extent a moderator), is like schoolchildren in school. You have the administration, its appointed underling authorities, and the rest of us. The authoritarian nature of the place does not lend itself to development of a positive sense of "community."

[eilen]

85. agreed.

FWIW, I do get a bit of a lift to see certain posters and what they have written. I have made some friends on subforums that I interact with off- DU on other messageboards. Sometimes I have to really be in a confrontational /ready for defense mood to write an OP or lengthy response. And it often doesn't matter what subject. I see posters getting piled on daily. Sometimes I will add my voice to give them support but other times... well, it is tiring and time consuming and ends up dropping off the page in 24 hours anyway.

I wish there was the ability to check in on favorite posters/buddys to read their most recent posts and OPs (those that are not necessarily put in a Journal). That would come in handy when the site is over run with Trump/Palin/Weiner etc. posts.

[theophilus]

82. More like a loose confederation of warring tribes. But fun. n/t

[mistertrickster]

84. Not really, no. A community is comprised of people you know and do things with.

Reading tid-bits from thousands of people doesn't meet that definition.

Also, I've been rather disappointed at how little DU facilitates actual "feet on the ground" protest in RL. I'm not blaming anybody, it's just that posting seems to be substituting for true activism for the vast majority here.

[BlueIris]

86. Kick. For some important discussion. nt

[Bladian]

87. No, but only because...

I haven't made too many posts and so I'm totally unknown as a result. I see many people on here who seem to know each other, even if it's just from their posts, and I wish I could be like that. Again, I say no not because of anything wrong with the community. More of a time issue, I suppose.