How Did You Come To DU?

[Dinger]

I'm interested in your stories. Mine's pretty short. After selection 2000, I found Democrats.com. It was and is an interesting and informative website/blog. However, it is not nearly as fast as DU. Some people there posted about DU, so I checked it out. I was a lurker/reader for about 2 years, and then registered. I was intimidated because there are so many intelligent and articulate posters here, but eventually I jumped in. I've been here ever since. I've seen DU go through phases before, and it seems like we're going through one now, but we'll be o.k.

[Swede]

1. I found Conservative idiots during the google search.

Way back in 2003.

[Warpy]

36. I found it linked at Buzzflash, back in the single numbers

It was late or early or something sleepless and I was looking for something, anything, to distract me.

I never looked back. Lost my first name because I spaced the password and then got this one.

[CTyankee]

76. I got here via Buzzflash as well. My old political message board had folded

(it was called "Political Wag"). I guess I was looking around in 2004 for another political spot. I do remember one of my first posts, talking about walking to the polls on election day, feeling confident that Kerry would win...

From then on, DU was a consolation site, as was Stephanie Miller's radio program. Dark days, indeed...

[Soylent Brice]

88. same here. lurked for 2 yrs. then joined.

[ZombieHorde]

2. I joined a Republican board to debate gay marriage.

They told me I should join DU. I asked what DU was. They told me. I joined. Here I am.

[Kaleva]

3. First heard of DU at the Kerry/Edwards forum back in 2004

[BeatleBoot]

4. Selection 2000

Each Dec 12th I fly my Democratic Flag in remembrance of the SCOTUS selection.

Oh, how our futures changed that day.




on edit: via bartcop.com (I'm really tired, okay?)

[951-Riverside]

5. I found out about this place in 2003 from Rush Limbaugh

No joke.

[Cant trust em]

6. Dr. Fate recommended it to me.

We used to work together.

[gateley]

7. Was looking for info on all the Dem Presidential candidates because previously

I'd just wait and vote for whatever Dem was on the ticket, and this time I wanted to be involved and learn. Don't know how I came across DU in my search, but it was love at first sight. :7

[defendandprotect]

8. Always knew about DU but didn't think I had anything to contribute . . .

seemed to be sufficient intelligence here --

Then . . . a few years ago when I checked in, things seemed to be going to the right ...

i.e., wrong.

And decided I'd stay and try to see what I could do --

[StarfarerBill]

9. I found DU through Google, and like you I lurked for a year or so.

I joined in March of last year, and here I've been since. :)

[fishnfla]

10. March '03

linked from bartcop, I think

pissed about the war. Thats the date I stopped watching TV too

[sendero]

11. A client for my services...

... mentioned mediawhoresonline.com. That site (now defunct I believe) had a link to DU. Been here ever since.

[rwheeler31]

12. I started reading Buzz Flash one day I checked the links

and read and read and read. It was a good day, and I wound up here.

[MissB]

13. I was arguing about what a crappy president Bush was

on a parenting site. A kind soul pointed me here, and I've found that folks here are great. The mods are truly top notch, and I think I'd put that on the shoulders of Skinner, Elad and Earl G.

[W_HAMILTON]

14. I heard someone mention it on C-SPAN.

On the morning talk show, when they let everyday people call in. Someone mentioned the website, I gave it a look, and eventually signed up. I lurked for a long time.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. I used to argue a lot with wingnut freepers on local boards

Well, not really used to cause I still do that sometimes. LOL

Anyhow, I said something and a wingnut accused me of finding that on Democratic Underground. I had never heard of DU but I Googled and found it and fell in love almost immediately.

I really should have thanked that wingnut. :rofl:

[Cleita]

16. I came through Media Whores, which doesn't exist anymore.

They had a link to DU.

[LuvNewcastle]

17. I really don't remember how I found DU.

It was probably from googling liberal news sites. I used to check DU regularly for news and opinion and after a long while, I decided to register. Now I have to limit how much time I spend here.

[Starry Messenger]

18. I think someone here posted the link on the Kerry blog when that shut down.

I lurked for a few months without registering, and then registered because I wanted to use the ignore function. :D I lurked until the GE with barely 100 posts. After some of the OTT stuff posted by all sides during the primaries I asked myself what I was being so shy about and just started posting. And then I couldn't stop as most DUers can attest. :)

[Blue_Tires]

19. from Bartcop after the '02 midterms

[alittlelark]

31. Bartcop here as well - at the same time.

[SidDithers]

35. Megadittoes...

:evilgrin:

Sid

[Gregorian]

41. Yep. Bartcop in 2003.

I was in a state of misery, and wanted to find likeminded souls. I'm still absolutely impressed with Bartcop. Brilliant. But it was too small a forum.

I came to DU and was immediately banned for what, I don't even know. I think it was using all caps in the subject line. Seriously. haha. But like a number of people, returned about a year later. Please let me stay... :)

[Blue_Tires]

62. describes my experience exactly

except for the banning part :bounce:

[MindPilot]

83. Also from Bartcop

[KansDem]

90. Bartcop--after the Stolen Election.

...under a different screenname.

[Ignis]

92. Same here, albeit earlier. (nt)

[Individualist]

20. I was trying to find out why the gov't ignored warnings prior to 9/11

I found the answers here.

[kdmorris]

21. While watching the inaugaration in 2001

Someone was holding up a banner and my husband came here and made a user. I just lurked for a couple of years and finally got enough nerve to post under my own name :-D

It was a little different back then.

[bigwillq]

22. Found a link to it

on a Howard Dean site. Lurked a bit in late 2003, joined in 2004.

[Nikki Stone1]

23. I came here through the wonderful Handpuppet, who rarely posts here anymore

She is an amazing human being and I miss her.

[AzDar]

24. Michael Moore's website (circa Farenheit 9/11) featured a link to ' Music Row Democrats'

which was a site by/for Nashville artists/songwriters/performers who were Dems.
One of the more prolific posters (the nym escapes me) there would frequently link to his posts here, and once I clicked, I was both thrilled and addicted. :hi:

[la la]

25. tangerine/oldleftylawyer

recommended it to me--way back - lurked for a long time...

[tomm2thumbs]

26. I noticed a huge rise in viewcount on one of my posted Youtube videos

and found that it was posted at DU... small world

[EmeraldCityGrl]

27. A few years ago there was a DU reference on the Bill Maher

boards and I came and checked it out. This was around the time of the
2004 elections. I lurked for a long time and finally started posting.

[Nite Owl]

28. I got here from a link

on Buzz Flash. 2003, can't believe it's been that long.

[usregimechange]

29. Asked college dem official if there were forums for dems, she said DU like I was an idiot

Must have been in 2001.

[tammywammy]

30. Somehow one night I ended up on Michelle Malkin's website

I think she had said something disgusting on television and I went to her site. She was blasting away at this site democratic underground. I came here, I lurked for months and months and then eventually signed up.

[Waiting For Everyman]

32. A DUer recommended it to me several times.

We were both on a much smaller non-political board. A while later, early into the '08 Presidential election, I got motivated to check it out.

The praise was deserved.

[NYC_SKP]

33. The DLC Hired Me to Register and Post Pro-Democratic Party Messages!

:sarcasm:

Actually, I was a frequenter for years of Huffpost and DailyKos, heard about DU and lurked awhile, and came to like the interface and many of the members so registered so I could join in the fun.

Good Question, Dinger!

:hi:

[struggle4progress]

34. Flew into a rage. Googled "conservative idiots." Found the Top Ten. Lurked a while

[Dead_Parrot]

37. Sucked in by LBN in the days of Kephra

Hung around to remind myself that not all Americans are like Bush ;)
Lurked for a couple of years before signing up.

You're right about DU changing, but it always been changing. It's the one thing that's stayed the same. :)

[patrice]

38. MoveOn had discussion pages, where I probably saw reference to DU. I was also

visiting one of the first big (open source) forums that I can't remember the name of right now.

I was interested in forums in general as a tool for a specific purpose in my master's thesis. This one stuck.

[bridgit]

39. DU was on an old info-links page at my husband's site he's had since 2000

[proteus_lives]

40. Through a link on a site, I forget which one.

I lurked for about year then joined.

It's fun, I learn a lot and get into some pretty interesting discussions.

[Bozita]

42. MWO (Media Whores Online)

A long time ago.

[no_hypocrisy]

43. Through the "Links" on Alan Colmes website.

[BrklynLiberal]

44. A search led me to the Conservative Idiots page. I lurked for a couple of months, and

then joined before the 2004 election so I would be able to access the site during the election process.
It was assumed that activity was going to become very high, and I did not want to miss out.

[waiting for hope]

45. I posted a poll a few years ago about this ..

How did you find DU?

Would be interesting to compare and contrast from 2006 .. me, I found DU by typing in Hate Bush on Yahoo. Lurked for a few months and then joined.

[xiamiam]

46. broken hearted and shocked after the 2004 election with few honest forums online

i needed to vent and find a way to undo the stolen election...i loved the activity and info re the election and how it was being disseminated here..i have to laugh now because i think i was the last person on du who believed that kerry would fight the election outcome...everyone told me to get over it...im probably still not over it..not that i was a big kerry fan..i was just so anti bush and it was such a sham..another sham in front of us...there have been far too many of those...i love du...even during the crazy times...i do miss some of the true renegades from whom i learned so much

[Uben]

47. I lost a bet

Ha! Just kiddin! That was too long ago, but it was after the 2000 election.

[MisterP]

48. through Bartcop after 12-12-00 (though I admit I outgrew him) nt

[sojourner]

49. I found DU by accident when I was looking for info about how the hell * got to be President.........

like OP, I have seen various stages of DU growth, activism, and reactionism... people seem to evolve in spits and starts. DU no different -- although I find the phenonenon of "trolls" to be especially curious. Does FR have trolls? I don't really know - I'm asking. Or are so-called trolls really just DUers on the cusp of the population that we (believe) we represent?

[madamesilverspurs]

50. Nance Greggs was quoted on another site,

I followed the link. News seemed to show up here a day or two before it hit the mainstream media, that's still the case quite often. I liked the features and the layout; but I miss the Duzys, regular Top Ten Conservative Idiots, and Bob Beaudelang. And Nance, of course.


---

[GreenArrow]

51. I also found it through Democrats.com

though a little later than you did, sometime in the immediate aftermath of 911.

[SDuderstadt]

52. I actually got kicked off AOL for...

arguing with RWers in something called the Podium (which is/was a RT debate forum limited,I think, to 47 people). Some other progressives and I used to have great fun showing RWers up to be ignorant. I originally was there as "RWersSuck" but the RWers complained so AOL made me change the name, claiming that it was an insult to RWers...I just chamged the "u" to an "o" and became known as "RWersSock" (better known as just "Sock"). The RWers still complained but AOL said it was within the rules. That REALLY pissed the RWers off which made me crack up all the more. Damn, I miss those days...we really used to get RWers riled up and sputtering.

I'll never forget the day all the progressives decided to address each other as "Comrade". The RWers were so steamed, I remember it to this day.

[neverforget]

53. I don't remember but I'm proud to have been registered here since

Summer 2001. This place is great.

[lpbk2713]

54. Not long after Katherine Harris and the Supremes stole the election in Y2K ...

I was on a fishing forum talking about what a travesty it was and about what a sorry excuse for a human being our new pResident was. Some clown said I should be posting that stuff on DU. I checked it out. Lurked for a while. Then finally joined after I got an idea what it was all about. I'd thank that asshole if I could ever locate him.

[Lugnut]

55. DU was recommended to me by an online friend.

I signed up in 2001 and I'm still here.

[lamp_shade]

56. I was a "Clarkie".

[Dinger]

61. Me Too

Still am.
:patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

57. At this point I don't even remember.

I think I followed a link from the old Bushwatch site back in 2000 or maybe 2001 and ended up here eventually.

[DRoseDARs]

58. Haven't the foggiest clue. Can only tell you I registered Oct 29, '03 and with this have 4012 posts

Meh... :shrug:

[chimpymustgo]

59. A caller on C-Span mentioned Democratic Underground in spring of '01. I lurked for several months,

joined in '02.

Remember donating for the first time during the midterms of '02. Traffic was too heavy for the server at the time; Skinner and Co restricted use to donors to get some control over the situation.

This place has been a refuge (a torment at times, when bullies take over the boards), but even if I'm not posting, I like to check in and get a "read" on the news from DU'ers. Things are not always as they seem, and some very smart DU'ers have some very fine-tuned bullshit detectors.

:hi:

[gleaner]

60. I posted on another forum ....

and made a good friend who recommended DU to me. I posted for a while during the 2004 election and then my MS made it impossible to continue.

I returned this June and couldn't remember my old user name or password, so I registered again and they let me keep my new name and password. Still can't remember the old password, but that is one of the things MS has done for me.;)

[demoleft]

63. madfloridian - a post about howard dean.

the Left Democratic Party in italy were holding their last congress before merging into the Democratic Party, and howard dean was invited and was great really.

so i wanted to know more about the man and found a post by madfloridian on DU. hehe, so i had a closer look and i liked it a lot, how it works and the community.

and here i am.

;) ciao

[mmonk]

64. By stork.

No really, I was on another site related, I believe, to Gen. Clark's run, when people mentioned some things being said on DU. The things being said were some of the things I was thinking at the time, so I checked it out. This was in October of '03. I've been tormenting folks with my opinions ever since. :)

[trumad]

65. Conservative Idiots caught me...

[leeroysphitz]

66. The judge said it was either DU jail. n/t

[H2O Man]

67. Divine Intervention.

[mochajava666]

68. After 2004 election googled "Bush asshole"

Hoping to find anything out there that could make me feel better about the crushing letdown of the 2004 reelection. I started regularly reading the Top Ten Conservative Idiots, and then started wandering though the discussion boards.

I haven't posted much because, believe it or not, I usually find a post that states my point really well. I find almost every thread filled with thoughtful discussions (amongst the usual hubris and snark you find on many boards).

I have to admit, though, that I do enjoy reading a good snarky, personal, flame fest every now and then. It's a Jerry Springer thing. People need to vent, sometimes, and it can get pretty funny.

[hootinholler]

69. Found it via BlackBoxVoting after the 2004 primaries.

Andy was the only voice of reason on that site and one of his posts mentioned DU. I quickly left the site run by that bitch whom I can't remember her name and found a new home.

The news coverage here was better back then, even after the loss of Kephra.

-Hoot

[Orsino]

70. Groggily, staring at the ceiling.

But not much story. I heard about DU along about 2003, started reading it and finally joined the next year.

[LibertyLover]

71. One day in 2001 shortly after *'s inauguration

I was doing some googlng and found a link to the then on-going Scalia parody, featuring Big Tony as the Godfather of the Supremes. It was very funny. Looking around some more I found the Bob Bodalong rants column and laughed so hard that I got a few strange looks from my fellow cubicle inhabitants. Added to that were the Top 10 Conservative Idiots lists. I was hooked. I registered in 2001, lurked for a while and then started making a few posts. I haven't made that many, but I'm happy with reading and keeping up with events.

[Arkansas Granny]

72. I had followed a news link and wound up at Free Republic. After reading a few threads,

I knew that it didn't interest me, but they were complaining a lot about DU, so I figured that if they thought it was a bad place, maybe that's where I should be. I've been here ever since.

[undeterred]

73. I posted on ABC's website for a while

It was really difficult- there were a couple of rational posters but many were just rabid. One day I followed a link to Democratic Underground- and decided this was a much better fit for me.

[City Lights]

74. I started lurking after Junior took over, and joined after 9-11.

I found DU through Bartcop, Buzzflash, or MWO.

:hi:

[lonestarnot]

75. weegee sent me.

[mstinamotorcity]

77. Some of my friends

are members of the DU And they have listened to me when i talk to others about political awareness and finally they mentioned DU.That was about four years ago.I started posting and after about six months in, my daughter downloaded some s--t in my computer that would not even let me boot up.Had some things happen in my life that did not allow me to get back on line right away.Had friends on the DU posting for me when i got mad during the last election cycle.One day i got so angry that i vowed to get my pc fixed so i could speak for myself. Got back on line, came back to DU and couldn't remember my username,pin,hell almost forgot how to key in the letters.So here i am back starting over with the low post but it is ok i would rather start over at DU than any other place for progressive thought and insight into our political society.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

78. Democrats.com

they wouldn't let me post there.


...and I never got a reply as to why.



I don't remember how I found DU. They do let me post here. :hi:

:redbox: :tv:

[liberal_at_heart]

79. I was on a country music board to support the Dixie Chicks but got tired of the conservatives

After the Dixie Chicks got in trouble for saying what they said about George W. Bush I joined a country music board to support the Dixie Chicks. I have always loved their music and the album they released after the incident Taking the Long Way was their best work ever. The board being a country music board the majority of the people on the board were very conservative republican. Just about everything I wrote was bashed. I got tired of it. I wanted to find a place where I could voice my progressive views. I came here. I find that I don't get bashed as often as I did on the music board but I do get bashed quite often here and it does get tiring. But I refuse to have my voice silenced. I enjoy hearing from those who have similar progressive views and it gives me hope that maybe I'm not the only one who feels the way I do.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

80. Selection 2000.

It's been so long I cannot remember exactly how I got here, but I was very into the many anti-Bush sites that popped up right after his selection. It has been a heck of a ride these many years. Though always politically active, DU has opened my eyes to the illusions of our political system -- I have become much more radical in my old age. :)

[tallahasseedem]

81. Michael Moore's website...

had a link to a post here a few days after the 2004 election...have been coming here ever since.

[hayu_lol]

82. Don't remember exactly when...

but after the puter arrived in Aug 2000, I joined many sites: Online Journal, Media Whores, Smirking Chimp(member #62), Democrats.com, Buzzflash, and finally DU. There were more but I've forgotten many of them. Bartcop too of course.

The outrage across the net following the election hassles really erupted on all these sites. Media Whores was particularly good since they linked to the newsmedia so that we could all respond to the right wing bias. And, we certainly did.

Back in those days, democrats.com had a board similar to DU with lots of topics and a really large membership. That site has now gone downhill badly and is primarily a crying towel for David Swanson and Dave Lindorf.

[blondeatlast]

84. Googled "democrat*" and "underground." No joke. Never heard of the place before then. nt

[LWolf]

85. After the 2000 selection, and 9/11,

I found myself increasingly frustrated with the, it seemed to me, determined blindness and stupidity of those around me. I've lived all my life in strong conservative areas.

I went looking for people who I could relate to, and found DU, a supposedly "left wing" message board.

[Octafish]

86. The Supremos

DU ran a great satire starring Tony The Fixer.



Like sugar to a fly, I was drawn in and LMAO.

And yet, find a place filled with like-minded progressive Democrats, I kept my wug shut and read what others had to say.

When 9-11 happened, I smelled a BFEE rat and didn't care who in power knew about it -- Admiral Poindexter or not. So, I sounded off.

Ever since, it's been a case of:

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

Although, to many of my friends here, I'm more like:

"I can handle things, I'm smart, not like everybody says. Not dumb, I'm smart, and I want respect!"

Despite that and above all, I want Justice to return to the United States of America.

[Vidar]

87. I came in the Great Exodus of 2004 when the Kerry board closed.

[era veteran]

89. Liberal Oasis years ago

They have a lot of links http://www.liberaloasis.com/

[JFN1]

91. I was on the Randi Rhodes message board

and found that group to be a bit...narrow-minded...for my tastes. Someone in a post over there had mentioned DU - I found the site, and have been here since. DU is the best board on the web, IMHO.

[kgnu_fan]

93. First, 2000 selection, but when Iraq invasion came, god, i needed DU!!!

[asdjrocky]

94. For some reason, a few years ago-

I googled Bush and lizard, I ended up here. The rest is a sad history.

[newspeak]

95. It was on the day of 9/11

I would go on a couple of news sites and DU was there. I remember some of the old members and the discussions we would have. Got thrown off once, attempting to set up a logic trap for some who came on the site who were praising a right wing radio host as being logical. Didn't get to finish, though, someone had me banned. Well, finally got a reprieve. I'M BAAAAACK!

I've enjoyed LBN and GD, and sometimes I just like to read other people's experiences and comments.

[mzmolly]

96. I think Will Pitt and Truthout led me here?

It's been a long time. ;)

[Forkboy]

97. Found both Bartcop and DU on 9/12/2001.

Just looking for any and all news I could at the time, from pretty much any source. I figured if I came across something important I could investigate the reliability later, so I was just looking for raw data. I wasn't looking for forums per se, but some of the threads from that time were pretty amazing, and I was hooked.

[dionysus]

98. i discovered DU through a site called bushwatch, i believe

http://www.bushwatch.com/indians.htm