Daily Kos is a Democratic website. The purpose of this site is to elect better Democrats -- not just more weak Democrats. One of the great things I like here is that diaries which may or may not appeal to me, have an equal chance of making the rec list if certain factors are considered. Very Democratic.
I've written diaries which never should have made the rec list -- they were either just personal reflections or out and out crazy rants. At the same time, I have seen well-researched and well-written diaries languish. I've seen community diaries fall off the recent diary list. Why is that?
I'm guessing that several factors, many unrelated, are the reasons for rec list diaries.
- The diarist is generally popular on this site because of a consistency in good writing and substantiation of assertions through links;
- The diarist is generally popular on this site and has a following of like minded folks who want whatever the diarist is posting to be seen by a wider audience;
- The diarist, while not generally known, posts an extraordinary diary which has "universal" appeal;
- The diarist has a small, but active group of advocates, who believe the diary is noteworthy;
- The diarist has an email/facebook/twitter group to whom an announcement of a new diary is forwarded; and/or
- Shameless pimping in other diaries -- I've done it for IGTNT and Liveblogs -- and it is effective.
Are any of these approaches to the rec list illegitimate? No. They are all perfectly fine. All points of view should be able to reach the rec list, no matter the route. Staying on the rec list depends on your talents in engaging those who have read and commented.
There is no need to bemoan how such and such got on the rec list -- the diary is there and has an audience. None of us is strong-armed into reading any of those diaries -- I avoid several just as a matter of preference.
The absolute upside is -- everyone here, after the initial probation period, can write a diary which will appear on the recent diary list -- and then you can check your recommends to see if the community wants you on the rec list.
Why did I bother writing this diary? Because I was checking myself regarding my mental reaction: "Why is this diary on the rec list?" I concluded, "Why not?"