How did you Find out About DU?

[MadBadger]

Kind of just a general DU question that Ive wondered.. How did you find out about DU? What made you stay and start to post.


Me personally, last year I was doing a project on political activists online. I just searched for online message boards for democrats and this came up.I joined so I can study what goes on here, and it was during the 06 elections. I ended up coming back about five months later, lurked for a little more and then started to post and really get into it. I probably accumulated a hundred posts in a couple days so I could post a topic and get some respect, because it really does mean something here to have 1000 + posts.

[Broken_Hero]

1. My wife's co-worker-edit

told her about DU, and she told me...

I didn't start reading here until Nov of 04, and joined the following May.

ETA:I decided to join, because it seemed like a bonafide democratic debate site, where I could debate issues, without defending GWB from the get go, and I didn't have to deal with RW rhetoric all the time....

I decided to stay, because it was interesting reading all the differing view points, on any subject.

[Hutzpa]

2. I guess you're the lucky Lurking star n/t

[Kutjara]

3. I moved back to the US after 20 years abroad...

...and Googled "democratic forum" or somesuch, as one of my first steps in getting politically active here. DU was near the top of the list, so I checked it out, generally liked what I saw, and decided to join.

[sakabatou]

4. Bill O'Reilly Sucks.com

[TriMetFan]

5. Well this is easy......

On the Mike Malloy Show back in 2003. He was taking about DU and I came by to check out the site and have been a member ever since.

[Initech]

6. Someone on another board posted a Top 10 list.

[Systematic Chaos]

7. When * said "don't believe the rumors on the internets", it got me thinking.

I knew he was a lying sonofabitch, and I knew that my instincts on the morning of 9/11 said that the WTC was imploded. Whether I'm right or wrong, there's nothing else I can think after having seen that footage so many times. Anyway, that led me to do a number of web searches, and I think DU was like the 4th site I visited. Ironically, one of the first ones was something called The Grudge Report, which was a parody of Drudge with a much more liberal bent.

[Zynx]

8. As I recall I was reading a Daily Kos thread and came upon this forum.

I remember it had to do with Howard Dean and I saw someone reference a thread on DU.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. I was very new to the internet...

And somehow I was just moving along through different websites, following link after link, looking for something interesting...

I don't even remember now...

I searched through several, looking around...

And when I came here, I paused...

After lurking for a couple of months back in 2004, I started hanging out here all the time...

Finally joined in Feb 2005...

Never looked back!

Just celebrated 50K posts a couple of days ago...

This place is my home, my electronic home!

Many people I met here are now real life friends...

Belonging to DU has changed my life...

:hi:

[libodem]

10. I heard a conservative radio talk show host

bashing DU. I was disheartened after the '04 elections and in search of some liberal conversation. I thought I could avoid using a computer for my entire life and never learn to type. Lord, oh, Lord I was so wrong. I love DU so much and come here everyday for news.

[physioex]

22. LOL...

Yep...In my case it was El Drugbo shortly after his oxycontin treatment. He read an editorial of this site and was pissed. Hence I decided this must be a good site.

[alittlelark]

11. Bartcop link!

[NNN0LHI]

32. Me too n/t

[TahitiNut]

12. DUer Tempest sent me. ;-)

Usenet 'buddy.'

[Blue State Bandit]

13. I joined up shortly after the Plame outing.

I found this site thru cross-postings at AfterDowningStreet.org and Democrats.com.
When I started, I wasn't too computer savvy. This forum offered me two valuable tools;

1. A venue to vent my frustrations about the state of our country, and

2. A clearing house of news, editorials, and like-minded bloggers/activists.

I have found that your assumption is correct regarding the 1000+ post/respect statement. I personally could care less for those who would use such a narrow criteria in their choice to respect me or not. I do find, in my own lurking, that I am more apt to click on 1000+ posters, but I also try to see past it and hit the roller-desk button.

After the '06 mids, I dropped out for a while, and didn't decide to return until I was comfortable with my decision to support Senator Obama in-full.


On edit:

After '06 I thought thing were going to turn around for our country, saddly I was wrong.

[Jed Dilligan]

14. I started on the anti-Bush net in yahoo clubs in 2000

Kicked it shortly after the (s)election, found myself on again when the war broke out. I think it was at Democrats.org where I saw people mocking DU as being too radical, so naturally I drifted over.

[jwirr]

15. Through Common Dreams.

[woofless]

16. The Top Ten was linked on some site

(I think it was Buzzflash) sometime in 2002. I was living in Idaho and looking for some like minded folks to help maintain my sanity. DU has helped do just that through these very trying years. Hang in there Friends.

Woof

[OffWithTheirHeads]

17. Yeah, I think Buzzflash but it wa a long time ago.

nt

[mahina]

18. from Bushwatch.com,

around 01, which seems like lifetimes ago. I just read DU for years. I came here for the real news, as then I still watched and read the corporate news.

[Scatterheart]

19. To be honest....

I don't really remember! It's been soooooo long since I started lurking around here. Several years before I actually made my account, and I still check in most every day, but rarely do I post!:crazy:

[Angela Shelley]

24. Hi Scatterheart, keep on posting!

[Up2Late]

20. I think it was Google years ago, probably 2003...

...but I signed up for first, but that place is boring and hard to navigate.

[lamp_shade]

21. From DraftClark.com

[shireen]

28. me too!

then i realized this was the same place that my cousin talked about. He's a moderator.
Hey Socialdemocrat1981! Love ya! :hi:

[KatyMan]

23. ultimately via Bartcop

in late 2001. I lurked for years, and kept switching back and forth between here and Bartcopnation, but as this board is more active and varied, I decided to register here and post. Very glad I found it, although I was initially turned off by what I perceived to be sniping and infighting, but now realise it's basically the way it is in these parts ;)

Personally I like the variety, the sort of all-in-one nature of the place, where I can read book and computer forums without (as was posted above) GWB apologists and evangelicals and the like.

[Angela Shelley]

25. A fellow DUer, who always had the latest news,

showed me the way.

I´ve officially quit three times, but the addiction is too strong. :-)

[Squatch]

26. I sensed a rift in the space-time continuum

[Trailrider1951]

27. I followed a link from smirkingchimp.com

and I'm glad I did! :P

[RuleOfNah]

29. Probably buzzflash.com or commondreams.org and New Years.

Read for years, resolved to post here this year because I thought I already agreed with the majority. Now I'm not so sure. :)

[Snarkturian Clone]

30. Was lurking Free Republic during the 2004 election

and they kept mentioning this place.

[displacedtexan]

31. EarlG's "Top Ten" column. Now, he's my editor...

I write the DU Blog Box column (published every Friday
on the DU homepage).

EarlG is the greatest. Editor. Ever.

[OhioChick]

33. Doing Some Research on Outsourcing....

And Came Across a LBN Article Here.

[Medusa]

34. Daily Kos

How could i have missed this place before??

[beezlebum]

35. on a local general news forum

that wingnuts had infiltrated and turned into a gallery of racist, sexist high-fives, yellow ribbons, and praise for the destruction of sovereign countries and deaths of innocent civilians, including children.

obsessed with libruls as wingnuts tend to be and outraged that they could rarely decipher scholarly truthful and factual opinings, they lurked here and searched for posts and comments to drag back to the forum via their frothy mouths, often citing DUers as "evidence" that liberals were "nutjobs" and "wackaloons" and other nastier names. (that forum has since been shut down due to the insanity- an accusation of harassment, for one- that the station did not wish to appear to endorse)

i thought, wow, this DU place must be some sort of sanctuary of truth lacking of right wing propaganda manipulation lies distortions dis- and mis-information campaigns and praising of the deaths of children!

i rarely posted for a year or so, but faithfully read.

edit: this just brought back a memory- i once posted the clip of dubya flipping the bird on that forum. they demanded i remove it, and i did since it did violate the rules an' all, but i replaced it with the clip of him picking a booger. the entire forum rallied against george bush doing probably the most human thing he's ever done, albeit more chimp-like since he didn't use a tissue. they demanded i remove or face being kicked off the forum. ultimately, my post was disappear'd by one of the forum moderators thanks to a vote (admin said i could not be kicked off). true story.

[pleah]

36. Exploring the internet.

[napi21]

37. One of the other Sean supporters at a meetup bak when Howard

was a candidate. He was talking abouthow great this site was and I wrote down the address andchecked it out when Igot home. I've never left!

[Orsino]

38. From my wife, I think. n/t

[qanda]

39. Five years ago from MediaWhoresOnline

What ever happened to them?

[Serial Mom]

40. From a co-worker shortly after Dubya stole the 2000 election!

Co-worker was only other Dem at workplace so I was appreciative to get info from him to learn where to get good info and RANT