I am a relative newcomer, although I try to be active and participate as much as possible here. I do Diary Rescue, I've written a few diaries and they were well received, I post comments in many threads that I do my best to make productive and worthwhile. But I have noticed, particularly since the elections and since the FP contest, that there is a distinct "do as I say, not as I do" vibe around here. And some of the most divisive things of late have been committed by those who hold the most power.
I am not trying to be accusatory, I have no right to call out those who have been here the longest or cause trouble, I'm just making an observation as someone who has been trying to familiarize myself with and acclimate to a community that has so many people that I respect and admire doing such good, important work.
I have to say that over the last couple of weeks it has appeared as if there may be a purge going on, and beyond that, a deliberate attempt in some cases to agitate certain people until they fall upon their swords. If this is the case, it will be a very sad day for DKos, in my very lowly, humble opinion.
Let's begin with a little reality check on diaries. There are rants that get rec'ed, there are feel-good diaries that get rec'ed, there are short synopses of news stories (some titled with the universally detested 'Breaking') that get rec'ed. You may lament that this is so, the long-timers may lament that this is so. But the truth is, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of diaries that go through here everyday, and most of them aren't worth a hill of beans. I know this because I end up reading a great many of them during diary rescue. These diaries almost always fall straight off the list, and they don't get saved by DR because they aren't worthy of rescue. Some of them make good, valid points badly, some seem to have no point at all, some are just plain bad for one reason or another. That doesn't invalidate the rights of those who write them to get their opinion out there. But the ones that get saved are good, just as nearly almost all of the ones that make the rec list are good.
Maybe you don't like it when a rant hits the rec list, maybe you don't like the cheerleader diaries, the diaries with lots of pictures, the diaries with important facts that aren't totally fleshed out. It doesn't change the fact that, by and large, these are good, well written diaries that people want and, yes, need. And for every one of these that you don't care for on the rec list, there are five or six others that are deeply researched, well thought out and well written diaries on topics that have great impact.
While we're on the subject of diaries let's have a look at some unfortunate diary behavior. If you don't like the subject, style, or author of a diary, then don't read it. No need to go in and berate the diarist for not meeting your personal standards. Just walk away. Your personal opinion will not improve anything for anyone.
And if you just can't resist throwing your two cents in, then say it once and walk away. Don't hijack the thread from everyone else who is there, because they want to be there. Despite what you may think, your opinion is just that - an opinion. Your words of wisdom repeated over and over, causing a brawl and ruining the thread for everyone is just trollish, no matter how long you've been here or what power you may or may not have.
As far as troll rating goes, it doesn't seem to me like there needs to be alot of meta policing going on. It looks like to me that these things usually take care of themselves. I don't see much in the way of abuse, and when it does occur the other TU's seem to take care of it. Those who can troll rate seem to be pretty good at dealing with the situations that arise. Apparently I haven't been here long enough or have not been worthy of TU status, and it doesn't bother me a bit. I make my arguments, I take my lumps. I apologize when I feel I've gone over the line, I call others on behavior I think is beyond the pale. I might feel more accepted, more in, if I had TU, but my life is still really, really good without it.
And since I'm examining bad diary behavior, let's throw in a little something ironic. There have been some horrible attacks, some truly egregious attacks on certain diarists in their own diaries as well as some horrible behavior, in general, in diary threads that has truly appalled me as of late. Nearly all of them have been made by people who have been around a good, long time and profess to know better.
Yet when meta diaries on proper diary etiquette show up, they are the first ones, the loudest voices, to shout AMEN!, as if they haven't been behaving like recalcitrant children, sometimes just moments before the new 'come to Jesus' meta diary hit the list. The hypocrisy of this just takes my breath away, especially since it is sometimes from people for whom I have great respect. I can tell you now that if you have the self awareness to see yourselves in this description, then you should have the prescience to recognize that my opinion of you is plummeting with every sentence you utter in this vein. Maybe that doesn't matter to you, but in the long run it should, because I am the canary in this mine.
I understand completely that this is a website created for getting Democrats elected. I think that is a most worthy goal, or I would never have found my way here in the first place. But what makes a good Democrat is more than money and polls. There is much more to political discourse than the tallies on the horserace. In order to win hearts and minds, you have to define what you stand for, illuminate what your principles are. And if it turns out that you are willing to sacrifice your principles for the hopes of winning a horse race, then you really have no principles at all, and your chances of winning that horse race plummet. People will see that you are shallow, and they will act accordingly.
There is also a great irony in there being a website, whose goal is to get Democrats elected, where those with the most powerful voices are the ones who appear the least tolerant of democratic debate. It seems to me that one man's opinion is, well, just his opinion. It has no more weight in a truly democratic society than anyone else's. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. With that entitlement comes the risk of being called on it. If you are in a position of power you can, of course, punish those who oppose you, shut down their voices, ignore calls for reason. Of course you can do it, but that won't make you right, and it won't win you any friends in the court of public opinion, where all who wield power must be made accountable.