Funny; I could have sworn I was checking out a website I have deep respect and admiration for and have contributed to in the past, but it appears instead that I have stumbled onto a place I really don't recognize. I have a faint recollection of this site and its standards, content, and contributors, but my oh my, it seems things have changed. I'll be heading out soon, not for good, mind you - I just want to enjoy my Saturday - but I'd like to make a couple of points first, if you care to follow me below the fold.
Let me start off by saying that as of late, I really haven't been as active on Daily Kos as I have been in the past, so maybe this feeling I have on this beautiful afternoon in Virginia is my own fault. In fact, it's been about a year since I wrote my last diary here, and in the past year I have only commented a handful of times. It's nothing personal at all; I have remained active in politics, sure, but I needed a serious breather after I worked some tough campaigns and I really welcomed other non-political distractions into my life. As I am sure all of you know, immersing yourself in politics can be pretty draining and exhausting. So, I took some time off, but never stopped checking out the rec list and the front page every day or so. What can I say...I'm addicted.
Throughout my "hiatus", I checked out some other message boards and websites; some focused on activities I enjoy, some were devoted to music I like, and some I visited daily for really no reason at all. I have to say, it took me a while to get used to the formats of other message boards after spending so much time here. A lot of message boards allow anonymous comments and do not stress the importance of quality content, so as you can imagine, many threads and diaries turned into meltdowns and/or ridiculous name calling and dare I say pissing matches. A couple of websites I visited had a comment rating option, just like here at Daily Kos. Of course, I soon discovered that this option was pretty meaningless as many comments were rated high/low simply because other users either liked or disliked the person commenting, and that was the sole basis for giving the comment any rating at all. A few websites I visited did not have a "search" option; how annoying to wade through the page with so many threads about the same topic. And of course, as you can imagine, expecting the majority of people on a sports message board to be able to rationally discuss politics is a pretty lofty request. I chalked it up to the fact that I was spoiled by websites like Daily Kos, and I just took the content for what it was worth.
Now, with the political scene really heating up and fresh off of attendance at a very inspiring and enjoyable Jefferson Jackson dinner last weekend, I have found my way back to Daily Kos. I woke up early today and enjoyed the quiet and my coffee while reading through many diaries and stories about various topics. And folks, I have to say, I was shocked.
I don't think I have to go into too many details here; it's pretty evident that Daily Kos today is not the Daily Kos of yesterday. I understand that this primary season is very heated and contentious, and I admire and understand passion, believe me. Despite it all, though, I did not expect this site to become what it seems it has become. Users troll rating one another simply because someone supports a different presidential candidate than another, diaries that are no more than an angry, sophomoric comment, decent diaries that become meltdowns and arguments because a group of people commenting dismiss the entire point in order to make their own point, and users throwing around terms and names that were originated by freepers and Limbaugh; this is not the Daily Kos I know and love. This is not the content I have grown fond of. This is not the society I was, and still am, proud to be part of. I say again, this is not the site I once knew.
But this can change. It can change if you WANT it to change.
Folks, we are better than this. Not only are we better than this, but we owe it to ourselves to BE better than this. I'm not asking that we all hold hands and sing Kum Ba Yah, and I am certainly not asking that you let go of your passion for your belief, your candidate, your stance on an issue, whatever. I am simply asking that we do our best to respect each other and the community just a little bit more. THINK before you rant, THINK before you troll rate that comment that irritates you, THINK before you hijack a diary, and THINK before you lash out at someone. I know it sounds trite, but in the end, we ARE going to have to do some hand holding. And it's hard to lick wounds and offer a friend a band aid when both of your hands are busy holding the hands of other like minded, good people.
Take care, folks. Thanks for listening. Have a happy Saturday. :)