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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsHow did you come to find DU? I came by way of Huff-Post in 2004. How about you?


SheltieLover
(66,730 posts)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
I'm glad you are here, too!

no_hypocrisy
(51,246 posts)Lynn used to have radio talk shows on NYC's WBAI and WABC before going satellite.
She had a great list of links on her website, including DU.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
no_hypocrisy
(51,246 posts)
debm55
(44,376 posts)hlthe2b
(109,228 posts)I logged in to that original, fairly limited site and looked for others who shared my feelings about the horrific SCOTUS decision to make him president. I continued to lurk for a few months before signing on and have been here ever since. Fellow Coloradoan Kentuck and I signed up on the same day I found out years later so I always look for his posts.
At the time there were just a handful of emerging Dem resistance posts--including Bartcop, The Smirking Chimp, Atrios, etc. Wow... a long time ago... I hope all who remember the lessons of then can propel us forward now.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
hlthe2b
(109,228 posts)

FalloutShelter
(13,275 posts)Been here ever since.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
FalloutShelter
(13,275 posts)I feel fortunate to have found this community.
AllaN01Bear
(24,823 posts)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
AllaN01Bear
(24,823 posts)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
4TheArts
(150 posts)A friend recommended Common Dreams years ago as a news source, and balanced opinions. Someone on that site mentioned Democratic Underground. Not a frequent poster, but I depend on DU as a source of sanity, along with timely and honest info.
And thanks to someone, for those hearts!
debm55
(44,376 posts)
MiHale
(11,542 posts)Will Pitt mentioned it in a reply to a comment I made on one of his articles there. I was lurking here then and eventually decided to join.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
MiHale
(11,542 posts)
Sneederbunk
(16,059 posts)Xavier Breath
(5,524 posts)He mentioned it sometime in the summer of '16. "Democratic what, now?" was likely my response.
rubbersole
(9,704 posts)LoisB
(10,178 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
LoisB
(10,178 posts)SteveMarrs
(22 posts)Different username back then. Posted rarely but read everyday. To me this is the best site.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Midnight Writer
(23,731 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
Littlered
(220 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
mwmisses4289
(913 posts)It was mentioned by someone posting there, I was curious and checked it out. Was a lurker for many years, then became a member a few years ago.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
LuvLoogie
(7,969 posts)I think I was trolling the Red State site. 2012ish. Then I decided to calm down and find kindred spirits. But there were some Jill Stein, Glen Greenwald, Matt Taibi, Julian Asange fans here too at the time. And some really vile Hillary haters. They've left several years ago.
debm55
(44,376 posts)Found us at DU. Enjoy your posts.
LeftInTX
(32,761 posts)I was trying to read the tea leaves in the GOP primary. I really didn't want Rick Perry to be the nominee! They really seemed to like him over there.
I found DU shortly around that time also because I was reading up on the primaries. I remember Jen Rubin liked Rick Perry. I sent her an email about incompetent he was.
I joined after Obama's not so good first debate. I wanted to "do something!!!". Fortunately, I found a connection to a local campaign office and started making calls to Florida.
JMCKUSICK
(1,978 posts)On progressive radio
debm55
(44,376 posts)
ms liberty
(10,152 posts)Mainly because I'm rural and on a good day back then our internet speed would be 44k. A bad day was 22k.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Niagara
(10,514 posts)I found Democratic Underground's Facebook page between two Democratic pages on Facebook. One was Occupy Democrats and I can't
remember the other page. I'm not sure if it's still an active page or not.
Back then, Facebook pages followed each other if they shared similar content and ideals. It would would also state that that the pages would be followed by so and so pages.
Then I discovered the actual forum for DU.
Also, if it had not been for Facebook, I wouldn't have discovered that a local politician in my district was running on a 2022 Democratic ticket and there was nothing Democratic about that politician. I discovered this by looking at their Facebook page.
So people can bash Facebook all they want to. If I hadn't been on Facebook I'm not sure if I would have discovered DU.
debm55
(44,376 posts)first time my page was trashed. All of our ideas and projects were trashed. Never closed it I was very mad. Have never been back to Facebook. It was a teachers page, not political. Thank you for sharing your posts with us. I am very glad you are on DU. Love your posts.
Niagara
(10,514 posts)I'm glad that you're here on DU as well, Debbie.
Ruby Zee
(198 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
Bernardo de La Paz
(54,808 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
yorkster
(2,963 posts)Found it scrolling around at the local library. I may have seen it mentioned on Daily Kos or Firedog Lake. I lurked for years. Joined about 2 years ago.
It was Bush 2 and the Iraq war that drove me here. Glad I found it.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Alliepoo
(2,686 posts)Something from DU. I thought it sounded interesting so I went searching for that Democratic Underground, found it and lurked for a while then I joined. I’m SO glad I did. I don’t know what I’d do without my DU family!
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Comrade Citizen
(338 posts)DU kept showing up in searches for bush v Gore, war, recession, Obama, Clinton.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
greatauntoftriplets
(177,521 posts)One of the hits was the Top 10 Conservative Idiots. I lurked until fall of that year, mostly because I didn't have a home computer then. Then I joined and bought my first computer. Been here ever since.
The triplets in my username were babies then. Now they're 24 and all three college graduates starting their careers. It's an interesting way to measure time.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
greatauntoftriplets
(177,521 posts)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
kacekwl
(8,217 posts)around the Obama campaign.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Wicked Blue
(7,884 posts)I originally joined under a different screen name about a year after DU was launched. Possibly 2002.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
SWBTATTReg
(25,182 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
SWBTATTReg
(25,182 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
rurallib
(63,634 posts)fell in love with it at first look.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
catbyte
(36,780 posts)It was around 23 years ago so it's a little hazy.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
catbyte
(36,780 posts)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
GP6971
(34,567 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
Stargleamer
(2,384 posts)one day hopefully I'll have a shot of tequila in honor of him.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Stargleamer
(2,384 posts)
Diamond_Dog
(36,653 posts)Back in the days when most newspapers allowed comments.
He said to me, Wow, did you get all your talking points from Democratic Underground?
I thought, what is Democratic Underground? I had never heard of it before. So I searched for it, and, as they say, the rest is history!
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Diamond_Dog
(36,653 posts)We are almost neighbors!
UpInArms
(52,627 posts)I can’t remember which one
LiberalSlant
MediaWhoresOnline
Bartcop
I miss all of those sites …
Am so glad that DU has endured
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Cloudhopper
(22 posts)I was just searching for news/information on the protests and DU came up in the search. I think I've been here just about every day since. I joined 11/1/2024 cuz I didn't want to be blacked out during the election, and I knew I needed DU's opinions and research to help get me thru it. And you did. Thanks!
debm55
(44,376 posts)
some_of_us_are_sane
(1,153 posts)An email from a friend who shared links after Trump won in 2020. I fell in love with the place. I grabbed on like a liferaft .
debm55
(44,376 posts)
WestMichRad
(2,248 posts)… back during Shrub’s first term. I was a lurker for a loooooong time!
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Mad_Dem_X
(9,904 posts)I don't remember how I discovered BartCop, but he started me on the road to be a proud and active Dem.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Dorothy V
(311 posts)Somebody over on NationalZero mentioned DU. Being a curious sort, I looked DU up and am so glad I did!
debm55
(44,376 posts)
samplegirl
(12,908 posts)Bartcop or one them promoted D.U.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
louis-t
(24,263 posts)Saw a weekly version someplace and clicked on it. Must have been 2003 or 4.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
LudwigPastorius
(12,243 posts)That was some time in 2001/2002, I think. (I had a different username back then.)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
LogDog75
(401 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
Laffy Kat
(16,625 posts)There used to be a KO forum. Gosh, it feels like such a long time ago. The KO forum is no more but DU keeps me sane, informed and entertained. So glad I discovered it.
debm55
(44,376 posts)station in Pittsburgh.
Eugene
(64,500 posts)Didn't sign up until the 2004 election.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Basso8vb
(863 posts)Finally created an account in 2016 due to all the bots and trolls flooding the place.
Only started posting last year mainly because most of my sentiments are expressed so much better by many folks here.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
CareyOn
(62 posts)I was so upset watching the nightly bombings and a coworker told me about DU.
Yea, it has been many years that I have lurked and learned from the fine people here.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
proud patriot
(101,834 posts)I was anti computer at that time . My husband was an earlier gamer so we had a
PC at home . While he was at work a couple months after Bush's inaugural I turned
a computer on for the first time in my life .
I typed I hate Bush into a search engine and was directed to Hated.Com . it listed all websites
that were opposed to Bush. I scrolled a bit and recognized The Democratic Underground clicked
and found like minded people .
I became very passionate very quickly . I volunteered as Moderator a few months after that.
My first day as a moderator I had learn how to copy and paste
I spent most of the next 10 years serving this community as Moderator.
debm55
(44,376 posts)being a Moderator.
proud patriot
(101,834 posts)
Americanme
(198 posts)It was during the first GWB term. I started reading DU every day before work, and about 20 years later, I finally joined.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
moniss
(7,086 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
moniss
(7,086 posts)of turmoil. You deserve all those hearts.
NNadir
(35,621 posts)...I suspect it was from a website called "smirking chimp" where the argument at the time centered largely around whether Ralph Nader was an asshole or not. I was an advocate for "he's an asshole."
There was a moderator there called "board nanny," who I assumed was actually the web page owner sock puppet, who sometimes, eventually often, would delete posts for specious reasons, like a lack of specificity in the post title.
Someone probably linked DU and I came over and never looked back.
I did post for a while at DailyKos, somewhat prolifically for a while, but the owner banned me for telling the truth. Unlike DU, Daily Kos is an autocracy. I returned all my commentary to DU where, when I'm obnoxious - and sometimes I am - I'm judged by a jury of my peers.
I'm concerned that DU may be suppressed by the fascist thought police led by his Maggotcy King Elon the first ( and hopefully last.)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
applegrove
(125,748 posts)DU. I was tired of wiping the floor with obnoxious GOPers and their bs and wanted a place without Republicans. So in early 2005 I logged onto the DU.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
mike_c
(36,526 posts)I can't remember which, anymore. RIP the brain cells that once held that information.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
From The Ashes
(2,718 posts)which website reposted the 'Top 10 conservative idiots' but it lead me here. I like the atmosphere here. I went away for a few years but I came back...
debm55
(44,376 posts)
yellowdogintexas
(23,194 posts)Huffington Post and Burnt Orange Report (a Texas rooted group))
I decided DU was my best place
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Eko
(9,098 posts)Of course once I found DU I steadily moved here.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
tblue37
(66,422 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
The Wizard
(13,138 posts)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Mike Nelson
(10,543 posts)... my friend Katie - posted here as K8-EEE. She passed over 10 years ago. I still miss her very much...
debm55
(44,376 posts)
boonecreek
(855 posts)believe it or not was working in the defense industry (now retired).
That was back in the days of The Top Ten Conservative Idiots.
I lurked here until Nov. 5th and finally decided to join. Much more
fun being a member.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Doc_Technical
(3,658 posts)Also mentioned on Suck.com
This was during the ENRON scandal.
I lurked here for a couple of years then joined.
P.S Thank You for the heart!
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Response to debm55 (Original post)
Doc_Technical This message was self-deleted by its author.
rickford66
(5,828 posts)I've been here every day since then. No original content, just people sharing knowledge in one form or another.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Clouds Passing
(4,430 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
Clouds Passing
(4,430 posts)Sherry70-retired
(4 posts)
debm55
(44,376 posts)
BOSSHOG
(42,121 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
liberaltrucker
(9,154 posts)Sam Seder and Janine Garofalo.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Bristlecone
(10,687 posts)I’d had enough and stumbled across it.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Lochloosa
(16,514 posts)I honestly don't remember, but for some reason that sounds right. Also, around the same time.
It's hell to get old.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
mommymarine2003
(320 posts)It appears I joined DU in 2012, but I am sure I was reading people's comments before that. My son was in Iraq, and I needed a place of refuge from all my worries about my son, and my anger towards George W. Bush.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
BBbats
(192 posts)Been following since then.
Just recently became a small amount supporting member.
I'll continue as long as my Social Security holds out😉.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
badhair77
(4,832 posts)Keith Olbermann. In googling his name DU showed up and I was hooked. I lost my first screen name and password so I lurked for awhile but finally started over as badhair. I’ll never do that again because I was devastated when DU went down after the 2016 election. Hopefully we’re now protected against the slimeballs that caused that outage.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
LSparkle
(12,007 posts)Definitely during the first term of W.
On edit: Checked my profile and joined in 2003 but definitely lurked for a while before then. Air America might have carried Hartmann because I bought an AM radio when they began broadcasting and I was a 12-hour daily listener.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
MustLoveBeagles
(13,170 posts)Lurked til December 2017.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
KitFox
(289 posts)and read here for 15 or so years before finally officially joining a few months ago. I remember election night in 2016 and I couldn’t sleep. I kept getting up to see if the site had gotten back on line because I needed to read posts from people who I knew felt just as I did. I love ya, DUers!!!!! 😊🩷
debm55
(44,376 posts)
electric_blue68
(20,958 posts)Last edited Thu Feb 13, 2025, 06:32 AM - Edit history (1)
This was in the first few months of W's term.
I was putting in "Democratic" ?something, and amongst the results was DU. Looked intriguing. And without a computer at home, and our libraries mostly closed by 7p - 9p; I, a late nighter I had a whole bunch of other non-political things I wanted to look at that night.
So... I forgot about it.
Fast foward to ?21, or so. I was on a Music site I frequent(ed) that had a Politics sub forum. They were not paying attention enough imho to a particular political anniversary. This annoyed me.
So I went to google up Democrats related sites; though not the official Dem Party.
Out of the blue "Democratic Underground" popped up from my memory. Nearly 20 yrs later! Amazing!
I was like... "Oh, suuuure. Like that's going to still be around.". 🙄
But surprise!: there you were/are!
So I popped in, and never left. Lurked for a bit (a few days, ?or more) before I first (or was able to) post(ed). Soooo glad I remembered DU!
debm55
(44,376 posts)
electric_blue68
(20,958 posts)pansypoo53219
(22,117 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
Rastapopoulos
(699 posts)I even remember when he started his 'Bartcop' persona back on Prodigy during the 1992 election. When I got online during the Bush years, I was glad to see him there to help us get through those dark times and would slip him a few bucks occasionally.
As you can see I don't post much, but should have more time now that I retired two weeks ago.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Norrrm
(1,255 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
GeorgiaBoomerGirl
(8 posts)But I know it was January 2001. I think I accidentally found a link somewhere to Top Ten Conservative Idiots. The DU community was such a comfort after the trauma of W’s selection, and I have come here almost daily for news and commentary. Lurked for literally decades and finally joined. I never felt much need to post, but I am proud to be a member.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
Beausoleil
(2,982 posts)Coming up on my 23rd anniversary.
Never really post much but i always get my news here first.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
doc03
(37,729 posts)debm55
(44,376 posts)
OAITW r.2.0
(30,016 posts)Seemed like BC was including at least 1 reference to a DU post every addition that he published. Signed on originally as Old and In the Way. Took a hiatus after the the 2016 election, forgot my password and returned under my present moniker.
I absolutely love how this board is structured. Pretty much the only place I spend time these days on the innertubes.
debm55
(44,376 posts)
mede8er
(262 posts)Not much of a poster but a regular lurker for 20 some years now....
debm55
(44,376 posts)