In the movie Shattered Glass, a bunch of newbies at The New Republic piss off their editor by overusing commas. As a form of penance, he makes them count the number of commas in a recent issue of the magazine. His punishment seems harsh for such a seemingly minor transgression, but his gut instinct is right - the newbies need to shape up or someone is going to get hurt. The movie is about Stephen Glass, the newbie journalist whose fabricated stories dealt The New Republic a crippling blow.
The connection to DailyKos? More after the comma,
It's been pointed out here by some of the LUIDs (the "Low User IDs") that this community is not as good as it used to be. You know, back in the good old days when DKos posters used to have to walk to school in the snow and carry their Apple 2e on their back. It was back in the old days when they used to eat rocks for supper. And like it.
Well, I wasn't here back in the day. But I'm now a MUID (a Mid-Level User ID), so I've been around a bit. And I've read a diary or two in my time here. And, you know what?, I'm starting to agree with those old fogies. There is a problem here and it's not oversaturation or overpopulation or overstimulation. It's overconfidence. I'm starting to get the feeling that an awful lot of people here are riding the wave. And with that overconfidence comes the belief that anything we say or do is just fucking brilliant. It doesn't matter what we spout: "The New York Times is the paper of record... FOR NEOCONS"; "If you're against Impeachment, you're a collaborator!"; "Hilary Clinton is no better than the Republicans"; and on and on and on.
What I'm seeing are more and more diarists and commentors getting the facts wrong.
What we need is members of this community to start counting the commas. Why? Because, if we continue to misuse the community, someone is going to get hurt.
With 115,000 or more members here, this community is filled with more and more dilletantes.
Dilletante
- An amateur or dabbler; especially, one who follows an art or a branch of knowledge sporadically, superficially, or for amusement only.
And a lot of these dilletants are writing diaries and posting comments and espousing theories and sharing beliefes that are, frankly, for shit.
I wanted them to think I was a good journalist, a good person. I wanted them to love the story so they would love me. (Stephen Glass)
Now, this is the point where I could go all Mamet on everyone. I could blast the idiots who mistake an ill-advised comment for a diary. I could attack those who parrot stupid slogans and rants in the belief they are saying something worthwhile. I could get irate when people mistake a New York Times Op-Ed writer for a New York Times reporter. And believe me - those things do piss me off. I get pissed off when someone says something wrong only to have a bunch of sycophants start humping their leg.
What I want to do is challenge my fellow community members here at DailyKos to be better. To write better diaries. To make smarter comments.
I want you to question EVERYTHING you read online and in print.
I want you to question EVERYTHING you hear on television.
When the AP prints a story, I want you to assume that whoever wrote it has an axe to grind and an agenda to push.
I want you to assume that the people behind every news story are ASSHOLES who don't want you to know the truth. Research stories and diaries. Dig for the truth. Crucify the writer or diarist or commentator when they are wrong. And deify them when they are right.
I don't want you to automatically call those you disagree with "Republicans," "traitors," or "collaborators."
I don't want you to assume that those who get published in a newspaper are smarter than you, or are telling the truth.
I don't want you to read a diary and assume that the diarist is correct.
I don't want you to believe everything that Keith Olbermann and Jon Stewart says.
Otherwise, you become the bobblehead who just agrees and gets excited because someone else agrees with you.
I want you to make this community better. More honest. More truthful. More civil. More powerful.
It's a challenge.