In light of Markos' keynote speech and all the recent discussion of what has made this website successful, I wanted to express my feelings of why this site and the netroots are so important, and to encourage our renewed efforts.
We all have limited time to do the things we know need to be done. We know we have a lot to contribute; if only we had the time; if only we knew where we could make a difference. We are always looking for a place where the little time we can spend will be well spent. Where the things we say will be listened to. Where others can take up our ideas and help build on them. Where what we do matters.
Is this the place?
I like to think I am curious, smart, and compassionate. But I am not a mover or a shaker. I don't have the time, nor really even the personality for it. I know I can contribute, but if I have to break down doors to do it, it's not going to happen.
I like to learn, read, and synthesize information. Wouldn't it be nice if I could make all that matter for something? Maybe someone else can use what I have learned. I know other people are working on the same issues. I read about them all the time! So I tried to build my own website. Someplace where I can collect my own thoughs and make it all available to others. But I didn't get very far. I don't have the time; it's too much for one person to do; and it's hard to get motivated when I'm sure no one is going to read it anyway. Still just one voice among millions.
What I wanted was a venue where I could link up with other people working on the same things; a place where the small efforts of lots of people could be combined into something powerful, something effective . A place where I could meet like-minded people, make friends and have fun along the way. And most importantly, a place where I could feel like my small efforts wouldn't be wasted.
And I found it!!
The genius of DailyKos is to provide that kind of place. To link together a lot of vibrant, motivated people and make them feel like they are making a difference, because they are. To pool the resources of thousands of smart, knowledgable people. To link the people who don't know how to break down doors with the people who do.
Incredible things can be accomplished when you connect leaders with resources. A great example of that is EnergizeAmerica. What the leaders of that effort found out (or already knew) was that there are so many people out there with so much knowledge and enthusiasm (and strong opinions!) who are just itching for a way to put it to good use (and yeah, to show it off; that's just part of the fun!). To know that by contributing to this effort we can make a difference, because this effort includes leaders who will make it happen. I was SO excited when I first found out about EnergizeAmerica, because that was exactly the type of thing I was looking for. I was just jealous that I didn't get in on it from the beginning!
Of course these efforts go so far beyond DailyKos, and Markos has always realized that. This website is merely a portal to link people to the huge and diverse progressive movement. And not just to the rest of the netroots . The netroots web is a place that can send feelers out to all of the amazing people and organizations working everyday to build a better world (or at least their little corner of it). The efforts that Paul Hawken summarized in his book Blessed Unrest, and is trying to gather together at WiserEarth. "The Largest Movement in the World"
Wow, I could be a part of that! What more motivation could I ever need?