One of the most impressive things about YOU, fellow Kossaks, is the breadth of knowledge YOU have accumulated. Smarts spanning from aardvarks to ZyXel.
If you ask a question on Dkos, ANY question, it WILL be answered`at the very least with a link or a clue. We have 'columns' on the
Environment,
gardening,
painting,
history, heck we've even got
group therapy,
storytime and...and...well..whatever the hell you want to call the glorious chaos that is
Cheers & Jeers..There also seems to be quite an interest in animal husbandry here for some reason, some animals even write
diaries!! Though a Pony has yet to diary, there is a rumor of a nearly feral cat who does!!! And of course, the one The Only Phillygal
Pooties!!!t who shall be forever beloved.
So, what is your question? If I can't answer it someone else will! Silly questions, Serious questions, Big questions, Small questions. Bring em on !
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS IS A COOPERATIVE EFFORT!!! MAKE SURE YOU TRY TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS WHILE YOUR HERE!!!
BTW 42 is NOT the meaning of life, my favorite color is blue, no, green (I'm still here!), and tying fruit of any kind to swallows is indicative of a very peculiar and rare psychosexual disease....seek help! While speculating on the airspeed of UNLADEN swallows is a far milder form....I still urge you to examine your soul!!! For those who have no idea what I am talking about I urge YOU to ...Ask A Kossak!
A Personal Note; Due to complexities in my personal life, I have not been able to fully participate at Dkos for about a month. Tonight I'm going to post this weekly diary, in the spirit of community service. But for both connectivity issues and issues with what I have witnessed in my incomplete monitoring of the site, I will not be commenting tonight. I am reassessing my participation here.
My heart has been broken many times watching the left eat itself over and over. In my opinion its happening again. Here. Due mostly to the excesses of one poster here, an entire segment of the most active, responsible and acute members has been marginalized, attacked and villified by the community. This segment of the community are those who have accepted and acted on their responsibilties to protect the site from outside influences that attack it on a regular basis. As always with the left wing...those who actually lead, define, or ACT in a decisive way are attacked with more energy and vitriol than those we allegedely oppose.
Discussions on this issue have dealt neglibily with the actions taken by outside agitators attacking the site and instead focused on the actions and techniques of those who defend it from attack. In several of the diaries I have read people who are admittedly trolls, some on there third or fourth identity, have openly admitted that they are here to disrupt the site. THEY HAVE BEEN UPRATED, while attacks on those who have actively defended the site continue. Including attacks on Armando for insisting that there is a problem and exhorting people to take responsibility. WTF??? With all the effort I and many others put in to building the community spirit here it is EXTREMELY diappointing to see how easily the community is fractured. Along with frustration at the amount of energy now being expeneded .....in the middle of an election season.... to rebuild it. Why has this happened, WHY???
When the defenders of the site are attacked by the users of the site for defending the site, I can only reach one conclusion...the Trolls have won. The majority here seems to believe that protecting the site should include outreach and rehabilitation of those who come here to disrupt, that Trolls individuality and feelings should be protected and that serious efforts should be made to reach out to help them, and that all this should be done everytime a troll post or diary appears. Yet these same folks are never there to do the outreach.They won't even take the time to do research, let alone become aware of the highly effective psychology the trolls use to gain sympathy and defenders. But they will JUMP to find fault with those who, over time, have learned to recognize a troll and learned the methods trolls use and learned to deal with trolls in a way that makes it very undesirable for trolls to continue their ways.
I for one will leave community protection and moderation to the rest of you, now, for fear that I might be dividing the community.....by defending it against those who wish to divide the community. The trolls have won.
Good Luck
Due to my frustration this will probably come off as an attack on the community, perhaps even Trollish! I am working very hard to transform my feelings and observations from digust into merely lowering my expectations. It is probably inappropriate of me to post this as part of Ask A Kossak. At this point I don't care. I have lost a lot of respect for this community.
It feels cowardly of me not to comment after this diatribe. I hate that. But I'm too pissed right now for rational discussion. The thought of the fine people here who have done as much for the community as they ....and are now being effectively run out of town for their efforts is too much. I am trying to express my opinion, without starting a flame war or being mean or rude. hah. I will read and respond to any comments specifically directed to me tomorrow, if I feel like it, when i am calmer. Most likely, the lure of dkos and the and the possibilty of change will be too powerful for me to resist, and I will find a way to adjust and participate. However it will be with much less respect for the intellect, political acumen and emotional maturity of the community.
Picking a scab? Or cleaning an infected wound so it can heal properly? Ask A Kossak!!!
Tonights question!!!
How can we effectively prevent the factionalization and internal strife that the Right Wing attacks continually foster?