THESE are the people I should listen to?

[RWKindaGuy]

OffWithTheirHeads Donating Member (1000+ posts)  Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list    Fri Oct-21-11 11:49 AM
Original message
A few thoughts for new folks here.   Updated at 4:56 PM
   
This morning, someone posted that they were leaving DU, frustrated that, in 11 posts, they had not enlightened anyone. A few thoughts.

I'd like to try to explain to you how I see DU and how i've made it work for me.
Disclaimer: Though I have been here for far too many years, like OWS, I don't claim to speak for Democratic Underground. I offer only my own thoughts and opinions.

As to not being able to enlighten people in a few posts;

It's important for you to establish credibility here. There are thousands of posts per day. Why should I pay attention to yours? There are a number of posters here that I will always read because they have established that they almost always have something important to add to the discussion. n2doc, nadinbrazinsky, kpete and scuba come to mind just off the top of my head.

So, how do you establish credibility? If you are going to start a thread, make sure that you have something to say that will add value. Think about it before you just post from your gut. Think it through, make it interesting and don't write a book. I have books. That's not what I come here for.

Your subject line is critical. You have basically one sentence to convince me that what follows will somehow enhance my life. There are a few folks here with high credibility that can get by with a crap subject line (see above) because I know that what follows is worthwhile. You can't. Not yet.

Please don't post blind links! Few things turn me off faster than someone posting a subject line like "This is REALLY cool" followed by a blind link. It is unlikely that I value your opinion enough to take the time to close my DU page and open up your link, find out that it's crap, close that page and come back to DU to continue where I've left off. My time is simply too valuable. By all means, post a link but please take the time to tell me why I should bother to click on it. "This is really cool" is not adequate.

Getting along with the DU community.
This is an anonymous forum. There are folks posting here that live in their mom's basement and have nothing better to do than disrupt threads. There are even people here who are paid to disrupt. Don't take the bait. Hardly a thread gets posted here anymore without some jerk jumping in to start (successfully) an argument, someone else falls for it and much hot air is exchanged. Pick your battles. Just because someone says something does not mean you need to respond.

Lastly, ignore is your friend. After awhile, you will learn who pisses you off. Put em on ignore. Your sanity will thank you.
DU is like any relationship. It takes time and effort but it's worth it. You will get out what you put in.

Just my thoughts. I have more but I don't want to write a book.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2161469

  The highlighted

[Texacon]

I'll see your highlighted and raise you with one of my own!

Please don't post blind links! Few things turn me off faster than someone posting a subject line like "This is REALLY cool" followed by a blind link. It is unlikely that I value your opinion enough to take the time to close my DU page and open up your link, find out that it's crap, close that page and come back to DU to continue where I've left off. My time is simply too valuable. By all means, post a link but please take the time to tell me why I should bother to click on it. "This is really cool" is not adequate.

 

KC

[67 Rover]

Your subject line is critical. You have basically one sentence to convince me that what follows will somehow enhance my life.

Top 5 word suggestions for subject line if you want a majority of DUmmies read you post.

1. Medical Marijuana
2. Single payer health care
3. Hugo Chavez
4. Pron
5. SSDI tips/tricks

[Erasmus]

n2doc, nadinbrazinsky, kpete and scuba come to mind just off the top of my head.

You just destroyed ALL of your credibility right there.

[FlaGator]

Yes, I too tend to read the ranting and ravings of some of the more deluded, self important attention whores and crack heads that post on DU like stinky, n2doc, nadinbrazinsky, kpete and scuba. It is a study in what it is like to not to have mentally aged a day after their 14th birthday.

[Ballygrl]

There are a number of posters here that I will always read because they have established that they almost always have something important to add to the discussion. n2doc, nadinbrazinsky, kpete and scuba come to mind just off the top of my head.

pintobean  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-21-11 03:18 PM
Response to Original message
19. Good post, but I wouldn't have named names
   
The DUers you respect may not be admired by some of the readers of this thread.
The poster doesn't automatically get a pass just because they post often. Admin has always encouraged users to respond to the content, rather than the person.

   

OffWithTheirHeads Donating Member (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-21-11 04:14 PM
Response to Reply #19
29. As I said at the start, this is just MY opinion.   
   
Others are free to disagree. In fact, it would suprise me if they didn't.

pintobean Donating Member (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-21-11 04:17 PM
Response to Reply #29
30. No shit. Maybe you should follow some of your own advise.
   
I gave my opinion.