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Top Comments: My 20th DKosaversary Edition [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2024-09-23

Way back in 2004, I was working at a Boston-area biotech firm and had folks I ate lunch with regularly. One of them was a chemist who always impressed me with his political knowledge. When I asked questions he always sourced his data, and I noticed a pattern: many of them came from a website called DailyKos.com. After a while, I cut the middleman out and went directly to the site. Wasn't long before I wanted to rate comments I liked (this was the olden days when ratings were on a scale of 1-4 :-)). So on September 24th, 2004 I took the plunge and created an account. I was shy (hey!! Stop laughing over there, I can HEAR you!!) so wanted to use a pseudonym like so many people did back then. I looked around, and at my feet was my trusty dog, Brillig. Typed it in, found it wasn't taken, and suddenly, twas brillig, userid #20366.

Back in 2019 on my 15th DKosaversary, I dug back into the mists of time and found I wrote my first comment on October 14th 2004 and my first diary on April 27 2005. Over my time gyreing and gimbling in this collective Wabe of ours, I’ve ::checks:: written over 1100 diaries (is there a way to see exactly how many?) and well over 21000 comments. I’ve been a Top Commenteer since September 2007 and a Rescue Ranger since 2018.

I truly never thought I’d be here after twenty years and yet here I am. I have survived Pie Wars and Primary Warz and Rox/Sux battles and more Site Updates That Undoubtedly Will Decimate The Site and I am still here. I’ve seen favorite writers leave, and I’ve wondered if I should too. I’ve had conversations in the comments here and via emails and social media and at many Netroots Nation conferences about How The Site Is Doing and Will You Be Staying Or Leaving. I’ve brought those questions directly to Markos when our paths cross at NN, too. I’m still here. Not as much as I could be, but I stay because so many of you are treasured writers whose thoughts I value on all sorts of topics.

I’d like to share what I wrote last year, because it is STILL exactly what I want to say as I begin my next year here…

But longevity here at Big Orange isn’t what I’m here to talk about. What I want to say is: Thank You. Yes, you. If you’re reading this, you’re a member of the Daily Kos Community. You’re a dedicated member, because casual viewers never seem to find their way to the community diaries. You’ve transformed my life in ways great and small. To name just a few… I began writing (non-scientific pieces) again after a decades-long break for reasons. I went to my first YearlyKos because I so wanted to meet more of you after attending those early-days local meetups. Some of my dearest friendships were made in those early days, and when I attend Netroots Nation each year you’re why it’s Family Reunion Time I developed the confidence to speak about two of the three topics we’re “supposed” to not talk about at the dinner table: politics and religion. Often at the same time. [I miss the old StreetProphets days when it was Little Blue] In case you’re wondering, my comfort speaking about that third topic, sex, comes from my faith community :). I learned here that local elections matter. A LOT. And I began paying attention enough to vote smart, and help others do so too. Because of you and your activism, I joined my local Democratic City Committee in January 2017 to take action rather than despair at home. I’m currently our Treasurer I stepped up to become a poll worker in 2020 because I was concerned for the health and safety of our (generally older) current workers, and really enjoy making sure everyone who is eligible to vote, CAN vote!

I’m still glad to be here, and I’m glad you’re here too. Come look at tonight’s Tops, then grab a glass of something celebratory and join me in the comments.

Here at Top Comments we welcome longtime as well as brand new Daily Kos readers to join us at 10pm Eastern. We strive to nourish community by rounding up some of the site's best, funniest, most mojo'd & most informative commentary, and we depend on your help!! If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. Please please please include a few words about why you sent it in as well as your user name (even if you think we know it already :-)), so we can credit you with the find!

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