SO, someone just went and made you a Trusted User-- whatcha gonna do about it?
As it turns out, there's more to being a TU than there used to be. You're going to like your new powers! And while we can't reveal the secret mojo formula that just made you a Trusted User (because we don't know what it is), we can show you how to make the most of it.
Your editor today is smileycreek, and along with my co-editor LaughingPlanet I am happy to welcome you to our ongoing Welcome New Users series.
Feel free to use this diary to ask any other questions. If I don't know the answers I'll go find 'em and bring 'em to ya! (wink wink)
Everyone is encouraged to review some of the previously written goodness that survives here in the DKos archives.
* Other diaries in the Welcome New Users Series
* The Welcome New Users dKosopedia page.
Recently a whole bunch of you with 3 or more bars of mojo (as shown on your profile page) were upgraded to Trusted User status.
So many, in fact, that there hasn't been time to initiate each and every one of you with the Secret Handshake, so memorize it now!
How can you tell you're now a Trusted User?
Three new things will appear on your page:
1) An ability to read Hidden Comments as shown on the right:
2) the ability to Hide comments as shown below after every comment.
Note: It is not the purpose of this diary to dwell on the site's bottom-dwellers: read the FAQ on Dealing With Trolls if you want to know when to Hide a comment.
#3) and a TU button on your Profile page.
But Wait-- There's More!
So what? I can hear you saying.
Who wants to read what a bunch of trolls are saying?
In the new world of DK4, Trusted Users now have a new and positive power: The ability to put a diary on the front page. In fact, without at least one Recommend from a Trusted User a new diary may never get noticed at all.
You can make the difference, though!
Here's how it works:
Click on the Diaries box at the top of your page to see all the new diaries as they hit Daily Kos.
As you can see, this recently published diary by jpmassar shown below has not been recommended yet because there is no number underneath the Recommend star. It has one comment which is the author's automatic tip jar. The circle with the plus sign inside it is the Hotlist button, which is also blank.
As soon as a Trusted User recommends this diary by clicking on the star next to the diary title, this diary will then appear in the Recently Recommended list as below:
Note: It may take up to five minutes for the diary you recommended to appear in the Recent Rec list, so be patient. This diary picked up 3 more Recommends by the time it cycled to the Recent Rec list.
Help a Good Diarist Out!
If you're a TU, check out the Diaries list from time to time-- you might just be the person to find an overlooked gem.
If you're a new diarist trying to get some traction, know that you need at least one TU to Recommend your diary. If you have a TU friend, just send them the link and ask. If you don't have any friends, pimp your diary in Open Thread...if it's not trollish or offensive, there's a TU out there who'll be glad to lend you a Rec.
Two More Good Deeds TU's Can Do:
TU's can Update tags in a diary, including adding the Recommended tag.
TU's can also Start a Group on DailyKos.