On behalf of the regular denizens of Daily Kos, we wanted to take a few minutes and welcome the thousands of new readers that have tuned into this cozy corner of progressive cyberspace over the last frantic week. If you’re a new reader, or an old friend who’s been quietly lurking, there is a comprehensive FAQ that can answer most questions, starting with who is Kos? The most important thing we want you to know is that you don’t have to be a passive bystander, not anymore, not this time, not this election, and not ever; that’s what makes this place such a vibrant community! The heart and soul of Daily Kos isn’t the front page, it’s in member diaries and comments.
Wanna wade in? You can register a screen name here. Registering a screen name allows you to comment and write your own blog posts on our dime. There is no cost or software download involved! Daily Kos will never sell or give your contact info to a third party or, for that matter, any party, including political parties. Keep in mind you must log in and out with your new screen name and wait 24 hours before you can comment, one week before you can write diaries. We’ll keep the place running, the lights on, and shoulder all the IT headaches and bandwidths costs. All you have to do is tell us about whatever floats your boat.
When you write a diary it will appear in the lower right hand margin labeled "Recent Diaries." Other registered readers can vote to recommend your diary. With enough recommendations your post will be promoted to the "Recommended Diary List." Because Daily Kos receives so many hits, a recommended diary can reach thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of readers all over the world. This feature is the great leveling, the genesis of citizen journalism, and it can provide you the kind of national recognition once reserved for only a handful of privileged media celebrities. There are very few places in the media landscape where you can get that kind of exposure.
This site is supported by advertising revenues, but if you’d like to eliminate the ads, there is a low-cost subscription option here. We don’t push this, it’s purely your choice, and no one can tell it doesn't matter to other users if you’re a subscriber or not.
Here you may find the famous and the infamous, members of Congress, governors and mayors, even Hollywood superstars. But we are united in the belief first enshrined in a document penned by a group of radical progressives who defended it with their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor over two hundred years ago, that with the right tools, so called ordinary people, We the People, can produce the most extraordinary results. For veteran political gurus, candidates for elected office, soldiers, teachers, doctors, students, lawyers, scientists, home makers, politicians, engineers, artists, sons and daughters, mom and dads, grandparents and great-grand parents, this website isn’t just one of those tools, it is your conduit to the entire 21st century tool kit.
If you’re content to read the site and choose not to comment or post diaries, that’s perfectly fine. You are valued immensely. But if you have something to say or would like to introduce yourself, on behalf of all the members of this wonderful community, I warmly invite you to enrich us further by adding your voice. And, if you write well, or make a habit of posting well-researched, salient diaries or comments, if you come up with a good idea... if you’re used to being ignored, most importantly if you’re sick and tired of Republican incompetence and corruption and equally unimpressed by milquetoast Democrats, you’d better be ready to stand back and cover your ears. Because here your progressive brothers and sister in arms will amplify that voice a thousand fold; because all we have is each other; because this site is about you and for you: Because this is Daily Kos.