Welcome, New Users, to Daily Kos. This Diary is intended to help you orient yourself to the site and ask questions about how to use it.
In the Body of this diary you will find some links intended to get you participating more effectively. Also in the Body this week is a discussion of mojo.
After that you can ask me any question you want. I don't know all the answers so if you stump me, you do. I invite those wiser than I to contribute and correct (or raise a ruckus, just don't scare people).
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.
* Other diaries in the Welcome New Users Series.
* The Welcome New Users dKosopedia page.
And finally, as DarkSyde eloquently stated:
With the exception of trolls, we're glad you're here!
Note:
The realm of Welcome New Users has evolved. For now, it will be hosted alternately by smileycreek and myself, LaughingPlanet. We hope that any attempt to revive this effort is appreciated by those who got the ball rolling, and especially the person who wrote literally dozens of such entries over the years.
Let the smack talking begin!
Did you know there is now a running list of who wastes spends the most time on Daily Kos? It's true! Go to this link
http://www.dailykos.com/...
And then click the "Highest mojo" tab. Then you can see once and for all if you are better than that person you can't stand. You will have definitive proof.
Then, next time you see them, you merely have to say, "Look, loser, I have more mojo than you, so what you say is irrelevant."
I keed.
In fact, I have no idea how accurate our new mojometer really is. The tab nearby the mojo tab called "Most Frequent Authors This Month" is clearly broken, as there are at least 2 MIA Kossacks who make the list. Talk about feeling snubbed- I'm even outranked by a ghost author.
Until we get word that some of the army of bugs have been squashed here, you may or may not want to take pride in your ranking amongst the various tabs listed on the people page. If nothing else, take solace in the fact that despite the fact that some of the people with more followers than you are actually already banned from DKos or in some cases, dead. That means you are likely to add more followers based upon your future contributions here than they are.
Or so we can at least hope.
Suggestion of the Month
Follow tags!
Lots of them!
You already know which issues are important to you, right?
Why wouldn't you try and read as many diaries on those topics as you can?
What's that? You already know everything about that topic?
Wow.
Well...then I guess you should read what others say so you can comment in their diaries about how wrong they are.
Why try to drink from the firehose of random information that is the recent diary list 100% of the time? That is like using Twitter, but you follow every single user and hashtag they have. Good luck getting accurate, important info that way.
If you aren't following AT LEAST a dozen tags already, stop what you are doing and go right now to the tags page. Search for a few seconds and click a few little ♥s next to the words that appeal to your greater sensibilities.
Who the hell cares which author writes the next great diary? Do you believe in personalities before principles? That is all assbackwards. On a liberal blog, we should respect diversity at least as much as authority. Letting the man tell you what to think is how life works for viewers of Fox News.
I like to read good diaries by people I don't know. If your stream is dominated by the people you like, and not the issues that are important to you, then I suggest you may be doing this all wrong.
Maybe you are cranky, or just hate change of any kind, or both. Fine.
I like to believe that even cranky old dogs can learn how to do things better, given enough Pavlovian training. But if you insist on riding around on your square wheels, I wish you all the best of luck.
Random Factoid of the Month
Did you know we have both a Nuclear Free DK group and Nuclear dkos group here at DK4?
It might be a while before these things get sorted out. Until then, talk amongst yourselves....
Follow this group for your stream. Bookmark the group page for regular viewing.
Become a "follower" by clicking the little ♥ thingy under the GROUP name (not next to the tag) Welcome New Users until it has a little check mark emblazoned on it like so ↑
Following the tag is also recommended, but you will find that smileycreek & I have begun adding items to the queue that do not have the WNU tag added. You will see new diaries that feature useful teaching about the new site every day or 3, if all goes well.