A follow up post: How many people had no idea when and why DU was founded when they joined ??

[kentuck]

Just curious?

And how did you find DU?

[Rider3]

1. Link-to-link

I found this wonderful site through various links that lead me to here. It's one of the best sites out there for progressives, and I'm happy to have found it!

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. I did, but I joined, like you

In the Stone Age



Somebody directed me here from the aol swamp.

[Fumesucker]

3. I think I originally got here from Bartcop

And yeah, when I first lurked on DU the election theft was still a major topic of discussion.

[bermudat]

27. That is exactly how I learned about DU.

Through Bartcop I began listening to Mike Malloy also.

[OriginalGeek]

32. I've been a Bartcop fan for

I don't even know how long (since the 90s at least). In addition to being a fun liberal to read, he's a good Led Zep fan. (Which is where I first heard of him - through online Led Zep communities I am/was part of).

I only found DU a little over a year ago - I don't even remember what I was looking for but google links led me here and I stuck.

[Canuckistanian]

49. Same for me

Back then I used to read Atrios, dKos, Bradblog, "Sadly, No", and of course the late lamented Media Whores Online.

I remember joining an making my first post (incredulity about voting machines) and NewYawker99 welcoming me.

Ah, the memories.

[laundry_queen]

61. That's how I got here

It was in the run up to the Iraq war and I was at Bartcop constantly. I was frustrated with the lack of information and someone else posted about DU, so I followed. I lurked until I got shut out due to high traffic leading up to the 2004 election and was forced to register. Then it was my lifeline after the election. I remember all of the huge threads on election theft. I remember the whole Bev thing, Andy and how hard everyone worked to expose e-voting weaknesses.

I found out how DU was formed probably within the first few months. I did extensive reading of archives to 'catch up'. I normally don't like to jump right in when joining a site, I like to get a feel for the place first by reading archives. Wish more posters would do that.

[salin]

71. Buzz flash link, here... around nov. 2001 "Commander Bunny Pants" post...

leads to a secret service visit. That story got me to look - try to sign up (tech. failed). Kept reading. Signed up just after new years 2002.

Soon after joining read the epic thread per the first days of DU written by the admins.

[catbyte]

84. Me too. Bartcop

[SteveG]

86. Interesting

I too saw a mention in Bartcop and checked it out very shortly after it went live. I was (I think) in the first 5,000 members.

[justabob]

4. Top 10 Idiots via BuzzFlash

I didn't sign up right away, but have lurked since the beginning. I can't believe it has been that long already and so long that many, even most, don't know when or why this site was created.

[jeff47]

56. +1

[GETTINGTIRED]

5. Found it by chance

While following Trayvon Martin case

[rppper]

6. During dubyas inauguration....

....I saw a huge banner that said "democraticundergroun.com"....I went to the original site a few days afterwards, been here since....I'm a reader, hence the low post count, but DU has been a wealth of knowledge for me, especially when arguing with conservatives....

I'm a Neanderthal member as well...

[NWHarkness]

29. Yes, that banner

I was thrilled to see it on that miserable day. I registered that very day. At one point I had some computer problems and had to reregister, but my original membership dates to the very beginning.

[TruthTeller]

7. September 12, 2001....

I don't post much yet I visit at least once daily. I receive a majority of my news from DU because it is more current than the MSM. Thank you, DU.

[spinbaby]

43. That's when I found DU

On 9/11, a coworker was somehow managing to get current news when the rest of the news outlets on the Internet were frozen from traffic overload. He was getting his news from DU. I don't know if I joined on that day, but I joined very soon after and have been hooked ever since.

[aquart]

8. Salon's Table Talk went pay-to-post.

I followed the other emigrants.

[Lars39]

9. Here's the link explaining all....enjoy!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/01/01/010127_7days.html

[Rider3]

20. That was a fun read - thanks!

[Lars39]

28. You're welcome,Rider3.

And welcome to DU!

[Autumn]

64. "eating 3 loaves of Wonder bread."

Thank you so much for that.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

66. Thank you for the link.

Great read...

[meti57b]

85. I saw that banner and signed on to DU immediately.

I changed my nick the next year, 2002, but my original nick was 2001, starting from the moment four guys held a banner over their head, reading "democraticunderground.com" The banner was lettered on what looked like a roll of brown wrapping paper.

[woodsprite]

10. On Dec 4, 2004 I found the link on a Kerry group.

Have been a member ever since. I will say that rarely a day goes by (even on vacation) that I don't read DU. It is my 'go to' place for almost anything.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

11. I think I linked here from either Buzzflash or Democrats.com.

Say what you will about W but he inspired a LOT of new web sites back in the early days of his administration.

[ProSense]

12. The 2004 stolen election

brought me here, and I remember the meltdown when Keith Olbermann was waiting on the evidence Bev Harris claimed she had.

I lurked for nearly a year before joining, and I remember the DU admin's letter.

Evidence is a precious commodity.

Oh, I am also a die-hard Kerry fan.

[ellenfl]

39. that's when i joined as well. google search. check in several times a day. eom

[KaryninMiami]

94. Me too- just after the stolen election

I was desperately seeking a community who KNEW what I knew- met Andy and Brad and Larissa here shortly afterwards.

[oldhippydude]

13. followed a link from yahoo answers...n/t

[coalition_unwilling]

14. Had no idea. Came to it via a (gasp!) libertarian site called

antiwar.com in the run-up to Operation Shocking and Awful.

A little shout-out for antiwar.com. Although run by a libertarian (Justin Raimondo), the site posts a wide-ranging collection of views and is an excellent compendium of world-wide journalistic resources opposed to imperialism and militarism.

[Speck Tater]

15. Learned about DU from a fellow Deniac back when DFA meant "Dean For America". nt

[scheming daemons]

16. September of 2003... when I was a Deaniac

[chemp]

17. I found Bartcop first

He posted a link to one of the first "Top 10 conservative Idiots".
Followed the link, signed up and never left.

[Aristus]

18. Oh hell no; I know exactly why DU had been founded.

It was March, 2001, and I was still aching from sElection 2000, and looking all over the web for places to ease the pain. People with whom to communicate and commiserate. I forget which link I clicked that brought me here. It was something like 'FlushBush' or like that anyway. I found my way here, hung out in some of the forums (far fewer in those days. They didn't even get the Lounge until a few months later, IIRC) and fell in love right away. I didn't register as a member until later that year, in September, a week after 9/11. I had never registered as a member of any website before, and was uncertain what that would entail; so I waited until I couldn't stand what was happening to the country anymore.

[mwdem]

19. Found it through MediaWhoresOnline.

Quite a while ago...

[Tikki]

21. 2001..I was posting on a Pol. board on a generic site and the repugs were ganging...

up on the few progressives there. One of the wingnuts suggested I go to
DemocraticUnderground..so in early 2002 I came here...

What a relief this site is for me.

What a treasure.


Tikki

[IcyPeas]

22. I linked here from smirkingchimp.com in or around 2003

I come here every day.

[Kaleva]

23. Followed the links to DU posted at the Kerry forum during the 2004 election

I didn't join and lost interest in politics after the 2004 election but regained the interest in the 2008 primary and I remebered DU so I lurked here for a bit before joining in Feb. of 2008.

[treestar]

24. Had no idea

Found it during the Dubya Administration. Luckily I can remember the exact time and the date can be figured from that. It was the day DU was abuzz that Rove was going to be indicted. Waited out the business days on newly found DU! Found the link from someone else linking to a post here an another political board.

[kestrel91316]

25. A friend and fellow liberal told me about it during that horrible period right after the 2000

election was stolen. I had a different SN then, no longer recall it. Then I left for a while (I don't even know why) and when I returned I couldn't recall my SN so I reincarnated as kestrel - this was apparently in Aug 2004 but I swear it was before that, lol.

Anyway, I've been here MOST of the time since the 2000 election.

[IDemo]

26. I came here from the John Kerry forum after the theft of '04

Had no idea it existed before doing a search for Democratic forums when my 'vote4kerry' username became unuseful.

[Marrah_G]

30. I was looking for someplace to read after the Kerry blog/irc channel closed up in 2004

I lurked for almost a year before joining.

[jberryhill]

31. Or the internet, for that matter

[kentuck]

35. There's one in every crowd.

[Panasonic]

33. I found DU in 2001

through a Will Pitt column found in Democrats.com and haven't even left DU since then.

Yeah, you'll have to PM me....

[Amaril]

34. Another (now defunct) board

One of the members used to regularly post links to stuff on DU. I lurked here off and on for a year or so, finally signed up, and have continued to mostly lurk (read) since.

[H2O Man]

36. I knew.

An associate had shown me DU a while before I joined. I had read some OP/threads from time to time.

On the day that Patrick Fitzgerald was assigned to the Plame Scandal, and Will Pitt posted the best report on the scandal here, the informal group I worked with recommended that I join DU. After investing a couple of months to become accepted as such a nice guy, I began to focus almost exclusively on the Plame case. I figured it would be a temporary thing. But here I am, all these years later.

[billh58]

37. Emigrated from

Democrats.com after its collapse into darkness...

[Voice for Peace]

38. DU was highly recommended to me by a libertarian friend. nt

[mike_c]

40. been here more-or-less since the beginning....

I started lurking in 2001, registered in early 2002 so I could argue about the upcoming mid-term elections. Lots of interesting folks have come and gone over the years.

[beveeheart]

41. I learned DU's founding purpose from posters' comments while I was lurking

Came to DU via article on BuzzFlash right after 2004 election.

Come here daily for morning and evening news. All my friends were stressing out over what they were reading and hearing re: Romney and how he couldn't lose. I sent them here and thanks to DU, sanity was returned to them.

[brokechris]

42. I first found the site in 2003

and have been reading here on and off since then, Yes--I am aware of how it got started.

[Indykatie]

44. Been Here Since 2004 and Though I Don't Have 50K Posts I Visit Every Day

I love love the site and found it through a friend. There are so many thinks to love about the site and only one thing that irks me about DU which is members who bitch about the ads on the site but don't contribute to DU which would make them go away. I feel they can't have it both ways, either contribute or shut up about the ads that DU has no control over.

[angstlessk]

45. I came here because Gore lost...not really..but he was not President...

In 2000 I was into chat rooms..and I would argue and debate bush lovers...and felt confident Gore would win...after the Supreme Court debacle...I was left depressed and dejected..and only wanted to talk to like minded persons..so I searched the web for LIBERAL chat rooms...and Democratic Underground showed up..and I joined...

But I was so angry..I thought Will Pitt and his Boston buddy (don't recall his name) were here to placate our anger...so we would get over it...and I said as much..and got banned..

Tried to find a site that was at least similar...to no avail......I came back when I moved and change my nomenclature from angstless to angstlessk...and never go banned again!

I don't post much..but I LOVE DU

[Spirochete]

46. I didn't know how long it had been up when I first got here

Came here from a link on Bartcop in February of '01. I lurked for a couple weeks, until I saw something I wanted to get my 2 cents worth in, so I signed up.

[RedCappedBandit]

47. I found DU because an awesome English teacher of mine..

gave an assignment to find 'underground' news networks. I then stumbled upon DU.

I was too young to really know what was going on, had just become to develop an interest in politics. I'm glad I found DU when I did. Took me a few years to join and share my own thoughts.

To answer the question, I did not know at the time.

[Liberal_in_LA]

48. me. Still don't know how / why founded. Guess the rest of this thread will inform me.

[Lars39]

62. Here ya go....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/01/01/010127_7days.html

[Liberal_in_LA]

70. Thanks.

[AsahinaKimi]

50. I have always been a Democrat... and wanted to find a place

That shared Democratic ideas. I first went to Democrat.com but came under a lot of fire for some of my progressive beliefs, and was eventually shown the door, though not officially. I left on my own..and later found DU. I read it for a long time.. but never joined, and then eventually I did. I wanted to know I was safe here, before I could type a few words... I also ran into some racism at the other place as well, which disappointed me greatly.

[elfin]

51. Found via Bushwatch in 2001 and joined in early 2002

Don't know if Bushwatch is still out there, but retroactive thanks to them to leading me to this knowledeable, often hilarious and ever pointedly opinionated site.

[Volaris]

52. I found this place because I did a google search

after becoming highly UN-impressed (pissed off would be a better turn of phrase) after "mission accomplished" and then the Smarra Mosque Bomb went off ina supposedly pacified Occupied Iraq. There wasn't a whole lot about it on the news it seemed, and then one night, I saw Mr. Olberman completely DESTROY the policies of the Bush administration, so I went looking for a place online concerning Democratic Politics. I credit Kieth for my being here.

[former9thward]

53. DU used to have a section on its home page explaining why it was founded.

Reaction to the Gore/Bush election debacle, etc. At some point they have removed that. I don't know if it is elsewhere on the site.

[Lars39]

63. Haven't found it at DU3 yet, but here's the link to the explanation from DU2:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/01/01/010127_7days.html

[JustAnotherGen]

54. Suggested by a member

Of DU who was at a non-political site with a political message board because I was so angry about the Bush Cabal Theft. I didn't join for many years though - I think in 2007.

[Lucinda]

55. In found DU in 2004 - and joined then with another ID

I followed a web search in, and did my homework...so I knew how they began pretty soon after signing in the first time.

[Trailrider1951]

57. After 3 years of Shrub and Darth Cheney, I was looking for ANY news of Democrats

And I followed the link from the Smirking Chimp. I joined in March of 2004. I rarely read the Chimp anymore, but I am lurking here daily, and I occaisionally post if I have something to say. And today I have something to say: THANK YOU DU for being here for me!

[Jersey Devil]

58. In December 2001 when they closed the MSNBC Message Boards

Before that time I used to post regularly at MSNBC. they closed their boards in December 2001 and as I recall I found DU as a link on the boards at Bartcop.com.

[Melinda]

59. I knew DU well by the time I "formally" joined in 2002...

I first came here via Smirking Chimp and registered in early 2001 after Bush* stole election 2000. I then forgot my pw to the throwaway account I joined under, and so I re-registered under my 'Christian' name again in 2002. I've long forgotten who I was in the beginning.

I became a voracious reader of DU after 9/11, and I blame it all on Morning Dew, who needs get her assets back in here toot suite!! I don't post often, but I've been right here for the good, bad, and all the ugly too.

[w8liftinglady]

60. Joined in 2004,after my son's second deployment to Iraq.

It was an oasis of information in Deep Red Hell....

[closeupready]

65. Was only vaguely aware of the election theft charges which inspired

the founders here and original participating members to start DU.

Instead, a really obnoxious conservative poster on another board held up DU as some sort of iconic e-evil discussion board where liberals cooked puppies and ate kittens for breakfast. Naturally, I was drawn here on the basis of that endorsement.

That was about back in 2004. (Yes, my original account was tombstoned. Unlike others, I subsequently learned how to play nice. )

[MzShellG]

67. I've visited DU every day since January 2001 (Bush Inauguration Day)

And its been part my daily routine. Can't remember exactly when I joined, but I don't post very often, even though I read DU threads several times a day.

[dembotoz]

68. 2007?? saw a sarcastic comment about it in a post or article somewhere

i knew this is where is wanted and needed to be

[Angleae]

69. I knew when I signed up but I had been lurking for a couple year prior.

As far as how I found out about this place, it was a link from a right wing site.

[s-cubed]

72. I found DU in 2000. I don't remember if it was hope before the election or despair after.

I think it was the latter. But DU has sustained me through the years. It's time to renew and get my star back. DU helped keep me sane in the bleak tears.

[MrsMatt]

73. I mostly lurk

but found this place just after Paul Wellstone's death (October 2002) - may he, Sheila, Marcia and the others RIP. I was looking for some answers about the plane crash, and this place had more information than any other.

Don't remember exactly how I came here - I think it was just following link after link and ended up here.

[LiberalElite]

74. I had no idea - I think I heard about DU from a friend

[hootinholler]

75. Ok, I didn't know when I joined. Andy recommended it to me right before the 2004 election.

I had been asking him to do something about her whom I shall not name on BBV. There's a lot of irony there.

[Matariki]

76. I knew, but not when I first joined. Which was in 2004 a couple days after the election.

My very first post was a link to an article about voting machines in New York State that had had their seals broken. I was very upset about the obviously stolen election. Shocked at the sudden late election night flip in votes from Kerry to Bush.

[mzmolly]

77. I knew why DU was founded. I don't think anyone here believes the R's

are above purging voters/suppression etc.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

78. I still have no idea...Oops.

a friend recommended DU...I am forever grateful.

[Moral Compass]

79. Have no idea when this site was founded

This site has a very definite community and the "legacy" members rule. I've been very, very quiet due to that vibe.

I found this site when I was looking for simpatico sites sometime after I jointed the Democratic party. I think it was William Pitt's link to this site that led me here.

[NMDemDist2]

80. i was looking to de-bunk some Swiftboat chit against Kerry in spring of '04, google gave me the link

signed up to get a matching pledge contribution for the fine Senator.

[Berserker]

81. I joined in March 2004

I read about DU in Bradblog and checked it out. I was a lurker for a long time then had a hard time joining as I remember because DU would not accept certain email accounts. But I finally got on and have been addicted since.
And with posts in RKBA I am still called a less than human troll.

[doc03]

82. Don't remember n/t

[graham4anything]

83. Read here daily, but only signed up in Feb this year

Protesting since the 60s. Out in the streets in Florida and DC in 2000

On the Draft Gore board in 2002-3-4, then the AlGoresupportboard, the official Kerry board, where unbeknownst to most there til way after the 2004 election, the official board was hidden from public view part of the time, and all those that thought they were doing something in essence were not heard), the spin off CGCS (80,000 posts there), until its demise last Feb. fighting against the repubs/libertarians/teaparty/gun nuts(my fight against guns legal and illegal continues here), that at the end were more numerous than Obama fans (where I learned a good lesson about CT's on that board and following bread crumbs that were spread by people with a lot different agenda than was led to believe)
and CGCS died overnight and basically has completely disappeared even in google as if it never existed from one minute to the next, poof, gone.

learned a big lesson from the Kerry board/ CGCS about plants though made some good friends there (a couple are here on DU). Lost a very good friend who died during that time
(Shout out to MrJim)

Saw a dream come true election night 2008. and even better election night here in 2012.

[madrchsod]

87. buzzflash...dam i can remember the strangest things

[Hayabusa]

88. Don't quite remember

but I'm pretty sure that it was in 2003 or so. Watch my profile prove me wrong...

[Coyotl]

89. Election Integrity News = Election Fraud, Irregularity, and Reform Headlines

Download Election Fraud, Irregularity, and Reform Headlines archive.zip

http://jqjacobs.net/politics/archive.zip

[gollygee]

90. I found DU the day Michael Moore's F911 came out.

I went home and googled about stuff and DU came up. I followed the link and joined and here I still am.

But yes, I had heard about when and why it was formed.

[dimbear]

91. I was posting on another board and I used to come here to steal stuff. Then....

things happen.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

92. Smirking Chimp 2004

[LastDemocratInSC]

93. I remember when the 15,000th member was a milestone ...

... and that was a LONG time ago.