I am going to ask you all to try out a new development for all Kossacks.
Whilst work is going on to see if a European Version of Daily Kos is feasible, I started to develop a site as a temporary resting home for some of the Daily Kos inspired European diaries. In doing so, I realised that I might have created something that was valuable for all Kossacks. Let me try and explain what it is and how it might fill a gap in our Daily Kos experience.
Launching today is a new site:
The New European Times
New European Times is a small part of the effort to increase dialogue amongst the citizens of the newly enlarged Europe and with those of the United States. It serves as a meeting place to share and exchange information and opinion on developments in our individual countries and to discuss common global issues.
For Kossacks it could be much more
Daily Kos is one of the most active sites on the Internet. Its front page is in constant change as it deals with current events affecting the domestic politics of the United States. It serves as an ever changing, and often frenetic interactive daily newspaper. It is a fast paced, exciting medium that demands our constant attention. It is an enormous achievement in taking blogging into a new age and a new importance in open communication.
By its very nature, valuable diaries can scroll quickly out of visibility under the sheer weight of newly posted submissions. Certain diaries will never make the Recommended List, because they are more reflective or deal in detail with issues that are not an imperative that requires our immediate attention.
There are also many areas, such as science, the arts , books, films that are not directly catered for in the type of medium that Daily Kos represents.
If Daily Kos is the most dynamic daily news source on the net, New European Times could be the equivalent of its weekly magazine. Its forums allow for a more reflective presentation of diaries on a wide range of issues that remain equally accessible for continued review and discussion over a period of time. All diaries are given equal weight. All diaries have an equal accessibility.
The easiest way to explain what it could be for Daily Kos is to use a simple analogy. The traditional British pub provided its customers with a small room set off from its main bar called a "snug". It allows for a quieter discussion than is possible in the noisy exuberance of the busier parts of the hostelry. New European Times is a snug where American s and Europeans can gather and have a quiet and well thought through exchange on the issues that face our countries and world today.
New European Times could be a quiet corner of the Daily Kos world which doesn't compete with it, doesn't do the same things as it but provides a different kind of experience of sharing ideas amongst our community here that know each other so well.
In a minute. I am going to invite you to a pre-launch private view before the opening party this evening when the latest UK Election 05 Diary will be posted on New European Times.
First, I want you to approach it asking yourself the following questions:
1- Could it provide a different but useful magazine type experience for us Kossacks?
2- What could be done to the site to make it even more useful as a true adjunct of Daily Kos?
The software that it is built on is different from Daily Kos. To my mind, there is nothing finer than Scoop for the type of purpose that Daily Kos serves. Yet, the New European Times software is probably more suited to the quieter, more reflective type of site that it represents. Because it is different, allow a bit of time to get used to it. Many things are simpler to do than in Scoop. Importing images, putting up flash movies, creating links are all quicker and easier. But different!
Play with it, put up some short posts. See if it could be used for our more reflective diaries that might otherwise on here disappear off the screen. Feel free on there to make comments about the site.
Three days ago when I found the software and decided to trial it, I wondered what purpose it might serve. I set it up and asked one or two others to try it out. Their comments were encouraging. This is an incredibly short time to evolve an idea and create something new so pleae allow for that when viewing the site.
So here is the offer if you think it has any potential:
1- The site will not be commercial, will carry no advertising and will be a true adjunct that does not compete with Daily Kos in content or purpose
2- My own dislike of personal blogs is such that, if it is seen to have a value by you, then United States and European Kossacks will be asked to volunteer to become what the software calls "Super Moderators" so that the site is run by its users and reflects them, not one single person
3- You will all be asked to develop the site in the way that you want.
New European Times represents a new room added to the Daily Kos pub to give a bit more space to do slightly different things. It is up to you to say if you want it or if the brewery should knock it down again or use it for another purpose.
Register and comment there. Your opinion is vital so DO comment. There is an excellent Help programme at the top of the site specifically designed to guide new users through the functionality of the site.
Don't view it in terms of its current content. Three days is not long to put content on the site and I'm grateful for those who have posted on there to test its usability, Comment on what it could be - not on what it is!
It is Firefox friendly but let me know if you experience any problems that may be related to your use of this excellent browser.
So this is an invitation to a private Daily Kos viewing. When you have given it a thorough look, come back here and answer the poll. This is your link to NEW EUROPEAN TIMES.
