My Name is David, and your donations support me.

[thundley4]

Skinner ADMIN  (1000+ posts)             Wed Sep-29-10 10:56 AM
Original message
Hello, my name is David. I'm one of the administrators here on Democratic Underground.   
   
If you were an active member of DU before January 2007, you might feel like you know me a little better than the people who joined since then. Because I was a more visible administrator before 2007. That's when my first child was born, and for the first eighteen months of his life I was his primary caretaker during the day. In fact I was his only caretaker. Fortunately, he was a really great sleeper, so I had lots of time to work during naps. Then his little brother was born, and I couldn't possibly do it all. So we got some part-time childcare, and I continued to split my time between running Democratic Underground and taking care of my kids. It was perhaps the most difficult thing I have ever done. And I did it for one simple reason: Because I could.

EarlG, one of the other DU Administrators, has a similar story. When his son was born, I did not want to deny him the opportunity which I myself enjoyed. Like me, he was the primary caretaker for his son during the workday, and like me he had to figure out how to balance his administrative and parental responsibilities.

We know that this arrangement required some sacrifices: From ourselves, from our families, and from Democratic Underground. I think it's apparent that it has not been a complete success. But we managed to hold it all together somehow. DU is still here, and our kids seem to be doing okay. So that's good. (Fortunately Elad, the third DU Administrator, was around full-time to make sure our servers didn't disappear or blow up or something.) EarlG and I know how lucky we are to have had this opportunity. And we will always be grateful to all of you, the members of DU, who helped make it possible. Thank you.

It just so happens that our family circumstances have both changed in the past few weeks so (coincidentally) we both once again find ourselves with more time to devote to Democratic Underground. In other words: You'll be seeing us more often from now on.

We signed a lease on a new office on Monday, so EarlG and I will be back together in the same room for the first time in three years.

EarlG is back writing the Top 10 Conservative Idiots (at least until the elections in November).

With the help of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Winston & Strawn, we are aggressively defending our rights in a closely watched copyright-trolling case. In case you missed it, the press release was posted in our Latest Breaking News forum yesterday. And here is an article about it.

Tomorrow we will unveil our first-annual Democratic Underground Member Attitudes Survey. The purpose of the survey is to collect some hard data to help us figure out who our members are, and how you feel about Democratic Underground. We want as many people as possible to take it, so we can get a really good sample. We hope that the results help give us some idea of where we go from here.

We're going to re-open the Ask the Administrators forum next week. Over time, we believe that the return of the ATA forum will go a long way toward addressing the concerns many members have expressed. We have unintentionally allowed too many small misunderstandings to grow into big misunderstandings, and we think bringing back the ATA forum will help make that less common.

I know that Democratic Underground has seen some rough patches over the last year, but overall we feel really positive. I love this place. There still isn't any other place quite like it on the Internet. And I'm looking forward to working with you all to help make Democratic Underground the best it can be.

David Allen
DU Administrator

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9221691

Followed by the usual suck ups making their comments.

[JohnnyReb]

So basically they've been househusbands for 3 years and now in this Obama economy they have to go back to work.

How's that Hopey Changey stuff working out for you?

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Skinner ADMIN  (1000+ posts)             Wed Sep-29-10 10:56 AM
Original message
Hello, my name is David. I'm one of the administrators here on Democratic Underground.   
   
If you were an active member of DU before January 2007, you might feel like you know me a little better than the people who joined since then. Because I was a more visible administrator before 2007. That's when my first child was born, and for the first eighteen months of his life I was his primary caretaker during the day. In fact I was his only caretaker. Fortunately, he was a really great sleeper, so I had lots of time to work during naps. Then his little brother was born, and I couldn't possibly do it all. So we got some part-time childcare, and I continued to split my time between running Democratic Underground and taking care of my kids. It was perhaps the most difficult thing I have ever done. And I did it for one simple reason: Because I could.

EarlG, one of the other DU Administrators, has a similar story. When his son was born, I did not want to deny him the opportunity which I myself enjoyed. Like me, he was the primary caretaker for his son during the workday, and like me he had to figure out how to balance his administrative and parental responsibilities.

We know that this arrangement required some sacrifices: From ourselves, from our families, and from Democratic Underground. I think it's apparent that it has not been a complete success. But we managed to hold it all together somehow. DU is still here, and our kids seem to be doing okay. So that's good. (Fortunately Elad, the third DU Administrator, was around full-time to make sure our servers didn't disappear or blow up or something.) EarlG and I know how lucky we are to have had this opportunity. And we will always be grateful to all of you, the members of DU, who helped make it possible. Thank you.

It just so happens that our family circumstances have both changed in the past few weeks so (coincidentally) we both once again find ourselves with more time to devote to Democratic Underground. In other words: You'll be seeing us more often from now on.

We signed a lease on a new office on Monday, so EarlG and I will be back together in the same room for the first time in three years.

EarlG is back writing the Top 10 Conservative Idiots (at least until the elections in November).

With the help of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Winston & Strawn, we are aggressively defending our rights in a closely watched copyright-trolling case. In case you missed it, the press release was posted in our Latest Breaking News forum yesterday. And here is an article about it.

Tomorrow we will unveil our first-annual Democratic Underground Member Attitudes Survey. The purpose of the survey is to collect some hard data to help us figure out who our members are, and how you feel about Democratic Underground. We want as many people as possible to take it, so we can get a really good sample. We hope that the results help give us some idea of where we go from here.

We're going to re-open the Ask the Administrators forum next week. Over time, we believe that the return of the ATA forum will go a long way toward addressing the concerns many members have expressed. We have unintentionally allowed too many small misunderstandings to grow into big misunderstandings, and we think bringing back the ATA forum will help make that less common.

I know that Democratic Underground has seen some rough patches over the last year, but overall we feel really positive. I love this place. There still isn't any other place quite like it on the Internet. And I'm looking forward to working with you all to help make Democratic Underground the best it can be.

David Allen
DU Administrator

YEAHHHH! LMAO! Some of the old timers here back from the CU days will remember how awesome the ATA forum was for complete comedy gold! Gotta add it back to my favorites

[jukin]

David go sell crazy somewhere else, the DUmp is all stocked up.

[TheSarge]

Ahhh...the return of ATA. 

Rush is right...Libs are far more entertaining when they are out of power.

This should be fun.

It was a virtual gold mine of crazy before...I expect nothing less this time around.

[debk]

So basically they've been househusbands for 3 years and now in this Obama economy they have to go back to work.

How's that Hopey Changey stuff working out for you?

They are still househusbands. The kids are probably old enough for nursery school, that's how they have more free time. 

[AllosaursRus]

That has to be the most disgusting thing I have read in months from der Skinner!

Whine, whine, whine. Now, I have to lay off all the part timers cause you idiots didn't donate enough, and I have to go back to work!

Thanx a helluva lot!!!!!!!
laothsomely yours,
der ForeSkin

[diesel driver]

Ahhh...the return of ATA. 

Rush is right...Libs are far more entertaining when they are out of power.

This should be fun.

It was a virtual gold mine of crazy before...I expect nothing less this time around.

After November 2nd, they will be absolutely beyond batshit crazy once their precious Dims are voted out of office.   

I can hardly wait!  2011 will be a VERY GOOD YEAR!   

[Karin]

Oh, I had no idea that this was their full time jobs.  For 3 of them.  I've never done the technical admin stuff for a forum, but I've been a mod.  Admins, does this sound right to you?  Do we have 3 full-timers here?

I shoulda known $kimmer was a househusband.  Perfect.     

[Chris_]

I don't know what their setup is like, but unless you're in charge of something ridiculously huge like Amazon or WordPress, it's a weekend job at the most.  I have no idea what could possibly justify 120 hours of work a week to keep DU running.

[thundley4]

I don't know what their setup is like, but unless you're in charge of something ridiculously huge like Amazon or WordPress, it's a weekend job at the most.  I have no idea what could possibly justify 120 hours of work a week to keep DU running.

I think that 120 hours is mostly spent  responding to "Alert button" hits.

[miskie]

I don't know what their setup is like, but unless you're in charge of something ridiculously huge like Amazon or WordPress, it's a weekend job at the most.  I have no idea what could possibly justify 120 hours of work a week to keep DU running.

I did, it was a fairly comprehensive setup of servers and secondary/failover systems. With that being said, the amount they were paying then (something like 5 grand a month incl. office space in 2001 or so) is far, far more than they should be paying today.  What I would think they should have done is pulled down the failover, and replaced it with more powerful, yet cheaper hardware - then did the same with the main server(s). But who knows ? Its DU after all.

[miskie]

I just took a peek - they don't update their software often. DU still uses PHP 5.0.5, MySQL 4.1 and Apache 1.3. I can only suspect that the ancient, heavily modded, DCForum+ software that DU runs on is locking them down because of compatibility issues.

I'm stunned someone hasn't hacked the living daylights out of them yet.  All of the above are full of exploits, especially Apache 1.3

[DumbAss Tanker]

I wonder if that means someone's wife got tired of the BS and left with the kid.

[BlueStateSaint]

I wonder if that means someone's wife got tired of the BS and left with the kid.

Hmmm . . . Not outside the realm of possibility, eh? :innocent:

[JohnnyReb]

I just took a peek - they don't update their software often. DU still uses PHP 5.0.5, MySQL 4.1 and Apache 1.3. I can only suspect that the ancient, heavily modded, DCForum+ software that DU runs on is locking them down because of compatibility issues.

I'm stunned someone hasn't hacked the living daylights out of them yet.  All of the above are full of exploits, especially Apache 1.3

Who in their right mind would hack into a savage infested jungle that they might have to hack their way out of?

[MrsSmith]

That's when my first child was born, and for the first eighteen months of his life I was his primary caretaker during the day. In fact I was his only caretaker. Fortunately, he was a really great sleeper, so I had lots of time to work during naps. Then his little brother was born, and I couldn't possibly do it all.

  Serious?  Couldn't take care of 2 kids and administrate a site?   

[miskie]

Who in their right mind would hack into a savage infested jungle that they might have to hack their way out of?

Only one who intends to burn said jungle to the ground.

[Flame]

  Serious?  Couldn't take care of 2 kids and administrate a site?   

exactly what I was thinking...

[BEG]

exactly what I was thinking...

LOL me three.

[Freeper]

Oh, I had no idea that this was their full time jobs.  For 3 of them.  I've never done the technical admin stuff for a forum, but I've been a mod.  Admins, does this sound right to you?  Do we have 3 full-timers here?

I shoulda known $kimmer was a househusband.  Perfect.     

I don't know about  now but, when Kevin first opened the doors here it was him and Sam who did everything all while they worked full time at their regular jobs. I imagine it must be the same now.

[MrsSmith]

exactly what I was thinking...

I find myself wondering how much housework they do...and what all Mom gets stuck with after working all day.  I suppose those "significant sacrifices" mean that Mom still does 90% of the housework...

[thundley4]

I find myself wondering how much housework they do...and what all Mom gets stuck with after working all day.  I suppose those "significant sacrifices" mean that Mom still does 90% of the housework...

I'm sure that they put the dishes in the sink at the very least for their wives to deal with later.

[true_blood]

Here's my donation to you David, for the DU = 

[delilahmused]

I'm still reeling over the fact that these girly men actually found women who were willing to let them stick their penises in them.

Cindie