I do Not understand DUers in GD

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

I just dont get it.

I've posted here at DU for a least 2 yrs (hell cant even
remember wheni got here)

YET many many times I will post what I hold is an important topic,
at GD forum,
only to see the thread 'zoom' off into the archives.

While some other post I may have just thought was mildly
interesting, at best, THEN gets 100s of responses.


doesnt make sense.

[nini]

1. that's happened to me too....

depends on everyone's mood I guess..

[liberalhistorian]

2. That's happened to me several times, too,

and I don't understand it, either! I guess what interests one person may not interest another in the same way, or maybe you have to catch people in the right mood. I know that once in awhile I just don't feel like dealing with heavy issues, so I don't click on those threads.

[KCDem]

4. yeah, if I'm in a "sound byte" mood,

and I click on something with a long paragraph, I just don't bother.

I'd read far more things in GD if people just spaced differently, now that I think about it. I like a lot of white space.

[BurtWorm]

3. Arrrr! Might be yer should talk like a pirate to 'un, lad.

They only only understand the threat o' force, the scurvy seadogs! Not force itself, moind ye, bucko, onless they be supportin' Lieberman. But the threat o' force--aye! Backed up by an innernational coalition of those scallawags at the UN. Arrrrrrr.

[liberalhistorian]

5. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

ENOUGH WITH THE PIRATE TALK ALREADY! Oh, PLEASE, I can't take it anymore, I'll even walk the plank if I don't have to hear anymore pirate talk!

[Tyler Durden]

8. "Ye ha' a WOMAN'S walk, m'lady..."

"ARRH, I'll wager ye ne'er ha' walked Cap'n Teach's Plank in yer corset on the Spanish Main, ARRRH!"

[BurtWorm]

10. Arrr! I can't be helpin' it, me hearty. It's still international talk like

a pirate day. But I can do this for ye, matey. I can spare ye one last "Arrrrrrrrr!."

[Tyler Durden]

6. If it ain't a shit-throwing contest, the Howler Monkeys aren't interested.

I have given up. Maybe permanently.

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. (Matthew 4:6; benefits of a classical education.)

[mac56]

39. Unfortunately, some of the nastiness seeps through into LBN as well.

Attempts at intelligent discourse often get drowned out by scattershot attacks.

[Cheswick2.0]

7. GD is a battle ground

It is neither intelectual or thoughtful. It's a battleground, don't take it to heart.

[Tyler Durden]

9. GD has become a SHITSTORM.

I never heard so many supposedly thoughtful people defend the right to tear each other to bloody bits in my entire life.

[luckyluke]

11. What is this GD I hear mentioned frequently? (nt)

[BurtWorm]

12. Arrrr. General Discussion, matey!

And not goddamn, as ye might ha' expected. Arrrrrrr.

[Cheswick2.0]

17. though it may bloody well be Gdamn bloody there at times mate Arrrr

Come side ye up ta the lounge lagger bucket and ha'a sitdown Matey! Arrrrrrr

[goobergunch]

13. But do not venture in...

without wearing asbestos.

[Tyler Durden]

15. Or unless you enjoy having your catflap pierced...

By a red hot poker wielded by the Baby-Eating Bishop of Bath and Wells.

[Forkboy]

21. You been watching BlackAdder lately?

:)

[Gman]

14. The only real important topics in GD now say:

Clark Has African American Love Child With Condi Rice

or maybe

Anyone that says anything bad about Dean is a no good lying sack of dog shit

or sometimes

LIEberman (fill in the blank)

or the one's I hate like

Tell me about PNAC

(rather than looking it up youself)...

GD's is worthless these days for discussion.

[Tyler Durden]

16. Or:

If I can't have ________ as the candidate, then FUCK all the rest of you, I'll let BUSH win!

[gristy]

19. "Tell me about PNAC" threads

Yeah, those drive me crazy. The implication is they're too lazy or stupid to be able use google or news.google themselves. Or they're just trying to start a big flame war. Just nuts.

[Ripley]

18. Has it been infiltrated by teenagers?

I remember going onto an AOL chatroom years ago and even in the "Metaphysics" chatroom there was nothing but teenagers yammering about ya know like it was so kewl and Britney and OMG I got my hair highlighted...

That kind of nonsense appears to be in GD lately. Pretty low IQ stuff.

[gristy]

20. Sounds plausable

"Has it been infiltrated by teenagers?"

[Wickerman]

27. Prepare for the firestorm

Some of the DU lounge's best posters are teenagers and school is out shortly...
:wow:

[goobergunch]

29. Or we had school canceled because of Isabel

:evilgrin:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

38. "Has it been infiltrated by teenagers?".... FROM OUTER SPACE????

[Don_G]

40. Or Those Justice/Public Safety

Rabid anti-gun/grammer police nuts down there.

[BurtWorm]

22. Arrrr. As an erstwhile teenager meself, ye swab, I'll thank ye not

to cast aspersion on the whole crew 'un 'em. Thar be some foin lads and lasses, aye! An' we got 'em aboard this very barge, matey.

[Ripley]

25. Ok. I didn't mean to offend all teenagers...but sheesh listen to you!

I suppose pirate talk in the lounge is funny, but poopy pants in GD is irritating.

Most teenagers are pretty dumb. I guess you are an exception! :hi:

[BurtWorm]

26. I said erstwhile, matey! I ben't a lad nae more, alas.

Twasn't a pun, intended, matey.

[goobergunch]

28. This condescending attitude

is why Repukes do well with the youth vote. :grr:

[soleft]

43. Burtworm,you're a teenager? Get out

Or whatever teenage expression is used these days for - like no freaking way

[Forkboy]

23. You think thats bad?

Go down to I/P and post something nice and watch how fast it sinks :)

[soleft]

24. That happens to me in every forum I post in

You know how they have the ignore function, they should have a funciton that alerts you when one of your favorite posters has started a thread.

[Wickerman]

30. huh?

Did anyone see a post?

Just kidding! I like your posts!

:hi:

[Gman]

31. SKINNER! Are you listening???

The "experiment" a few weeks ago, needs to be extended but include the provision that there must be a minimum of 20% of someone's brain cells used in the post. That's not a real high requirement for most people. There should be some attempt at a critical analysis of the article or topic.

Of course, the usual exceptions would apply to the topics of:
1) how stupid Bush is and

2) Green/Nader bashing.

A far less degree of analysis is needed for these as they provide nourishing chicken soup for the soul. Without these exceptions and the chance to blow off steam, we'd all go nuts.

[Forkboy]

32. the 20% brain cell rule

automatically rules out the Nader bashers. :D

[Tyler Durden]

33. You mean ALL bashers.

.

[Gman]

34. the 20% rule would not apply to Nader bashing or

to Bush bashing threads. Bashing another political party or it's members is therapeutic. You shouldn't be required to put much thought into that. In order to do it well we must follow the example of Freepers and how they bash the Dems. Freepers typically use 5% or less of their brain cells on any topic. (See I didn't have to put much thought into that last statement and it felt good!) Turn about is fair play.

[Forkboy]

35. Good thing for the Nader bashers

You shouldn't be required to put much thought into that

ps---all in good fun here in the lounge...Now,let's get over to GD!!!! :evilgrin:

[Wickerman]

36. General Discussion Blow-Out Sale!

Maybe we could clear a few out. :shrug:

[PATRICK]

37. Common occurrence in

all Internet forums. The person with a following and friends eventually attracts more than the line post. Being a hit and run person myself I can't honestly host a discussion and I look more to the line than the person. But the posts expire(simply squeezed out by numbers) fast without a lot of instant support which you only get from the frequent flyers who know each other. The couple of attempts I made met with slight to modest responses but then I hardly make it back to replies to my replies on other posts.

The kicks from discerning moderators do help but they must be swamped with choices especially duplicates. Flame bait is NOT the way to go, results or not, but frustration might breed that. Friends help you achieve critical mass before it is too late even if they wander off your original topic. Thinking of all the editorializing and commenting by hundreds of people 24/7 it is not too bad here but things vanish too fast and archive searches are not the common choice of very many.

You also may get more readers than replies which is not to slight the topic or poster.

[Don_G]

41. Yeah

I read much more than I post.

[NashVegas]

42. I Wouldn't Attribute Most of it to Followings

DU simply has too many members for most people - even an addict, in all but the most obvious (Will, Armstead, Terwilliger, CatWoman et al) - to follow to become as infested as GD has.

I've suspected a coordinated infiltration for some time; in some cases, we have had confirmed disruptors get busted when they posted offshore about their DU exploits.

What happens is you get a bunch of buddies who form a 'posting alliance' for lack of a better expression. A few weeks ago, there were some threads were I would not have been at all surprised if the two-three people doing the most damage were in ICQ/AIM contact, the tag-teaming was that coordinated.

The rest can be broken down to

1. People who treat message boards people as their babysitters/bartenders.
2. People who need to make everything about me-me-me-me.

The posts that are the most thought-provoking will often fall off because they are provoking thought rather than speech or action. I wouldn't get put off.

[Iris]

44. GD Bulletin Board is to freaky liberals as

talk radio is to freaky freepers.

It is like a written version of talk radio over there.

Same topics rehashed over and over. Most of it meaningless; much of it destructive.