The real problem on Daily Kos has been the deterioration of our trolls. You n00bs have no idea, but once upon a time, trolls on this site were genuinely annoying. Community moderation struggled to identify and track them. They were clever. They gamed the matrix. It could take weeks, and sometimes even months, for the site to be rid of them. Some were so good at it that it rose almost to the level of art.
Ever since Meteor Blades was appointed community moderator, trolls haven't had the opportunity to establish themselves, learn the ropes, and develop their craft. Now, he snuffs them on sight. The community barely has time to get to know them. When was the last time a troll rose to the level of legend? The heavy hand of authority has destroyed one of this site's most important unifying aspects. Whither the trolls of yore?
Once upon a time, this site was unified in opposition to Bush and Cheney and the Republican Congress. Then came the 2004 primary wars. Then came the 2007 Democratic Congress, and arguments about what it should do about Bush and Cheney. Then came the 2008 primary wars. Then came the new administration, and all the divisiveness that comes when people try to sort out the rights and wrongs of a president they worked to elect. Site unity slowly deteriorated and collapsed. We had no common purpose. Nothing now binded us. On nothing now could we all agree. We needed a common purpose. We need a common purpose! We need a common enemy. We need our trolls!
I'm calling for site administration to be nicer to trolls. Let us handle them. We need the shared frustration. We need the great joy of shared schadenfreude. If we are to be petty and mean, we need to do it together. Give us back our trolls! Amnesty for the worst of them. A new training section in the FAQ, so we can nurture and develop and pick on a new generation that can compare with the best of them. Daily Kos is falling apart. We need our trolls!