After the mourning is over...and it will be over; and after things die down, perhaps Daily Kos should take steps to highlight what is now hidden in the FAQ: what the community guidelines are regarding incendiary language. I mean we should improve and clarify what is expected of participants in the community. Here is what we have now:
Do not make threats or calls for violence. Threatening to beat up or kill someone, or suggesting that people should kill themselves, or saying that poison should be put in somebody's crème brûlée, or making similar remarks, even as a joke, is prohibited and can lead to banning. This does not mean that all forms of cartoon violence, literary references, metaphors and the like are barred.
Admin Moderation: A single warning. Second offense: Banning.
The FAQ today is long and tedious to read through, and standards for content are mixed in with technical rules. When I started, I'd read through everything twice but still missed some of the nuances. I think it would be helpful to post a direct link to the community standard regarding violent language that would always appear on the front page. It might also be good to equire users to check an "agree to" box indicating that they agree to the standard and to the consequences of not following it.
I know these limits are already established, but they are somewhat casually stated (e.g. crème brûlée) and not highlighted. They are included in a long list of topics including technical limits and editing suggestions. Meteor Blades does a great job of moderating the tone of the community, but he can't be everywhere.
In light of the current tragedy, we might all benefit from emphasizing these standards as clearly stated policy and assuring that everyone is well aware of them and agrees to them. Daily Kos is a wonderful community, but things do get heated. Blurry lines are easier to stumble across. Plus, if we cannot establish a clear line between what is acceptable for useful discussion and what is destructive and counter-productive, how can we expect anyone else to do so?