There is a very small group of users here at Daily Kos creating havoc in multiple diaries. With the pretext of "protecting the reputation of the site" they are bullying people that write diaries they happen to disagree with. They engage in very personal insults, mockery, thread-jacking and logical fallacies, instantly turning comment threads into pie fights.
Not only do they engage in highly disruptive behavior, they go as far as trying to intimidate and harass people who rec diaries they don't like. They belittle people, accuse them of recommending "bullshit" diaries, and themselves engage in HR abuse.
Now I ask, what kind of fuck*ng bullshit is this? Why are these few people able to get away with this type of bullying behavior? Who gave them the right to appoint themselves as the Daily Kos Rec Police?
The Community Guidelines are very clear about these types of abuses.
Here's an advice for these bullies: First, read the fucking diary (if you must). Second, if you disagree with the conclusions or propositions in the diary, be man (or woman) enough to present a logical counter-argument. Third, who the fuck gave you the right to tell other people what they should or should not recommend (as long as the diary in question is not clearly violating the Community Guidelines).
I don't believe that anybody here wants to push anybody's talking points; I don't believe that there is any kind of official agenda for this site to be the mouthpiece of the Democratic National Committee--if so, I need to get that memo.
We all want to do what we can in helping elect more and better Democrats, but I haven't seen anywhere that that means that we need to support things we deem to be wrong, immoral, illegal.
Being able to share a wide range of views and ideas about important topics, especially in times of crises, adds to the intellectual heft and usefulness of the site, IMHO.
The site rules are clear:
The first and most important is: DO NOT BE A DICK. Here it is:
The core of the Daily Kos behavior guide is simple: don't be a dick. While we go into some depth below about sanctionable behavior, it's not an all-encompassing list. There are always types of behavior that while not listed below, rise to the level of "dickishness", and as such are actionable.
Do not engage in HR abuse:
At Daily Kos, any gray area will be decided in favor of the commenter. So if you're not sure that something should be HR'd, then don't. Because if the situation is that iffy, chances are that it'll be you who gets burned. HRs are for clear and obvious violations.
Do not engage in ad hominems (insults):
It is impossible to have a real debate when you call the other party, say, "batshit insane." At that point, you're not engaging in debate, you're just engaging in a pissing match. And while that may be fun for you, it isn't fun for anyone else. So maintain a sense of decorum. There are plenty of people on the site who avoid HRs despite engaging in the most contentious topics. It can be done. Just be courteous and stick to the facts.
Do not engage in malicious thread-jacking:
The actual problem is with malicious threadjacking — the kind of threadjacking designed to derail a productive conversation, whether because the 'jacker hates the diarist, or because s/he is unhappy with the topic of discussion. This is obviously a problem in areas in which the community is internally divided. And it's one of those things that can't be easily defined.
I would like to encourage every Kossack who comes here to read interesting topics, to engage in debate with others in a respectful manner, to engage in political activity, or catch on the latest news, not to let this tiny group of bullies intimidate anybody.
We don't all have to like or agree with every single diary. If someone doesn't like a particular diarist, why would they keep showing up in the comment thread lobbing insults and engaging in logical fallacy disruption? What do they care if something is on the rec list or not. If they are thus concerned about the rec list, why don't they write their own goddamned diaries and compete for recs (if they are so obsesses with them), like anybody else?
Don't put up with bullying and intimidation. We're not here to regurgitate anybody's talking points.
P.S. I welcome spirited debate about this topic, and I'm especially interested in hearing from people who do not agree with my position. However, I will not engage in discussion with people who write personal insults, or engage in disruptive behavior. I ask other serious people to do the same. To learn more about this subject, please visit the following links: New Community Guidelines / The 15 Rules of Web Disruption / Thirteen Rules for Truth Suppression / Disinformation: How It Works.
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