How did you discover DU?

[I Have A Dream]

I've always wondered how people came to be part of the DU family.

I found it while searching for information on the web after the right-wing talk show jock Glenn Beck discussed killing Michael Moore on the air. I was irate and wanted to find Glenn Beck's sponsors to contact them. While doing this, I came across DU. Thank you, thank you, thank you Glenn Beck!

[achtung_circus]

1. Followed a link

from Whitehouse.org

[Seabiscuit]

59. Also followed a link

from Howard Dean's DFA blog back in March, 2003. Began reading DU often, but didn't post here until May, 2004.

[Bassic]

78. Followed a link

from michaelmoore.com. I think.

[asthmaticeog]

2. Top Ten Conservative Idiots was linked from some other site.

So I kept coming here for that, and after lurking for about a year, I signed up for the forum, in early '03.

[FloridaPat]

19. Probably Buzzflash.com. That's probably how I found this place.

[asthmaticeog]

22. Y'know, I think you're right, I think it probably was Buzzflash. n/t

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[I Have A Dream]

23. I haven't ever visited Buzzflash.com. I'll have to check it out! n/t

[displacedtexan]

80. Me, too. Top 10 Cons. Idiots via Buzzflash

I have to admit, though, that for a long time, I was too stupid to figure out how to post replies without sounding ridiculous.

I was in awe of DUers!

[mcscajun]

3. Day after the 2004 election...found a link on The Smirking Chimp

Been here ever since.

:patriot: :woohoo: :dem:

[lavenderdiva]

58. Me too!!

I was literally sitting there crying, the day after, while my husband was telling me to just get over it. It was over and done. But a part of me was tremendously hurt and angry at the same time. I was reading Smirking Chimp, and followed a link to DU. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I spent many, many hours here just reading the posts, absorbing that I wasn't the only one to feel this way. It was a tremendous outlet for the feelings that I had, as I had been complaining soo much mr. lavenderdiva was tired of hearing me rant. It saved him too! Each and every day, I spend multiple hours here, reading, learning, and sharing with my 'other family'. That's how it feels to me. lots of family. I love DU!! :loveya:

[bigwillq]

4. Found a link when I googled

for Howard Dean. :bounce:

[flamingyouth]

5. Searching the Internets for like minds in early 2001

I didn't actually sign up and start posting until 2002, though.

[xultar]

6. Found it when I was searching for information on Wesley Clark

[Ilsa]

7. I googled "democratic message board" or something almost like it

and DU popped up. I was hooked the first day. I think I signed on a few days after that. Referred other Dems to it as well, but I don't think they signed up to post. A few of them said Bushco would be coming for me soon.

[I Have A Dream]

38. I was so excited when I found it that I immediately signed up...

and posted that very night. I felt as though I had finally found my home!

[mconvente]

47. same n/t

[DemGirl7]

8. I found it while seaching for pro-democratic party sites

I'm glad I came across it, I love it, and has became the source where I get most of my news from.

[Cha]

9. Welcome to DU! You're still

pretty fresh:D

I read an article in The Nation magazine in 2001 about alternative news scources on the web and couldn't wait to get a computer to try some out. This is the best because we get to interact and be involved.

[Wabbajack]

10. IIRC from Freeperland when I was amusing myself there!

[djeseru]

11. Not long after I took the red pill in '03,

probably linked through Buzzflash, although I did read Bartcop and AllHatNoCattle as well. Longtime lurker, still slow to post at times.

[Kerrytravelers]

12. Before the election, I was all over the internet(s) on info searches.

wtmusic did a lot of volunteer work with me and said I should definetly join. I did and now, over 3,000 posts later, I"m still here, baby!

[bliss_eternal]

28. Hi Kerry!

:hi:

Glad you're here, too!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

13. Al Franken's "Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them."

I read his book...ONLY because of Bill O'Reilly's UPROAR over it...and realized that i had no idea who Karl Rove was. I enjoyed Franken's stuff from SNL, but I didn't really care about his books...until O'Reilly cried like a little baby over "Lies." O'Falafel Boy DROVE people to that book.

Like millions of Americans, this obese ratprick excrement-filled excuse for a human being was operating WAY below my radar.

On the "politically aware" scale, from 1 to 10, I was a 3.

I knew that had to change.

While Googling Rove, I stumbled across DU.

I joined in January 2004. I've donated twice.

That's how I discovered DU.

:toast:

ON EDIT: Just to make sure I am perfectly clear on this: FUCK KARL ROVE. FUCK HIS FAT PIG ASS.

:patriot:

[Crazy Guggenheim]

14. I was doing a search for the Democratic Party and something

or other and it referred me to this site. I lurked for a while before I joined.

[Reverend_Smitty]

15. Found a link to it

from one of the political blogs and I can't remember which. But the Top 10 Conservative Idiots immediately hit my eye and I haven't really been able to leave since

[greekspeak]

16. I found it through another site

I was looking for info on Tallahassee when I learned I would be moving here in a few months. I was trying to see how liberal or conservative it was. In the process I found DU via a link.

[NYC]

17. Inauguration day banner.

Washington, D.C. in 2001.

Edit: Changed date from 2000 to 2001. Whenever that first travesty occurred.

[progmom]

18. 1gobluedem told me about it.

:)

[The Backlash Cometh]

20. I was debating with the right-wingers on a local paper msg board,

and someone on the board who had Democratic leanings would link the ten top stupid conservatives article. I followed the link and I remember the very first poster I read was from underpants. I didn't come to DU right away. I had steeled myself to listen to anything that was Liberal because I hate to feel like I'm being played, but, over time, the facts that were circulating around me, and the fact that I got tired of debating with people that were never going to change (Just like Janeane discovered the other day.) well, that's how I settled here.

[rug]

21. I heard Hannity bashing it last fall.

[LaurenG]

24. There we're days last year when move on just went down

for days at a time. I wanted to know what others were thinking. (Ok withdrawal) so I googled democratic underground. There it was The really sad thing about finding du is when I tried to sign up they weren't taking new members. I had to wait until after the election to join. :hi:

[I Have A Dream]

64. Wow - I didn't know that this happened. Wonder why it...

was not signing new members. Interesting fact! :)

[LaurenG]

74. They had a surge of new members and the server

couldn't handle anymore. At least I think that's what they said.

[I Have A Dream]

75. OK - so it was a GOOD problem!

Glad that they got that one fixed.

Thanks!

[Clintmax]

25. My husband Greekspeak has been a member of DU for a long time...

He is the one who originally found DU and I got all interested in it through him. How he found it I have NO idea. But...I sure am glad he did!

On edit: I see above that he's already answered...now we know!
:rofl:

[bliss_eternal]

26. Initially a link on Margaret Cho's website, later a freeper

on another site I frequented(at that time).

The first time I saw the name of DU on M.Cho's site, I thought, 'what a cool name for a website!' I think I clinked on the link, looked around a bit, but didn't linger. I thought I would come back when I had more time to look around.

Then, just prior to the elections in 2004, on another site, this idiotic right wing, democracy bashing, psychotic, Reagan loving, bush bot was going on and on about how horrible Democratic Underground was. He said that DU had banned him, and how unjust it was, blah, blah. :freak:

This guy was blatantly abusive to anyone that didn't embrace his brand of politics and LOVED calling people 'liberals' at the drop of a hat. I was fed up with that site, and how no one ever put this guy in check. I figured any site that banned his sorry ass was the kind of site I needed to investigate further... :thumbsup:

I've been here ever since!
:loveya:

[Metta]

27. Referred by my darling, loving wife.

A sweet punim if ever there was one. :~>

[I Have A Dream]

100. She must be a really special person, Metta.

;)

[Metta]

101. Yes, she is precious beyond knowing.

And the apple of my eyeballs.

[Kathleen04]

29. Back when I was undecided

in fall 2003 of who to support for the primaries, I was going through the candidates' websites and reading their blogs. I think it was the John Edwards blog where someone mentioned DU.

[William Bloode]

30. A link from Buzzflash.

I visted every Monday for quite sometime just to view Top Ten COnservative Idiots. I think i started around #55-56 and kinda lurked till last year when i registered. Only took me a year and 2-3 months to make 500 post.

[BlueIris]

31. Cannonfire.blogspot.com

Everyone should go read that site. It's great. Nothing else like it online.

[BlueIris]

105. Best. Blog. Ever. GO THERE NOW!!!

I promised the author a long time ago that I would encourage more people around these parts to read his work, and so far, I don't think I've been able to generate as much response as I'd hoped for. You don't have to accept everything on it, but FWIW, I think his assessment of how we got here, how long we're going to be here and the avenues we might be able to pursue to get out of here faster is Spot. On.

[I Have A Dream]

108. I'll check it out, BlueIris!

Thanks for the information. :)

[BlueIris]

129. Good for you. It ROCKS.

Do I agree with the author 100% of the time? No? More like 90% of the time. And the 10% disagreement is purely about social issues and opions--"values" as the Republicans like to say. About government though? I think he's dead on.

[bridgit]

32. hubby told me...

[Grey]

33. OK, I found "DU' a few years ago,

back when we were at 30,000 or less members, In 'the good old days' when we could slide under the 'rader'. And just comment on the day's news, not BE 'the day's news'. We have come a long ways from 2001, & I for one just love the courage and determanition of the people that have been the front line in this Battle.

To Skinner and the rest of you, Thanks a bunch, glenn, and the rest,I do wish you were not nameless but I understand the need to "duck and cover" I do it my self, You can see from my 'post numbers.

just have to say "YOU ARE THE BEST AND THANKS, WE LOVE YOU, MUCH.
Keep up the good work and all the recent changes are just GREAT.

OK, I have a confession to make, It was bob novack that mentioned the 'Democtatic Underground' Please don't mention that I used to watch 'crossfire', Jon Stewart would be so agast.
Back in the day, when I didn't know better.................

[VADem11]

34. Someone linked it

from DailyKos.

[I Have A Dream]

103. Glad that you found us, VADem11!

:toast:

[indy_azcat]

35. sad, random surfing post-election last year

that and grovelbot has a telemarketing service :o

[dr.zoidberg]

36. I heard that this place was funny.

And it hasn't disappointed me yet. I came for the funny and stayed for the boxing and sports discussion. I should really stay away from the politics boards though, because some things said their tend to piss me off a lot.

[El Fuego]

37. Working on the Kerry campaign

Someone in our team kept putting the laptop on DU.

[KitchenWitch]

39. An IRC chatroom

[LSK]

54. which one???

Are there any good liberal chatrooms out there?

[KitchenWitch]

96. Unfortunately, I do not believe the chatroom exists anymore

It was a Kerry/Edwards chatroom, and after the election, many of the people there had some infighting and the channel owner passed away.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

40. My fantabulous mom.

She was here way before me.

[Dave Reynolds]

41. I linked from Buzzflash,

and I linked to Buzzflash from Peter Werbe's site.

[spacelady]

42. Genoa City News--Buzzflash--Daily Kos+Hatred of george * =DU

[ronnykmarshall]

43. I was walking on the streets in a daze .....

following the coup of 2000 when in the fog I saw a man. It was Skinner and he said "Hey, you look like you could use a drink and someone to talk to.".

So we walked to a small cocktail lounge and Skinner told the bartender "Hey, Smitty. Pour a couple of you famous martini's and give us a basket of chips."

Well the hours past like seconds. Skinner told me that we could make a difference. It wasn't gonna be easy he said. But he and his pals were gonna make a place where people like me could go.

We polished off several martini's and a couple of baskets of chips and then parted ways.

As he was heading to his car he called out to me "Remember NO SEX THREADS!!".

[I Have A Dream]

46. Ummm... OK.... Is any of this true?

:shrug:

:)

[ronnykmarshall]

48. Of course!!!

[caty]

44. I accidentally tripped over it

when searching for something else.

[Chovexani]

45. An email list that formed in the days following the Florida debacle

It was Truth to the People or something like that, I forget what it was called. Someone posted a link to the then-new DU site.

My post count may not show it, but I'm pretty old school (this is my second screen name, I forgot my old one). :)

[tallahasseedem]

49. From a link on Michael Moore's site...

Right after the election. It had to do with the post "My Name is...." where a guy expressed his outrage over the election.

[Telly Savalas]

51. I had a vision of Yoda telling me to come here.

[leftofthedial]

52. I set sail from Cadiz headed left

with nothing but a leaky wooden skiff, a compass, a bag of truck stop jerky and my imagination . . .

[LSK]

53. a DUer told me about it n/t

[Olney Blue]

55. My husband saw a blip about it in WaPo after the 2004 elections...

I was in a frenzy because the Kerry/Edwards blog had been shut down on Election Day- no way to release post-election rage and frustration- I logged on to the DU address and knew I had found my community again.

[WeRQ4U]

56. The freepers on a jeep site that I go to always bash it

I figured that since I didn't agree with about 99 percent of their views, it would be perfect for me. I was right.

The liberal mind brought me, the sense of humor in the lounge has me for good.

[Jamastiene]

57. From what I remember, I was pissed about one of the

trillions of things repugs do that pisses me off one night and online at the same time. I went to the democrats.com web site and didn't entirely feel cozy for some reason. Then I tried several other places. Believe it or not, I thought of a perfect idea and typed "Democratic+Underground" minus the quotation marks. I was just looking for any sort of place like that. Here it was. And here has felt like home since I first got here. I love this place.

[Autonomy]

60. I discover it on democrats.com

back when it started, but I didn't sign up until last week. I didn't see the point when reading every dem.com article took up all my free time. But they've been on hiatus since last fall, and the Cindy Sheehan thing brought me around to finally signing up for DU.

edit: clarification- their newsletter is on hiatus, not the website :)

[I Have A Dream]

92. Glad that you came on-board, Autonomy!

:hi:

[In_The_Wind]

61. I found DU doing a Google search ...

on an old boyfriend's name ...

yep ~ he became a DUer after we broke up ...

I guess he did have some good points ...

[hyphenate]

62. We used to post the list of Idiots on a weekly basis

on another board from DU and list our favorites. Eventually I wrote an article (a long time ago) and began to hit the boards. When my membership at some of the other boards I visit began to flag, I began hanging out here more.

[WCGreen]

63. From Bartcop

[NMMNG]

65. I was trolling around a conservative forum called ChronWatch

Somebody there posted a message where they mentioned DU so I checked it out. To be cliche, the rest is history.

[billyskank]

66. I found it down the back of the sofa

Actually, I followed a link from bushwatch.org, I think.

[SKKY]

67. A Marine Major turned me onto this site. Quite Ironic. A Marine Major!

[BlueIris]

131. Go, Marines!

:-)

[JaneGat]

68. A friend told me about DU

[I Have A Dream]

87. Glad that you found us, JaneGat!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[TheMightyFavog]

69. Fark used to link to the idiots list on a regular basis.

One reading, and I was hooked. I decided to join sometime round about the 2002 midterms, IIRC.

[Serial Mom]

70. A fellow Dem at work ...

RetroLounge

:hi:

[justacitizen]

71. A Dem former SO

[jus_the_facts]

72. Buzzflash newsletter....

:thumbsup:

[DarkmoonIkonoklast]

73. Blame it on the aliens...

... specifically, our dear AlienGirl! :)

[CornField]

76. One of the bumper stickers

While driving around, I saw a car with several progressive stickers on it. One of them was for DU. I began lurking a day or two later.

[I Have A Dream]

79. I never take the bumper sticker when I donate.

(I figured that it would save skinner et al money.) However, maybe I should rethink this given what you said.

[tanyev]

120. I didn't at first, because I don't put any bumper stickers on my car,

but then I saw a couple people here asking about bumper stickers. So now I get them and give them away.

Pssst! I have two bumper stickers available right now. If anyone wants one, PM me.

[VelmaD]

77. I saw the sign at the 2001 inauguration...

lurked from day 1. Finally got het up enough to post sometime in the late spring of 2001.

[MN ChimpH8R]

81. It must have been a Buzzflash link

probably to the Top Ten Idiots. I can't think of any other way I would have found my new home. So props to BuzzFlash!

[sakabatou]

82. bill o'reilly sucks.com

[coffeenap]

83. Proud to say I was invited by Andy Stephenson!

[TOhioLiberal]

84. Started out...

...reading the Top 10 Conservative Idiots from a link on Smudge Report. Read that for several months, Decided to click on the 'discussion forums' link, and registered right away.

That was August 2003. Been here ever since.

[spinbaby]

85. 911

On the morning of September 11, 2001 we were all at work desperately trying to listen to the radio in this all-metal, radio-proof building and trying to connect to an Internet news source that wasn't overloaded. A coworker kept coming up with the latest news. He was getting it from DU. DU is still my all-around best news source:-)

[Roon]

95. Same here

Someone was posting news in a chat room that was scooping the MSM by hours. They were getting the news from DU.

[jobycom]

86. El_Gato, Rolling Thunder, a blond woman whose name I've forgotten

I was helping put out flyers for the Rolling Thunder rally here in Austin, and I met the DUer known as El_Gato, who told me about it. I had found DU before that, and even signed up, very shortly after the stolen election, but I didn't stick the first time. El_Gato encouraged me to try again, so I did. SOme of my early posts were well received (that was a LONG time ago! :-) ) so I hung around.

El_Gato has vanished from DU and from the places I used to see him in Austin. Not sure what's happened to him. I don't know if the woman was a DUer or not.

[cssmall]

88. I was referred by a good friend and a teacher of mine.

Mikimouse actually got me to lurk on this site and kinda check out what was going on, don't exactly remember when my first post was though. Hah!

[edbermac]

89. I was surfing the net for hot chicks in bikinis...

Go figure...:silly:

[eyepaddle]

90. I followed a link from mediawhoresonline

RIP Horse. ;(

[CitrusLib]

91. My sister, PacifistPatriot, tipped me off about it.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

93. gushing wannabees at JohnKerry.com sent me over

and now I'm home.

[UrbScotty]

94. AOL message board on August 13, 2002.

I left AOL, though.

[I Have A Dream]

111. There's something sweet about you remembering the exact date.

:)

[HEyHEY]

97. Google; Typed in "Left wing discussion boards"

[bleedingheart]

98. In early 2001...about January or February my mom called me

after she had been watching CSPAN and told me that she heard about this web site.

She doesn't have a computer so she writes down the sites for me to look at....hee hee

[MadHound]

99. Had to come investigate

I had discovered Freeper land, and was trolling over their, watching the ongoing perpetual train wreck that site is, and they kept mentioning the horrible, evil DU. Well, if they loathed the place, I figured that I would fit right in.

[Mutley]

102. My dad used to post here a lot, and he told me about it.

I think he found it through bartcop. I lurked for a long time then signed up and started posting last November. I love it!

[existentialist]

104. I found DU because

Someone kept posting each week's "The Top Ten Conservative Idiots" on a chess site that I used to spend a lot of time on.

I decided that it was good enough I should check it out.

[vajraroshana]

106. Saw a DU sign at * inauguration parade in 2000

I spent a lot of time here initially. Then didn't because politics depressed and angered me too much for my own good. Eventually came back and had to re-register under a different name. I don't post much but DU is a great resource. I usually read LBN twice a day or so.

[vajraroshana]

107. oooohhh freaky, that was my 666th post

And suddenly I saw blood spurting from my scalp when I was in the bathroom.

There's two little horns growing out.

Oh no!!! Dammit, I knew you liberals were all Satan's spawn, now I'm one of you!!!

Am I going to have to start wearing a hat, or will these horns fall off in a day or so?

Seriously, someone give me some advice. It's the weekend and I need to do some grocery shopping.

[I Have A Dream]

109. I don't think that that is supposed to happen until you make it to the...

700 club! :)

Hats work; however, I find that it doesn't matter how you look if you go to the grocery store in the middle of the night. You see ALL kinds then!

[mvd]

110. Mom heard Skinner on C-Span..

and told me about the website. DU has helped me tremendously over these disastrous years! I like to contribute in GD, LBN, and GD: Politics as well as have fun in the Lounge.

[enigmatic]

112. Buzzflash

2 years ago, more or less..

[swag]

113. What's DU?

[drfresh]

114. Bartcop

Found it through the bartcopnation.com discussion boards... unfortunately I let bartcop scam me out of like $60 in the last few years but oh well, to discover DU it was worth it.

Cheers
D

[Wapsie B]

115. I was doing a search for liberal message boards

on Google and DU popped right up. :bounce:

[Dastard Stepchild]

116. Either The Smirking Chimp or Media Whores Online...

prolly more likely to be MWO...

I lurked for quite a bit before I finally got off my duff and registered.

edited for sp.

[hickman1937]

117. Bought a computer, and goggled Al Franken.

I'd just read his book, and found Eric's website. Someone there quoted and linked to the Underground. I lurked for a long time. Then tried to sign up, but my email was yahoo, so no go. I donated and sent an email begging them to let me in. A couple of months later I realized that I had always had a pay account thru comcast. Went in thru that and was allowed in, and I already had a star. Those guys apparently keep close track of these things. Probably because their the good guys.

[yellowdogintexas]

118. followed a link from either Daily Kos or Democrats.org

right after the 2004 election. Had to wait 3 weeks to register too.

[Spirochete]

119. I googled "ask me anything" and "cat pictures"

and got 137,326 hits.

Kidding. I found the link to here on Bartcop.

[I Have A Dream]

123. Yes, those two questions would definitely bring you to DU!

:D

(I really have to check out Bartcop -- several people in this thread have mentioned it, and I've never even heard of it before.)

[Crazy Guggenheim]

121. I was searching for "yaks" and "LOUD".

[trof]

122. BuzzFlash

[Pithlet]

124. My husband introduced me.

He found it when it was linked in an Eric Alterman column.

[Kipepeo]

125. I can't exactly remember

but I think it must have been Buzzflash. Definitely a link from another progressive site.

[New Earth]

126. unfortunately

i found it on blackboxvoting.org forums back after the election....not unfortunate THAT i found it, but how i found it :eyes:

[Blue_Tires]

127. from bartcop after the '02 elections

[flaminbats]

128. on a website an old pal suggested to me..

no really..God whispered this into my ear!!!

http://www.politics1.com/issues-left.htm

[etch a sketch prez]

130. Linked from Evil GOP Bastards.com

[I Have A Dream]

132. Welcome to DU, etch a sketch prez! Great username!

:)

[RFKHumphreyObama]

133. I'd been searching for a site like DU for many months

In the aftermath of the tragic, senseless and horrific events of 9/11, I'd been horrified with the turn to the right in the US and internationally and had been searching for a site promoting progressive thought. I was also consistently disgusted with the denigration of Bill Clinton by the RW and one day in early 2002 I typed something like "Bill Clinton was a good President" on Google. That linked me to a pro-Clinton site (unfortunately I lost the set of links on the computer I was using so I no longer have it) that in turn linked me to DU. And I've been here ever since

[Mobius]

134. A troop of rabid monkeys

Came through the fiber optic cable and through my modem, popped out of the screen, tied me down, and took over my computer.
Then, after days of keeping my eyes open and forced to look at the Lounge, I finally was able to gain their trust enough, so I slipped them tranquilizers in their bananas.
Taking their limp defensless bodies, outside, I hailed a taxi, and told the driver not to get them wet, or they would multiply.
I haven't seen that guy since.

[I Have A Dream]

136. And yet, you keep coming back...

:D

[Mobius]

139. so what kind of dream are you having?

:D

[dajoki]

135. from a link while...

looking for a site just like this.:woohoo:

[really annoyed]

137. Complete Accident

I was so angry about the 2000 election outcome... I was looking though the web for articles that also expressed outrage... And the search engine linked to an article here!

But to be honest, it took me a year to be upset about it.....

[DawgHouse]

138. A coworker turned me on to it

We're the only Dem's in the whole company, I think :)