Thank you for helping me find my tribe.
smileycreek
from the Daily Kos Community Quilt
When Joseph Deken's The Electronic Cottage was published in 1983 it extolled the virtues of the new personal computer and envisioned a revolutionary future where our computer would connect us to the rest of the world.
As a natural born introvert I was eager to take part in this new world. I imagined being able to work from home, learn from home, and find like-minded people...all through my computer. It seemed too good to be true...
Here's a little soundtrack to accompany your reading pleasure: The Traveling Wilburys'
Not Alone Any More.
Introverts aren't people who are shy, or who hate other people. According to the Meyers-Briggs classification, introverts recharge their batteries by being alone and cultivating their inner world, while extroverts get energy from being with lots of other people and cultivating their outer world.
When we moved to a small town in the mountains in 1990 to start our practice, we were doubly isolated. It was quickly apparent that our beautiful, inexpensive little neck of the woods was red red red. The social rules about don't discuss politics or religion would have to be strictly adhered to. Even an introvert can have too little interaction, though, and I hungered to find people I could openly be myself with.
And then we got hooked up to the internet via the portal of AOL.
AOL was like a little safe gated community for those who didn't understand how to navigate the World Wide Web, but I instantly realized that the days of the Electronic Cottage were taking shape right there in my very own basement. This internet was the most subversive thing on the planet. I would be judged by the quality of my communication and nothing else. Not by my age, my sex, my profession....just my words. And I wouldn't be limited to my corner of the world-- I now had the entire world at my fingertips.
This may seem so obvious to those who grew up with the Internet, but to this introvert who loves solitude it was beyond revolutionary. I could have both-- solitude and connection. Meaningful relationships and privacy. Mental stimulation and the time to process all the information coming in. Most of all, interaction with like-minded people, who were in very short supply in my new environment.
I was not alone any more.
Web browsers came into being, letting me ditch the limited AOL portal and begin encountering the Web more directly. My first online groups were book discussion groups that included people from all over the country and even from other countries. But it was when cable was installed, running from tree to tree and stretching across the creek to our house that a high-speed connection began to make all the difference in the world. It was then my interest in politics, set aside since college in the hard work of building a business began to blossom, exploding into obsession with the 2008 elections and leading me to this strange and wonderful Great Orange Satan. The first time I wandered through I read a front-page story by Hunter and was stunned by the intelligent writing. Hooked.
I was not alone any more.
I didn't expect to find community here. I didn't expect to find ways I could give back to the site (joining LaughingPlanet in writing the Welcome New Users series, then joining the wonderful Top Comments team). I didn't expect to be adopted by the wonderful SFkossacks group. I didn't expect to find so many friends. I never expected to go to Netroots Nation and love every minute of it because I was surrounded by people I knew, whether I had personally met them or not.
I didn't expect to find so many witty, articulate, passionate writers who care about making their country and their world a better place. I didn't expect my own words to matter to other people or move them.
Daily Kos exemplifies everything I ever wanted beamed in to my Electronic Cottage in the woods: Intelligent analysis, up-to-date news, and my virtual tribe of kick-ass caring people.
And so when I ask you to support the Daily Kos subscription drive it's because I want to support all the people who live in out-of-the way or politically red places. I want to support the people who are surrounded by family and co-workers who watch Fox News or listen to right-wing radio. I want to support the people who, through this community, reach out to the world and to each other, with money, with activism, with care and concern.
I want to tell you that you are not alone. Maybe you're a lurker, maybe you've never written a comment or a diary. I want to tell you that you can step in to any group here, any community diary, and say hello, and introduce yourself, and tell us who you are and what you care about, and you will find your own tribe of caring and compassionate people who will support and inspire you. How do I know this? Because this past week there has been a torrential downpour of kossacks raining gifts upon other kossacks. Most of the gift subscriptions have been anonymous. How about that-- an anonymous person saying I see you and I care about you and You are not alone here.
Do you know how many lifetime gift subscriptions have been given since this drive started? Over 266 328. The most recent list of recipients is HERE, along with a list of people who do not have lifetime subscriptions. Even the shy people have their own list-- Onomastic is keeping a list of people who greatly need a gift sub but don't want to publicly ask. Click on her Profile and send her a message if you'd like to help a reticent kossack.
You are not alone.
SO here's the skinny:
As of 2012 Lifetime subscriptions will no longer be available. They cost $100 and come with perks like turning off ads, faster page loading, downloadable e-books and the ability to store your photos on the site. To me the greatest perk is supporting a site that lets people find their own tribe, their own community, and their own kind so that they can be an even more effective force for change in the world.
♥ If you'd like a Lifetime Subscription go to the Subscription Page. If you can't afford one, put your name in the comments of this diary and you'll get added to the list.
♥ If you don't want to ask publicly, send a message to Onomastic to be included on her private list.
♥ If you'd like to buy a Gift Subscription (anonymously or not) learn how to do so and even choose a name off the list here: The List: You People Are Generous Beyond Belief
♥ If you'd like to make a small donation to a group fund that has already purchased 14 15 Lifetimes Subscriptions from Onomastic's list go to https://www.paypal.com, select the send money option on the left, and type in KelleyRN2@gmail.com as the destination. Any amount will support the site and let some person know they matter, that people care, and that we are all in this together.