I use the rec list to look at a variety of what's going on on DK, and I suspect others do as well. I understand the process that a diary gets there. But when when a third (4-5 at this moment) of the diaries are on any one topic. ANY topic, I can't use the list as I usually do and I find it a bit annoying. I know how to access the recommended diaries the other way, but I guess I'm lazy. Then I got to thinking about the other reasons I had a reaction.
Before Bernie fans take this personally, please know that I love the guy myself. This isn't personal. His politics are closer to mine than HRC's are but I have not yet decided who I'll vote for in the primary.
What finally motivated me to write this diary,one reason for the flash of irritation I feel, in addition to my own minor inconvenience, is how we look to others. It is not only we members who see it. I am guessing there are thousands of casual viewers and lurkers who don't know how to get to the recommended diaries except seeing that list.
Moreover, our front page stands for us. When a casual visitor sees our front page,s/he gets an immediate idea of who we are. The highlighted and recommended diary titles form much of that impression. And of course, the recommended diaries say to visitors, rightly or wrongly, what is of the most importance to our members. When we have so many diaries on the same subject we look like that is our main focus and our wide range of diary topics are not obvious to the casual observer of our front page.
I don't want this to be any kind of rox/sux diary. I am coming from viewpoint of "us" and how we appear to other people. I had sent my cousin to DK (sent the website to him) and he's a non-political person so suddenly I'm thinking about what we look like to him.
I am wondering if Bernie fans would consider the number of Bernie diaries they recommend over the day, especially if the titles/topics are very similar. I can understand the motivation to recommend All Bernie diaries if you are an ardent supporter. Please consider this though.
A Bernie supporter on a diary the other day mentioned this him/herself, limiting her/his recommendations for that very reason. I can't find the person, sorry not to give credit. Then I just came online and saw so many.
My response would be identical for HRC diaries. Maybe it would not be the same all the diaries would be about some horrendous event in time that we were reacting to. But this is how I react and think casual visitors might as well
If you think I am a concern troll, look at my comment history. I really am middle of the road. I am not a big fan of HRC. Also, am open to be wrong about the impression it creates. Perhaps this conversation has happened before about other diary topics and I'm unaware (I joined in 2012 and still feel like a newbie). Perhaps it's even been resolved unbeknownst to me (question being what, if anything, should be done when there are many diaries on the rec list about the same subject). This is only a request for consideration of the idea. Thanks for reading. Hopefully people won't just read the sincere question in the title and be offended without reading. Hopefully any conversation that might happen in the comments will be respectful. Again, it is a request to consider my proposal. If you disagree I'm fine with that.