I appreciate your taking the trouble to compile a list of topics. This will be a good beginning for discussion.

I'm still at the top of your diary, because I had to jump down here and say something about your first heading. IMO, it's too early to write a Mission Statement, even if it's just there as a suggestion. My reason(s)? There are around 1000 members here now, with about 800 of them brand new. The discussion I saw today (good discussion, in only 1 thread) involved only about 20-30 people (that I saw). Even if more have voiced opinions in other diaries (which I expect is the case), have those opinions been collected and discussed?

A lot of new members aren't even fully engaged here yet (that I have seen); many are still disoriented and distressed from their recent transition (or dual membership). Many are fully engaged in Primary work and literally cannot afford the kind of thought, discussion, and time investment the process will take.

I think we need time to bring up ideas and discuss them in order to move toward a 'sense of the (new) group. I'd like to first hear more from the c99 'originals' -- the around 215 people who were here before March 4 -- and especially from the founders, to learn about their original intentions and how they developed their 'ways and means', and what *they'd* like to see this community develop into.

And note I said 'what they'd like to see what the *community*, not the site, develop into. Fromwhat I know of the founders and their earliest discussions, they were much more concerned about what kind a *community* they would form, with 'the site' being conceived more as a vessel for the community (as I recall and I may be mistaken. Which is why I think we need their input as the basis of any discussion of future planning. They are, after all the 'original settlers'.)

So imo, I would much prefer to see 'Mission Statement (to be determined)' at the top of any list, to allow the 'originals' and the 'immigrants' -- and the issues themselves -- plenty of time to think and discuss.

My 2 cents. (for those who remember: Don't you miss the cent-mark key?)

CW

of the things you mentioned in gjohnsit's thread earlier today. It troubled me then that you items were all already-in-use Latinate phrases that are by now hollowed out, like buzzwords. (My mention of 'Latinate' is from (iirc) Orwell and from Robert Graves. In essence, they warn writers to eschew worn-out Latinate phrases and find good, plain anglo-saxon words to re-phrase them with, if the concepts behind the words are to stay alive. Another way to say the same thing would be, 'If you want to keep it real, you have to use real people's words.')

It's easy (already!) to see that you and I have differing styles and approaches. Maybe it would be good to point our how our styles differ. For example, and item in your #2 list is:

progressive politics: politicians, support systems, foreign affairs, and military

Where I would begin at a different point, as in:

Progressive Politics: What do we mean by 'Progressive'? What do you think are the fundamental values that you think 'Progressive' should come to represent? Are there examples from previous periods in history that you find significant and engaging in regard to the development of 'Progressive' values (such as Labor, the Populist Farmers movement, others). If you were asked to draw up a Bill of Rights based on 'Progressive' values, what would you write (that is, What do you think all people deserve as their basic inherent rights?). As we develop our sense f 'Progressive Values', what political policies and stances do you think should grow out of them? What political methods and practices? If we 'Progressives' (at this site and elsewhere) are going to begin requesting and expecting our politicians (that is, the politicians we have, not the politicians we wish we had), and if we are going to express those expectation as a unified group of 'Progressives' (not as a myriad of single-issue or single-identity 'interest groups' ) -- if the widest possible 'we', bridging as many divisions as possible, is to come into being as a 'Progressive Party' with enough power to generate political change -- what would you include in the movement to build that? What would you exclude?

So you see, you & I differ in our approaches. The next guy might come along and say, 'I disagree with you both. I think we need to approach it this way' then the next guy may say, 'I think each of you is right in ways and wrong in ways. But I'm beginning to see a synthesis that could develop into . . ..'

In gjohnsit's diary today, while you were making lists I was collecting bits of other people's expression (in ordinary, everday language) of what they wanted, like:

So this place needs to be more than just an "I hate GOS" blog.
It needs to have its own identity.
This site IMHO needs to expand the Overton Window, and challenge assumptions.

I want reality based discussions and enjoy facts. We need to keep fighting and understand the reasons why. I do not want to be dead-enders. To me this community is thinking about and fighting for our future!

Content and well reasoned essays that promote cutting edge ideas from the left viewpoint is exactly what I want to see too. . . . Every one of us early members felt very strongly about that. Instead, the basic principle behind this site has been about issues and policy.

the movement Bernie has coalesced needs to go forward, with or without him. IMHO the movement and the message is more important than the man. That's what c99p should be focusing on. [bold added]

I guess what I mostly look for is a place where progressive ideas can be realistically and truthfully discussed, warts and all, without the acrimony; where people can give their honest opinions without being demonized as traitors to some group - Dems, liberals, feminists, whatever. Whether that's achievable - who knows? But it would be a nice goal.

To be frank, your lists above seem to me and examples of 'premature closure'. To answer the Big Questions of 'What do we want this community to become', 'What do we want this site to become', and 'What kind of values to we want ths 'Progressive' site to represent, and what kind of 'Progressive' policies do we want our government to adopt?' will take a good bit of time, and will requires that we build an environment where people feel free to express their thoughts and feelings, free of rancor or the expectation of rancor. And yes, I think that building that will take more attention to 'housekeeping' rules (your list #3) than the 'originals' needed in the past.

That's as much as I have to say now. Look forward to further discussion with you.

CW

Our admins here are JtC and joeshikspak. They have the ability to work on the site. There are several others of us who are considered mods. Most of the mods were organizing members, but not all organizing members are mods.

censored on DK. IOW, spread the reason why Hillary is not the right person to lead this country and why Bernie is. Using FB and Twitter would be a start. Does this site have a twitter account? I know nothing about twitter but sharing diaries to FB is a start.

I am one of the founders and a moderator for this site. We are glad you are all here. We just never expected you to all come at once. We are enjoying your company, and we are working to identify and respond to your needs.

This was a small blog with minimal structure and organization. We have a daily open thread each morning that lasts all day. It is followed by another daily open thread in the late afternoon called the Evening blues. It takes us through the night. This rhythm is punctuated by a misc essay or two as the mood or need grabs one of us, which isn't often. Having two open threads a day to chit chat in, share links, pictures, videos and breaking news, or bitch about a comment on dailykos or god awful weather, more than met our needs. Desert if you will is the regularly published and substantive essays by JayRaye, Robyn, and GJohnsit. Unlike the open threads full of jibber jabber, their essays are substantive.

I love lists and bullets. Please email your ideas and suggestions to me. I will work with you and our team to help you feel more at home. There are so many short comments being posted as essays, that I don't think I can do this in an essay. We'd quickly scroll away and get lost.

I did this on my phone typing with my left thumb. Hope it makes sense. If nobody sees this, I may republish it in the morning.

Thanks for the introduction. Having been pretty busy lately, this is my first time to drop in.
Great job, let me know what I can do to help.

Since most of us come from dailykos, we have a good model of what it won't be. No community moderations, flags, public beratings. Gentle comments in the thread from moderators will be first. After that, we cut off your head. Obviously, I'm kidding. Next would be a private email asking for support and cooperation to keep our site non-toxic.

As I said, we didn't expect everyone at once. We are working on providing more structure to help people understand, navigate and make comfortable this site.

Oh. So the mildly disapproving comments in stl's thread were first-round moderation. I appreciate being told that.

I was glad to learn today that the moderation system is being re-thought.

When I read something that (as I call It) ' riles my Scots blood, I feel obligated to confront it immediately, in strong terms. I don't see any way I can stop doing that without ceasing to be myself. I do try to 'temper the wind for the shorn lamb', but if I get any sense of uncontrolled or intentional malice, it's Flame On! (The war cry of a comic-book superhero of my youth.)

Just so you know, I don't perceive hints. Really, hints just go past me -- I may have developed this as a protective device in childhood. I perceive hints as comments the speaker is saying, expressing him/herself, but I do not perceive them as applying to me.

I mention these details about myself to be 'on the record' about it.if Mods feel I need a Gentle Hint, I ask you to unwrap the cotten-wool and start with 'I think you are being too . . .'. Changes are I will perceive that as a statement for further discussion, but at least I've forewarned you.