The problem with DR 1 is this:
1. Too many Trolls. Actually, that is incorrect. It's only a few guys (and yes, they are men! Not women!), but they completely dominate every thread and ruin it quickly with their negativity.
2. Too few women here having a voice that is able to penetrate the gang mentality of the Trolls. What good is a thread without an equal contribution from both sexes?
3. Meems had, in my opinion, the most fun read/thread on here with her weekly diary. A few of the Trolls jumped in and she stopped for a while, for good reason. When she came back, it was moved to another location where only women could contribute. What's good is that? Why allow a few Trolls run her out? Why not just ban the people who came and trashed her wonderful thread?
4. Robert, a good person, i'm sure, but he let his politics interfere in Off Topic, and that gave fuel to the fire for his side of the politics. The Trolls suddenly felt galvanized once he showed what and how he thought.
5. Mountain Annie provided some really good and entertaining opinion pieces and articles, but the Trolls ganged up on her as well and ran her off. She's come back with a vengeance, but for how long? How much longer before they run her off again?
6. There were some fabulous members on here, but even they ran off, and for good reason. DRob & Corsair, and another moderator from NYC, who, i think is a professor, (i got my mother's Alzheimer's...so i can't remember his name right now?) are highly educated people, both Drob & Corsair are successful US attorneys and both are really fun guys, and interesting. They're all gone!
7. I had my thread, Cabarete Diaries, that i love writing everyday--and when you sit at a bar 6-days a week, 11-years straight--how can you not write about what you witness everyday? A few people came in and starting trashing that thread, calling me a "Racist," calling me this and that. I complained. Their accusations were left standing--there still standing today. So, that's the end of that thread or any future stories from me.
8. People have vendettas, i get that. People line up with there sides of the fence and their like-minded tribes, i get that too. What i don't get is allowing a few individuals to completely dominate so many topics to the point where they run people off?
9. DR1 will survive, but Facebook will slowly take it over to the point where it's relegated to where it is at now. The problem is this: Facebook allows people to share their photos, stories, videos, etc. as easily and effortlessly as snapping your fingers. The platform is designed for it. It also allows people to sell & buy things effortlessly. It allows people to request information effortlessly. It's more "group specific" in that people join and belong to very specific groups & very specific genres. It allows greater freedom where Trolling behavior is not tolerated. It also allows you to see then real name and face of people you are discussing things with. Sure, some people try and disguise it by creating Fake profiles, but that only lasts so long before they're banned. Generally, you get to see who you are talking with, and information about them, and hence, people are not hiding behind anonymous profiles.
10. It's also free to sell items on Facebook. That in and of itself, will put the last nail into the coffin of a lot of different sites. Also, it's free to advertise!
A lot of good people left DR1. I can't see most, many, or even a lot of them coming back. Why would they? The moment that people started Trolling others, spewing their negativity & hate, pushing & bullying 50% of the voices: the females, that was the perfect opportunity to start banning individuals left and right. It didn't happen, or it didn't happen enough. That's probably because DR1 survives on some sort of numbers count--a place where the more people post, the better chances for advertisement & revenue...or something to that effect. Not sure exactly sure how it works. Don't care. With Facebook, it's free to post, sell, and even advertise to some extent. How can anyone compete with that?
A lot of older people do not do Facebook. I get it. But every single generation coming up today use it. Facebook is so efficient to buy & sell things on, and to get important information from, it's not going away.
