Recent diaries and comments indicate that there are a few myths or misperceptions about DK4. There seems to be some confusion and some feelings of intimidation, but the upshot is really that you can use DK4 just as you use DK3 and never learn about or use the many tools provided by DK4. But, if you want to expand what you can now do at DK3, you might want to gradually learn about the new features at your own pace.
One fact is undeniable: DK4 is focused on strengthening and expanding our community and sub-communities while making it easier for us to organize political activism. Another fact should increase our comfort levels: These DK4 tools increase and expand the functionality of tools we now use on DK3, not FB or twitter. DK3 has diary series, sub-communities and group user accounts that are some of what is called "Groups" in DK4. DK3 has subscription and hotlists that are called "follow" and "stream" in DK4.
Myth #1: DK4 will destroy our community.
My first concern with DK4 was that it would have a negative impact on our community because previously the plan was to remove our recent list from the FP and just have a FP link to diaries listed on an inside page. I wrote a diary called DK4 Impacts On Our Public Forum because my view is that our recent list is not just a list, as some kossacks had advocated. I view our recent list as a public forum or town square that is the base of our community, a Grand Central Station that provides connecting roads to all our sub-communities, and the one place where our entire community is "in one room."
Since I wrote that diary, things have changed. Other kossacks shared this concern, and Markos responded by keeping our recent list on the FP. Yet, I still see many comments about how DK4 does not have a recent list on the FP. But, here is a pic of part of our new recent list:
It is a new recent list that is now called "Recently Rec'd" (and I hope a different permanent name is created) and it will use an algorithm where each diary with at least 1 recommend from a TU will be on our new recent list. There are 50 diaries on this new recent list, just as I set my view of recent diaries on DK3 to 50 diaries. The TU requirement will likely weed out the troll diaries or the one-para-comment diaries. (Note: In DK4, there is no rule that diaries must be more than one para, and in fact a diary can be one sentence, but the point is often the one-para diaries are not substantial, and might not get a rec from one TU.)
But, you are in the mood for eating some popcorn with a troll diary? No problem. The top of the FP in DK4 has a link to DIARIES: Click onto link and go to inside page that lists all diaries.
Myth #2: Unlimited diaries will destroy our recent list.
There are pros and cons to the right to post as many diaries as you wish each day. The advantages include that we can use diaries to promote series and projects. For example, I've been involved with various blogathons at DK for the GOTV, food banks, and environmental projects. I usually post promos at jotter. Now, we can also promote by posting a diary that has just a few sentences and that diary will show up in the streams. Another advantage is that when you want to post a quickie diary to promote the reading of another diary, you don't have to think first, shit, I already posted a diary today.
Disadvantages, such as the potential flooding of our new recent list, might be handled by community moderation. For example, if someone posts 10 diaries a day that are drivel, then TUs might not rec the diaries, and then the diaries won't be listed on our new recent list. Also, people might decide to not follow a diarist that tries to flood our list with diaries that have no value and make it harder to find the good diaries.
We really won't know if this is an issue until after DK4 is up and running so it's rather hard to assess now.
Myth #3: DK4 tools will harm our community and sub-communities.
DK4 is about expanding and strengthening our community and our sub-communities by providing tools, including:
DK4 has Groups (Now known as diary series, sub-communities and group user accounts in DK3):
Some describe their concern over Groups with words like balkanization, silo, and clique. However, DK3 has Groups but we call them diary series and group user accounts. I am a member of several Groups now: DK Poli, EcoAdvocates, DK GreenRoots, EcoJustice and Climate Change News Roundup. DK Poli did a DK GOTV blogathon for the midterms and many in our community complimented this blogathon. We have tons of series at DK3, and I think most people like that we have so many series and the variety of series/communities/sub-communities. The only tool we have to assist Groups at DK3 is the group user account.
At DK4, there are additional tools to make working on Groups easier. Groups is the ability for us to create our own group blogs that are "modeled after the Daily Kos front page. Everything the Daily Kos editors can do to manage content on the front page of this site, so can group admins. In fact, the front page of DK4 is just a group blog (but one that happens to live on the front page of the site)."
For example: Groups can do collaborative diary writing in a shared draft diary. When Deoliver47 writes her commentary for Tuesday's Chile, she can post in a draft diary for Black Kos Group, and dopper0189 can also post his news in the same draft diary rather than having to collect contributions and copy and paste by e-mail.
Another example: Bentliberal is scheduled to post OND next Monday, but he found out he needs to go to a weekend party and won't have access to a computer until Tuesday and no other OND editor can take his slot at such short notice! No need to panic in DK4: In DK4, Groups (and individual diarists) can post their diary in a queue beforehand and then Bentliberal can schedule his diary to post Monday night while he still parties.
DK4 has tons of additional tools that will be beneficial for Groups and individuals and further foster community. Here are just a few examples:
DK4 has private messages. This means that people do not have to share private e-mail addies or lose privacy with their personal names or take the time to first find a diarist, go to their blog page to find the public email addy that the diarist provides (but some don't) and then send an email to an account that many don't use as their primary email account and so might not find your email promptly. With DK4 PM, there is a message at the top of the FP alerting you to new PMs.
One of my fav stats from jotter is views that tells you how many unique visitors for your diary. However, if your diary does not land on High Impact Diaries, then there is no way to find out how many people visited your diary. DK4 provides the stat of view for each diary on your blog page: Go to your blog page, click onto MY DIARIES, and then click onto LIST VIEW.
Ever sit there counting words to fit your intro for your diary because you keep getting the error message of too many words? In DK4, no more limits that bulk of diary published below the fold.
Myth #4: DK4 will be like FB and twitter.
Just as DK3 is not FB or twitter, the same is true for DK4, which simply improves the functionality of tools we now use in DK3.
In DK3, we have the ability to subscribe to diarists: DK4 uses the word "follow" for an expanded subscription program, but they are the same concepts. Just like you don't have to use subscription now in order to use DK3, you don't need to use "follow" at DK4 in order to use DK4.
At DK3, you can subscribe to diarists by clicking "subscribe" next to their name on a diary. The diarist will then be added to your hotlist.
In DK4, you can follow (or subscribe) to a diarist by clicking on to a heart located by their name and then the diarist will be added to your stream (or hotlist) on your blog page.
The difference with DK4 is ease, simplicity and organizational functionality. You can now follow or subscribe to not just diarists, but also groups and tags. (My diary on DK4 Tags for Dummies explains the DK4 tagging system.) When you do subscribe or follow, your stream presents a simple, clear and organized list:
Check out your own hotlist page on DK3 to see the difference. The DK4 stream is really your own recent diary list that is provided on your blog page. (Please see my diary, DK4: Tips on Networking for Readers, Comments & Rec List for more information about streams.)
Myth #5: New diarists will be hurt by DK4 because it will be too hard for people to find their work.
The goals of DK4 are to make it easier for new writers to be found by our community, provide a wider audience for well-researched diaries that sink on our recent list, and extend the life of all diaries.
In DK3, we have a Recommended List and a Recent List. DK4 keeps these two lists, but expands the capability of new writers and great diaries to reach a wider audience with the addition of 2 lists positioned on the prime location of the top of the FP. One, there is Community Spotlight, which is our live Diary Rescue by our Rescue Rangers, who are focused on rescuing great diaries that we missed. Oftentimes a rescued diary ends up on the Recommended List. Two, the Featured Box will house promotions by fp'ers and will highlight community live blogs, blogathons, key stories, projects, excellent diaries and other features.
These 4 Lists on the FP of DK4 are testimony to the role that community plays at DK. The DK4 FP lists provide easier access to good writing than on DK3 and with no work other than reading the FP. But, if you want to use DK4 tools to dig even deeper, there is your own recent list on your blog page called the stream, there are several search engines, there is an extensive tagging system and there are lists all over the site for finding diaries by tag or issue.
I'm excited about DK4 and wonder where is our countdown clock?