I'm very curious. What made you join DU? When did you join?

[PretzelWarrior]

What did you hope to get out of it? (NOTE: Your answer doesn't have to be as long as mine if you don't want)

I am curious about other people's thoughts on this because it could be we have a lot of differing reasons and motivations out there which could affect our views of what DU is and is supposed to be.

For me, I joined in 2003 toward the beginning. I want to say it was around February when I was SOOOOOO upset and beside myself when it seemed Bush was going to get his way and start an illegal war. I had been doing internet searches to find ANY place that had helpful words of encouragement and outreach on what to do next.

We were so lost. No Air America. A corporate media that had absolutely shown their true colors as they daily shilled for a war we all knew was immoral. A minority in both houses with the uglier side of conservatives coming to full flower...and BUSH.

So, when I found this site after looking around at F.A.I.R. dot org, IndyMedia, and other websites in 2002, it was like manna from heaven. Here was where we heard about A.N.S.W.E.R demonstrations, local groups of progressives, and Democrats, links to valuable news stories, debunking of lies from media and right wingers....it was a pure oasis for me.

THe first wake up call for me was late 2003 and early 2004 in the early discussions of primaries. I was able to see how divisive things could get in here...but I stuck around. Because after those calmed down, the group got back together.

THis new era presents new challenges.

[BlooInBloo]

1. I thought CatWoman was HAWT.

[PretzelWarrior]

3. her cats certainly are. yeah. she's been around since me and before.

probably as soon as they fired up the servers.

[scheming daemons]

2. Sep 2003... not long after Iraq war started....

[Flying Dream Blues]

4. I lurked for a long time in '04, then joined right after the

"selection." Dark days, indeed. But TG for DU!

[Laelth]

5. 2004. The election and my fear that it would be stolen again.

IMHO, it was.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Soylent Brice]

6. ran across Top Ten Conservative Idiots in '04.

love at first site.

was nice to see that i wasn't alone, which i thought i was to an extent.

didn't get the gumption to join util '06.

[a la izquierda]

7. I joined in August 2004...

I had just moved to Oklahoma and I couldn't stand the bombardment from the Right...on the news, from the people I came across. When I registered to vote and realized I had to vote in a church, I felt as if I was in another world (note: I had just left Los Angeles and grew up in NJ). I needed a place to converse/spar with likeminded folks.
Once I found colleagues at my university, I found that RL community that I missed in CA. But I still lacked a great place to get news.

[PretzelWarrior]

9. wow. amazing. anytime I go to the midwest I feel bad all over again

it is so suffocating in those places of Oklahoma or Kansas or any place that isn't urban and vibrant. I feel for ya.

[a la izquierda]

49. Yeah, it really was at the time.

But I live in a college town of about 100K, and it's not that bad, because it's a college town, I imagine. I'm pretty used to it now, and there are quite a lot of very intelligent progressives around here (because of the university). When I'm in LA visiting friends, or in the NYC area visiting family, I kinda want to hang myself on account of all the people.

[LaurenG]

8. I was a lurker for a year or so - I thought this place was huge and scary

as I'd come from Move on and the Kerry forum. I had the best time watching (lurking)- I felt like I knew people before I joined. Finally a few days before the election I tried to sign up and I was turned away until after the 2004 election due to lack of bandwidth. I finally tried again, Nov 12 2004 and got in.

:)

[PretzelWarrior]

10. wow. I remember how jammed it was during election.

also, I cannot believe the UNREC feature was so controversial that the traffic was super high yesterday and they had to turn signatures off. AMAZING.

[ecstatic]

11. Top 10 Conservative idiots (a column I haven't checked out in years)

I've changed a lot since then. At that time I enjoyed sites where there were daily fights with racist/republican trolls. No more. I'm too old for that and I'm so glad DU tries to keep obvious trolls away. I don't think its possible to change a confused adult through internet discussions.

[dionysus]

12. 2001, from the very beginning.

[PretzelWarrior]

14. that is so cool. I wish I would have found DU back then.

I remember all these discussions on CNN boards back in 1999 and in run up to election in 2000. Then the stolen election, the complete insulting of the Dem minority and then the attack.

I could have used DU so much back then.

[dionysus]

16. it was like an oasis. it was awesome. changed a lot over 8 years

i used to read a site called bushwatch and from there i stumbled upon a link to the great DU.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. 2001. Looking for discussions with like minds.

Over the years, I've actually found a few.

[johnnie]

15. Around the same time and reason you did

I was so frustrated that so many people were being fooled by the WMD thing and I found this place with so many like-minded people that I had to join. It kept me sane at the time. I KNEW the war was bullshit.

[RainDog]

17. I was looking for a place online to talk about my horror at the 2000 election

I went to slate and was promptly told that if Gore had been elected he would have been assassinated by someone in comments there.

I read media whores and salon and one of the two linked to here and that's how I ended up at DU. I've taken long absences from DU - longest was from the time Kerry won the nomination until about March of 2007.

[PatSeg]

18. I joined early in 2004,

but I had been a lurker before that. I joined so I could respond to a post, but didn't get active until much later. I had numerous political sites that visited regularly, mostly to read news articles and opinion pieces.

Now I rarely visit the other sites, as I can get most of what I need here, not to mention some really great company.

[CreekDog]

19. I joined in spring of 2003...I think a post at Daily Kos directed me here

DU was a lot smaller then.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

20. Pissed off at the war/Bush/stolen elections.........

I joined in Aug 2003. I found this place while I was doing research for a letter I was writing to Sen. Byrd, and the rest is history.

[Oregone]

21. I'm also very curious. What made you quit DU? When did you leave? How many times?

[PretzelWarrior]

24. Your attempt to highjack this thread by shaming me will not work

because I am shameless. All the same, I will answer your question.

I publicly proclaimed I was quitting because I had not ever QUIT before. There were times I was busy with work and my life and couldn't come here for stretches at a time, but I had never felt this place had gone so far from what I had thought of as a community I accepted and wanted to be a part of until recently.

After coming back and reading many beautiful and supportive replies saying I should take a breather and try coming back I did just taht.

Quite honestly, it is people like you that drove me away. You are a mean spirited person seemingly more interested in counting coup on your enemies than pushing any serious dialogue forward.

So, as I thought about things I realized my best option is to fight to make DU better--not just leave. So I am very happy to be here challenging the negativism, and once again I am happy to see that in this small microcosm of of life, it is people like you who are in the minority and this is actually a very vibrant community who loves what Democrats stand for.

[Oregone]

28. This isn't about you. My question was aimed at everyone, just as yours was

Its not always about you, you know.

[PretzelWarrior]

31. well, it seems odd to start a new topic as a reply to an existing thread

rather than direct it to me and my question. Your reply is proof of what I'm talking about.

P.S. If you really were interested in posting that question and getting replies, you've gotten mine. Now sit back and wait for everyone else.

P.P.S. Why not answer my question out of courtesy before posting yours? Probably because you weren't taught manners as a child would be my guess.

[Jennicut]

25. I think PW only left about once if I remember correctly

[Tutankhamun]

22. I joined only about a year ago.

I had read numerous Dem-based blogs for years (Kos, HuffPo, etc.), but when I discovered DU, I thought it was the best. I loved its combination of news from a variety of major and minor media outlets and blogs. I loved the fact that it also had videos. I loved its original posts from DU regulars.

In short, DU has the best combination of news and commentary from the most relevant diversity of sources, and its members' knowledge and insight is frequently a notch above other left/Dem-based blogs.

[PretzelWarrior]

33. you nailed it. I like the discussions....but add in LBN, Editorials, topic forums and videos....

it makes this a site that is hard to beat.

[Jennicut]

23. Lurked since like 2003, joined in like 2006 I think

Bush pissed me off, Kerry losing pissed me off. I get out of it what I always did: a place to debate liberal ideas.

[Vidar]

26. Kerry's board was dying after the 2004 election & this one looked more liberal.

[JimWis]

27. I joined so that I could interact with like minded individuals, who

are Democrats like me. I discovered it as my political interests were growing, and when President Obama was campaigning. What really attracted me here, when reading the posts were the rants I have read here, which are priceless. A good place to vent frustration. And what I learn here each day about politics and other current events is priceless also. I also like the idea of no restrictions on expressing oneself in plain F---ing english.

This might sound silly, but the first post I read here, referred to a particular Republican that I couldn't stand - as a total Asshat. I had never heard that term and damn near fell off my chair laughing. And I felt I had found a home.

[PretzelWarrior]

34. lol. you are right. The language is free spirited which is a great release valve

and there are some people who can compose some truly righteous rants!

[redqueen]

29. October 2003

I was tired of some other liberal politics site, and someone recommended this one... NNadir, maybe?

Came here to talk politics with fellow activists. Was volunteering for the Kucinich campaign at the time.

[PretzelWarrior]

39. have you had the same screen name the whole time?

I was bransonfu at the beginning and then switched to Pretzelwarrior sometime in 2003 or 2004--can't remember when exactly.

[SidDithers]

30. I joined around the middle of 2002...

because I heard that Skinner would be implementing an unrec feature sometime in 2009.

Sid

[Odin2005]

32. Lurker since 2003, member since 2005.

Reason? Iraq.

[orleans]

35. november 2004--searching for something to help heal my broken heart n/t

[Tikki]

36. 2002...I was posting on a generic bulletin board..

Many there still were in their love affair with bushcheney..

There really wasn't much information there..just their take on what would the World
be like if Mr. Gore had been seated as President.

One of the rabid RWers was talking about how they should all go to freerepublic and
post and how all the Liberals (not his actual words to describe us) should go to
Democraticunderground.

I checked out this site and joined. I learn a lot here.


Tikki

[PretzelWarrior]

37. very interesting. I only found them by Google searching for Dem topics

and wish I would have known about this place sooner. I like to be a pat of hetergenous discussion groups too just so I can refute some of their garbage and DU helps me a lot to be able to process these complex and often divisive issues.

[livetohike]

38. Joined in March 2004 after lurking for a month or two

I was busily bashing Bush on an aol forum and someone there invited me to check out DU :-). I don't know what their DU handle was, but that is when I first got turned on to DU.

I joined because I felt politically isolated where I was living (North of San Diego)and the two right wing rags that pass as newspapers were frustrating to read. DU presented an opportunity to learn about many things that were going on in the US and in the world. It was nice (still is) to participate in a discussion with like minded people from all over the states and other countries.

[Chorophyll]

40. After Bush's re-election(?), early 2005.

I was shocked and sad, and wanted to reassure myself that there were still reasonable people in this country. I don't post much, but I'm still here...

[PretzelWarrior]

42. I'm glad you are

I would bet most of DU's growth was between 2003 and 2005.

[Chorophyll]

43. Thanks. nt :)

[KamaAina]

41. Saw Top Ten at Buzzflash. Delurked right after Nineleveninelevenineleven.

And here I remain to this day...

[noamnety]

44. I was looking at my web stats

and there was some election results info (election fraud analysis) on my site that was linked on DU. That's how I found about about the site.

My website also had hits from Al-Jazeera and the CIA. Odd bed-fellows. :)

Edit for greetings to Agent Mike. :hi:

[PretzelWarrior]

47. is your site still up and running?

curious minds want to know. That has to be the most amazing way someone has found DU....looking through their web analytics and seeing that domain name.

[noamnety]

48. That part's not updated at all

but it was the charts on this page for Florida and Ohio:

http://tiny.cc/WSvEl

(the text is all just collections of articles I was running across, the charts were the only thing that was really mine)

For a while I was also tracking appointments:

http://tiny.cc/wz7y2

[opihimoimoi]

45. Aug 01...Helping to man the parapets repelling the Ignorant Forces...I sharpen Spears

[TrogL]

46. Anything that pissed the Freepers off that much must have something going for it

[greguganus]

50. I liked being in a clique, but now the unrec feature is destroying it! n/t

[jayfish]

51. 2002. In The Run-Up To And Period Following...

the mid-term, it was nearly impossible to find any outlet that didn't lean right. It was maddening. I finally found Bartcop and that led me here.

Jay

[semillama]

52. 2003

And it was the Top Ten Conservative Idiots which brought me here, and the variety of postings and groups which keep me a paying member. I've still not met a DUer in real life, though (that I am aware of).

[Mrs. Overall]

53. I began lurking right after 9/11 and when the rhetoric increased for going to war

with Iraq, I joined in early 2003 so that I didn't feel like I was going crazy.

[tekisui]

54. When Gonzo was on trial, I had questions.

I had been stopping in for awhile, along with other sites. There was realtime discussion during the hearings, I figured out the board, and joined to ask questions. That is the real value I see in DU. It is a great resource. Questions being asked and answered keep it going.

[Beam Me Up]

55. 2003 or earlier: "The smart way to keep people passive and obedient . . ."

The earliest post I can find of mine goes back to Oct 2003. I think I may have joined before that time but it is so long ago now I can't remember.

Prior to DU (midlate 90s) I was on a yahoo email list with some noted (notorious to some) researches. I wasn't always clear about their identities but some who I'm certain or am fairly sure were participaing include: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5829118121827327998">Peter Dale Scott, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Emory">Dave Emory, http://www.fromthewilderness.com/about.html">Michael Ruppert, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Giordano">Al Giodarno and others.

I was an early member of moveon.org and participated in gathering signatures to give to my Congresswoman Barbara Lee re the Clinton investigation and impeachment.

Not sure exactly how I came across DU but one of my earlier posts is this one, dated 10/10/03:

Bush-Nazi Link Confirmed
Documents in National Archives Prove
George W. Bush's Grandfather Traded
with Nazis - Even After Pearl Harbor
By John Buchanan
Exclusive to The New Hampshire Gazette
10-10-3

WASHINGTON -- After 60 years of inattention and even denial by the U.S. media, newly-uncovered government documents in The National Archives and Library of Congress reveal that Prescott Bush, the grandfather of President George W. Bush, served as a business partner of and U.S. banking operative for the financial architect of the Nazi war machine from 1926 until 1942, when Congress took aggressive action against Bush and his "enemy national" partners.

The documents also show that Bush and his colleagues, according to reports from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, tried to conceal their financial alliance with German industrialist Fritz Thyssen, a steel and coal baron who, beginning in the mid-1920s, personally funded Adolf Hitler's rise to power by the subversion of democratic principle and German law.

Furthermore, the declassified records demonstrate that Bush and his associates, who included E. Roland Harriman, younger brother of American icon W. Averell Harriman, and George Herbert Walker, President Bush's maternal great-grandfather, continued their dealings with the German industrial tycoon for nearly a year after the U.S. entered the war.

No Story?

For six decades these historical facts have gone unreported by the mainstream U.S. media. The essential facts have appeared on the Internet and in relatively obscure books, but were dismissed by the media and Bush family as undocumented diatribes. This story has also escaped the attention of "official" Bush biographers, Presidential historians and publishers of U.S. history books covering World War II and its aftermath.

The White House did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=161235

For the most part I use DU as an information resource. I don't post a whole lot or engage in socializing via this site. However, I do visit and read several times a day. My politics are further left of most Democrats and my world view observes that most of the "controversial" issues that divide along sociological lines are irresolvable so long as we allow ourselves to be manipulated, divided and essentially controlled into not confronting and limiting the power of a wealthy and privileged elite and their corporate interests. The constitution through its checks and balances was, I believe, intended to do just this but the real import of the constitution has been increasingly circumscribed by elite interests behind special interest groups.

We will never get the kind of social justice, social, sexual and racial equality we want either at home or abroad so long as such vast disparities in economic and political power persist. WAR IS PROFITABLE FOR THE FEW -- and so long as this is so, war will persist. And by "war" I include not only foreign policy excursions of the military but that of our intelligence and counterintelligence -- and also include DOMESTIC policies which seek to stifle dissent while insuring the economic and political dominance of the few against the many. The "war on drugs," for example, which was the domestic policy precursor to the international "war on terror," is a war against a large section of the American citizenry by its own government. A "war" that does not succeed at its stated aims of reducing the harms of illicit drug use but nevertheless continues to be funded year after year because it does succeed at producing unstated policy aims.

Voting is a great idea -- provided you have certainty that your vote is tabulated as cast. It is even better if the distribution of information which influences voting opinion is horizontal rather than hierarchical (controlled by elite interests).

I agree with Chomsky who said: "The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum - even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate."

My view of DU is that it primarily serves this purpose of allowing lively debate while limiting the spectrum of acceptable opinion -- although I feel this was less the case in the beginning than it has become, especially since the last presidential election. During the Bush years it was easy to discuss how * was a puppet; it isn't so easy now to discuss how it is that the Obama administration is hamstrung by anti-democratic (I want to say "fascist") forces that did NOT give up their power with a simple changing of executive administration or congressional majority. In fact, much of the frustration many here express can be understood with a deeper understanding of the nature of political power which is NOT (IMO) a matter so much of right/left but of fascist/democratic (constitutional republic).

Thanks for asking. :hi:


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[AngryOldDem]

56. Joined in 2004.

Met someone though the local Kerry campaign who had nothing but praise for this site, and back then, it was a pretty damned good one. Good, civil discussion on a variety of issues that I could feel free to participate in.

Then Kerry lost the election, and to me DU has just never been the same.

[Beam Me Up]

57. What I don't understand is why this thread has a

Ok, so it may not be "greatest page worthy" but <0 ?? WTF up w/that?