I've been a member of DailKos for a while now. I've been a regular contributor and avid reader for several years. My earliest recollection of this blog was shortly after the infamous pie wars that were caused by an advertisment for the Gilligan's Island reality show. I lurked for a while and then eventually joined when I couldn't keep my trap shut anymore. The lies that the Bushies used to justify the invasion of Iraq were too much for me to bear.
But I digress..
For whatever reason I joined DKos, I am not always someone who joins the pack. I once wrote a diary admitting my admiration for Lincoln Chaffee. I discussed how he was a Republican opposing the Iraq war and supporting pro-environmental policies, difficult positions in the GOP. He was facing a strong primary challenge from a right-wing crackpot, and I got troll rated for writing the diary. I got lectured by know-it-all assholes about how the mission of this blog was to elect Democrats.
And in the 2008 primary, I supported Edwards... then Clinton... then Obama reluctantly. For whatever reason, it took me a while to warm up to the next president. I once wrote that Obama takes a special pill that makes his shit taste like cookie dough. LOL, I meant to say "smell" instead of "taste".
Oops...
Needless to say, I got troll rated.
But I managed to avoid writing some lame-ass GBCW diary, taking my marbles and going home. Below are some tips that may be useful to you.
- Realize that there are assholes on the Internet. Some people live with their mothers until they are 40 years old. They have a lot of free time. They get sexual pleasure from the power they have on blogs. Ignore people who you think fit this mold. You are better than them.
- Use critical thinking. If you truly want to be a member of the reality-based community, look it up on Wikipekdia and/or Google.
- Know that opinions are like assholes; everybody has one. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts.
- Don't be egocentric. Realize that people come from different backgrounds and have had different influences on their lives. Just because you are not gay doesn't mean that you cannot understand gay people. And that goes for race, sex, religion, etc. as well. Your shit doesn't taste like cookie dough.
- Get a fucking sense of humor. Don't take things so seriously. We all agree on most things. Fuck, we argued over the difference between the Clinton and Obama health care proposals. Both were {laugh] far superior to anyting the Republicans were proposing.
- Bite your tongue. If you think something you write might offend someone... don't post it. I have written diaries that I never published... thank God. I would have been banned for sure. Take a deep breath and think things through.
- Shut the fuck up! If you have nothing worthwhile to say, then shut the fuck up.
- Stick up for your friends. Enough said.
- Show compassion. People who are facing tough times deserve your simpathy and help, if possible. Don;t be an asshole.
- Think.