Please read... a suggestion about echo-chambers and changing gears

[Bonobo]

I don't often start threads but I think this is worthy of discussion.

I am involved in a martial arts forum and I decided to be brave enough to raise some political issues and see what kind of response it would get. I say "brave" because I knew it could be deleted or I could be kicked off the site and I happen to enjoy the forum.

Anyway, I have kicked off some lively debate and I think it's very, very good. The problem with echo chambers is that it's a bit of a waste of time to add a drop of water to a lake. Preaching to the choir is a good way to put it. What is being changed by adding one's opinion here at DU. Answer, almost nothing.
DU is escellent for so many things. Sharing information, organizing actions, venting emotions, but of those, only thge first two accomplish anything. Expressing opionions rarely converts anyone here.

But what about other forums you may belong to? If you share a common interest with someone, whether it be martial arts, autos, poreclain-collecting or whatever, that common bond may be enough to get them to listen to your reasoned and well-thought out arguments against Bush, against the war...
I think we need to branch out into the world and, using information we have gained from DU and other sources, argue, convince and move people to understand what's really happening in this country. That would be a good use of the keyboard.

[Atman]

1. You make good points

I post on a couple of boards. This is the only one that is strictly partisan. I post on a private cartoonist's message board, and politics has had to be virtually banned, because political discussions always become so heated.

Hear is a very, very worthwhile suggestion for all DUers...

Log off for a week, take a break, and listen to what the "real world" is saying.

You may be surprised. You'll hear not much of anything. DU amplifies our issues to us, and it provides a place of support. It's like a digital circle-jerk. But outside of DU, you'd think the world was fine. Spend a week living like "normal" Americans. Listen only to ten minutes of evening news, preferably during dinner. Scan the front-page headlines, but don't actually read the stories. You'll be as informed as the next American, and you'll suddenly think all of America's problems have been solved. I'm serious. I've done it several times, as recently as a couple weeks ago. Outside of DU, there is little or no mention of anything we discuss here. Just the "liberal media" telling us everything is fine and George has it all under control.

So on the cartoonists board I always just post my editorial cartoons and it covers as being on-topic and open for debate. One way to "educate." I also post to an unmoderated board with a mix of cons and libs, but this far into the game, the only people I ever encounter who take the time to support Bush online are the hardcore right-wing extremists, Bush's base. So even in a mixed environment, there is little education going on. Five years into this mess, if you still need to be convinced of Bush's criminality, you simply haven't been paying attention.

[annabanana]

2. You are right about "spreading the wealth" so to speak, but

DU isn't just an echo chamber of like-thinkers.
There are many, many lurkers who come to get News that just isn't covered elsewhere.. And this is where we come to find the ammo we NEED to make any kind of ripple (or wave) in the non-politico forums around the 'net.
"Expressing opinions" is how to get the message framed in as many different ways as possible so if one argument or point of view doesn't resonate with our "target", another might.