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			{{Short description\|Online political community}}
	{{original research\|article}}
			{{Use American English\|date=October 2020}}
	]
			{{Use mdy dates\|date=October 2020}}
			{{Infobox website
			\| name = Democratic Underground
			\| location_city = United States
			\| url = {{URL\|https://www.democraticunderground.com}}
			\| launch_date = {{start date and age\|2001\|1\|20}}<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://whois.domaintools.com/democraticunderground.com\|title=DemocraticUnderground.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info - DomainTools\|work=]\|access-date=2016-08-14}}</ref>
			}}

			'''Democratic Underground''' is an ] for members of the ]. Its membership is restricted by policy to those who are supportive of the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates for political office.<ref name="duenforcerules">{{cite web\|title=Terms of Service\|website=Democratic Underground\|url=https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=termsofservice\|access-date=2012-10-08 }}</ref>
	{{TOCright}}

			== History ==
	'''Democratic Underground''', also known as '''DU''', is an ] for ] and other progressives. Its membership is restricted by policy to those who are generally supportive of progressive ideals and support Democratic candidates for political office.<ref> Democratic Underground - Rules</ref> DU was established on ], ], the day ] was inaugurated ].
			{{Recentism\|section\|date=February 2023}}

			{{Expand section\|date=October 2020}}
	According to Democratic Underground, as of March 2007, over 101,000 users have registered and over 28 million messages have been posted.<ref> Democratic Underground - Registrations</ref> DU ] articles six days a week and has an online store, a directory of links, and ]s where members may post on various topics of interest.
			On Election Day 2016, the forum was hacked and rendered unavailable, which the site blamed on pro-Trump trolls.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/10/democrat_site_blames_pro_trump_hackers/\|title=Left-wing cyber-hangout blames security breach on pro-Trump trolls\|last=Leyden\|first=John\|date=10 November 2016\|website=]\|language=en-UK\|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref>

	==Features of Democratic Underground==
	===Columns===
	DU has several regular ]s, and on any given day may have a number of guest columns sent in from contributors.

	* Mondays: , a rundown of what DU administrators find as the most outrageous ] activities in the past week.
	* Wednesdays: writes her column.
	* Thursdays: , an 'advice' column.
	* In the past, DU occasionally featured a of ], but no new updates have been posted since 2005.

	Bernard Weiner and Ernest Partridge of '''' are frequent guests.

	===Forums===

	The DU Forums are sites for political and non-political discussions by registered DU users. As of January 2007, the number of individual posts in these forums exceeded 27,000,000. The main forums on DU have been re-arranged since the close of the 2004 US election season. They now include:<ref> Democratic Underground - Forums</ref>

	; The Big Forums : This section is the most active. Latest Breaking News, General Discussion, and General Discussion: Politics (which superseded "General Discussion: Campaign 2004") are the largest and fastest moving forums on DU. The Big Forums also include The Lounge, a friendly forum for general non-political discussion, ]s and Other Articles for op-eds written by forum users, a Wiki-like Research forum, and the Video forum which contains links to ].
	; Topic Forums : This section contains single-topic issue forums. Popular forums under this heading include Election Reform, Guns, the Israeli/Palestine conflict, Political Campaigns, and September 11th. Other topics include Education, Homeland Security, and Drug Policy. Some of the most popular forums under this topic are also some of the most controversial, and therefore the most closely moderated. (see below)
	; State & Country Forums : These provide a specific forum for each U.S. state, where state-wide and local issues are addressed. Residents and others with an interest in localized issues, such as congressional primaries and gubernatorial races, are encouraged to post questions in the state forums. Threads covering local news or events can be found in the state forums, and informal meetings of DU members are often coordinated from them. These "meet-ups" or "meets" include social gatherings, protest events, and political fundraisers. DU also provides forums for posters residing in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as well as a catch-all "Democrats Abroad" forum. These serve a similar function to the U.S. state forums.
	; DU Groups : Groups of users may charter discussion forums for topics of mutual interest such as hobbies, fan clubs, and potential ]. Many of these forums cover non-political topics, such books, sports, and cooking, as well as political issues surrounding ethnicity and religion. These forums are generally not as fast moving as the "Big Forums".

	An "Ask the Administrators" forum was maintained until ], ]; this forum allowed users to pose questions to the board administrators. This forum has now been shut down by the administrators. A "Rules" page, a "Frequently Asked Questions" page, and a "Contact the Administrators" page showing the email addresses of the administrators have been substituted.

	Administrators sometimes ban users for violating site policies.

	====DU This Poll====
	Media websites (including newspapers, television networks, and ]) run occasional "polls" that do not use the ] methods of formal ]s, but instead invite everyone to respond. Some DU forum messages, usually captioned "DU this poll", urge DU members to vote 'en masse' in these polls. After voting, members report back to thread, usually simply writing "Done" or "Done and kicked" ("kicked" meaning the message thread is being moved to the top of the forum page by the new message so that other members will see it). {{Fact\|date=February 2007}}

	====Member avatars====
	Registered members can select an ] that will be displayed along with each of their forum postings. For donating members, this avatar can be a custom ] that they have supplied; non-donating members can choose from a set of standard images that include popular symbols, images of political figures or ] figures, and state outlines, state flags, and a few national flags. These avatars allow users to show some of their personality with each posting.

	When a user is banned from the site by the moderators, their member avatar is changed into an image of a ]. This has lead to the term "tombstoned" being used to describe banned users.

	====An online community====
	Through frequent contact in the forums (including special topic groups) and online private messages, members come to know one another. Discussions range beyond politics to include such diverse subjects as pets, pet peeves, and pop culture. Occasionally, members organize face-to-face get-togethers.

	New members can be confused by DU vocabulary which includes references to pop culture ("this thread needs ]"), deficient spelling skills (such as "cazy," "moran," and "noble jesters"), and long-running threads that have worked their way into DU lore ("dupe," "the kudzu thread").

	Some common terms:

	; Meets : Social or activist events held by members. Also called "meet-ups".
	; Tombstoned : To be banned from posting.
	; Repug : Short for 'Repugnican'. A pejorative neologism for Republican.
	; Freeper : A term specifically for a member of the ] website. Sometimes turned into the pejorative "FreepTard".
	; Kick : To post to a thread to send it to the top of the forum.
	; Gungeon : The Guns Discussion board under Topic Forums. From "Gun Dungeon".
	; Milestone : The occasion when a members post total reaches a certain number. Milestones are celebrated in the Lounge. (See below)

	Lexicons of DU terminology can be found at Democratic Underground's Demopedia entry for .

	When a new user posts a message, the message header shows the total number of posts that user has made. At the 1,000 post mark the total number of posts are no longer shown in the message header. The total number of posts a user has made can be found in their profile. Some prolific members have written many thousands of posts.

	===Campaign Underground===
	DU has an online ] headquarters named "Campaign Underground." The site, which was put together with help from DU members, features a database of information about campaigns, voting trends, and media. A "media blaster" feature provides the ability to email local media outlets in many ] cities. Eventually DU hopes to have other features, such as integrated local news from the forums, a local event calendar, and other issues specific to states and locals.

	===Demopedia===
	On ], ], DU launched the ] of , a ] based collaborative project aimed at presenting the Democratic and ] opinion and outlook, and at collating and preserving some of the information generated on the forums. During the beta, only users who had registered at DU before December 7 were able to contribute. It uses the ] software.

	==Ideology==

	{{Unreferencedsect\|date=February 2007}}
	Although DU restricts its postings to people on the political left, members have many internal disagreements over a wide range of issues, as well as disagreements over tactics of opposition to the Bush Administration. The majority of members oppose the ], but some DU members favor only a gradual withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, while other members favor an immediate and total pullout. Some members favor the ], while a majority do not. Another such issue is ]; DU participants include supporters and opponents of further restrictions on gun ownership.

	As on many other political forums, the ] is a contentious issue. Supporters of both ] and the ] are present on the site, but there is a designated forum for the conflict and no discussion of the matter is allowed outside of this particular forum. Users who express overly critical viewpoints of either side may find themselves ostracised, or even blocked.

	==Activism==
	DUers are active in U.S. politics in many ways. Many of them attend political protests and rallies, volunteer for campaigns, and write letters to editors of newspapers and members of Congress. Some are among the members of the Democratic Party infrastructure, serving as precinct chairs. Others actually work within the confines of various legislative and congressional bodies as staff. Many active posters at Democratic Underground have worked for various causes in both paid and unpaid positions, in campaigns and for special interest groups such as the AFL-CIO and SEIU. Others are members of the DLC, Progressive Democrats of America, MoveOn, and Democracy for America.

	===Activist Corps===
	Founded on ], ], the Activist Corps is a group of over 1,000 DUers who are committed to taking action on a certain issue whenever an official Activist Corps activity is posted.

	The first Activist Corps action was posted on ]; members wrote letters to the editors of local newspapers regarding ]'s role in the leaking of ] agent ]'s name. More than 70 letters were published in newspapers throughout the country. Other Corps activities have included signing online]s to ] asking them to reject ] nominee ], and to write letters of support ].

	==Owners==
	The website is owned by Democratic Underground, LLC (a ]), and run by David Allen, who posts under the ] "Skinner" <ref> Democratic Underground Contacts </ref> while on the boards and handles most of the issues relating to the forums. The other two administrators, "EarlG" (of Washington, D.C.) and "elad" (of Portland, OR), handle the articles and technical issues, respectively.

	==Criticism==		==Criticism==
			Discussions from posters at DU have drawn criticism. One example of this was the dialog about the ], in which a few posts explored the possibility of "]". The posts were reported on by '']''<ref name="nytsuenammy">{{cite web\|last=Schwartz\|first=John\|title=Myths Run Wild in Blog Tsunami Debate\|website=]\|date=2005-01-03\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/03/world/worldspecial4/myths-run-wild-in-blog-tsunami-debate.html\|access-date=2007-05-02}}</ref> and ].<ref name="foxnewsdisaster">{{cite web\|last=Hume\|first=Brit\|author-link=Brit Hume\|title=Disaster's Cause?\|website=]\|date=2005-01-04\|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/disasters-cause\|access-date=2007-05-02}}</ref> An administrator also sent a letter to the ''Times'', which was printed.<ref name="lettertonyt">{{cite web\|last=Washington\|first=David Allen\|date=January 10, 2005\|title=Online Debate Forums\|website=]\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/opinion/online-debate-forums-090700.html}}</ref>

			The site also saw criticism when, in 2003, a poster explained why they wished to see continued bloodshed in Iraq.<ref name="demsgonewild">{{cite news\| last=Taranto\|first=James\|title=Dems Gone Wild--III\|publisher=]\|date =2003-11-05\|url=http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110004262\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526154756/http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110004262\|archive-date=May 26, 2008}}</ref>
	Democratic Underground has been criticized for ] directed against both the political left and the right. From the left, critics say that administrators and moderators unfairly ban or ] members who support the Green Party, Peace and Freedom Party and other parties to the left of the DNC. DU has, in fact, admitted in the past that site administrators 'censor opposing viewpoints.'<ref>http://www.democraticunderground.com/mail/dumbmail_1.html</ref> Right leaning Democrats, or those who support the Iraq War are often disparaged by DU posters.

	===Controversial comments===

	Discussions from posters at DU have drawn criticism. One example of this was the dialog about the ], in which a few posts explored the possibility of "earthquake weapons". The posts were reported by '']'' and ]<ref> Fox News </ref>. The DU administrators deleted these posts and the threads were locked. The administrators officially disavowed what they called "kooky tsunami conspiracy theories". They added, "One wonders why the author did not spend five minutes over at ] and instead write an article about how conservatives think the tsunami was some sort of retribution from God, or how Muslims deserved it." <ref> Democratic Underground - discussion</ref>

	Another example is the conspiracy theories revolving around the ] terror plot to blow up airliners between the UK and the US, which received mention in ].<ref> USA Today</ref> Some posters felt that the American government's push to step-up the announcement of the plot <ref> MSNBC </ref> was a conspiracy to bump ]'s primary loss out of the news cycle.

	The site also saw criticism when, in 2003, a poster explained why he or she wished to see continued bloodshed in Iraq<ref> Opinion Journal </ref> and in the days following the death of ], when profane comments appeared that expressed joy over his passing.<ref> Frontpagemag.com </ref>

			==Copyright infringement lawsuit==
	Two posters to Democratic Underground were investigated by the Secret Service for posts that, according to David Allen, violated the DU policy stating "Do not post messages that could be construed as advocating harm or death to the president or other high-ranking official in the United States government." <ref> Democratic Underground Thread - David Allen </ref> Neither the comments nor the poster's identities are public knowledge, but David Allen said that both members had been banned prior to DU being notified of the investigation, and that no subpoenas have been issued to date.<ref> Democratic Underground Journal - David Allen </ref>
			{{main\|Righthaven LLC v. Democratic Underground LLC}}

			In 2010, Democratic Underground was sued for alleged copyright infringement in a member's posting of a few paragraphs from an article in the '']''. The suit was brought by ], an entity that finds ''Review-Journal'' quotations online, buys the copyright for that story from the newspaper, and retroactively sues for copyright infringement.<ref>{{Cite news \| last = Green\| first = Steve\| title = Righthaven sues Democratic Underground website over R-J posting\| newspaper = ]\| location = ] \| date = August 11, 2010\| url = http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/aug/11/righthaven-sues-democratic-underground-website-ove/\| access-date = 2010-10-08}}</ref> In response to the lawsuit, DU asserted that the quoted excerpt (five sentences of a 54-sentence article) was ], and counterclaimed against Righthaven for ], ], and ].<ref name="counterclaim">{{Cite news \| last = Green\| first = Steve\| title = R-J owner faces counterclaim in copyright lawsuit campaign\| newspaper = Las Vegas Sun\| location = Las Vegas, Nevada\| date = September 28, 2010\| url = http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/sep/28/r-j-owner-faces-counterclaim-copyright-lawsuit-cam/ \| access-date = 2010-10-08}}</ref> DU is being represented in the case '']'' by the ], attorneys from the firm of ], and Las Vegas attorney Chad Bowers.<ref name="counterclaim"/> After Righthaven lost a similar suit against ] over 8 of 30 sentences quoted from a news article, Righthaven asked the judge in the case against Democratic Underground to dismiss Righthaven's claim against DU.<ref name="wired">{{Cite news \| last = Kravets\| first = David\| title = Righthaven Says It Will Stop Suing Over News Excerpts\| newspaper = ], Threat Level\| date = 18 Nov 2010\| url = https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/11/righthaven/ }}</ref>
	] claimed an unscientific poll on the DU site found that, by a margin of 71%-29%, the results of the ] were more depressing than the ] <ref> Opinion Journal - Presidential Election</ref>. The wife of former Vice Presidential candidate ] criticized members who did not feel compassion for ] in her fight with ]; several members of the site had allegedly posted mean-spirited comments about Ingraham in reference to her illness. <ref> Opinion Journal - Laura Ingraham</ref>

			On June 14, 2011, Judge ] ruled that Righthaven be dismissed from the case because Righthaven had never owned the copyright of the article and gave Righthaven two weeks to explain in writing why it should not be sanctioned.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2011/06/14\|title=Righthaven Copyright Troll Lawsuit Dismissed as Sham EFF Press Releases\|date=June 14, 2011\|website=]}}</ref>
	== References ==
	<references />

	==~~See also~~==		==References==
			{{Reflist}}
	*]

	==External links==		==External links==
	*		*
			* on ]
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			* on ]
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	* - Wired article mentions Democratic Underground.

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Latest revision as of 12:14, 1 October 2024

Online political community

Democratic Underground
Headquarters	United States
URL	www.democraticunderground.com
Launched	January 20, 2001; 23 years ago (2001-01-20)

Democratic Underground is an online community for members of the United States Democratic Party. Its membership is restricted by policy to those who are supportive of the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates for political office.

History

This section appears to be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non-recent events. (February 2023)

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2020)

On Election Day 2016, the forum was hacked and rendered unavailable, which the site blamed on pro-Trump trolls.

Criticism

Discussions from posters at DU have drawn criticism. One example of this was the dialog about the 2004 tsunami disaster, in which a few posts explored the possibility of "earthquake weapons". The posts were reported on by The New York Times and Fox News. An administrator also sent a letter to the Times, which was printed.

The site also saw criticism when, in 2003, a poster explained why they wished to see continued bloodshed in Iraq.

Copyright infringement lawsuit

Main article: Righthaven LLC v. Democratic Underground LLC

In 2010, Democratic Underground was sued for alleged copyright infringement in a member's posting of a few paragraphs from an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The suit was brought by Righthaven, an entity that finds Review-Journal quotations online, buys the copyright for that story from the newspaper, and retroactively sues for copyright infringement. In response to the lawsuit, DU asserted that the quoted excerpt (five sentences of a 54-sentence article) was fair use, and counterclaimed against Righthaven for fraud, barratry, and champerty. DU is being represented in the case pro bono by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, attorneys from the firm of Winston & Strawn, and Las Vegas attorney Chad Bowers. After Righthaven lost a similar suit against Realty One Group over 8 of 30 sentences quoted from a news article, Righthaven asked the judge in the case against Democratic Underground to dismiss Righthaven's claim against DU.

On June 14, 2011, Judge Roger L. Hunt ruled that Righthaven be dismissed from the case because Righthaven had never owned the copyright of the article and gave Righthaven two weeks to explain in writing why it should not be sanctioned.

References

"DemocraticUnderground.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info - DomainTools". WHOIS. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
"Terms of Service". Democratic Underground. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
Leyden, John (November 10, 2016). "Left-wing cyber-hangout blames security breach on pro-Trump trolls". The Register. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
Schwartz, John (January 3, 2005). "Myths Run Wild in Blog Tsunami Debate". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2007.
Hume, Brit (January 4, 2005). "Disaster's Cause?". Fox News. Retrieved May 2, 2007.
Washington, David Allen (January 10, 2005). "Online Debate Forums". The New York Times.
Taranto, James (November 5, 2003). "Dems Gone Wild--III". Opinion Journal. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008.
Green, Steve (August 11, 2010). "Righthaven sues Democratic Underground website over R-J posting". Las Vegas Sun. Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
^ Green, Steve (September 28, 2010). "R-J owner faces counterclaim in copyright lawsuit campaign". Las Vegas Sun. Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
Kravets, David (November 18, 2010). "Righthaven Says It Will Stop Suing Over News Excerpts". Wired.com, Threat Level.
"Righthaven Copyright Troll Lawsuit Dismissed as Sham EFF Press Releases". Electronic Frontier Foundation. June 14, 2011.

External links

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