Thanks Ken! The free publicity you and Karl are generating is very helpful! You are helping us take back America from your stupid, incompetent, totalitarian regime. Since I arrived on the scene here we have accumulated well over THIRTY THOUSAND new users, largely due to the publicity from attacks by the Right Wing. And....as much as i hate to say it, attack Markos all you want! He may be the face of the blogosphere, {skippy, tm} but he in no way is the blogosphere itself! If Markos moved back to El Salvador tomorrow, if you sent Republican goons to break all his fingers, if he drank the Republican kool-aid and became a mindless zombie like the rest of you, it wouldn't slow us down a bit. This is a people powered movement made up of intelligent people who think for themselves, not lobotomized Daddy worshippers like your base! The momentum of change, the sunrise of awareness, the destruction of your lies is under way, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!
So, Ken, as YOUR Feckless Leader once said...Bring It On! Ghandi was right...and now that you are fighting us, we have only one stage left!
Read On New Users! and Welcome!
Before we get started, go ahead and press the + button in the circle next to the title. That will put this diary on your hot list so you can access it later and go back and read the links!
When I first found Dkos and began lurking (reading without posting) I was thrilled!
"These folks are Wicked Smart! I said to myself and Funny too! I want to be a Kossite!!" But I was mystified as to a large chunk of what was being discussed...whats a recommend? Whats a 4? What is that whole recent diary list thingee about over there? Who the hell is that Armando guy? And hundreds of other 'stupid' questions!
A veritable laundry list of ignorance! I leapt into the fray....and was pummeled!
It turns out that the community had not been waiting around for years for me to come and tell them what they were doing wrong! It turns out that even though I am Wicked Smart too, some of what I KNEW to be fact was wrong or not substantiated enough to qualify as FACT in this reality based community! It turned out that even though I was Wicked Smart, there were others here not only just as smart and aware as I, but some even smarter and more aware than I! I had one convo that went roughly like this. Paraphrased of course...
Me; Well, I disagree!!! I have studied extensively, as an avocation, the way the human brain works.
Other Guy; I am a Neuro-Surgeon
Me; oh.
But I also found PLENTY of folks who were ready and willing to help me...to overlook my ignorance and newness and point me in the right direction to become a productive member of the community. I learned to be a little humble and to listen to those who had been here longer and knew the ropes. Eventually the community accepted me wholeheartedly and gradually I reclaimed my imperious arrogance.....but now molded and modeled to community standards.
I've only been here nine months or so, but I now consider my fellow Kosovarians and Kossacks as my family and friends. Daily Kos, and the opportunity to use it through cooperation and consensus to change our world, has become a large part of my life. Because it works!
Ok dig in! Below there are links, tips, anecdotes and more to help you learn Dkos. Please add your input in the comments. Ask questions, tell us your story! We will try to publish a version of this diary every two weeks until the election...or the rebellion, whichever comes first! This is a community effort and ALL fellow Kosologists are encouraged to contribute in the comments, especially pointing out information I've missed, or corrections to the info contained here.
* Join Me In Welcoming New Members and Readers by Darksyde.
* Memo To the World by Kos.
* Soj's Old-Tyme FAQ and Jamboreee by Soj.
* Hey, Newbie! by georgia10.
* An Old Coot to Newbies and Fellow Codgers: Let's Talk Site Functionality by folkbum.
* DailyKos 101: The Basics by theleftknew.
* Daily Kos Frappr map. Are you on the Frappr map? Don't miss local dKos meet-ups and events in your area.
Here is a new entry in the genre from Goldberry
I'd also like to include, just for the record mind you, some criticism from my fellow kosylitizers of Markos himself, just to show that we are not cultlike or worshipful followers
And a very important reminder for ALL users from kraant Please Stop Biting The Newbies.
And then there is ek.
ek hornbeck is.....unique.
If you want a GOOD version of this diary, check out ek's take, better written, more comprehensive, funnier...and just plain ego crushing for this diarist!
I went searching for some of the great other stuff ek has posted....and got lost in h/er/is diaries for three days. Finally I had to light the comments in one of them on fire to attract the rescue chopper. Yes, it WAS that close. in the end I couldn't pick just one diary. Thus I link you to the entire ek canon.
WARNING: ek is for sophisticated readers only! Many, many new Kositizens have stumbled out of a late night whiny meta thread with 1000 yard stares and bleeding ear drums. As you might be able to tell I have great affection for ek. I urge you all to read ek's diaries for a THOROUGH briefing of all of the intricacies of Dkos (stay away from the one about the pandas, though, the comments are...missing.)
Those are the Archives. Well, a selection from the archives.
Please Note:
Since these diaries were published, there has been a major change to the rating system at Daily Kos. Please try to absorb the Feeling and Spirit and approach all tech stuff with the understanding that these diaries are not updated....Dkos is constantly evolving, certainly technically, and not everything you read in these archived diaries will be accurate.
For current, up to date, minty fresh info, I urge ye to hie thyself over to the FAQ posthaste!!! Constantly updated and lovingly tended by our own dmsilev, one of the many hard working volunteer members on the site. Thanks dms. Oh and when you see jotters name on the recent diary list, go check it out. jotter provides daily stats on the activity here at the Big Orange. More questions? Check the dKospedia and don't forget our daily roundups! Diary rescue by the inestimable SusanG and Top Comments by the gloriously silly Top Comenteer Crew!
Let's see, how can I put this as gently as possible. While making sure you take me very seriously...
Before you start posting here, or if you have any questions, or are having problems of ANY kind....READ THE FREAKING FAQ.... thank you.
Most people here will be happy to help you, some won't. The best procedure for getting questions answered is, in order... go to the FAQ... post a question in an Open Thread or Ask A Kossak (Sunday nights)... or for serious unresolved issues, Contact Us. Please remember the volume of users here and do not expect someone to mail you back in ten minutes or even ten hours, with a solution. For 98% of your questions, the FAQ or Open Thread/Ask A Kossak should suffice.
A diary here by peeder on the new comment and ratings features will be helpful in explaining the nuts and bolts of the new comment system.
This site is Community Moderated. In other words, instead of have a few moderators sitting in an ivory tower monitoring the site for inappropriate behaviour, the entire community takes on this responsibilty. As a New User your responsibilities are, of course, limited. You can recommend a diary or a comment.
After three months you will have the possibility of becoming a Trusted User, or TU. Trusted users are given the responsibilty of what we like to call Troll Rating. Troll ratings are designed to serve one purpose, to remove offensive or inappropriate comments from the public view. If you write a post, for instance saying; George Bush is the best President ever, and Jeb will be even better!!!, it WILL disappear. Other blatant NoNo's include, but are not limited to; advocating violence, pointless offensive profanity, personal attacks on another user....and anything else that WE the community deem to be outright agitation, inflammation or otherwise trollish behaviour.
If perchance you are troll rated, try your best to grin, bear it and learn. Its not fun to be TR'd...its not supposed to be. It is appropriate to ask as politlitely as possible WHY you have been TR'd, it is NOT acceptable to pitch a fit, whine, or claim censorship or persecution. IT'S NOT PERSONAL. Sometimes mistakes are made, new sytems have recently been implemented to cut down on the rare abuses of the system and of course, the system is constantly evolving.
Trusted User Status is NOT a reward, its a responsibilty. If you achieve Trusted User Status, it doesn't mean that you are Supercool...it means get to work and HELP the site!
Our Community constantly evolves and succeeds because it is Community Moderated and Community Oriented. The Administrators do a great job of monitoring the community and responding with any needed changes. Dkos is truly democracy in action. The consensus of the community is what makes it run. Take the responsibilties of your participation here seriously.
My Advice for New Users
Slow Down. The Daily Kos is a huge place. The Daily Kos is also not just a blog, its community. The Daily kos is not just a community either, it is a culture unto itself.
As always when you come to a new culture, some of the rules, and nearly ALL of the intricacies are not apparent immediately. Slow Down.
It is very exciting here. The stimulation of reading so many good diaries and so many great comments is intoxicating.... especially when I first came here, and, haha, every time I've logged on since. I get sucked in for hours here at my virtual home. I become emotionally involved in the diaries I read here and in the exchanges of ideas and opinions in the comments. People are Passionate here and the conversation is not cocktail party fluff.
If you make a statement of fact be ready to back it up with a link.
If you are expressing an opinion make sure it is clearly indicated as such.
If you disagree with someone, consider both your facts AND your tone carefully. People around these parts often do not take kindly to people to people disagreeing with them, it can be taken as a challenge. Be aware of that before you jump in. If you see other kossaks in a heated exchange....think VERY carefully before jumping in. It might be you who ends up getting roasted!
I don't want to give you the wrong impression, though! If you do have the facts and are willing to put them on the line and defend them vigorously please do!!! That is why we are all here, to learn and discuss The Facts. But, PLEASE be aware that discussions here are 'rigorous' and discussions on topical issues quite often become 'heated.' Pick your spots wisely, present your facts well, argue for your opinions or convictions in a succinct and logical manner and you will be welcomed by this community with open arms, as I was...eventually.
Flout community standards, argue baselessly, and insists others accept your opinion as fact and you WILL be spitted and roasted by the community at large. Though we are compassionate liberals, we do not suffer fools lighty. Respect and reputation are important here. Respect others and they will respect you. Stick around, participate and contribute, and soon You Too! will have a reputation, credibility and the respect of your Kossaks. Its a good feeling.
To sum up, Slow Down. Take It Easy. Learn the Culture. But by all means, participate. We WANT to hear your voice.
Learn the complex and confusing community standards as you go. There are side streets to explore in Kosland, where you can go and observe the natives in their natural habitat. Of course, comment wherever you want! The only censorship here on this community/culturaly moderated forum is by your fellow Kosophiles! You can learn the Kosmological Kulture by commenting at places like the following.
Note. All the diaries below are permalinked (read the freakin FAQ) but the real action is in the comments. These are the places Kosmopolitans mix and mingle. These ARE the Cocktail Parties of Daily Kos. Be serious on serious threads. Be silly and have fun on the threads below. This is by no means a complete list. Just click Open Comments and then stand back!!!
Cheers & Jeers. Published in the mornings in the eastern time zone. Bill in Portland Maine is one of the funniest people in cyberspace. He reminds me of Johnny Carson, so do all of his many guest hosts! There have been reports that occasional pootie pics occur. There be Snark there.
Got A Happy Story? Co-hosted on alternating Friday nights by the enigmatic and beloved Carnacki and the Poet Laureate of Dkos, Darrell J. Gaham
WYFP? by the lovely and talented Elizabeth D is published on Saturday nights as well. NO! You have to figure out what WYFP stands for by yourself!
Al Rodgers Sunday Talk usually posted late saturday night. You want to see a kossak in full flame warrior mode? Dis Al! yer muffins will be toasty in no time!
Ask A Kossak W/Free Answers, Sunday nights, posted by a low rent wannabe hack.
Usually followed just minute or two later by [History For Kossakshttp://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/8/20/194947/938]by our resident Historiorantisist Unitary Moonbat.
And while not exactly a cocktail party....Don't forget to check in with pastordan on Sunday nights.
This is by no means a complete list!!! There are many, many more great columns, writers, and surprises around every corner!
When you enter a diary, be respectful of the diarists intent and adjust your approach to commenting accordingly. RubDmc's Iraq War Daily Grief diaries call for one kind of tone. The Saturday Night Losers Club series (which I am not allowed to recommend to you, under the rules the diarist has set) calls for another. Every diarist has put thought and effort into his or her post, please respect that.
Knowledge is Power and this is a Powerful Place. Use your Power wisely!!!
Speak up in the comments, you are garooonteed to get a warm welcome in this diary!!! Ask questions and please tell us how you 'Came To Kos!'