Hi everyone, many of you don’t know me but I’ve been a regular here from the beginning–first as a lurker and now as a proud member of the BMT Welcome Mat Society. 🙂
I wanted to take the time to discuss the way this site has developed over the past three months since it went live. Many of you have joined over the past few days via links from DailyKos, and to you all I say ‘Welcome’. The welcome mat is also extended to anyone who just happened to stumble into the Frog Pond on their own.
The BooMan Tribune, while a spin-off of DailyKos, is not the same site. Sure the design is similar, there are a lot of crossposts and familiar faces, but a distinct difference in style can be found here.
Follow me below the fold for the Golden Rule of BooMan Tribune…
From the BooMan himself on March 22nd:
Post Script: Today I have had to try to arbitrate my first dispute here at BooTrib and it wasn’t a process I particularly enjoyed. But it comes with the job.
And I just want to disseminate a new rule based on my semi-collected thoughts:Not everyone is as smart as you. Not everyone one is as well informed as you. Not everyone writes as well as you.
And I don’t care how dumb, ignorant, and illiterate you are, there is someone, somewhere who is more so.
So, when it comes to having disagreements and debates and discussions…this is the rule:
Don’t be a prick.
Don’t act in a way that would get you punched in the face or thrown out of a dinner party. Don’t treat other people with disrespect even if you think they are stupid and ill-informed.
Don’t mock someone because they have trouble expressing themselves.
Don’t be a prick.
That’s the rule.
You can believe it or not, but this rule has worked to a huge extent here. I realize that we got a big influx of new members recently, but I believe we can still commit to civility and respect towards one another and continue this site trademark.
On another note (this may also change with more members), the pace here is much, much slower than DailyKos. And that’s okay. I have found it quite rewarding to be able to chew on a diary for longer than a day <gasp> and then possibly write something in response, or not. I am constantly humbled by the level of talent, insight and level-headedness found here. This observation extends to all the new virtual faces I’ve seen, thank you for being an active participant.
To wrap it up, I went from being a lurker to a researcher on the topics that I feel passionate about because of the BooMan Tribune. There is a lot of hope to be found here but we are going to be walking a tight-rope over the coming days, trying to feel our way through a growth spurt.
All I can say is: Let’s be patient. This includes me.
In the coming days and weeks expect to see a new user guide and updated FAQ’s, as well as top-notch diaries (hopefully from you). The way I see it, as long as this place continues to be a venue for hope through political activism, then I’m happy to keep swimming around in the Frog Pond.
Peace, Pax, Pace, Pacem y Paz.
