I'm a moderator on a very busy forum elsewhere, one unrelated to politics. I see, trash and also merge reposted threads all the time. I understand that people pick up info elsewhere and think they're breaking something new and important and want to share the news.
But... I also know that a community — any community — will turn on people at the drop of a hat if people keep posting the same info over and over again, especially if one topic, thread, or diary causes a bit of a noise as the one we saw yesterday.
So, in a spirit of goodwill, I'd like to point out something that I've personally seen. I'm not chastising anyone, just would like to draw something to your attention.
The story, such as it is, about the alleged suspicions of the birth of Governor Palin's young baby boy have already been picked up all over the place in unofficial places.
In the forum I moderate, they're already talking about it. I've seen the same elsewhere on boards unrelated to politics, it's all over the frickin' place. Some of them even link directly to the diary and pics that have been posted here. Some of them are just based on what they've heard.
So, regardless of the merits of the story or how this community views it; whether it's a legitimate enquiry or you view it as muckraking, the simple fact is that it's now a widely-spread idea that and within days we'll either see this repudiated or confirmed as people on both sides of the argument look into this more deeply.
I realise this diary might be self-defeating but just wanted to say this. My contention is that we don't need any more citizen journalists running with this story, not because of it's slightly-dubious stance, not because I want to censor anyone... but because people have already got it. For better or worse, it's out there and will run on its own legs.
p.s. I'm not posting a tip jar; this waitress isn't hustling today.