Well, I've read this and that, and have come to the conclusion that I'm not sure I care how it all goes.
Rather than worry about that, because the changes could be very good --and some of them are compelling to me, I think it's better just to state why I come here, and what it means.
Update: Title changed, mostly because I suck at titles, and the right one didn't occur to me right away. Never fucking does. And look at that poll!! Nice people. Really nice. 'nite all!
I found DKos while awakening politically. I really didn't know what Progressive was, but I liked what I saw.
For a few years, I read, commented, and thought and watched.
Looking back today, I'm really glad I did! So many great people, such improved understanding, and a place to build, grow, and express those things where others actually stand a chance at wanting to hear them.
Lost my cat, which hurt just as much as seeing Obama cave on core things, over and over and over.
There was a outpouring of support in both cases!
That's community, and when I see the dark politics, get depressed, angry, and every other thing, I can come here, and know I'm among a lot of people who actually do care, and that share the goal I have
; namely,
leaving it better than I found it. You know, I need that, and it feels pretty damn good. Toward that end, I do the stuff I can do, and when I can't, I come here, and I get motivated to do it anyway. I need that too. Probably lots of people do, though I don't know if they will all say so.
In the end, I don't care what the changes do to the community. From what I see there will be enough changes to shake things up, and that's going to be somewhat painful, but then again, with the desire to organize, passion and friendships in play, it's hard to imagine it all going away.
It will just be different. Those of us that know one another still will, and we can still talk, laugh, love, rant, plot, and do all the things we like to do, plus some new things! Feeling good about that.
Now, there is one sticking point though. If it's not about progressive ideas, people, building, the movement, and all the rest, I'm not sure it will hang together like it does, and I'm quite sure it won't mean what it does.
We need to see this movement grow. Honestly, that's going to take a less tight knit set of connections, bigger foot print, more people, more threads of action, and just a general change in scale.
Folks, we simply are not big enough right now. That's a fact. We are strong, passionate, smart, and tough, but we are not a body of size capable of really doing some damage on the basic things that trouble our lives and the nation. We need more Progressives, and we need more of them yesterday.
Kudos to Kos for actually building in that way, for that is exactly what I see that is both worrisome, and exciting to me all at the same time. Because of that, I welcome it. Bring it on! Triple the users!
Some of us will lose one another, and I'm sorry for that right now. E-mail is in my profile, maybe capture a few today, while you can, connect, meet up in real life, and let's tool up to do battle, while we keep perspective on who our real friends are, and what really matters.
DKos 4 will probably need that with the change in scale. Why not serve both needs, and help carry it forward? Commit right now to value what we have right now enough to grow it, and make damn sure the newbies know the score! That's what I'm gonna do.
You guys all mean a lot to me. There are times I can plug in, get close, and almost feel the community talking to me. That's powerful. There are other times, when I can't, like now, where work, life, and money (sadly) all come together to pull me away.
I am a Progressive. I came to be a Progressive because of this place on the Internet, and the people in it, and I am completely tired of taking the kind of shit we have taken!
All I really need to see in the next incarnation of Dkos, is that it be Progressive, the place where I can come to, plot, learn, do advocacy, participate in action, and take the best bits away to my other favorite haunts, and beat back regressives with it, thankful for every day I don't live as a 23 percenter!
Just being me that, and I think it will all be fine!
Cheers all, and where the hell can I sign up to start finding my way around the new digs?