If it's January 20th, it can only mean one thing
That's right -- it's DU's birthday.
Democratic Underground opened its doors on January 20th, 2001, just a few hours before the inauguration of George W. Bush. Over the past 24 years we have witnessed the dawn of the blogosphere, the rise and fall of left-wing talk radio, the birth of YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter -- leading to whatever the hell the social media landscape is these days -- and now our sixth presidency (if you count the few hours that Bill Clinton was still in office when DU opened to the public). I was 26 years old when DU launched -- this year I turn 51.
Through it all, DU has changed dramatically, and yet in some ways -- perhaps the most important ways -- it has not changed at all. Our goal when creating DU was to provide an online space for people from the center to the left to discuss politics, without interruption by right-wing conservative trolls, and to have those discussions in as civil a manner as possible. Whether or not we are achieving those goals has been an ongoing matter of debate for the past quarter-century, but when I look around at what has become of the rest of the Internet these days, I'm proud that we at least continue to try.
Sadly, today's anniversary falls on a dark day in American history. We have no idea where Donald Trump is going to drag the nation over the next four years, but we all know deep in our bones that it's not going to be anywhere good. Nevertheless, I saw an aphorism posted on DU recently which summed up my feelings about the current situation quite succinctly:
When you're going through hell, keep going.
What's interesting about this aphorism is that like so many things on the Internet these days, it is often falsely attributed. Many people believe it is a Churchill quote, but there's no evidence that he actually said it. Nevertheless, the essence of the aphorism seems to me to be perfectly aligned with the situation we find ourselves in.
And so, my fellow DUers, I do intend to keep going, and I hope the rest of you will join me. Tomorrow we plan to open two new top-level forums which we hope will allow people to better cope with whatever is coming. These are supplementary forums -- we are not closing any of our current forums. They are top level forums so they will be managed by the Forum Hosts.
One of these new forums is intended to provide a space for ongoing discussion of what Democrats should be doing over the next two to four years to retake power. Most likely, this forum will eventually transition into the next Democratic Primaries forum, when we feel that the time is right to do that.
As for the other new forum -- it is my belief that there is a significant difference between what Trump says he's going to do, and what he actually does. The mainstream media treats these as equally important, which Trump uses to his advantage, stressing us out and baffling us with bullshit. We burn up so much outrage on the nonsense that comes out of Trump's mouth, that it can feel like we don't have much energy left to get angry about his actions. It's certainly worth talking about the things Trump is saying, but they do not necessarily need to be confused with the things that he's doing. So this new forum is intended to provide a dumping ground for the BS that Trump spouts on a daily basis, leaving more space in General Discussion and elsewhere for people to discuss the ramifications of his administration's real policies and real actions.
The idea behind separating out these discussions is to provide people with the ability to take a break from them whenever they feel the need, by trashing the forums when things get to be too much. Like every single idea we've ever come up with, I can't promise that this will be a perfect solution. This is a big community, and some nuance and understanding will be required, especially in the beginning as people get a feel for what should be posted where. I expect that as time goes by, people will gain a natural understanding of how it works. If there is some overspill between forums, that's fine. And if it turns out to be a failure, we'll reverse course. As usual, we'll all muddle through together.
These are the new Statements of Purpose for the forums which will be coming tomorrow:
Discuss the late-night social media rants, unrealistic policy proposals, and ridiculous trial balloons floated by Donald Trump and other Trump-adjacent figures. This forum is intended to separate the nonsense that Donald Trump and his MAGA cohorts spew on a daily basis from real Trump Administration policies and actions. For example, if Donald Trump uses Truth Social to randomly suggest an invasion of Mars, it would be appropriate for this forum. Whereas if Donald Trump orders the Joint Chiefs of Staff to actually draw up plans for an invasion of Mars, it would be appropriate for General Discussion or Latest Breaking News.
Discuss the future of the Democratic Party and the left, strategies to rebuild the party's influence and reach, and tactics to retake political power from the right. REMINDER: Forum Hosts are only responsible for locking off-topic discussions in this forum, they are not responsible for locking discussions which may violate the DU rules. Please be aware that while the rules prohibit "bashing" of Democratic public figures, the rules also allow for constructive criticism. Between those two positions lies a large grey area, and if you want to avoid getting posts removed by Jury in this forum, remember that not everyone on DU may have the same appreciation or dislike for the same politicians that you do. If you treat your fellow DU members with respect and try to post in a civil manner, you will rarely have any problems. Posting derogatory nicknames for center-to-left politicians, groups of DU members, or individual DU members, will increase your chances of getting a post removed.
It's been an honor and a privilege to manage this community for the past 24 years, and whatever happens next, I'm glad to be facing it with all of you. Thanks for reading.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Happy Birthday!!!! 
Thanks for everything, EarlG, Elad, and Skinner.
Happy Birthday, friends and a big thank you to EarlG and Elad.
And we in those days thought W was as bad as a president could get... Hold my beer and watch this, says Trump. Nevertheless, we persisted and resisted and we'll keep doing just that.
I appreciate everything you just said and agree with most of it.
the only problem I see for me at least will be the new Forum "The Way Forward" I will not be able to post or read that Forum because as you have stated before the jury system is subjective. "Please be aware that while the rules prohibit "bashing" of Democratic public figures, the rules also allow for constructive criticism."
I have witness first hand that not only was there bashing of a Democratic figure, it was done gleefully & the jury system more than not let it stand. This I have a problem with because that means that's the thinking of the majority of DU members. I'm not down with that. So I will have to stay out of the new Forum because I'll be the first to admit it when someone that is attacked to no end I tend to come out fighting like a junk yard dog which will get me banned quickly. The only post I have had hidden which is still hidden has to do with the Democratic official I have been talking about. All I did was answer the question the poster asked. Boom Hidden. No I did not appeal because that would have just pissed me off even more.
I don't get me wrong I still love DU & the DU Administrators & have done my share of contributions & serving on MIRT since 2011 for many terms. I just wanted to try to covey my feelings about the Forum "The Way Forward".
I'll end with this, something I said a couple of days ago I said something to this effect: may we all hold hands together as we jump into the abyss on 01/20/2025.
Excerpt from the story about the donkey who fell in a deep well ...
Life is going to throw dirt your way and attempt to bury you. However, no one ever gets out of life's wells by giving up! Shake the dirt off and take a step up!
https://wisdomshare.com/stories/farmers-donkey/
Will there be cake?
Thank you EarlG and Elad (and DU emeritus Skinner)! Thank you for this wonderful place!
I'd certainly be in a padded cell somewhere. 
Found DU in 2010, joined in 2012.. best investment I've ever made.
Happy Birthday D.U.!
Thank you Earl for your and Skinner's good works.
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication, EarlG and Elad.
What a long strange trip it's been
We even get to bounce on the sofa! 
The people united will never be defeated!
So very grateful for you and this "place" and the family I've found here.
DU has been do much for me through the yrs... I cannot express my gratitude enough.
We keep going...till the lights go out....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Democratic Underground!
Gracias!
DU!
And Manalo!
As Rachel Maddow always says:
Last edited Mon Jan 20, 2025, 05:13 PM - Edit history (1)
I'm so glad you are who you are and did what you did, so that we the people have a safe, civil place to sort things out, support each other, and so much more of intangible value.
Happy Birthday to DU, and may you and DU have at least 51 more birthdays!
You have made my life tolerable, and I thank you!
We are Democrats!!!
I am new to this forum, by most standards. I am constantly impressed by how elegant and creative the tools are on DU. Thank you EarlG for making this happen, and putting in the work to keep it going.
The times have found me. I started lurking in 2024, and by election day it was clear it was time for me to be a member. DU provided me like minds, intellectual brilliance, and a place to vent when I needed it most. I am honored to be in the presence of so many politically rigorous folks. Community is a power we need right now.
I joined on Jan. 20th, 2005, though I'd been reading for quite some time for before that. Obviously, by my post count over 20 years, I don't post a whole lot. But I read daily, learn so much and share that knowledge with family and friends that don't have cell phones or computers, and it does make a difference.
Thank you for this site that has kept me and some close to me sane for all of these years.
