Renewable Revolution

While I enjoyed Alan's post in re Kempf's book, I disagree with what he says about DD. The current trend is that the DD is gaining in Alexa rankings every week. It stands to reason that your own traffic would benefit from association with something being seen by more eyes every week.

Yes, Surly, I saw R.E.'s chest-beating about Alexa rankings. It was amusing. He is all excited about  going from being a guppy to being a minnow. Get your Alexa ranking down to under 50,000, or better under 25,000, and then you'll have something to beat your chest about.  Going from 300,000 to 200,000 (etc.) is meaningless. You're still in the sea of minnows.

I'm not "anti-diner".  I'm just amazed that you guys seem to have squandered the opportunity to build a great community that could help you GET those high alexa rankings. The very people that you've systematically insulted, estranged and marginalized are the ones, for the most part, that are the best brains, the best writers, the ones with the best insight, etc.; i.e. the ones that could really help build  traffic.  Too bad you could not see that.  The hell of it is: these people that you hate (that you feel the need to censor, denounce as "trolls", shove off the main forum, etc.)  WERE WILLING TO WORK FOR FREE!  What a deal!

Yes, I know you have your side of the story, too. I know it has been a mess, and unpleasant for you. But there is really no excuse for "moderators" behaving as you guys have behaved toward participants on this forum.  Most of the [fecal matter] that you got, you deserved. Maybe not all, but most.  IMPIO.  (In My Partially-Informed Opinion.  I did not read ALL the endless litany of crap; only maybe 1/10th of it all. I think that was enough to form an opinion. Maybe I'm wrong.)

So now that you've insulted, alienated and chased-away everyone who was consistently putting up interesting content, what are you going to do? Of what will the Diner consist?  R.E.'s podcasts?  Neo-malthusian re-tread/re-prints from here and there? If that is all, then the minnow status is all you deserve, and all you will ever have. If you want more than that, then you have to attract and build a vibrant intellectual/conversational community of smart, interesting people who post smart, interesting stuff.  You can't insult them, censor them (much), allow your sysop to spy or appear to be spying on them, etc., etc.  You have to behave respectfully, in other words.  Or if you cannot be respectful, at least learn to FAKE respect.  Copische?

"The secret to success in business is honesty and sincerity. If you can fake those, you've got it made."  -- Groucho