There is no point in DU anymore.

[Atman]

I'll just read Twitter. Every fucking post here is just a link to someone's tweet. Why bother?

[vlyons]

1. So why don't you write something worth reading?

Why don't you be the one to write something useful, inspiring, thoughtful? Stop pointing the finger of blame at others and make a meaningful contribution to the dialogue.

[mythology]

95. Classy attitude you have there

If you didn't want to risk a different opinion, perhaps you shouldn't have posted in a public forum. People here have the right to tell you that you're wrong.

[Alice11111]

105. Well, honestly, sometimes they don't. I've had alerts for things totally unrelated to my posts.

Then, my appeals were deleted.

[Denzil_DC]

96. And those of us who choose to post tweets on occasion don't have to answer to you.

So we're done here, then?

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. I disagree. Twitter provides lots of information.

I'm grateful for the interesting Tweets I read here.

[left-of-center2012]

3. Ditto

I enjoy many of the Tweets, as I don't follow Twitter elsewhere.
Plus the number of posts on DU of Tweets is very minimal IMHO.

[ananda]

54. I agree to your disagree.

I like the twitter posts.

[Alice11111]

66. I'm not on Twitter, so it catches me up w the good ones.

However, there are a few people here, and most people have an idea who they are, who are self appointed rule interpreters and police, who just rage through alerting on everyone, without even bothering to read the post. That has taken some of the fun, and intellectual substance, out of it for me. So, now I avoid posting on threads that discuss certain subjects; avoid replying to express opinions that involve certain names or subjects; and avoid posting to threads with certain people, as I'll get alerted on by the police force.

Nonetheless, with those constraints aside, I enjoy reading a lot of the opinions by smart people, and I learn. Occasionally, you will get someone raging who doesn't have a clue, and doesn't bother to check his or her facts, but that is life everywhere. It is fun and therapeutic to rage against the RWs once in a while. Sometimes, I like sharing opinions or engaging with people who know enough about what is going on to make it worthwhile.

So, overall, if I can avoid the landmines, it is a good experience!

[Alice11111]

69. Yes, & if you don't like the tweets, don't read them.

[Orrex]

77. Posters should do the courtesy of including (tweet) in their subject line

Otherwise those posts are nothing but look-at-me clickbait. It's a vanishingly rare tweet-post that actually adds anything beyond parroting someone else's opinion, and at least one DUer racks up several front page look-what-someone-else-wrote messages each day.

[Atman]

87. THEN POST THEM!

Don't put up a sub line which only links to a tweet! Tell us what the subject is! I don't want to have to go to Twitter so see what the fuck you're talking about!

[50 Shades Of Blue]

88. I see the tweet itself in the body of the post.

[Atman]

89. I don't.

I see an intriguing sub line, then a link to a tweet. Fuck that! If it is that important, give us the context. I don't want to have to launch Twitter to see what the hell you're talking about!

[50 Shades Of Blue]

90. Backing slowly away....

[Atman]

91. I don't understand.

Why are you backing slowly away?

If you have a point to make, MAKE IT. Why do I have to go to Twitter to read you post? If there is a compelling subject, TELL US, don't make us go to Twitter. If I wanted to surf Twitter, I'd surf Twitter, not DU. I don't see how that is so difficult to understand.

[Denzil_DC]

94. Maybe because this has been explained again and again.

See this post of EarlG's: "You can now embed Tweets directly into DU posts" http://www.democraticunderground.com/10138150

Notice the help being offered there to a few people who were having difficulty with the change.

Since that change in DU's coding, most people can see tweets, as EarlG says, embedded in a post.

Going only by what you're saying, it sounds like you don't have your browser configured to view them, may be using an adblocker or similar add-on that prevents them displaying, or are behind a corporate firewall which blocks their display.

To cater for that problem, after numerous threads similar to this one, a large number of us who do occasionally post tweets have taken the trouble of copying and pasting the tweet text and any relevant image that can be directly linked, as well as embedding the tweet.

If that's not good enough for you, frankly, that's tough.

[Beartracks]

127. "copying and pasting the tweet text and any relevant image"

Yes, please, and thanks!

Not every platform/device/browser combo properly displays the embedded tweet; sometimes, all that's seen is a hyperlink that says "Tweet."

=====================

[Denzil_DC]

129. There's another good reason for doing it.

Tweets don't necessarily exist for ever. They can be deleted, Twitter as a whole may be down, as happened a few weeks ago - whatever, when that happens, the embedded tweets don't work, so it's helpful to have a more permanent record.

[ecstatic]

116. The Twitter embeds take a while to load, even with fast internet connections. nt

[Demsrule86]

113. I love twitter and think it helped get the health care information out to

millions of people who once they realized how bad the plan was reacted strongly and shut down the Trumpmurdercare.

[bathroommonkey76]

4. I post Twitter links/Twitter articles b/c they aren't on DU.

Thought I'd pass along the info to those on here-- Some appreciate them. Some do not. Oh well. lol

[Aristus]

5. I agree with vlyons above.

If you're not seeing the content you want, why not create some?

To put it another way: you can curse the darkness or light a candle.

[Turbineguy]

59. The republicans

stole the candles.

[Alice11111]

68. Love your expression, "Curse the darkness, or light a candle."

[Aristus]

98. Thank you.

It's not original with me. But I can't remember who coined the expression, or I would cite them.

[democratisphere]

6. I use DU.

I don't use Twitter. Thanks DU!

[OldHippieChick]

7. Do you also tell people

to get off your lawn?

[Atman]

14. No

If you think a subject is worthy of discussion, post it. I don't want to go to Twitter. If I wanted to read Twitter I'd go to Twitter. Every other post on DU is just a link to a Twitter post.

[manicraven]

35. If you think a subject is worthy of discussion, don't post a blatant exaggeration, which is what you

did. I just checked, and the first 10 posts had no Twitter links, so your post is faulty at best and just a big time waster for me. Tell you what, click on what interests you, and if you see Twitter, leave the page. Simple.

[OldHippieChick]

43. Hey I don't do Twitter either, but

I do think you sound like a grumpy old fart and I've been accused of the same. I feel the same sometimes when they post a video that I can't download and get a little ticked that they didn't give me a little synopsis so I can decide if I want to go to a different browser just to download a video that may not be worthwhile (and then I realize I sound like an old fart).

[Denzil_DC]

48. And some OPs I click on

are just a link to a story on another website, no comment, no selected quotes.

I've soon learned the posters who do that as a habit (I even suggested to one that he post a few paras, and maybe his posts would get more attention - no change) and tend not to bother clicking in any more.

Everybody has things they get fed up about in what is a massive forum.

I believe I did my best and spent a fair bit of effort to try to help you with some issues you had viewing tweets when you brought it up a month or two ago. You evidently haven't done anything about it since, so why is it anybody's problem but yours at this stage?

[PatSeg]

50. I don't mind one now and then

but sometimes it gets excessive. Maybe posters should indicate in the subject line that it is a Tweet link, not an actual post.

[Warpy]

8. Yeah, remember the good old days when people used to post information and opinion?

"Link to Tweet" is making DU suck.

[Vinnie From Indy]

9. I care about this why?

Thanks for letting me know!

I don't do Twiiter so I am grateful for the information.

[cwydro]

10. I agree. And people here seem to think twitter is all true.

Stupid.

[sarah FAILIN]

11. I don't like wading through twitter muck THERE

But I don't mind seeing highlights of it here.

[GaYellowDawg]

44. I agree with this.

I don't like going to Twitter, so having highlights here is useful to me.

[malaise]

12. Not quite true

Not one of mine is linked to Twitter

[stillsoleft]

13. Since I don't go on twitter

I find it helpful.

[msongs]

15. every thing on twitter LBN and true ya know. nt

[EarlG]

16. I just clicked on all 80 OPs on the Latest page

7 of them contained a tweet.

[sheshe2]

25. LOL!

Thanks for the info EarlG, good job!

[Denzil_DC]

42. Thanks.

I was about to mention that I'd just clicked on about a dozen that caught my eye before this one (which I had no idea would be about tweets from the title), and none of them were tweet-related. You more or less saved me the trouble, except I have a couple of points to add.

Many of those of us who do sometimes post tweets have gone to a lot of trouble since the early complaints to post the text, and where possible any image, of tweets so we don't exclude people who don't want to visit Twitter or whose computer setup won't let them see tweets on DU. I don't expect thanks, but sometimes Twitter's the only place an issue's being covered at the time, or the only way to embed a certain video.

This constant hyperbolic carping about it's getting very tired. It's just another medium.

[still_one]

62. 7, WOW, that must have really put you off balance......

[Mosby]

75. How many were "one sentence posts"?

I bet a lot.

[flygal]

123. exactly! I do understand the adjustment to seeing so many twitter posts, but it's not the majority.

I don't post much but I love twitter so I'll start putting (twitter) in the subject.

[Orrex]

124. That would be immensely helpful and much appreciated

DU etiquette already favors including (nt) or (eom) in posts that include nothing beyond a subject line. It doesn't strike me as too onerous to ask tweet-linkers to identify such posts by their subject lines.

And I likewise dislike single-line posts, except in the Lounge where they're often used for comic effect.

[Orrex]

78. But could you identify them as tweet-posts before you clicked them?

That would be helpful, for those of us who'd like to skip them.

[MineralMan]

81. +1000

[MontanaMama]

108. That is NOT an alternative fact!

That is all.

[UTUSN]

17. I don't get what the difference is between a tweet vs a link to an article from another website.

Both, from somewhere else, are steps to potential discussion here, no?

[crazycatlady]

111. a link to an article typically contains a summary

A link to a tweet contains no context.

[blogslut]

18. We'll be sorry to see you go.

Good luck to you.

[seaglass]

19. OK, that made me laugh. :-) n/t

[Buckeye_Democrat]

20. I disagree. I prefer links posted here to see the opinions of...

fellow Democrats and liberals.

DU filters out the Trump-supporting morons and Russian bots (I assume).

[GentryDixon]

21. Time Marches On.

DU & Twitter are my main sites. I don't tweet, but I do read.

[FreepFryer]

22. This reads like a GBCW post. If so, safe travels. The usefulness of DU is clear and on the increase.

[Binkie The Clown]

23. How about "I'll just read Huff Post" or I'll just read "NYT"?

Among other things, DU is a place all everything newsworthy that we, as a group, might be interested in is aggregated.

I don't really care if the news comes from NYT or Huff, or Media Matters, or Twitter, I'm still interested.

[liberal N proud]

24. I know, it is disappointing

Prior to twitter, we would have some context and a snipit of an article and it needed to have credibility.


If I water to know what was being tweeted, I would have created a twitter account.

[maveric]

26. It's some of the acronyms that get to me.

I'm getting old and not as sharp as I used to be.

[yallerdawg]

27. You want the Liar-in-Chief to have twitter?

We'll just ignore it?

Even though his tweets are driving every branch of government - and public opinion?

[hrmjustin]

28. Please don't stop posting here.

[sharedvalues]

29. Stay positive. Positive energy

Don't be a hater. If something needs improving, improve it.

[Cooley Hurd]

30. I think of DU as an aggregate site...

Almost all OP's are links to other materials found elsewhere. Twitter is a new source from which to share information.

I felt the way you did about the new Twitter capabilities on DU initially, but have learned to embrace it as a new stone to the news aggregate that is DU.

[bigtree]

31. I wrote some stuff today

...got one response.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028880846

[JNelson6563]

34. Was thinking of this point.

As I read these comments I was thinking of a post I just read a few minutes ago, the sort you see seldom here these days. Well thought out points, well written, good original content. As I read I scrolled up and down to see where it was linked from, nowhere! Surprising. Then I read the comments, a few smart ass one liners, and realized anew why we see less and less original content here that takes much effort.

[dae]

71. Well now you have another.

It really is an excellentpiece bigtree. Glad you linked to it.

[guillaumeb]

32. IF you want a point in DU, I will provide one.

D.U

Or

DU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Multiple (exclamation) points.

[lindalou65]

33. I am a member of DU who rarely posts

I have greatly enjoyed reading many of the posts here and i find DU to be a great place just to see what others are thinking about relative to the current state of affairs. Yes, there are links to tweets but that's not all there is. For example, people share interesting personal stories, links to songs that relate to whatever the conversation is about (I find that enjoyable) and links to interesting news media sites, and so on. In the days immediately following the election of #45 (and right after the DU site was brought back up), I read many of the posts on how others were feeling and thinking---it gave me great comfort. For me, DU is a great resource and one I value even though I rarely post here. Keep up the good work folks!

[northoftheborder]

49. Ditto.

[Doreen]

36. Some people do not do Twitter...such as me.

I do not do facebook either except very rarely to see what some friends are up to and read what George Takei has to say. I love DU and feel that it is kind of like my family as I have no life.

[Thomas Hurt]

37. of course there is...

not everyone on DU can read all tweets and find all the other articles published by the media that might be of interest to others here.

Commenters here bring some of those things that others don't have the time to find or missed.

Those tweets or stories value are subjective.

Go find the things that you think are important and post them.

[0rganism]

38. every post? hardly

i see probably less than 10% with links to twitter posts
maybe you have a bunch of the non-twitter posters blocked or something?

anyway, that's all irrelevant isn't it?
have fun reading twitter instead

[flamingdem]

39. Twitter is currently the hot spot for politics

DU is just responding to that reality.

I think it's great that DU gives attention to certain people who are NOT here.
That way we're not in so much of a bubble.

That includes people like Mensch, a conservative. I don't especially like her
but I'm glad when someone curates her tweets and adds them here.

Russiagate is happening on Twitter

[womanofthehills]

41. Agreed - I love Twitter and often get info there not yet on mainstream sites

So many bright people on Twitter and great links to information.

I think we need all sources - why limit ourselves.

[elfin]

40. I am glad others tweet so I don't have to.

Along the same lines that I'm glad some here watch Faux and check into Freeperville so I don't have to.

[Alice11111]

72. !!!

[peacebuzzard]

45. Completely disagree with you, friend

DU has managed to save my sanity twice now. First go-around was during the devastating Bush era. PCs were just going mainstream and I was lugging a huge 15 inch Gateway in my business travels and it was great to be able to check in with DU, for the latest in events. The best part was the online community input. I received a great pulse on developing issues especially helpful in cities and locations around the world with no access to media.

During the Obama years I confess I mainly stayed away from the DU board and concentrated on other issues. I was not in distress with the current events either.

Fast forward to now I have found the same environment of information and like-minds on DU with their developing analysis and opinions but my digital access now is limited to just mobile devices, which makes it harder and longer for my interaction. DU is once again giving me great information and is quite entertaining.

[ashredux]

46. Then leave...

[connecticut yankee]

47. I don't use Twitter

and I have no intention of doing so.

[StatGirl]

51. I'm with you in finding it annoying

Especially when I am reading on my device, and the tweet includes an image of lots of text.

If I wanted to read Twitter, I'd sign up for Twitter.

[PJMcK]

52. Thanks for your thoughtful post

In the past, I've read your posts with interest.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

53. Twitter not the problem; it's the cheerleading. OPs with little/no context & no insight or thought.

[Fritz Walter]

56. Happy April Fools Day

Now moving on to more serious conversations.

[yankeepants]

57. Then why are you posting and

Why are so many concerned and intelligent DUers responding? Stop being so dramatic.

[roamer65]

58. DU is more fun because we can use more than 140 characters.

1. Linking to tweets provides a service to those who don't want to use Twitter, yet stay abreast of current events.

2. DU provides a better discussion format of particular tweets...like those of 45/140.

[mnhtnbb]

60. I'm not on Twitter. I don't have a smart phone because I do not feel a need to be on the internet

all the time.

I go out and see people at restaurants with their eyes on phones, totally disconnected from the other person (people)
at their table.

I walk on the street and see people with their eyes on phones, oblivious to the world around them. Texting while driving is insane.

Yet I have found some of the posts linking to Twitter fascinating. It's a view in to another world. It's informative
to read some of the Twitter responses, too.

All that said, it's just another source of information. I don't rely on it, I don't participate in it, but I can choose to
take a look at what someone said once in awhile, if I choose.

So, no, I don't take the leap from some people linking to Twitter in posts to thinking DU has no point.

[MyNameGoesHere]

61. 140 bits of verbal vomit

I hear you.

[NCTraveler]

63. Whew. I think you made it in at under 140.

[mainstreetonce]

64. It would be nice if people a short explanation

Instead of just a twitter link.

Just tell us why we should click the twitter link.

[Alice11111]

76. No. I want to see the actual tweet for myself, not be told

Someone else's interpretation. I'm not on Twitter. Thank you to those who are for sorting through it, and posting the most interesting or important ones here.

[mainstreetonce]

83. Oh, I meant an explanation

And then the link to tweet.

Then we can decide ti click or not.

[Alice11111]

100. Yes,I like an explanation to tbe links to long articles, so I can follow the posts,& then go back &

the articles later, if I want to.

[Sugarcoated]

65. Good observation

I agree

[c-rational]

67. Wih a handle like Atman

part of the Param Atman you must be having a moment...be patient

[Alice11111]

70. I subscribe to the NYTimes, WashPost, NewYorker& more,

&there are links to articles to those and other sources on here. I like it though. Sometimes, someone is connecting the dots by linking info from several sources. Also, I don't and couldn’t possibly read every article from every newspaper or source I get, so if I'm interested, I appreciate the links.

I rarely take the time to watch all of the videos. Sometimes, I do, and I'm really glad for the post, because maybe I missed SNL, Colbert or it is just something funny as hell or something important that I missed. I don't get upset at someone who posted something if I don't choose to watch it though.

[Mosby]

73. I think there needs to be a way to tell OPs apart

The problem isn't just the tweet only posts, but the increase in let's call the one sentence post. It's so bad GD is almost unreadable imo.

We need an indicator on the forum page that provides some measure of the content length, it could be as simple as a colored asterisk in the title box. A one sentence post could be identified using some sort of color coding, a tweet would be a different color etc.

[Miles Archer]

74. Many DUers don't have Twitter accounts, and many also don't want Twitter accounts.

So as someone who posts a number of tweets as a community service to those folks, sorry if my "fucking posts" bother you.



That's the sarcasm smiley, because no...I'm not sorry.

It's Skinner's Website. If Skinner says "stop posting tweets," I'll stop posting tweets. Until then, there's always the ignore button. See? Everybody wins.

[7wo7rees]

79. Amen!! It has been frustrating.

I have said to my SO that it seems as though DU is nothing anymore much but an aggregator for Twitter.

A real dissappointment. Finally someone said it. Kudos!!

[aikoaiko]

80. Yep, but that horse is out of the barn and galloping full speed.

I hate that professionals try to use it to communicate serious ideas.

[Laffy Kat]

82. Not on Twitter. Will never be on Twitter.

I'm just the opposite. I don't see the point in Twitter. I have DU.

[FDRsGhost]

112. Twitter has its place

In terms of news, nothing comes across faster than Twitter. You get the info first long before you hear about it any place else. That goes for politics to anything else in between.

If you live in an area that gets tornadoes as an example, Twitter is vital. It's life saving really. Just use your state follows by wx.... like an example I'm in Colorado so the hastag is #cowx

As far as politics though, it's pretty amazing.

[tandem5]

84. One time I followed a twitter link to a DU thread that led back to twitter.

Ultimately I ended up at a video of a cat sleeping.

[Alice11111]

106. I followed a google link that led to a DU post,& I thought, wow, he agrees, then I saw it was my pos

Twice.

[tandem5]

126. At least you agree with yourself. I tried to follow myself on Twitter, but was blocked.

[Alice11111]

130. LOL blocked. Yeah, I thought the writer was sharp. HaHa

[nolabear]

85. For the fits of pique.

And the comaraderie, interesting info and long time associations. Oh, and the humor. And the cool admins and some smart writing. And the occasional shoulder to cry on or astute warning. And some entertaining trolls. And California Peggy.

Silly Atman.

[Atman]

92. WTF?

I think you're higher than I am.

[nolabear]

93. See? You're intrigued again.

Just when you thought you were out...

[7wo7rees]

97. Silly nolabear. Kinda mean. Sarcasm flat. nt

[nolabear]

99. Tough room!

[L. Coyote]

101. Love Twitter and the fact DU supports posting tweets. But hey, if hyperbole is your thing, do it.

Why not overstate something when you want to vent? Fake news people do it all the time.

[Alice11111]

107. Yeah, I'm tired of being the understaters

[yuiyoshida]

102. T W E E T E D!!!!

Link to tweet

[still_one]

103. bye

[Alice11111]

104. I forgot to say, even though we have a different perspective,& disagree, I appreciate your bold post

[IndianaDave]

109. I'm not on Twitter, and I appreciate seeing Tweets posted here.

Also, it's fascinating to see the variety of interpretations provided by DU members. And I've seen a lot of original material here as well. I really enjoy DU, and I'm sorry that it is so dissatisfying to you. But it's good that you feel free to state your dissenting opinion here.

[jeanmarc]

110. I don't get much of the point of this thread. Of course there's a point for DU

You may have to make another click, big deal.

[Ligyron]

114. The thing about Twitter is it is immediate.

It often contains breaking news and will be the first place it is seen.

[ecstatic]

115. It took years for me to become engaged and active on Twitter

I set up an account, but I didn't see the point of it. But now I think it's a useful tool, especially during this tRumP era/crisis.

You can get instant "crowd reaction" to any topic--TV show, breaking news, etc. in real time. Just search for a term or hash tag, and then when the search results come up, click on the "LATEST" tab to see ALL the reactions.

I use it to vent anonymously.

However, Twitter does NOT replace DU. You can't have coherent discussions in 140 characters or less (or whatever the limit is). You should view Twitter as no different than any other media link.

[Ilsa]

117. We could petition the Admin to start a GD - Traitor-Trump forum. Most

Tweets are about the investigation, aren't they?

[McCamy Taylor]

119. I have noticed that the posts are very----short. Sound bites as political dialogue.

[MineralMan]

120. Well, that's simply not true.

There are a few posts that are just a Twitter link, but not "every fucking post." Not even close.

I encourage you to use the General Discussion thread list for browsing DU. You'll quickly discover that the vast majority of posts have no Twitter content at all in them.

[McCamy Taylor]

121. I think poster means the most rec'd posts are "Famous name" plus "Tweet"

Meaning that "Famous name" plus "Tweet" now has more impact at a site like DU than actual political discourse.

[MineralMan]

122. That is why I recommended a different way of browsing DU

to him. Using the Greatest Threads page as a browsing tool, or even the Home Page, masks most of the excellent posts on the website. I've found that the number of recommendations a post have is no guide to the quality of the post.

[Blue_Tires]

125. Fair enough... I'm guilty of it as well...

I'll start posting more of my genuine thoughts... But be careful what you wish for!

[INdemo]

128. Good Bye