Welcome, New Users, to Daily Kos, from your host catilinus (just call me cat). This Diary is intended to help you orient yourself to the site and ask questions about how to use it.
Below the orange gnocchi-doodle you will find links intended to get you participating more effectively. Also in this edition [insert topic here]
After that you can ask me any questions about the site you want. If I don't know the answers someone smarter is bound to be along who does, or I'll go find the answers and bring 'em to ya.
Before we begin, a brief word from our sponsor:
Everyone is encouraged to review some of the previously written goodness that survives here in the DKos archives, going back to WNU founder ek hornbeck and including the list of teaching diaries republished to our Group page.
Wanna follow us around or send us a kosmail?
Click the ♥ to follow us in your Stream, or click Send Message to send us a private kosmail. Please note you must be a registered user for one week before you can send kosmail.
[This diary is addressed to you
New Users - it is not aimed at
longtime users, trolls, zombies, spammers or sockpuppets. Longtime users mostly know this stuff already, but hopefully they'll still chime in with helpful or supportive comments in the threads below.]
Congratulations, you made it this far. That means you already know how to open diaries. Most of you New Users have already posted a comment or two. In this diary (and in future ones) we'll tell you about some things it may seem you're not supposed to know about the site as a hapless New User.
Mind you, these are secrets of DKOS. As part of a devious plan, we've hidden certain areas of the site from common view. Even more deviously, we've put links to them right on the front page (out in the open) where no one will ever see them (especially long-time users) as they rush to the recommended list. I know that that's true because I unfortunately spent much of my five years here hardly ever seeing them. In upcoming diaries we'll reveal more of these Kos secrets for you.
The BIGGEST Kos secret
First Kos secret you should know is that
you're welcome here. That shouldn't be a secret, but too often it is. Despite whatever stumbles you encounter learning to post comments, diaries and replies,
you are welcome here. Don't give up! Hang tough, reach out (see below how to), and help will be on the way. Like anything else in life, the first time often seems impossible...until the first time you're able to do it...and from then forward it is impossibly easy.
We have a lot of "tough" individuals and groups/gangs here on Dailykos, but the biggest, toughest and meanest of the meanies (with a soft heart, lol) is the Welcome New User group/gang. And we've got your back. Whatever that posting problem you have is, whether it is trying to reply to comments too old or even trying to see your old comments, we can take it on and solve it in a second. So reach out to us if you have a problem...just as we're reaching out to you.
How the hell do I reach out to you Dailykos, you giant incomprehensible Leviathon?
This is the easy part. First, make certain you're logged in. Then send any of us in the
Welcome New Users group (or
Partners & Mentors) a "MESSAGE" (we call it a Kosmail).
What is a Kosmail and how do I send it?
The MESSAGES link is on this page (and every page) in your own box. Near the top right hand corner of this page there is a box that says at the top, "WELCOME BACK (& then your name). I'm catilinus, and so mine says, "WELCOME BACK catilinus." Click on the orange link that says, "MESSAGES." That's the link that I've circled in blue in the image below. Hey, now you're on your message page and can see if you have any new messages (again, we call them kosmails around here).
My message page below shows three old messages (two from navajo and one from smileycreek). If those messages were new ones I hadn't seen before they'd have "New Message" next to them. If you have a new message you can just click on it and then hit "reply" to send an answer or question to the sender. To send a message with a question to any of us in the
Welcome New Users group just click on the "NEW MESSAGE" link that is circled blue in the photo below.
Now that you've clicked on "NEW MESSAGE" the image below will appear. In the box (circled with blue in the image) titled: "TO:" type in the exact name of the user you want to send a message or question to. For example, if you're sending me a message or question you'd type in "catilinus." Don't just type in "cat." If you're sending smileycreek a message or question you'd type in "smileycreek." If you type in "smiley creek" with a extra space between both names it will go nowhere.
In the "SUBJECT" box you can write in any short title you want. Hit "SEND" when you are ready.
Heh, wasn't that easy?
So now New User you can scuttle your pride and send us a message requesting help anytime you need it. We're humans (mostly) and so it may take us a few hours (or even days) to answer...but we will sooner or later. Try hitting us up (as a number of you already have) before trying the overworked help desk (more about that in the next diary).
Okay New User, I'm waiting for my kosmail from you...send me one before you get frustrated.
What new users have you met or helped in the past month?
Share them with us in the comments!
Please also check out the buddy system over at the New Diarists group. While WNU and New Diarists do quite a bit of cross-pollinating, there is one essential difference between us: Over at New Diarists you can request a mentor who will help you learn how to write and publish a diary that won't get you publicly consigned to Worst Diary Hell at the GOS (Great Orange Satan, as we are affectionately known among wingnuts). Just send them a kosmail asking for an invite! Also check out their Resource Diaries. Note: The New Diarists groups also welcomes experienced diarists who would like to be mentors.
Got questions? Comments? Ideas? We're all ears-- just join us in the comments. And remember: Since this diary is for New Users no question is too basic, no matter how long you've been here!