This group needs more members to succeed-your ideas?

[Lorien]

I admit I'm somewhat frustrated. There was a great deal of enthusiasm for this idea the day after the election, but now DU seems to be back to business as usual (with the exception of the hardworking BBV volunteers). How do we attract more DUer to this group? We'll need a small army to spread the word, and it's a little discouraging when one struggles to find even a few dozen committed volunteers on a forum with 58,000 liberal members!

Each of us can share the responsibility of spreading the word. If only one of us posts frequently about this issue in GD or other forums, we'll soon be ignored because other duers will say to themselves "well, there goes___ again, yammering on about that boycott / simple living thing. Hey, did I tell everyone about the speakers I bought"? If we rotate, we might have a better chance for success.

Your thoughts and ideas?

[maddezmom]

1. ok, here's my idea

everyday(I'm on DU, which is everyday...LOL) I'm going to post in LBN an article about recycling or issue effecting envirnoment, etc...and I'll post a link here, so members can add ideas and links.

If someone could help me with a sig line that directed to this forum, I'll add it. I'm not very computer savvy. :(

[maddezmom]

2. here's mine for today: Global Experts Unite to Study Water Shortages

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - By 2025, a third of the world's population will be facing acute water shortages and farmers, academics and governments must work together to solve the problem, global experts said on Thursday.



Seventy percent of global water usage is taken up by agriculture and using water efficiently is seen as key in preventing serious shortages, with experts studying river basins across the world for clues to boost food production.


"We need to find ways of using water more efficiently so as to produce more food using the same water or even less," Jonathon Woolley, co-ordinator for the Sri Lanka based Challenge Program on Water and Food, which is funded by international donors and the World Bank (news - web sites), told a Johannesburg news conference.


In southern Africa, academics from Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe are studying ways of using water more effectively in the Limpopo river basin, where inefficient subsistence agriculture leaves many reliant on food aid.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&ncid=753&e=9&u=/nm/20041118/sc_nm/environment_water_dc

[maddezmom]

3. here's my LBN link

please just a few folks post :)

[Lorien]

5. Thanks maddezmom!

will do!

BTW- you LBN link isn't showing. :shrug:

[maddezmom]

6. sorry, I'll try again.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1004002

PS thanks for the kick.

[Kenneth ken]

9. thanks

for the idea and the LBN thread. I posted on it, so -for a bit, anyway - it's back to the front page of LBN.

:hi:

[Lorien]

4. For sig lines

Go to the discussion forums page, click on options link near the top of the page, select "change profile" from the left hand side of the page, and past your link in the sig line box.

For HTML instructions, go to the Meeting room and look for a thread on HTML authored by SoCalDem; there's lots of suggestions there, and others can help you post your sig line as you'd like it to appear.

[PretzelWarrior]

7. well, we NEED more people than even the 58,000

think about it. how many of those 58,000 names are people who came here...rattled us ...and then were tombstoned.

how many were people who thought this site was cool..signed up and haven't been back

just from postings it's obvious there is only a small committed subset

so....

I think we need to connect with our real world friends and people we meet elsewhere
let them know we have to do it now. and we need their help

I told my brother about us....and will see what I can do

[Zorra]

8. I'm posting the thread for this forum along with many of my posts.

It does seem that the idea of a boycott is spreading in a sort of loose way, but a boycott is most effective when it is an organized cohesive movement.

[Kenneth ken]

10. I need to think some more

but what I've come up with so far, is reading threads in other forums, and where ever possible, post a reply that ties the topic in question to the idea of reining in corporations through boycotts, as the only means for regaining control over our lives, and planet.

edit: typo

[sherilocks]

11. A number of DUers seem to have the attention span of a flea

or conversely have a single item agenda that pops up and is barely related to the original message. ( yawn) Both are challenges. As Jen6 says, if one of us keep yammering about the boycott/simple living, everyone will yawn.

Maybe we could coordinate by private mail between a number of the committed. This way, if I've already posted my boycott reminder for the day, I can send another promising thread to someone else to respond to.

[Lorien]

12. Sometimes I just contact DUers separately

I'll PM someone I don't know if they've made a comment about simple living or boycotts on another thread, and give them a heads up about this group (adding, of course, that I think their thoughts and ideas would be quite valuable to our members). If there's a whole thread devoted to these issues on another forum, then I just go through the respondents one by one with an invite. It takes time, but you have to start somewhere!

[sherilocks]

15. Good idea! eom

[Philostopher]

13. One option would be to start a separate list somewhere.

Off DU, I mean -- just an additional page on somebody's web site, or on a free server. That or a weblog -- just to post links to information on friendly and unfriendly companies, and maybe a little information on why they're friendly or unfriendly. That would be simpler than posting the forum link from here, and it could be used anywhere you post, as a signature line.

Just a thought -- I'm juggling work, volunteer commitments and school, right now, but if nobody else picked it up I could do something with it after the first of the year. It would make for a shorter link than a DU forum link, people might be more likely to go there and it would be useful when you're in discussion groups or e-mailing friends and family apart from DU.

Edit -- whoops! Never mind -- I see the 'Progressive Pages' weblog is up now. However, the suggestion still applies -- stick that into sig lines here (once we get them back) and elsewhere, it could increase traffic for that page!

[fudge stripe cookays]

14. I've also begun posting at smirkingchimp again...

They have a big main thread about boycotting and pregressive businesses, and reprehensor and I are trying to guide them here.

Since our forum is still pretty new, I posted a reply today with our URL in it for anyone to come over and visit. And I also post info on us in my Yahoo groups and let them know what we're doing. They seem to be really into it.

FSC

[Lorien]

16. I haven't noticed the thread yet

I'll check it out. I've been at SC for longer than I've been at DU, but I almost never post there. The length of the threads and the loading time of the pages drive me nuts! I pretty much just stick to the home page stories anymore.

BTW- my name over there is Lorien. :hi:

[fudge stripe cookays]

17. Aha....

I'm miselainis. They've actually gotten a much faster server. That's part of the reason I left. That and that arrogant jerk Chimpchips.

FSC :hi:

PS- Here's the thread:
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/viewtopic.php?topic=48998&forum=4

[buycottJoe]

18. I bet we get a lot of visits

Some of our topics might lend themselves more to viewing then to discussion. (But we do have topics in which people can easily chat and we should make sure they continue to exist.) Some sites count the number of views and there are always more views then replies so I try to find some encouragement in this.

Don't ideas sink in over time? We are taught to vote by our parents. Starting in my elementary school we voted (practice voting) in elections. We hear admonitions over time that we should vote. And so we vote.

Over time people will begin to also vote with their pocket books. Corporate power is running rampant. The paradigm shift will happen (but not without work) and boycotting and simplifying our lifestyles will become more popular ways to fight corporate and repug power. Enough philosophizing by me.

[K8-EEE]

19. Here's My Idea!

I think we're doing OK for a new forum, they will need a little time to get off the ground. Here's my recruitment strategy: tips with the research we've been doing that fit in with the other forums, with a little plug at the end.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=106x13146

[Mend]

20. Is there a "boycott" avatar? eom

[mdmc]

21. give it time, Jen

:kick:

[mdmc]

33. we get bigger each day

:hi:

[vinessa4freedom]

22. with you here!

Hey Jen. I'm still confused as to which to-which not to. Every list is different, and I don't want to turn off a potentially large group that I come in contact with with too much, and not hardcore rep. supporters. Is the finalized list up and complete?

The boycott is more important now than ever, at least I think so. Things are getting so out of control we have to do something, even if we distract them just long enough for them to stop and scratch their balls, so Dems can move in and get ground back when they're not looking.

Keep going. You're doing great and it will work.

[Lorien]

36. The "Progressive pages" will be one list

but I think the research will continue to happen on this forum for some time to come. As you say, there are a lot of sites with conflicting information. I can't even come to any real conclusions about the company I work for! (The Walt Disney corp.). Some say they are a huge GOP contributor, some say they give 70% to Dems...I guess more research needs to be done. :shrug:

[pamela]

23. Here's an idea...

Maybe once or twice a week someone could compile a list of some of the best tips, links, boycotts, etc, and post it in the General Discussion forum. I know I'm really trying to do this "Starve the Beast" campaign but it's hard to keep up with what I'm supposed to be boycotting. Plus, a "Best of..." thread would remind people to check down here more often.

[pamela]

24. P.S.

You guys are doing a great job, by the way. There have been some great tips in here and good info on who to support and who to boycott. I don't post a lot but I'll try to participate more.

[Lorien]

25. I think that once the Boycott and Progressive lists get up to

about 100 posts apiece, we'll need volunteers to comb through them and break them down into categories: food, restaurants, energy, electronics, housewares, services, etc., then post the categories as their own threads, eventually creating some kind of master list. There's also the "Progressive Pages" which needs to be fed with local information. It's a big job, but step by step, we'll get it done!

[vinessa4freedom]

26. I'm very new to this

but let me know what I can do to help. The sweatshirts are a great idea- any idea about those? Once the thing gets organized and rolling, it will generate great advertising locally.

[mulderig]

35. I'm putting a database together

on our local PA site (http://www.pa-blue.org). it will encompass, national & local businesses that donate >= 55% to the repugs. it will also list their products and suggest alternative products or companies to try pulled from a list of dem supporting businesses. Also I will put a link back to this forum.

no more "feeding the beast" as you say Jen :-)

M.

[fudge stripe cookays]

29. Hi Pam--

For an up to date list of what to boycott, keep checking here:

http://www.globalblogs.com/progressivepages/index.html

FSC

[pamela]

32. Hi fudge stripe cookays.

Thank you for the link!

[InvisibleTouch]

27. Get the info out beyond DU

First of all, thanks Jen6 for inviting me to join this group. I think this project in all its forms is the one single most effective thing we can do to undermine the rethug theocracy in the next few years - with the side benefit that we'll be supporting our own in the process. (Of course, I'm still hoping conclusive proof of election fraud will come in too, and more power to BBV and those who are pursuing recounts. That's just as important ... but Economic Activism is something all of us can do.)

This group is great for sharing info and hints, but ultimately we need to get that information out beyond the borders of DU. Someone was working on a directory of businesses to support or boycott, depending on their political affiliations. What's the status of that? I know after the election, when enthusiasm and outrage was high (I think it still is), we were talking about getting this book printed, available for order, and making it available on Ebay. From now till Christmas is the time to sell on Ebay ... take it from someone who makes her living there.... ;)

We also need to get this information out on the web. I've been working on-again off-again on a web site that's trying to incorporate all these ideas, drawing upon lots of info I've already read right here on DU, but I cannot pretend to be able to cover everything. Who else is working on a web site? If there are several, I'll get a web ring going ... and encourage others to join in. If there's some duplication of info, that's okay - that's good, even. The web surfer who doesn't stumble upon my site, may stumble upon yours. The more the better.

More info when I actually have something to show for my grand plans.... :)

[fudge stripe cookays]

28. IT, see Sapphie's thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=255&topic_id=464&mesg_id=464&page=

It has all the latest info on what's going on with the Progressive Pages. Several of us have been working almost non-stop researching, feeding info into it, and rating it.

So hopefully it's a bit more extensive than the last time folks might have looked at it.

Please help us add some information from your local area if you've seen folks showing their red or blue colors (Kerry or Bush signs). This way we know who to patronize and who NOT to.

FSC

[buycottJoe]

30. Marketing our movement

Earlier I started a separate topic about marketing our movement to Dems beyond DU but here is good too.

InvisibleTouch: you wrote "I've been working on-again off-again on a web site that's trying to incorporate all these ideas". Is this website http://www.theboycottproject.com ? It seems like the site is just getting started. If your site is different, maybe you could get ideas or cooperation from them.

[InvisibleTouch]

31. Mine is different...

It's not "live" yet, just exists in unfinished form on my hard drive at this time. But I'll definitely check out your link!

[miss_kitty]

34. I often post this kind of philosophy in my serious posts

I'll start suggesting people look into here for further info, post the URL for the forum main page.

[Lorien]

37. I think I heard a cricket

and saw a tumbleweed drift by...our post holiday traffic here is SLOOOOW. How can we boost interest in this important movement? From all indications in the news, it looks like "Buying Blue" IS having an effect.

[NMDemDist2]

38. hey Lorien

I still visit daily but am not posting much. Too busy freecyling and starting a vegtable/herb garden to feed us and starve the beast (the price of tomatoes is outragreous)

I do have my "Buy Blue" avatar and have got a couple comments on the avatar and always send them here

perhaps instead of just pumping up this group, it would be more "casual" to mention the many groups here at DU

gardening, cooking, progressive living

LOL sneaky but maybe more effective :evilgrin:

[Lorien]

39. I thought about starting a "what are your favorite DU

group"? or "Are you a DU groupie"? thread in the lounge. I've noticed that many of the groups are really slow these days, it's not just this one. I guess I thought that the DU groups would really take off because the other forums move so quickly that it's difficult to get anything meanful out of a thread sometimes.

:shrug:

[NMDemDist2]

40. probably a great idea, I know I drop by the lounge but don't "hang"

there. I bet there are a lot of folks like me.. and a "groupie" thread is a great idea to drive more folks to all the groups :)

[JaneDoughnut]

41. Potential Problem - Most Recent Posts

As far as I can tell, posts in the Economic Activism forum don't show up in the most recnt posts summary in the lobby. I suspect many visitors use the lobby to get around the forums, so this could really hurt us. Is there a way to change that?

[crispini]

42. I don't think ANY of the posts in the Groups show up in the Lobby.

Here's a thought: everyone who posts here pick a week to change their sig -- since we are back at Level 0 for a while -- and then we just all go around promoting this forum automatically!