Reply #20: Repost: Vote to keep the GD we all love, vote NO on the new rules!

[Devils Advocate NZ]

Why do so many people post in GD? Why are the other forums so under utilised? I believe it is because we all recognise the power of GD as a meeting place.

We WANT to see diverse opinions, even if it is just to argue with them. We WANT to verbally duke it out sometimes, because it empowers us, it helps us to feel less helpless in the face of overpowering right wing bias and propaganda in the media and elsewhere on the net. This is the place where we progressives rule, and it feels good to be able to argue about the finer points of our beliefs rather than having to defend over and over again the basis of those beliefs from ignorant right-wing talking-point spewing nincompoops.

Yes the GD forum has been over run with candidate threads - but that is ONLY because these are the issues we are most focused on at the moment. It is NOT GD or its rules that are wrong, it is the fact that we can see how important this election is and we want THIS election to COUNT like it has never counted before. This means that we are fired up, and it leads to HEATED discussions, and outright flame-fests, but at least we can vent our heat, we can refine our arguments, and sometimes we can learn something new about our favourite candidates and others favourite candidates, WITHOUT being forced to once again argue the fundamentals of liberal beliefs.

We can afford to pick at the little things because before we had no other option. Before, we always had to fight the right wing before we could even think about the little things, and sometimes we never got around to them.

I have said this before and I will say this again - DU is the best thing since sliced bread - DU as it is RIGHT NOW! Don't change it because of a few (and yes in the overall scheme of things it is a FEW) threads we don't like. We may miss what we have once it is gone.

In fact I think many of us have become complacent. We are overinflating the problems we see because we have become spoiled - we've had it too good for too long, and we have forgotten what it was like BEFORE we had DU.

Recently I have seen people saying how they didn't want to recommend DU to people any more, or saying they didn't want to come here any more, but the question I have to ask is: Is there anywhere BETTER? Sure we could all take off from DU and go to a new board, but wouldn't we just take our arguments there? It's NOT DU that is making us this way, it is us, and it won't be ANY different if we go somewhere else.

Can we change DU without changing the rules? Of course we can. Do we want to? Well, obviously not. Why do I say this? If we did want to change DU, why would we need rules to do it? No matter how many times I have seen a flame bait thread, I have seen that same thread kept on the front page NOT by the original poster or supporters, but by those who want to argue against it, and they do this while bitching about how bad GD has become and how bad DU has become.

YOU are the ones keeping these threads alive - you the people bitching about these threads. Don't post on them and they will quickly die. But you can't do it can you? You can't, because you WANT to fight it out just as much as the original poster did. So quit bitching!

Sorry to go off on such a long rant, but these new rules got me to thinking, and this is the result.

So I hereby announce the creation of the Save GD! Party, and announce my intention to campaign for DUers of all stripes to:

VOTE NO!

-

This post was originally meant to be a new thread, but Skinner wanted everything kept in one thread. So I am reposting it here. There were a few replies on the thread that I never got a chance to answer, so I will try to do that here:

WilliamPitt (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-29-03 05:27 PM
Response to Original message

1. What's this "we" shit, white man?

GD sucks ass now.

So you never posted on any of the threads you are now complaining about? You never started any threads that mocked such threads? I'm sorry Will, but I saw you in more than one of these threads, and although it is in the lounge there is even a mocking thread you posted CURRENTLY circulating.

It's all well and good to complain, but if you just let them die, then they would be gone quick smart. Or do you enjoy arguing these issues too?

Booberdawg (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-29-03 05:29 PM
Response to Original message

3. Excuse me but doesn't Skinner already have a thread on this?

I'm not really interested in your problems with cleaning up the place, or stirring up a flame war in protest about it.

As you can see, Skinner agreed with your idea of keeping this post in his thread. I disagree, but he's the boss.

Secondly, where in my post do I stir up a flame war? In fact it seems YOUR response is the one asking for a flame war.

TorchTheWitch (46 posts) Mon Sep-29-03 05:30 PM
Response to Original message

4. speak for yourself

I'll vote how *I* want to vote for the reasons *I* have.

Who the hell are you to tell anyone how they should vote?

Firstly I am not TELLING anyone anything. I am ASKING them to vote NO. Secondly, Isn't this exactly what ANY election campaign is? Asking people to vote in a certain way? I sure hope you don't participate in such things, after all YOU wouldn't want to go around TELLING people how to vote, would you?

Cappurr (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-29-03 05:32 PM
Response to Original message

5. People post a lot of repitious stuff in GD

They rarely cite any sources for their "information" but insist that its gospel anyway. They deliberately title their threads to inflame and start flame wars. Sometimes lately when I've logged on I think I'm on a right wing site with all the "Clark is a Republican Plant" and "Why don't you conservatives leave DU". Its gotten ugly. We are supposed to be a community here. Not a community of robotic thinkers, but a liberal community that respects opinions of others without flaming them for it or telling them to go join the Republicans.

So I say Vote Yes

Fair point. But if you or others who disagreed with those posts refrained from posting on them, how long would they last before they dropped off into the archives? It is people who go into these threads and argue against them that keeps them alive. Just ignore them and they will die.

I still believe people should vote NO.

This was all the replies except for Skinner's telling me he was locking the thread.